•  Joey Molland

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     Joey Molland

    The word “underrated” is belabored in music journalism, but Joey Molland was just that. As co-guitarist in Badfinger, he was part of a quartet signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records, yielding glorious AM hits like “Come and Get It,” “Day After Day,” and “No Matter What.” The foursome fell into obscurity and tragedy a few

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Gary Moore

Still Got the Blues – Again!

Moore with his mid-’60s Gibson ES-335 in early 2006. Photo: Harry Herd/Redferns. Whether playing rock or blues, Gary Moore has always possessed a distinct and identifiable style. While he is…

Floyd Rose

Floyd Rose. Photo: Rick Gould. A gigging guitar player who by day made turquoise jewelry, like most players in the early/mid 1970s, Floyd Rose was hugely influenced by Ritchie Blackmore…

A Mick Ralphs Sampler – Definitive Listening

Curated by Vintage Guitar’s Willie G. Moseley, this playlist showcases the evolution of Mick Ralphs’ sound through various songs he wrote or co-wrote. Included are tracks from Mott the Hoople,…

Bettie Serveert

Go Dutch!

Bettie Serveert is still going strong, 25 years after bursting on the scene in Amsterdam at the height of alternative rock. Palomine, its acclaimed debut, mixed fuzzy riffs and folky…

Pat Metheny

The Jazz Guitar Prodigy at 60

His success is obvious – 20 Grammy awards, crossover popularity, loyal fans dating back 40 years. Still, his career path is something of a “Do not try at home” primer…

Kim Simmonds

Half a Century with Savoy Brown

Now in its 46th year, the Savoy Brown band, fronted by founder/lead guitarist Kim Simmonds, has returned to its blues-and-boogie roots following a foray as a power trio in which…

Vic Johnson

At Your Service

Music fans might remember Vic Johnson as the wickedly eclectic guitarist from the ’80s band The Busboys; it thrived in heavy rotation in the early days of MTV, appeared in…

Ghalia Volt’s Stompin’ slide!

Belgium Born, Delta Fostered Brussels native Ghalia Volt moved to the U.S. in 2013 to busk in music-rich cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, and Clarksdale, Mississippi, where for…

Dave Stewart

Six-Strings, Studios, and Songs

Guitarists often cite instruments as sources of inspiration. For musician, songwriter, and producer Dave Stewart, it wasn’t a ’57 Strat or a ’Burst that recently caused a creative flurry, but…

Yates McKendree

Blues Emotion

Yates McKendree hasn’t yet turned 22, but he has already digested a lifetime’s worth of American roots music. The proof is in his debut album, Buchanan Lane, which is named…

John Jorgenson

John Jorgenson’s Gypsy Jazz Orchestra

Call it a “Gypsy jazz wall of sound.” John Jorgenson’s new album, Istiqbal Gathering, features the master guitarist backed by the full Orchestra Nashville – strings, woodwinds, brass, even percussion.…

Tinsley Ellis’ new dimension

Unplugged, and Worth the Wait! A prominent blues artist since the late ’80s, Tinsley Ellis grabbed the ’37 National Style O heard on several tracks from his new album, “Naked…

Billy Flynn

True Chicago Blues

The phrase “electric blues” is a catch-all for many genres, but for aficionados it refers to a highly specific idiom from the Windy City. In fact, if you listen to…

Vinnie Moore

Perpetually Exceptional

Shred architect Vinnie Moore’s latest solo record, Double Exposure, holds the distinction of being both an instrumental solo album and a vocal-rock record. The glue that holds it together is…

Nicolas Meier

Jeff Beck Sideman Steps Out

If you’ve been to a Jeff Beck concert in the past few years, you may have said to yourself, “Who’s that other guy onstage?” It happens to be Nicolas Meier,…

Elvin Bishop

Cultivating the Blues

Photos: Preston Gratiot. The first album Elvin Bishop played on wasn’t a chart-topper – it was a life-changer. For the raised-on-rock generation that credits 1965’s Paul Butterfield Blues Band for…

Barry Melton

Singular Fish

One of the most indelible images from “Woodstock,” the documentary of the legendary 1969 rock festival, is that of Country Joe & the Fish guitarist Barry Melton flashing a big…

Rob Fleming

From Bowie to KillerStar

KillerStar is no David Bowie cover band. Instead, it’s an uncanny project from U.K. guitarist Rob Fleming and drummer James Sedge, who brought in musicians from many of Bowie’s bands…

Pat Martino

1944-2021

Music suffered an incalculable loss with the passing of Pat Martino, who died in his sleep on the morning of November 1. An icon of the jazz world, he leaves…

“Big” Al Anderson

Nashville by way of Connecticut

Ask people what they know about “Big Al” Anderson and you’ll probably hear very different responses. Rockers will say that for 22 years he was the Tele-driving force behind New…

Reverend Freakchild – Surprises at Every Turn!

Pushing Boundaries of Blues, Folk, and Rock After a smash-and-grab from his car a few years ago, Reverend Freakchild made this National N-series his main squeeze. Here, they show us…

Ronnie Earl

Stratocaster Royalty

For someone who has been a professional musician for more than 30 years, Ronnie Earl is going through a remarkable production period in his career. In just the last three…

Shuggie Otis

Return Of The Prodigy

The son of bluesman Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis was born into a world of blues, R&B, nightclubs, and stages. As a guitar prodigy, he played in his father’s band, and…

Tony Levin

Stick Craft

Between the Sting/Peter Gabriel tour, a revitalized King Crimson, and a new album and tour with Stick Men, Tony Levin is busier than ever. Early 2016 saw him using a…

Bobby Broom plays “Humpty Dumpty”

 Chicago native leans into the Benson/Green playbook on “Suspects” Guitarist Bobby Broom has recorded with legends including Kenny Burrell, Dr. John, and Sonny Rollins. When he’s not recording or…

Nels Cline

Avant-jazz Punk terrosist

Avant noise terrorist with a jazz jones; improv worshipper; atomic flamethrower hurling molten punk-infused spit balls. Guitarist Nels Cline fits all three bills. And that’s barely scratching the surface. Working…

Classics: Arena-Rock Alternative Amps

Mad Maxed

As rock started hitting the big time in the mid ’60s, it became clear to guitar-amplifier manufacturers that 100 watts or more was the way to go. The best approach…

Hilary Gardner returns with a fresh take on a holiday classic!

Hilary Gardner returns! Ready to set the tone for your holidays, Hilary Gardner and her band return for a fantastic take on the classic Elvis hit “Blue Christmas” (written by Billy…

Howard Roberts

H.R. Was a Dirty Guitar Player!

In his prime, Howard Roberts played more than 900 studio dates annually and recorded the hippest guitar records of the era. His legion of fans still revere his incalculable influence…

Rodney Crowell

Same Roots, New Branches

Rodney Crowell arrived in Nashville in 1972, bent on finding a niche for himself in the country music he’d loved since his childhood in Houston. He wrote songs for Jerry…