Guitar Gumbo

When the late Robert Johnson first sired the blues with songs like “They’re Red Hot,” he couldn’t have known the extreme to which his influence would one day be taken by Florida’s own Bill Wharton, a.k.a. “the Sauce Boss.” In Wharton’s world, it’s not just the blues that are red...

By Lewis Goldberg

January 5, 2006

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When the late Robert Johnson first sired the blues with songs like “They’re Red Hot,” he couldn’t have known the extreme to which his influence would one day be taken by Florida’s own Bill Wharton, a.k.a. “the Sauce Boss.” In Wharton’s world, it’s not just the blues that are red hot -- it’s the food too. That comparison notwithstanding, Wharton’s blues aren’t very traditional. They’re a tasty gumbo of ingredients that have crept into modern blues over the years. His music’s got southern swamp boogie. It’s got rootsy rock ´n’ roll. And, of course, slide guitar as spicy as Wharton’s own Liquid Summer Hot Sauce (which you can buy at his shows). It’s enough to make B.B. King pull out his OneTouch blood sugar meter. For the uninitiated, here’s something you haven’t seen before: Wharton cooks up his gumbo right on stage and serves it to the crowd. Literally. When you go to a Sauce Boss show, you bring your ears and your appetite.
Jan. 6-7

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