Skylar Saufley: local blues wunderkind gets down and wows audiences on his way up
Getting compared to Eric Clapton is a big deal for any blues guitarist, and 23-year-old Skylar Saufley frequently draws the comparison from those who are captivated by his playing. Born in Virginia, Skylar moved to Columbus in the 3rd grade, when his father was stationed at Fort Benning. He’s been here ever since and considers himself a Columbus native, but when people hear him play, they often ask, “where did he come from?”
Some also ask, “and who is this tall, lanky white kids playing BB King?”
Over the past few years, Skylar has built a stellar reputation and earned the respect of every musician he meets. He started playing the blues when he was 13, which gives him ten years of experience. Skylar is also the most joyful blues artist I have ever met, and when I asked him how he could feel lyrics like “The Thrill Is Gone” given his age, he said, “I don’t think about anything when I’m playing. I just go somewhere else.”
His reputation in the music community is as a humble and gracious player. He’s also know to be hungry to perform as often as possible. When he was too young to play bars, he set up in coffee shops and restaurants, and even managed to find a few open mics where the organizers would turn a blind eye to the age laws, just so they could hear “the kid” play.
“I once had to wear a hat, coat and sunglasses just to play [one venue],” Skylar said, laughing. “They made me stay in disguise on the stage during the breaks.”
After watching Skylar command the room with the line “She had the nerve” at least 12 times in a polished performance, I felt as if all of us present were thinking the same thing: he’s a star. I get the feeling that Skylar knows this, too, and it’s refreshing to be in the presence of someone so stolid about their gift who also remains loyal to the music and his band with a guileless smile. Skylar and his band, the 99th Degree, have been together now for two years.
How did they form? It required some trial and error. According to Skylar, finding the right guys with the same idea of what defines the blues took some time, but the current line-up is a tight, deep-rooted team of professionals. Skylar is backed by drummer Erich Buchanan, Cletus Richardson on bass and guitar, and Chris Helms on keys.
“They are like family,” Skylar said. “My mom calls Cletus ‘Baby Boy’ and he calls her ‘momma’ And like family, we may not always get along, but we were always meant to play together.
Skylar can adapt to any band setting, and recently sat in with a BB King All-Star Band in Nashville, where he once again surprised an audience with his youth, sound and brave guitar phrase while he sand T-Bone Walker’s lines, “They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday’s just as bad.”
His influences are harmonica players like James Cotton and Little Walter. He studied the styles of Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf and, of course, BB King. He also knows his history, the way early blues record labels stole the blues sound and sold it to white audiences, typically shortchanging the black artists who created those sounds. Of course, I had to ask about Elvis, whose story is the epitome of this cultural theft.
“I worried that I might be watering down something that I love so much just by trying to be like Elvis,” Skylar said. “Eric [his long-time friend and drummer] told me that although I can never understand what it feels like to hail a cab in NYC and be ignored, by learning and teaching this art makes me part of the solution.”
Skylar teaches private lessons at American Guitar Boutique (707 13th Street, Phenix City), where he encourages his students to learn the legends and pass them down to the next generation. Knowing Skylar’s commitment to the history and legacy of the blues, the art form he pursues so intensely, so early in his career, we can only imagine—and look forward to watching—the impact of this wisdom on his music and style. Skylar Saufley will be someone to watch for a very, very long time.
By April Norris