It’s been more than a decade since Robbie Robertson has issued a solo record, and closer to two since he offered a pop/rock disc. How to Become Clairvoyant is unique in the Robertson catalog in that it deals with new topics. “When the Night Was Young” is a soulful tale about The Band when it [...]
Though its song titles imply this is “surf music,” James Patrick Regan and the Deadlies boast plenty of other inf luences. Yes, there’s plenty of reverb-drenched guitar from Regan, and bassist Bob St. Laurent and drummer Jim Lang can ride a wave with the best of them, but “Mayhem at Pillar Point” is a straightahead [...]
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 [...]
If you like your rock and roll loud and with no-frills, you’ll love The Steepwater Band. A trio with plenty of great influences, the 14 cuts on this live disc touch on blues, pop, and plenty of soul. Guitarist/singer Jeff Massey is the focal point, and his slide playing is the predominant element much of [...]
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 [...]
Eric Bibb’s last few studio efforts have proven he can deliver the goods when it comes to folk, blues, and soul music. And with Troubadour Live, we get a feel for his stage presence and versatility; all but one of the live cuts here also feature veteran Swedish guitarist Staffan Astner, and it’s obvious they [...]
With his new album, Matt Panayides makes a case for being mentioned among the best jazz traditionalists playing guitar these days. Boppers like “Seoul Soul” show how he easily navigates complex changes while soloing. His accomplice is saxophonist Rich Perry, and Panayides lays down the perfect layer of changes for Perry to do his thing. [...]
Blues guitarist Chris Antonik seems determined to prove the adage that every note counts. While his song structures are familiar, his playing keeps them from being cliche. The opener, “More To Give,” is nothing fancy – just a ninth-chord funky blues. But Antonik’s punchy fills and his solo immediately show his innate ability to pick [...]
Despite its title, this is a batch of West Coast jazz-inflected blues – not some form of South American music. The title comes from Lynwood Slim’s band, which hails from Brazil; guitarist Igor Prado, drummer Yuri Prado, saxophonist Denilson Martins, and bassist Rodrigo Mantovani are skilled blues players who provide Slim with some of the [...]
Tennessee’s Bill Mize is a solo acoustic guitarist who, though he possesses great chops, never lets his fingers get in the way of a great song. Mize wrote eight of the 10 tracks on his latest album, The Angel’s Share, and all are loaded with memorable melodies and feel – not just great guitar playing. [...]
