Bucho is a pretty amazing little band. They mix different music into what one would have to call “modern soul.” If you like funk, you’ll find lots of it here. If you like jazz, there’s plenty of that, too. There’s also a lot of old-school soul, with vocalist Gerald Pease being an exceptional singer. Mix […]
Monthly Archives: April 2007
Ronnie Bowman – It’s Getting Better All The Time
On the cover, Bowman holds his new Gibson AJ in a decidedly non luthier-approved manner – by the soundhole. This pose typifies his relaxed and informal approach to bluegrass. He’s so comfortable and well versed in bluegrass’ essence that he doesn’t have to try to sound bluegrass; Bowman just is bluegrass. Ronnie Bowman joined his […]
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Gibson Nick Lucas
It’s a rare occasion when a star performer hooks up with a guitar company to create a classic signature instrument. Gibson’s Les Paul model comes to mind, as does Gretsch’s Chet Atkins 6120. But the most important of all may well be Gibson’s Nick Lucas model. Granted, Les Paul was the world’s most famous guitarist […]
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John Bullard
Banjo Baroque
Almost every instrument used in pop music has classical roots – with the exception of the banjo. Even the dobro or resonator guitar began as a device to make a regular guitar louder. But the first banjos to arrive in North America and Europe came clutched in the hands of slaves from Africa. Even the […]
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Herb Ellis – Ellis In Wonderland
For his 1956 debut as a leader, jazz guitarist Herb Ellis enlisted pianist Oscar Peterson, bassist Ray Brown, drummer Alvin Stoller, trumpeter Sweets Edison, and saxophonists Jimmy Giuffre and Charlie Mariano. Too bad he couldn’t get any good players… like God! At the time, Ellis was a fixture in the Oscar Peterson Trio, having replaced […]
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The Explosives – Ka-Boom!
The Explosives were possibly the best of the punk/new wave bands that sprang up in Austin (centered around haunts like Club Foot, Raul’s, and the Continental Club), on the heels of the city’s progressive country movement and a few years behind punk pioneers like the Ramones and Sex Pistols. Formed in 1978, they were history […]
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Van Duren – Open Secret
Van Duren was an exponent of “power pop” way back in the mid 1970s. He did some recording in Memphis, but things didn’t get far. But here he reaffirms his love of the style and shows you’re never too old to make it. My first reaction to this stemmed from the great songwriting. I love […]
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John Davis – John Davis
John Davis was a member of Superdrag, which gained some notoriety in its 10-year run. They were a mix of influences including punk, early British rock and roll, and pop. Davis left the group after a religious conversion, and that’s where he picks up with this album. Davis has an obvious love of Brian Wilson’s […]
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April 2007
FEATURES VG HALL OF FAME SRV, a Gibson, a Fender, and John D’Angelico An elite group of inductees enters VG’s Hall of Fame, led by the legendary Texan Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as America’s most lauded archtop builder and two great axes!By Dan Forte, George Gruhn, VG staff TOM PETERSSON Lower-End Innovator From early […]
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