• Paul Johnson

    Music

    Paul Johnson

    The Hepcats Live at the Ajax Novelty Company

    This isn’t live, there may not be an Ajax Novelty Company, and the three felines known as the Hepcats are actually the brainchild of Paul Johnson, whose Belairs were early-’60s pioneers of surf music. Suspend reality and dig how the “trio” expertly articulates layers of acoustic guitar. Across decades, Johnson has embraced folk-rock, psychedelia, and…

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Richie Kotzen

Nomad

More than 30 years into a wildly eclectic career (hey, the guy played with Poison and bass god Stanley Clarke), Richie Kotzen is no longer that pre-grunge shredder. With Nomad, he again proves…

Tonechaser – Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen

Steve Rosen

Imagine having Edward Van Halen at your house, playing new Van Halen songs or listening to no-vocals cassettes of in-progress albums in EVH’s cigarette-smoke-filled car. How about jamming with the guitar icon? It…

Henry Robinett

Jazz Standards Vol. 2 Then Again

A second cousin of jazz fountainhead Charles Mingus, Robinett’s first guitar hero was Jimi Hendrix, and he spent much of his career playing fusion. These recordings from 2000, however, reveal him in a more mainstream setting,…

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Boxed Set

This arrived just in time for me to program “Graveyard Train” to play over and over on Halloween, scaring (or at least bewildering) unsuspecting trick-or-treaters, wondering, “What’s with that old coot handing out…

Michael Nesmith

Infinite Tuesday: Autobiographical Riffs

Aside from being in the Monkees, Mike Nesmith was a talented songwriter and key contributor to the birth of country-rock. His new autobiography, Infinite Tuesday, is accompanied by a 14-track CD retrospective and…

Hot Tuna

Live at Sweetwater / Live in Japan

Jorma Kaukonen, who started as an acoustic folk-blues guitarist, returned to that style in 1969 when he and bassist Jack Casady formed Hot Tuna. Recordings from their early gigs at Bay Area clubs…

Susan Tedeschi

Just Won’t Burn

Fantasy Records is celebrating Susan Tedeschi by reissuing the album that introduced her to lovers of soulful music the world over. The 25th anniversary edition of 1998’s Just Won’t Burn features all the…

Steely Dan – Two Against Nature (video)

Two Against Nature features the current touring band doing new and old tunes in concert in a nice intimate setting that highlights the band’s sound perfectly. Fagen and Becker lead a group featuring…

John Pizzarelli – Bossa Nova

John Pizzarelli’s latest should come as a surprise to no one. The fact that he’s been influenced by Jobim and his many disciples is evident in his past work. And it should come…

Tom Principato – Raising the Roof!

Principato has long been known as a fine guitar player, but here production and vocals take him to a new level. There’s plenty of the stuff you expect from Principato, including funky New…

Greg Howe – Sound Proof

Tone Center Records

Greg Howe’s incredible chops often override the musical aspect of songs. At least that’s the common wisdom. But that doesn’t happen on this collection of songs that show off his rock, jazz, and…

Hellecasters – Live…Raw…In Germany On…The Filter

Yikes! Here’s a truly awe-inspiring display of guitar playing. Recorded live on German television, Jerry Donahue, John Jorgenson, and Will Ray take you on a roller-coaster ride that will leave you sitting on…

Leslie West – Blues to Die For

Mountain had just one real hit – the two-and-a-half-minute blast of “Mississippi Queen” can still be heard on classic rock radio. And while it has a 12-bar structure, it isn’t a blues song.…

The Joanna Connor Band

After listening to this album several times, I’m still left with a feeling of not being able to pinpoint where this accomplished slide guitarist is coming from. Her past efforts have vacillated from…

Richard Thompson – Industry and Watching the Dark

Richard Thompson has always been an idiosyncratic musician, and the release of this CD finds him at perhaps his most eccentric – and creative. In fact, this CD was too far out for…

Tonechaser – Understanding Edward: My 26-Year Journey with Edward Van Halen

Steve Rosen

Imagine having Edward Van Halen at your house, playing new Van Halen songs or listening to no-vocals cassettes of in-progress albums in EVH’s cigarette-smoke-filled car. How about jamming with the guitar icon? It…

Michael Bloomfield – If You Love These Blues, Play ‘Em As You Please

I’ve had more than one conversation with a colleague when The Paul Butterfield Blues Band album came up, and we said in unison, “That album changed my life.” A big reason for the…

Pete Levin – Deacon Blues

Levin is a keyboard specialist who for the past few decades has played with the best in the business, including Paul Simon, Miles Davis, John Scofield, Robbie Robertson, David Sanborn, and plenty of…

Sam Bush and David Grisman – King of My World

If you see Sam Bush perform live, the first thing you’ll notice is what a wonderful time he has on stage. Few performers enjoy playing music as much as Sam, and it shows.…

Kurt Rosenwinkel – The Enemies of Energy

Rosenwinkel is a jazz guitarist. That said, this CD proves he’s willing to go anywhere for his musical muse. There’s not much of a chance to pigeonhole him. From killer bop on the…

Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, David Torn, and others

European Union

You may have heard the name Terje Rypdal, but not really know the six-string legend or his music. For close to 50 years, Rypdal was a major force in Europe, pushing the lines…

Creed Bratton – Bounce Back

Kindred Music

  Bounce Back is Creed Bratton’s third solo album, and the former singer/ composer/ guitarist for the Grass Roots has come up with a winner. Bratton’s music has a Southwestern/semi-country flavor that brings…

Yes

While Yes is still a working band, it’s mostly in name only. This three-CD set, taken from a 2004 Massachusetts concert, shows the classic mid-’70s lineup featuring guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire,…

Kombo – Cookin’ Out

Kombo is Ron Pedley on keyboards, and Jon Pondel on guitars. They’ve got lots of great help too, with guys like Steve Ferrone, Matt Bissonette, and Sharon Hendrix. The music is the same…

Vinny Roth

Red Wine Sunshine and Loud Guitars

Vinny Roth proves adept at mixing funk, rock, and fusion to make a record that sounds fresh and new – and yet still seems to fit like an old shoe. There are numerous…

Vince Gill, Duane Eddy, Steve Fishell, and others

Buddy Gene Emmons stands as one of a handful of pedal steel players who truly advanced the instrument. His innovations as the “Bud” half of Sho-Bud guitars with partner Shot Jackson are just…

Tony Savarino

Naked Ear Records

Tony Savarino proves himself in many styles and shows a fine sense of humor on an album guitarists will certainly appreciate. His “Barrelhaus Gutbucket Chicken Pickin” starts things off, with chromatic licks, killer…

Dave Davies – Unfinished Business

Yes, I know, Ray Davies usually gets all the credit, but Kinks fans have always known Dave was a very strong element. This very cool two-CD set compiles Kinks classics, songs from the…

Ronnie Lane

Anymore for Anymore

In 1974, Faces bassist Lane left the rat race of arena rock for the Welsh countryside and recorded his magnum opus. Remastered at Abbey Road and now reissued on vinyl with download codes,…

Carl Verheyen – Solo Guitar Improvisations

I guess Carl is mostly known for his soaring electric work that shows off terrific chops and great compositional skills. Here, things are a bit different. It’s mostly just him and an acoustic…