Photo: Rusty Russell. Nashville monster picker Johnny Hiland has been a wonder to guitar nuts ever since a ’96 Nor’easter blew him into the Music City from his home state of Maine. Hiland has more endorsement deals than he can keep track of, and more importantly, the admiration of a number of bona fide guitar [...]
Author Archives: Ann Wickstrom
Johnny Hiland
The eagle has landed
For an artist who hadn’t yet seen his first solo release when VG spoke with him 18 months ago, Johnny Hiland had made a lot of inroads. His well-deserved reputation as a downright dangerous force on the Telecaster was earned through master classes, NAMM appearances, session work, and a number of high-profile performances. Now, that [...]
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The Derek Trucks Band – Soul Serenade
Though a step back chronologically – tracks for this album were recorded in late ’99 and early 2000, before the release of the band’s 2002 Joyful Noise album – Soul Serenade is several steps forward stylistically and progressively for the Derek Trucks Band. And that’s one of the most satisfying things about this album; save [...]
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Johnny Hiland
Nashville Schoolin'
In the wee hours of a July morning in 1996, Johnny Hiland made a crucial decision. He deleted the 52-page term paper he’d been working on, left college and his home state of Maine, and made the pilgrimage to Nashville. He was just 21. A bold move, indeed, for yet another guy with a Telecaster [...]
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Johnny A.
On the fast track
When VG first caught up with guitarist Johnny A. in 2001, his instrumental release, Sometime Tuesday Morning, was perking ears all over the place. Before he signed to Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label, Mr. A. had sold about 8,500 copies of the record. With the signing, the count quickly rose, and has now approached 10 [...]
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