For most people, the city of Savannah, Ga., calls to mind enduring images of antebellum South: elegant old mansions, moss-covered oak trees, oppressive humidity and flirtatious belles hoop skirting their way to family inheritance. But for those who have wandered through the doors of the Savannah Blues nightclub on the right night, the lasting image of this quiescent Southern town is that an electrifying blues workhorse named Eric Culberson.

Inside this restored club, Culberson dazzles patrons with the fiery guitar work that has made him a rising star on the national blues scene. And these fortunate visitors should be grateful: With exposure for his newest King Snake release, No Rules to the Game, gaining momentum, Eric's performing time back home is sure to become less frequent. At least, God willing and the Savannah River don't rise, that's the way things should go for this blues guitarist who has paid his dues in spades.

"When I was 10 years old," recalled Culberson, "my dad had a Harmony acoustic that I tinkered around with. I'd take the tone arm of a record player, dig the needle into the body of the guitar and make that Harmony an electric. From there I learned from watching others". But Culberson makes it sound much easier than it really was. Around the time he hit school, the blues bug bit Culberson, and from that point on it was nose to the grindstone in pursuit of his newfound passion. He did construction and demolition work on the side and developed his guitar skills at night.

"I would get the neighborhood guys together at my one-room efficiency" Culberson explained. "We'd soundproof the room with duct tape and sofa cushions and then jam into the night." And jam he did. Through intense sessions with rotating members of his revolving outfit. The EROK Band (from nickname given to Culberson by his friends), Culberson acquired a strong command of the instrument. By his early20s, he had developed a sound mature enough to catch the ears of King Snake Records major demo and bassist Bob Greenlee. "A mutual friend of ours, Tim Coy sent me a tape." said Greenlee. "The tape sounded good, but it was very rough. I suggested that he come into the studio and lay down a few tracks. As soon as he played in the studio, I was a believer."

Culberson's first release, Blues Is My Religion, introduces his razor sharp playing and natural, down-home voice to the world through an impressive line up of original songs. He tackled genres ranging from Memphis soul to Texas blues with the confidence of a veteran. But more than anything else, the album revealed his love for Chicago blues. It's a love he attributes to blues great Buddy Guy, among others.

"It was a big rush for me seeing Buddy Guy for the first time," Culberson said. "It was right before he released Damn Right I've Got the Blues, and he just blew me away. I watched him very closely, and I could hardly sleep the night before because I couldn't stop thinking about opening the show."

Another obvious influence on Culberson was the legendary Otis Rush. Like Rush, Culberson often will launch into a high falsetto, lending his songs an added intensity.

BB King cannot go unmentioned. "The first time I got to talk to BB was at a festival in Tampa," said Culberson. "The way he carried himself and talked to people made a real impression on me. He was a real gentleman, and I learned alot from watching his perform."

Blues Is My Religion was received warmly by critics, but like so many good blues artists who don't live in the big markets, Culberson found that the path to stardom was as slow and winding as the Georgia backroads. But that only fueled his desire. Night after night, he would set the strings on fire with The Erok Band at the local Savannah clubs like Night Flight and Cross Roads. As word of his talent spread, Eric was soon sharing the stage with such well known artists as Carey Bell, Eddie Kirkland, Johnny Copeland and Etta James when they passed through town.

Over a stretch of nights a few years ago, Culberson even showed his willingness to give an arm and a leg for the blues, or at least an arm. He was locked into an arm wrestling match (one of his more unheralded talents) when his arm snapped like a twig. Does that mean the other guy won? Culberson won't say, but his career could have ended forever that night.

What happened next was the stuff of local legend. Culberson immediately had his arm bandaged at a nearby hospital and, never one to miss a gig, made a beeline for the stage at a club. Recruiting two guitar players to back him up, Culberson stood his guitar upright like a cello and played with his thumb. Needless to say, it was a painful experience, but this uncomfortable style worked well enough that he went on to perform nightly. He even backed up J. Geils in the same manner before his arm was fully healed. After one show stopping set, Geils turned to Culberson and remarked, "You're damn good. I'd sure hate to see you when your arm is good."

Now his arm is in great shape, as evidenced by No Rules to the Game. A virtual tour de force of fret-burning guitar work, No Rules just might be the album that vaults Eric Culberson into the national spotlight. Complemented by a soulful horn section and a stable of seasoned King Snake session players, Culberson's energy is palpable as he demonstrates equal skill on both electric and slide guitar. He has developed a mature Texas-meets-Chicago sound that generates sparks without being overwrought or flashy. And most promising of all, there isn't a weak cut on the entire album.

"This album was further down the road for me personally," said Culberson. "The horns are kickin', and the entire album has a great feeling because everyone was into it." Greenlee, who plays bass on the album, also sensed a natural energy to the proceedings. "Eric likes to perform his material rather than layer it with too much production, so we just let him go for it," said Greenlee.

Culberson covers a lot of ground with No Rules to the Game. He broaches the topical with "Broken Family Blues," delivers upbeat boogie rhythms on "Savannah Swine' and takes a country blues turn on the acoustic "Muddy Waters." But the centerpiece of the album is " Why Did You Lie?" in which Culberson pulls out all the pyrotechnic stops in a blazing solo.

"A lot of the techniques in that song I learned from Buddy Guy's 'Stone Crazy' and Leiber and Stoller's 'I Smell a Rat,'" Culberson said. "It's an angry song. I was kicked pretty hard around then and it came out in the recording."

Reviews have been glowing for "No Rules to the Game" and Eric Culberson is taking his EROK band on a sweep of the northern United States in support of the album this October. Until then, you'll find him lighting up the fretboard at midnight in the real garden of good and evil -- the Savannah Blues club on a Saturday night.

Eric Culberson - Blues Is My Religion
King Snake Records

Every once in a while a blues artist emerges from the deep south and bursts fully mature upon the national scene. Eric Culberson is one of those bluesmen. His style is unmistakably authentic, energetic, and blessed with sex appeal and charisma. He will be a breath of fresh air for the blues.

Eric hails from Savannah, Georgia, where he worked the usual small clubs. The resurrection of electric blues was apparent when demand for good music supported the creation of Savannah's first and best blues club, The Cross Roads. Eric and his band, The EROK band, were installed as the house band, and became an instant local phenomenon. Another Savannah native, agent, and club owner Tim Coy, recognized Eric's potential and got in touch with his friend Bob Greenlee, president of King Snake Records. One trip to King Snake studios in Sanford, Florida and Eric was signed and recording his first King Snake CD, "Blues is my Religion", released January 23, 1996.

The band has opened for or jammed with numerous recording artists, such as Jerry Portnoy, Carey Bell, (two of Muddy Waters' harp players), Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Tony Coleman ( B.B. King band) Jimmy Dawkins, Casey Jones (Albert Collins), Room Full Of Blues, Ted Nugent, J. Geils and Magic Dick, Eddie Kirkland, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Koko Taylor and Etta James.

"Blues is my Religion", the title song on Eric's CD, was used in the pilot episode of the TV show "Savannah", an Aaron Spelling and Warner Brothers production shown nationwide.

Music Choice Network chose eight songs off of "Blues is my Religion". This is a twenty- four hour commercial-free digital music service available through cable TV and direct TV satellite, reaching millions of subscribers daily.

With the release of the CD , Eric Culberson and the Erok band are on their way to far broader recognition. They are appearing up and down the East coast, and seem poised to make the jump to stardom. And why not, combining spine-tingling guitar, soulful vocals and powerful original blues, Eric Culberson is on his way!

Eric Culberson - No Rules to the Game
Living Blues Magazine

"An earnest tone dominates Eric Culberson's songs, as he addresses the consequences of broken homes, the importance of a work ethic, and an individual's autonomy. Add a brilliant guitar style that's stinging and versatile, credible vocals, and tight arrangements, and you've got a winning combination. Like Michael Hill, who also refuses to fall back on "tried and true" issues and lyrics, Culberson is working toward defining a contemporary vocabulary and style for electric blues, a difficult but crucial task if the genre is to remain vital. A powerful album that never sags for a moment, "No Rules to the Game" is required listening."


Eric Culberson - No Rules to the Game
Real Blues Magazine

"Here's a very pleasant surprise from those folks down in Florida. I'm not at all familiar with Eric Culberson's background, but he sounds like he's been around and paid some dues. He's got three big positives: nice natural voice, smooth Chicagostyle blues guitar work, and a knack for very good songwriting. Eleven of 13 tunes are his and virtually all are fresh and full of fire. Not many blues artists out there are delivering discs as strong as this. As usual, King Snake provides stellar backup (Ronnie "Byrd" Foster is one of the best blues drummers on the planet) and Bill Samuel provides excellent punchy horn arrangements. Bob Greenlee's production work deserves mucho accolades as he's given us a finished product that glides and slides along from one fine track to another with no letdowns or rough edges. Culberson's guitar work is comparable to Buddy Guy of 15-20 years ago (when Buddy still had passion for the, blues) and this disc is going to surprise a heck of a lot of people. Culberson is a real find, and the longer you listen to this CD the more this guy's talent will grab you. There are several radio hits and at least four that should make a big impression with Shag/ Beach deejays ("Workhorse Blues" and "I Promised Myself" are dance floor fillers), and slow intense blues like "Small Town" and "I Came From the Blues" will startle jaded purists. All in all, Eric Culberson has emerged as a major blues artist with a big future. He's got it, in spades. This one transcends color/cultural barriers and I'm inclined to believe this boy's from somewhere down in cottonmouth country. Put this one on your must-have list. It's a real blues delight. King Snake has a big blues talent with potential to conquer the blues world." Rated.- 5 big bottles.


Eric Culberson - No Rules to the Game
Ray Stiles, CD Review

Who is Eric Culberson? I had heard the name before but never the music. What I found after listening to his second King Snake CD was very impressive. Even though he is in his mid-twenties, this young bluesman from Savannah, Georgia sings and plays guitar like an old, pro. Drawing on the influences of Freddie and Albert King, Culberson has developed a style that is based on that tradition yet has a totally fresh and energetic sound. He has a piercing, direct guitar style played with some real depth, feeling and fire and both his playing and singing have a definite maturity about them. His vocals are strong and confident and his songwriting is not too shabby either, with 11 original songs out of the 13 cuts. The material on this CD features a variety of slower and faster paced songs and even some fine slide guitar that sounds like it was recorded in the 1950's ("I Promised Myself I Wouldn't Drink No More"). There was also a nice acoustic version of the Muddy Waters song, "King Bee". If you haven't heard of this young talent I suggest you check out this CD. Fans of Tinsley Ellis are sure to like this recording.
Ray Stiles, CD Review

Eric Culberson - No Rules to the Game
Mark Smith, Blues Revue

"Ever since the meteoric rise to stardom of Stevie Ray Vaughan, his bruising, "rough and tumble" guitar style has been the standard against which Texas blues guitar is measured. Forgotten in the popular analysis is the fact that Texas had a rich blues guitar history setting the standard long before Stevie Ray. on his second King Snake release, guitarist and vocalist Eric Culberson reintroduces the public to what Texas blues guitar sounded like in-the pre-Vaughan era when the genre was defined by the likes of Freddie King, Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. "The 12 cuts here - 11 of which are originals - feature the clean flurry of well-placed notes that was the stock in trade of these standard-bearers of Texas blues guitar. While Culberson doesn't add anything new to this rich legacy, he does his forefathers proud. Culberson, who's still in his mid-twenties, has mastered the instrumental approach and, more important, the tone that me music of King, Collins and others so compelling. Accompanying Culberson on his journey to the Lone Star State are Warren King on rhythm guitar, Bob Greenlee on bass, Ronnie "Byrd" Foster on drums, Terry Myers on tenor and baritone sax, Steve Walters on trumpet and Doug Bare on piano and organ. While the entire band provides solid support, the horns are integral to the sound of this disc. Their punchy fills and accents take the cuts on side trips to Memphis and add a warm, soulful counterpoint to Culberson's stinging guitar. With vocals that recall W.C. Clark's, Culberson weaves heartfelt tales about social strife ("Broken Family Blues"), the distress of playing by the rules ("No Rules to the Game"), the importance of remembering your roots ("I Came From the Blues") and the games of love ("If You Leave Me", "Small Town", "Why Did You Lie" and "Matter of Time"). While this disc probably won't redefine the public's current notion of Texas blues, it's a good reminder of an earlier chapter in Texas guitar history."