• 2025 December Issue on Spotify

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    2025 December Issue on Spotify

    This month, we feature Rick Derringer, Kid Ramos, Booker T and The M.G.’s, Steve Stevens, Phil Manzanera, Doug Aldrich, Kenny Burrell, Eric Johanson, Gary Moore, and more! Spotify is free or available without ads via a paid subscription. Go to www.spotify.com and search “Vintage Guitar magazine,” or if you already have an account Listen to

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Jeff Beck

Portait of the Guitarist As A(n Older) Man

After years of on and off seclusion, Jeff Beck miraculously morphed into a road warrior this past decade. His tour with ZZ Top last year provided the raw material for this new live…

Canned Heat – Live at Montreux

The story of Canned Heat has more twists and turns than Spinal Tap’s evolution from the Thamesmen to Spinal Tap, Mark II. Which is why some of the dramatic, lofty claims in the…

Pierre Bensusan

Dadgad Music

For 30 years, Bensusan has been one of the wonders of the acoustic universe, a player so melodic, full, and lyrical that his solo playing often negates the need for an entire band.…

Cesar Rosas – Soul Disguise

I’ve been of the opinion for a couple of years now that Los Lobos is one of the finest rock bands around. Rosas is one of the singer/guitarists in that band. This is…

Ry Cooder and Manuel Galb

Ry Cooder is a guitarist with an ear tuned to a past no one else hears anymore. Inspired by the music of old-time Havana, he brought together a troupe of master Cuban musicians…

P.K. Dwyer – King Pin

Yes, PK is a bit odd – he admits it. While some folks can’t get past that, it’s hard not to get into his whacked take on traditional blues and country. Healed is…

Owens and Yoakam

Live From Austin, TX

On October 23, 1988, Buck Owens and his biggest fan, superstar Dwight Yoakam were taping separate “Austin City Limits” performances. A year earlier, they’d met in Bakersfield when Yoakam invited his hero to…

Robben Ford

Night In The City

A live recording can be a snapshot in time or the accumulated powers of an artist’s lifelong passion. Robben Ford applies both with his latest, which showcased his catalog live at City Winery,…

Alison Brown Quartet – Replay

Replay

Acoustic jazz is one of those “difficult” musical categories that doesn’t get much attention. Most jazz fans won’t take seriously anything that lacks a horn, while folkies are intimidated by music where they…

Jethro Tull

Happy Anniversary

Released in 1977, this album was crafted to get Jethro Tell as far as possible from Britain’s punk and New Wave explosion. The result was an enchanting folk-prog outing featuring acoustic guitar, mandolin,…

Keith Whitley – Sad Songs and Waltzes

The late Keith Whitley, who died at age 33 of acute alcohol poi-soning, was an example of why it isn’t always a good idea to try to live your lyrics if you’re country…

Fabulous Thunderbirds – Live

Live

Greasy vocals and harp, on-the-money blues guitar, great tunes, and an audience just waiting to be entertained. That’s what this CD is. Put it in the player and try not to move around.…

Pokey LaFarge

Pokey LaFarge’s retro vision – rooted in bluegrass, blues, jazz, jug band, pre-World War II country (especially Jimmie Rodgers) and ’30s Western swing – was gaining attention before he played mandolin on Jack…

Summer of Soul

Various artists

Buried for 50 years, the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival is now recognized as an historic concert series, thanks to the recent film, which won the Grammy for Best Music Film and Oscar for…

Eric Brace & Peter Cooper

Red Beet Records

Eric Brace and Peter Cooper’s label, Red Beet Records, has been busy lately with not one, but two newly released CDs. The first is a duo project uniting Peter Cooper with the legendary…

Ernie Hawkins

Corona Records

Ernie Hawkins is a genius of the acoustic guitar who has mastered the country-blues stylings in the vein of Reverend Gary Davis. On Whinin’ Boy, he finds himself in a band setting more…

Blowing Free: Underground and Progressive Sounds of 1972

Various artists

The Cherry Red label is spot-on at packaging vintage U.K. rock, and this boxed set is no exception. This one focuses on broadly “progressive” bands stretching the span after Jimi Hendrix died and…

Guitarslinging Hat Acts

The world boasts a wealth of modern-country hat acts these days, but real country songwriters/guitarslingers with a hat and something to say? Not so much. Enter John Moreland, whose latest album is released…

Paul Curreri – Are You Going to Paul Curreri

Those familiar with Curreri might be surprised to hear this live trio effort, where he plays his Fender Tele through the entire set! That’s certainly not a bad thing, as his style translates…

Roomful of Blues – The Blues’ll Make You Happy, Too

The Blues'll Make You Happy, Too

Rounder has launched a new Heritage Series that kicks off in righteous fashion with this retrospective of Roomful of Blues’ seven Rounder albums. In guitar terms, this collection covers Roomful of Blues from…

Dion – Son of Skip James

James offers his own tunes (including a wonderful title cut) as well as classic covers of songs by Sleepy John Estes, Robert Johnson, and Willie Dixon, among others. He even manages to slip…

Eve Monsees and Mike Buck

& Their Groovy Orbit

The Sadies

Yep Roc Records

Dave Mason with Chris Epting

Only You Know & I Know

Phil Lynott

Songs For While I’m Away

Asleep At The Wheel – Reinventing The Wheel

Since their inception 37 years ago, Ray Benson and the Wheel have been the torchbearers of western swing. But in its first decade, the band was equal parts Bob Wills and Commander Cody…

Yes – Yesspeak: 35th Anniversary DVD

While many music DVDs contain mostly concert material, the 2-disc Yesspeak takes an alternate approach – it features the famous members of the prog-rock giant Yes talking about the music created during its…

Sweet

Self-distributed

Sweet – the ’70s glam-pop act that’s almost as famous for its hairdos as its music – is today actually two bands touring under the name. The U.S. version that recorded this disc…

2025 May Issue on Spotify

This month, we feature The Dobbie Brothers, Popa Chubby, Joey Molland, Carlos Alomar, Cream, David Bowie, Rush, Norman Harris, Greg Koch, Rik Emmett, Chris Walz, Elmore James, and more! Spotify is free or…

David Grissom – Loud Music

When you’ve made your living and reputation as a hired gun, and finally decide to cut a solo album, what do you do? In the case of David Grissom, the question is particularly…

Alan Gogoll

Lioness Lullabies

Venture online and watch a few videos by Tasmanian guitarist Alan Gogoll and you’ll see he’s nothing short of a phenomenon. On acoustic, he conjures artificial harmonics in a manner that almost defies…

Don Latarski & Rue D’ Acoustic

Don Latarski is a fine guitarist who has produced recordings to go along with his wonderful live work. His work with Rue de Blues was a great mix of R&B and soul. Here,…

Steve Vai

Steve Vai is the greatest rock guitarist of his generation. He’s the teenager who transcribed ridiculously complicated Frank Zappa tunes, and later toured as “The Little Italian Virtuoso.” Getting the Papal Blessing from…

Gov’t Mule

Peace… Like a Rive

It’s fortunate the world still has artists like Gov’t Mule to influence aspiring musicians and prove that it’s possible to have a long, fruitful career playing this kind of music. The creation of…


Lucinda Williams

Don’t Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You: A Memoir & Stories From A Rock N Roll Heart

Cheap Trick

In Another World