Pop Music Review : Ian Moore Dazzles at the Roxy

Guitarist Ian Moore, the latest claimant to the Texas blues-rock crown, performed his own music Monday at the Roxy with conviction and purpose for nearly two hours before turning to outside material and taking things to an even higher level.

On songs by Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Freddie King, the slender, long-haired Moore dazzled the capacity crowd in his California solo debut with his rapid-fire technique and fresh imagination.

As a singer, Moore, 25, doesn’t convey the world-weariness of the great blues vocalists. At times, both live and on his new Capricorn album, there’s a purity in his voice--especially at the upper registers--that suggests considerable potential on the right rock numbers.

Most of the Texan’s compositions have a hard-rock denseness that gets interesting only when he supports the arrangement with a funky element, such as a driving bass line or an organ swell. Faring better as a slide guitarist, Moore and his trio allow more blues nuances to peek through.

But when he turns to the music he grew up with, Moore seems to find a launching pad for his genuinely inspired, supercharged guitar work--and that’s what makes him someone worth watching closely.