Eric is a staple of both French and American studios. For over twenty years, he has toured and recorded with Francis Cabrel, Niagara, Johnny Hallyday, Zachary Richard, Daran et les Chaises, Willy Deville, Isabelle Boulay, and Calvin Russel. He is capable of extreme versatility while maintaining a very recognizable touch—rooted in blues, sharp rock, and impeccable taste on the bottleneck. During his four-hour masterclass at the Woodbrass Music School, Eric shared his methods of acoustic blues improvisation, much to the delight of the students present. Here we share some of his teachings.
The masterclass was organized into several sections, depending on the instruments played and the keys. Some of the simplest yet most valuable advice: adapt to the chords (for example, avoid playing the third of the I chord over the IV chord), adapt to the key (especially by using open strings), and mix both minor and major pentatonic scales to enrich the sound of your improvisation. Eric began his masterclass with a beautiful Martin 00-17 from 1935, a small all-mahogany guitar that is perfect for delicate recordings. He keeps his Gibson Jumbo and Gibson J-45 for strong rhythm playing with a pick, while the Martin’s more pronounced midrange means that, as he puts it, “even the finger noise sounds good.” He then switched to a solid-body dobro made by luthier Mike Lewis, giving a true lesson in the instrument’s history. Dobros come with either Spanish necks (traditional playing) or Hawaiian style (lap playing). They can be made of wood (more sustain, often used for bluegrass) or metal (more rootsy, ideal for blues). Tricones are the most sought-after, offering the richest sustain.
He finished with a Godin 5th Avenue, less vintage but more jazz, which he played with a pick rather than fingers. He tackled saxophone keys such as F, B-flat, and E-flat, which allow for fewer open strings. Here, another side of Eric’s playing emerged, somewhere between Grant Green and B.B. King. He admitted that his favorite tone overall is the one he heard on Stones and Who records: a crunchy sound, overdriven but not overly so—a truly expressive tube amp tone. Heavy distortion can quickly get out of control, and as he put it: “I played very saturated for a while, and I moved away from it.” He ended with words of wisdom gained from years on stage: you have to spend time with your instrument, explore and trust your instincts, avoid overanalyzing, focus on the essentials, but also develop enough technique, since live performance never allows you to be at 100% of your abilities.
Want to rewatch the masterclass in detail? You’re in luck—Woodbrass filmed the whole thing just for you!
Here’s the teaser:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3:
And finally, Part 4:
