Leslie West

Blues-rock guitarist Leslie West - best known as the big man with the growling voice and large guitar riffs in the band Mountain, and during his lengthy solo career - hit a bump in the road a couple of months back when he had to have the bottom half of one of his legs amputated due to complications from diabetes. While he is currently undergoing therapy for his missing limb, it's not keeping the musician from planning for the future.

On September 20, 2011 Provogue Records will release Unusual Suspects, West's first solo album since 2006's Blue Me, and his most recent since Mountain's 2007 album Masters of War. West assembled a literal "dream team" of fellow guitarists to record the collection of mostly-original material, including such six-string heavyweights as Zakk Wylde, former Guns N' Roses fretburner Slash, Steve Lukather, Z.Z. Top's Billy Gibbons, and Joe Bonamassa. "These guys don't show up to play on everybody's albums," West says in a press release for Unusual Suspects. "They're all stars in their own right and fantastic players - everyone with their own sound and style, and about as far from 'the usual suspects' as it gets."

Recorded before his surgery, Unusual Suspects features a strong set of West's original, guitar-driven blues-rock songs and a pair of well-chosen covers, including West's bluesy take on the Beatles' "I Feel Fine." West duets with Bonamassa on the Eddie Boyd/Willie Dixon-penned song "Third Degree," originally recorded by the guitarist with West, Bruce & Laing for the band's 1972 album Why Dontcha. West plans on touring in support of Unusual Suspects, but first has committed to a couple of months on the road with the 3 Guitar Heroes Tour with Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth.

While West is pretty well known to blues-rock fans, Schenker and Roth are both heavy metal legends. Schenker was a founding member of German band the Scorpions, and spent time as the lead guitarist for British hard rockers UFO before launching a solo career in 1980. Roth was also a member of the Scorpions before establishing his own lengthy solo career. During the tour, all three musicians will play an individual set before getting together for a show-closing jam. "I am honored to be a part of the 3 Guitar Heroes Tour with Uli Roth and Michael Schenker," says West. "These guys are monster players and this should be a lot of fun."

3 Guitar Heroes Tour Dates

10/06 @ Infinity Music Hall & Bistro, Norfolk CT
10/08 @ The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield CT
10/09 @ The Flying Monkey, Plymouth NH
10/12 @ Showcase Live, Foxborough MA
10/13 @ Stone Pony, Asbury Park NJ
10/14 @ Irving Plaza, New York NY
10/15 @ Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia PA
10/16 @ NYCB Theatre, Westbury NY
10/19 @ Sound Stage, Baltimore MD
10/20 @ House of Blues, Cleveland OH
10/21 @ Bogart's, Cincinnati OH
10/22 @ Egyptian Room, Indianapolis IN
10/26 @ Pabst Theater, Milwaukee WI
10/27 @ House of Blues, Chicago IL
11/04 @ House of Blues, Dallas TX
11/05 @ House of Blues, Houston TX
11/11 @ Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas NV

http://blues.about.com/b/2011/08/05/leslie-west-album-tour-preview.htm?nl=1

definitely be waiting on this one next month,