James Calvin Wilsey

James Calvin Wilsey (born 1957 in Logansport, Indiana) is an American musician. He played bass with San Francisco punk band The Avengers, but become better known as the lead guitarist for Stockton crooner Chris Isaak's band Silvertone. His playing was featured on Isaak's albums Silvertone, Chris Isaak, Heart Shaped World, and San Francisco Days.

Wilsey's 1965 Fender Stratocaster and use of reverb, delay, and gentle vibrato, gave a distinctive sound to Isaak classics such as Wicked Game (the opening two-note riff, in his own words, "crystallizes Wilsey's approach") and Blue Hotel.

Having apparently dropped the moniker "Calvin," Wilsey released a solo album of guitar instrumentals in 2008, titled El Dorado, which paid homage to musical influences such as Duane Eddy, The Shadows, Billy Strange, James Burton and Link Wray[1]

References

  1. Wilsey's myspace.com page