Frampton mixes in with locals
By Rick Bird
Post staff reporter

When British rock star Peter Frampton, who recently became a naturalized American citizen, moved to Indian Hill in 2000, he said he hoped to be involved in Cincinnati's local music scene.

Frampton can't exactly be found jamming at the corner bar, but he has made good on his promise contributing to three local recording projects and appearing at several charity and fundraising events.

His latest local contribution is his performance on two tracks of Joe Duskin's "Big Joe Jumps Again: Cincinnati Blues Session" playing guitar on blues classics "Every Day I Have the Blues" and "Key to the Highway."

Frampton, who used the Duskin tracks to add guitar at his home studio, exquisitely complements Duskin's piano and vocals on the tracks.

"Peter worked real hard to make it work. We couldn't ask for anything better," said producer Larry Nager. "You hear Peter playing Joe's licks and Joe playing Peter's licks."

While it's common studio practice for musicians to add tracks later, the first-rate Frampton contribution makes it hard to believe the two were not in the studio at the same time.

Frampton's work gets the ultimate compliment from Duskin: "Let me tell you, that guy can run B.B. King out of town. He knows what to do with guitars."

Duskin acknowledged, before Frampton moved to town, he "never heard of him." Likewise, when Frampton moved here to be closer to the family of his wife, Tina Elfers of Reading, he was unaware of Cincinnati's rich blues and R&B tradition. Frampton has said he was amazed to learn that many seminal blues tunes he grew up listening to as a teenager in England came out of Cincinnati's King Records.

Frampton first met Duskin and played with him at the benefit for 9-11 victims Frampton organized at the Taft Theater in December, 2001.

Frampton's previous local efforts include recording a cover of Freddie King's "Hide Away" for "Hidden Treasures," the salute to King Records released in 2002. Last year he contributed a cut, playing some rare jazz guitar, to "It's About Time," the jazz/R&B release from Philip Paul, the legendary King session drummer.