Hip as all get-out, Tomas Janzon plays some of the silkiest jazz you’ll hear this year. Here, he demonstrates on “Ascending,” a track from his new album, “Nomadic.” That’s his ’59 Gibson L-7, and you can catch our review along with an interview with Tomas in the May issue. Read Now!
Hip as all get-out, Tomas Janzon plays some of the silkiest jazz you’ll hear this year. Here, he demonstrates on “Ascending,” a track from his new album, “Nomadic.” That’s his ’59 Gibson L-7, and you can catch our review along with an interview with Tomas in the May issue. Read Now!
Sabbaholic Must-Have In May of 1972, Black Sabbath retreated to Los Angeles to record its fourth album, along with a mountain of cocaine. The result was Vol. 4, perhaps the first stoner-metal album in history, ablaze with hippie freakdom, foggy lyrics, and crushing Iommi and Butler riffs. Now, a four-CD/five-LP box set revisits the metal […]
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With his new album, BK3, Bruce Kulick brings out the big guns on what he calls his “…strongest solo disc ever.” Collaborating with friends old and new, he infused their personalities to create an album diverse in style and tones. He also raised the bar on his own musicianship. Kulick recently took us behind the […]
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 a guitar far more pedestrian. Stewart and bandmate Annie Lennox rose to fame in the early ’80s as the Eurythmics, a pop duo that, especially […]
From the first notes of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood,” you can hear it loud and clear; that snarly tone is not just pure Stratocaster and amplifier! To get that bluesy edge, Vaughan plugged into a small green box – an Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer Overdrive Pro. SRV used the Tube Screamer to drive his […]
Fender’s ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Price: $999.99 list Contact: www.fender.com In 1968, Fender gave its amp line what collectors today look back on as a major facelift when it introdued the silver-and-turquoise silkscreened faceplate and aluminum “drip edge” grille trim. The company recently reissued that classic look with its ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb, but this […]
For aficionados of copy guitars – replicas of mostly American classics that give U.S. manufacturers apoplectic fits – perhaps no company is more respected than Tokai, whose 1970s and early-’80s Love Rock and Breezy Sound models are among the most desirable of that breed and command relatively big bucks in the collector market. But in […]
Host James Patrick Regan talks with singer/songwriter Michelle Malone about the inspiration behind her new album, “1977,” and life on the road to support it. The music brings a Laurel Canyon feel thanks to her broad influences, including fellow Georgians the Indigo Girls, whom she befriended early in their careers. Michelle’s career has had its […]
For Paul Gabriel, the opportunity to work with fellow guitarist Duke Robillard happened decades after they’d met and first played together, but Gabriel finally garnered Robillard’s production and playing services for his latest album, What’s the Chance. Gabriel has recorded with Harry Chapin and Rory Block, and toured with Michael Bolton, but it was get-togethers […]
Reggie Young passed away on January 17, 2019. Here is an extensive interview he did with VG in 2001. Reggie Young is one of the most recorded guitarists in history. His tasty style has opened doors for him to play onstage and in the studio with every style of music possible; early rockabilly, rhythm and […]
Gretsch aficionados know the adage – “Clubs have holes and a Gentleman don’t!” With this guitar, though, somebody messed with the system! Under normal circumstances, the only way to view the serial number on a hollowbody Gretsch is through the bass-bout f hole. But this rare creation doesn’t have those, so fanatics have to cope […]
Armed with a new deal with Alligator Records and producer Kid Andersen (of Rick Estrin & The Night Cats), Chris Cain recently recorded Raisin’ Cain, an impassioned blues masterpiece full of hard-luck stories, a superb band, and his earthy-yet-sophisticated blues-jazz guitar. It’s been a long, strange trip, and Cain checked in with VG to tell […]
Long before the brazen, pointy electrics of the 1980s, Airline created a model with all kinds of modern angles and attitude. The original Airline electric guitars were made by Valco from 1958 to ’68 and sold through the now-defunct Montgomery Ward catalog and department stores. They were among the quintessential “cheapo” guitars of the era, […]
While Blondie’s Chris Stein won’t be mistaken for a shredder soloist, there’s no debate he’s an underrated rhythm guitarist and gifted songwriter, as he co-wrote (with singer Debbie Harry) classic tunes such as “Heart of Glass,” “Dreaming,” “Rip Her to Shreds,” “In the Flesh,” and “Rapture,” among others. Blondie recently released Pollinator, its 11th studio […]
It didn’t take long for testimonials to pour in to VG following the death of ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill. “Dusty Hill has the patent on the blues-rock groove!” said Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood. “No one did it better.” “He was a solid bass player and amazing performer,” added Harvey Brooks, bass man with […]
Steve Hillage has followed his muse through 40 years making music as a member of the psychedelic band Gong, a solo career, and a partnership with Miquette Giraudy as the dance band System 7. His style includes extensive use of echo, which he “stumbled across” while messing about with his home tape recorder. “My older […]
DigiTech iStomp Price: $149.95 Info: www.digitech.com/istomp If you’re the type of gearhead who turns heel and runs from DSP effects, let alone any equipment with a lower-case “i” in front of its name, set your preconceptions aside and dig into the DigiTech iStomp – a hardware stompbox that can be instantly reconfigured into the pedal […]
In 1952, Gibson’s Les Paul model guitar was brand spanking new. But it wasn’t cutting-edge. True, it was the company’s first solidbody electric guitar, and thus earned a bit of notoriety. But just being Gibson’s first solidbody didn’t win it any real accolades. After all, Leo Fender’s Broadcaster and Telecaster models accomplished the same duties […]
Israeli-born guitarist/singer Guy King has become a triple-threat musician since moving to Chicago. The playing, singing, and songwriting on his latest, Joy Is Coming, showcase his skills and versatility. How did the new album develop amidst such strange days for musicians? It was written before the pandemic – and mostly recorded before – but we […]
