Author Archives: Dan Forte

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Isbin, one of America’s most prolific classical guitarists, has incorporated folk and jazz on crossover collaborations such as Journey To The Amazon (with saxophonist Paul Winter and percussionist Thiago de Mello), 3 Guitars 3 (with Laurindo Almeida and Larry Coryell), and Journey To The New World (with Joan Baez and Mark O’Connor). So it’s not [...]

Magic Sam’s debut album had an immediate impact when it was released in late ’67 and has stood the test of time – cited as a seminal influence by such formidable guitarists as Ronnie Earl, David Grissom, Bobby Radcliff, and Jimmie Vaughan. Sam Maghett was 30 when he recorded the classic, having previously cut less [...]

Faced with the formidable task of following her own recent successes, the queen of gospel music teamed with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and scored another artistic bull’s eye. Producer Tweedy wisely used the trio that has been Staples’ touring unit in the wake of 2007’s stripped down We’ll Never Turn Back (featured on 2008’s Live: Hope [...]

In more ways than one, American audiences are still catching up with this Canadian singer/songwriter. In fact, that tag illustrates how those of us south of the border are largely familiar with only one aspect of this multi-pronged talent. His 2005 Rounder release, Speechless, revealed a side of Cockburn his Canadian fans were aware of [...]

Paul Motian is one of the most unusual figures in jazz – respected for his composing as much as his drumming. He was a member of Bill Evans’ famed trio, backed such greats as Lennie Tristano and Keith Jarrett, and formed a trio with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell. Guitarist Harrison has released several impressive [...]

Two CDs of Albert King – 34 songs, approaching two hours of material from his Stax period – has to be good news. It’s when companies label things as “best” or “essential” or “definitive” that problems start, and fans say “Wait a second.” But if you can ignore the fact that everything here does not [...]

Every musician I’ve spoken to who was around to witness or participate in the birth of rock and roll, from Carl Perkins to J.J. Cale to Jeff Beck, agrees that it was like turning on a light switch, and that “Elvis changed everything.” But as revolutionary as rock’s ’50s beginnings were, the next decade saw [...]

You needn’t push Play to realize this is not your typical Cajun album. The cover photograph shows a bird encased in oily sludge. Inside, next to the date April 20, 2010 are the words “4.9 million barrels.” There is no need to ask, let alone answer, “Barrels of what?” And the CD’s title refers to [...]

When I had occasion to visit Lancaster, California, in 1996, I was shocked to discover that there wasn’t a single thing in the town to acknowledge the fact that Frank Zappa had spent a good chunk of his formative years there. There are people in every corner of the globe who know of that city [...]