It’s become hip lately to make fun of the Rolling Stones. You’ve heard all the jokes about how bad they look, how grandpa should stay home – everything that goes with their advanced age. While it may elicit a quick laugh, this film of their return to Hyde Park in London in 2013 dispels any […]
R&B stalwart Castro comes out with guns blazing on his latest, adding some raucous rock and roll to his usual helping of soul and blues. There’s an added edge to songs like the riff-driven title cut with its rowdy lead guitar and leather-throated vocals. “Two Steps Forward” is an arena-ready rocker that transforms into a […]
On his third full-length recording for Alligator, Osborne has hit the jackpot. While his songwriting has always been precise, soulful, and detailed, he nails every song here with a straightforwardness. Lyrically, the themes can be dark, but also seem hopeful. Musically, his mix of rock, soul, grunge, and blues recalls days when rock’s best singer/songwriters […]
You’re always taking a chance with a DVD that concerns a band and yet none of the band members take part in the production. That’s the case here. While there are no Allman interviews, we do hear from numerous critics, writers, and more importantly, former friends, bandmates, and Willie Perkins, the Allmans’ road manager during […]
The latest record from Marty Stuart, Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions, is a tour de force of country music styles that celebrates the past while pushing firmly into the future. And that’s what renaissance man Stuart was aiming for… “Well, traditional country music is what interests me the most,” he said. “Sometimes, I miss […]
For the most part, Fareed Haque’s new recording harkens back to the days when Blue Note Records ruled the jazz world. The songs are soulful, moody, and feature great playing by Haque and others, including jazz vets Billy Hart and George Mraz. The opener, the Haque original “Waiting For Red,” lets you in on what’s […]
The title of this new book is not hyperbole. The book truly covers not only the origin and history of the iconic guitar, but also includes short features on guitar players who make their living with, or are associated with, the Fender Stratocaster. In between there’s plenty of text to let you know what made […]
As Concord Music continues its Original Jazz Classics Remasters, we get three records recorded for Pablo Records from the ’70s that feature Joe Pass on guitar. He’s normally remembered for the solo work he did on his Virtuoso series. But as these albums show, he was also a fine sideman who could back soloists with […]
Upon first viewing you’ll notice that The Sound and the Story is different. The new video from guitarist Leslie West stands apart from other instructional guitar DVDs in that, while West is more than happy to show how to play some of his classic songs and discuss how he learned to play, his gregarious personality […]
Colin Linden’s Still Live is a step back to his first recording – a live album made three decades ago. In the years that separate the two, Linden has become a first-call guitarist for roots artists including Robert Plant, Gregg Allman, the Band, Alison Krauss, Mavis Staples, Lucinda Williams, Diana Krall, Emmylou Harris, and others. […]
