Eric Clapton is big on giving back.  The guitar god founded Antigua’s Crossroads Centre for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction in 1998, and in 2004, spearheaded the creation of the Crossroads Eric Clapton Guitar Festival to benefit the facility of the same name.  Since that first ’04 fest, Crossroads Festivals have taken place every three years, in 2007, 2010 and 2013.  Highlights from the 2013 shows, which took place on April 12 and 13 at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden, are now available on CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc from Rhino.

Headlined of course by Clapton, the first Crossroads Festival was held in Dallas, Texas and endeavored to represent instrumentalists from the blues, rock, country and even jazz realms.  The festival featured such diverse guitar greats as Jeff Beck, J.J. Cale, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana as well as singer-songwriters like Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor and the up-and-coming John Mayer, as well as bands like Booker T and the MG’s, Styx and ZZ Top.  The 2013 line-up welcomed back many artists who had played at that very first event (and subsequent ones) such as B.B. King, Booker T. Jones, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Robert Randolph, Robert Cray, Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, Doyle Bramhall II, Jimmie Vaughan and David Hidalgo of Los Lobos.  Other performers included Keith Richards, Earl Klugh, Gary Clark Jr., Keith Urban, Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal.

The DVD and BD releases present 45 songs from both evenings of Crossroads 2013 in director Martyn Atkins’ concert film, playable in either stereo or 5.1 surround.  The CD edition boasts 29 tracks on two discs.  In all formats you’ll get Clapton’s performances of signature songs “Tears in Heaven,” “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Got to Get Better in a Little While” and some collaborations: “Lay Down Sally” with Gill, “Key to the Highway” with moonlighting Glimmer Twin Richards, “Why Does Love Got to Be So Bad” with the Allman Brothers Band, and “Gin House Blues” on which he accompanies Andy Fairweather-Low.  The DVD/BD releases add Clapton’s “Crossroads,” “Spider Jiving” with Fairweather-Low, “Big Road Blues” with Kurt Rosenwinkel, “Everyday I Have the Blues” with B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan and The Robert Cray Band, and Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” with The Band’s Robbie Robertson.

All-star duets are often among the most tantalizing aspects of benefit concert performances, and Crossroads 2013 is no exception.  In addition to the previously mentioned Clapton duets, the Crossroads CD includes such collaborations as John Mayer and Keith Urban on The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” Mayer and Doyle Bramhall II on “Change It,” Vince Gill with Albert Lee on “I Ain’t Living Long Like This,” Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ on “Diving Duck Blues,” and a jam on the stone-cold Stax classic “Green Onions” with Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper joined by Keb’ Mo’, Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Albert Lee.  Of course, there’s more on the DVD/BD such as the same group doing Jones’ “Born Under a Bad Sign,” Booker T and Cropper’s “Green Onions,” and Gill, Urban and Lee doing The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice.”

After the jump: more on Crossroads, including full track listings and order links for each format!

Other highlights include jazz great Earl Klugh’s “Mirabella” and “This Time” (DVD/BD and CD), Mayer’s “Queen of California” (DVD/BD), Blake Mills and Derek Trucks’ rendition of the Pomus/Shuman Brill Building classic “Save the Last Dance for Me,” Trucks’, Warren Haynes and Gregg Allman’s take on Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” (DVD/BD), Jimmie Vaughan’s “Ooh-Ooh-Ooh” (DVD/BD, CD), Jeff Beck’s “Mna’ Na Heireann” (DVD/BD, CD) and “Going Down” with Beth Hart (DVD/BD) and Los Lobos’ “Don’t Worry Baby” (not the Beach Boys song, DVD/BD and CD).  Only the DVD and BD releases include the grand finale, Joe Cocker’s “High Time We Went” performed by the ensemble.

The CD release of Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013 has been mastered by Bob Ludwig, and royalties from its purchase will benefit the good work done at Crossroads Centre in Antigua.  With performances from Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, The Allman Brothers Band, B.B. King, Earl Klugh and so many others, the art of the guitar doesn’t get much better than this.  All three formats offered by Rhino – CD, DVD and BD – can be ordered at the links below!

Various Artists, Crossroads: Eric Clapton Guitar Festival 2013 (Rhino CD R2 537929, 2013) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1

1. Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
2. Lay Down Sally – Eric Clapton with Vince Gill
3. Green Onions – Booker T with Steve Cropper, Keb’ Mo’, Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Albert Lee
4. Heavenly Bodies – Kurt Rosenwinkel
5. This Time – Earl Klugh
6. Mirabella – Earl Klugh
7. Great Big Old House – The Robert Cray Band
8. She’s Alright – Doyle Bramhall II with Gary Clark, Jr.
9. Bullet and a Target – Doyle Bramhall II with Citizen Cope
10. Queen of California – John Mayer
11. Don’t Bring Me Down – John Mayer with Keith Urban
12. Next Door Neighbor Blues – Gary Clark, Jr.
13. Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues – Buddy Guy with Robert Randolph and Quinn Sullivan
14. Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad – The Allman Brothers Band with Eric Clapton

CD 2

1. Congo Square – Sonny Landreth with Derek Trucks
2. Change It – John Mayer with Doyle Bramhall II
3. Ooh-Ooh-Ooh – Jimmie Vaughan
4. Save the Last Dance for Me – Blake Mills with Derek Trucks
5. Don’t Worry Baby – Los Lobos
6. I Ain’t Living Long Like This – Vince Gill with Albert Lee
7. Diving Duck Blues – Taj Mahal with Keb’ Mo’
8. When My Train Pulls In – Gary Clark, Jr.
9. Mna’ Na Heireann – Jeff Beck
10. The Needle and the Damage Done – Allman, Haynes, Trucks
11. Midnight Rider – Allman, Haynes, Trucks
12. Key to the Highway – Eric Clapton with Keith Richards
13. Gin House Blues – Andy Fairweather Low with Eric Clapton
14. Got to Get Better in a Little While – Eric Clapton
15. Sunshine of Your Love – Eric Clapton

Various Artists, Crossroads: Eric Clapton Guitar Festival 2013 (Rhino DVD / Blu-ray Disc, 2013)

DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Disc 1

1. Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton
2. Spider Jiving – Eric Clapton with Andy Fairweather Low
3. Lay Down Sally – Eric Clapton with Vince Gill
4. Time is Tight – Booker T with Steve Cropper
5. Born Under a Bad Sign – Booker T with Steve Cropper, Keb’ Mo’, Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Albert Lee
6. Green Onions – Booker T with Steve Cropper, Keb’ Mo’, Blake Mills, Matt “Guitar” Murphy and Albert Lee
7. Great Big Old House – The Robert Cray Band
8. Everyday I Have the Blues – The Robert Cray Band with B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan
9. Next of Kindred Spirit – Sonny Landreth
10. Cry – Doyle Bramhall II with Alice Smith
11. Bullet and a Target –Doyle Bramhall II with Citizen Cope
12. She’s Alright – Doyle Bramhall II with Gary Clark, Jr.
13. This Time – Earl Klugh
14. Mirabella – Earl Klugh
15. Heavenly Bodies – Kurt Rosenwinkel
16. Big Road Blues – Kurt Rosenwinkel with Eric Clapton
17. Next Door Neighbor Blues – Gary Clark, Jr.
18. Queen of California – John Mayer
19. Don’t Let Me Down – John Mayer with Keith Urban
20. Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues – Buddy Guy with Robert Randolph and Quinn Sullivan
21. Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad – The Allman Brothers Band with Eric Clapton
22. Whipping Post – The Allman Brothers Band

Disc 2

1. Congo Square – Sonny Landreth with Derek Trucks
2. Change It – John Mayer with Doyle Bramhall II
3. Ooh-Ooh-Ooh – Jimmie Vaughan
4. Save the Last Dance for Me – Blake Mills with Derek Trucks
5. I Got to Let You Know – Los Lobos with Robert Cray
6. Don’t Worry Baby – Los Lobos
7. The Needle and the Damage Done – Allman, Haynes, Trucks
8. Midnight Rider – Allman, Haynes, Trucks
9. I Ain’t Living Long Like This – Vince Gill with Albert Lee
10. Tumbling Dice – Vince Gill with Keith Urban and Albert Lee
11. Walkin’ Blues – Taj Mahal with Keb’ Mo’
12. Diving Duck Blues – Taj Mahal with Keb’ Mo’
13. When My Train Pulls In – Gary Clark, Jr.
14. Please Come Home – Gary Clark, Jr.
15. Going Down – Jeff Beck with Beth Hart
16. Mna’ Na Heireann – Jeff Beck
17. Key to the Highway – Eric Clapton with Keith Richards
18. I Shall Be Released – Eric Clapton with Robbie Robertson
19. Gin House Blues – Andy Fairweather Low with Eric Clapton
20. Got to Get Better in a Little While – Eric Clapton
21. Crossroads – Eric Clapton
22. Sunshine of Your Love – Eric Clapton
23. High Time We Went - Ensemble