POP MUSIC REVIEW : Healey’s Fire Blazes No Trails

The hype on young, blind Canadian Jeff Healey--that he’s going to revolutionize guitar playing--seems largely based on the fact that he plays the guitar on his lap. That’s akin to saying that Jimi Hendrix revolutionized guitar playing because he played behind his head or with his teeth. Hendrix’s achievements came from the fact that, musically, he boldly went where no guitar player had gone before.

Musically speaking, Healey (who also played behind his head and with his teeth) didn’t break any new ground in his local concert debut Tuesday at the Whisky.

Instead, he drew liberally from the Blues Bible, particularly the Three Kings (B.B. and especially Freddie and Albert) as well as Saints Jimi and Eric (Clapton) and more recent apostles like ZZ Top and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Fiery and enthralling? Yes. Revolutionary? No.

Healey’s failure to match the misguided hype, though, couldn’t obscure the fact that he is a truly phenomenal musician--not because of where he puts the guitar, not even because of his speed and dexterity, but because of the feeling he has for this music.

When Healey would occasionally bound from his chair to play standing (actually, bouncing), his enthusiasm transcended the sturdy but predictable music made by him, bassist Joe Rockman and drummer Tom Stephen.

But it wasn’t until near the end of the 70-minute set, when Healey placed the guitar on the floor and danced with joyous abandon on top of it--and still managed to make music--that he finally showed something truly individual in his performance. If he can develop music as unique, maybe he will turn out to be a trailblazer.