Blake Aaron

Melodic Passion

Blake Aaron’s fifth solo release, Soul Stories, features eight originals and a couple of covers that have at least one thing in common. Each instrumental relies heavily on the listener…

Tommy Shaw and James “J.Y.” Young on “The Mission”

Mars, Pluto… And Styx

Styx’s 2017 album, The Mission, revived the band’s concept album in its chronicling of a flight to Mars, and represents the group’s first new material in nearly 15 years. The…

Sharon Isbin

New Paths for Classical Guitar

Photo: Takehiko Tokiwa. Sharon Isbin is regarded as one of the premier classical guitarists of her generation, playing 60 to 100 concerts per season and earning a Grammy early this…

Frank Ford

Frank Ford, a renowned guitar builder and co-founder of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, passed away December 17. He was 79 and suffered complications due to congestive heart failure. A native of…

John Hart

Mainline Florida

Inspiration can come from a lot of places. For jazz guitarist John Hart, a visit to a familiar place provided the impetus for his latest record, Exit From Brooklyn. After…

Rod Price

Opens Up

Part One It used to be that photos didn’t lie. But nowadays (as supermodels and tabloids have proven) that’s not always true. But it is true that when Rod Price’s…

Pop ’N Hiss: Humble Pie’s Smokin’

Free Wailin’

British rockers Humble Pie were steeped in blues and R&B influences that coursed through vocalist/rhythm guitarist Steve Marriott. When they finally broke with 1971’s Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore, Marriott, guitarist…

Mick Jones

Foreigner at 40

Somewhere in the world right now, a Foreigner song is playing on the radio. Literally. Thanks to nearly 20 mega-hit singles, 75 million units sold, and legions of fans, the…

Steve West

Steve West, lead guitarist on Paul Revere & the Raiders’ classic 1963 version of “Louie, Louie,” died of pneumonia on December 28. He was 76. West had to leave the…

Eli Cook

All Over the Map

Eli Cook’s seventh album, High-Dollar Gospel, is an Americana-style showcase of sounds, instrumentation, and varied tunings played on an interesting mix of guitars – a National tricone, a Rockbridge SJ…

Stanley Clarke

Godfather of Bass

Despite being widely credited for pushing the electric bass past its status as a rear-of-the-stage device intended to simply help drummers provide rhythmic backing, and in turn influencing two generations…

Punky Meadows

Heavenly Guitar

In the 1970s, glam-rockers Angel carved a niche with five albums of arena-rock anthems and an image that stood in antithesis to their Casablanca label mates, Kiss. After retiring from…

GA-20’s Matt Stubbs and Pat Faherty

FlashBack Sounds, Forward Steps

Musical gateways opened by Jimi Hendrix and the Doors led Matt Stubbs to become a disciple of Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Earl Hooker, and the guitar Kings – Albert, Freddie, and…

Belén Bandera – Jazz Soundscape

 Spanish singer shines on “Arbre” Accompanied by Jaume Llombart’s beautiful playing on a ’92 Gibson ES-350T modded with a ’57 PAF, Spain’s Belén Bandera does an exclusive take on…

Two Generations of Rock: The Kentucky HeadHunters and Black Stone Cherry

Family Practice

Whether you’re talking music or family, in the rolling hills of Kentucky, roots grow deep and strong. The Kentucky HeadHunters and Black Stone Cherry were carved from the same stock,…

Philip Sayce’s Guitar Meditation

Exploring, Expanding Absorbing and exuding great vibes from his living room, Philip Sayce and his PRS Silver Sky (plugged into a ’68 Super Reverb) play “Lady Love Divine,” one of…

Eric Krasno

Always Keepin’ On

Groovemeister Eric Krasno continues to push his funky, soul-jazz narrative with guitar front and center. His new record, Always, features his vocals embedded within cutting-edge technology and contemporary-retro beats. The…

Phil “Big Dez” Fernandez

Blues Is Everywhere

6’2″/300-pound Phil “Big Dez” Fernandez is an international emissary of the blues. The French-born son of a Bosnian mother and Spanish father is a favorite at European blues clubs and…

Paul Gilbert

"How Pat Travers Saved My Soul!"

Any guitarist who can play Emerson Lake & Palmer’s “Karn Evil 9” and nail the keyboard solo is a bad motor scooter. Paul Gilbert is one such guy. From his…

Pop ’N Hiss: Prince’s 1999

Music, Sex, and The New World Order

1981, the world was enveloped in the Cold War, with its nuclear weapons, Reaganomics, and uncertainty. Prince Rogers Nelson had survived a contentious tour with Rick James and being booed…

Steve Cropper

Looking Back at Stax

The gloriously soulful music recorded by Stax Records is still entertaining listeners six decades after its release, and the label has been celebrating its 60th anniversary with a reissue campaign.…

Nils Lofgren

Great American Journeyman

Nils Lofgren’s resumé stretches 47 years and counting. He joined Neil Young’s band at age 19 and was a member of Crazy Horse before his own band, Grin, landed a…

Chuck Loeb

“Most Wanted” For Melody

From its terrific melodies to the meat-and-potatoes playing that makes him a mainstay of smooth jazz radio, guitarist Chuck Loeb’s latest CD, Presence, is full of the stuff for which…

Paul Quinn

Ramming It

As one of the leading bands of the early-’80s New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, Saxon is responsible for offering up such headbanging anthems as “Wheels of Steel,” “Strong…

John 5

Telewielder

Since ditching his spot backing alternative-metal singer Marilyn Manson 10 years ago, superhuman guitarist John 5 has used his skills to spread the gospel of guitar far and wide while…

Check This Action: George Bowen

Luthier George Bowen passed away August 19 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 69. In March of 2023, a tribute concert billed as the George Bowen Master Guitar Summit…

1940- 2024

Phil Lesh

The rock world was saddened to learn of bassist Phil Lesh’s death on October 25, at age 84. Perhaps the definitive jam-band bassist, he was a founding member of the…

Derek St. Holmes

Making Rock and Roll Cool Again

Derek St. Holmes has been in the rock and roll business since the early 1970s and is best known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and co-songwriter with the original…

Peter Frampton

Part One: The Humble Pie Years

Formed with two formidable front men in Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton, Humble Pie was one of the earliest “supergroups” to emerge from the British Invasion and embody aspirations beyond…

James Elkington

Windy City Diversity

James Elkington tweaked the paradigm when he began working at a luthier shop before hitting his stride as a guitarist. Born and raised in a small English village northwest of…