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John Heidt
Redd Volkaert – No Stranger to a Tele
Anybody who’s paid any attention to guitarists in the past decade or so won’t be too surprised when I say what a nice album this is. Redd, as many of you probably already know, is a genial-looking fellow who resembles a lepraucaun and plays the living hell out of a Telecaster. He’s spent the last…
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John Heidt
John Mayall and Friends – Along For the Ride
John Mayall (VG, July ’98) has been doing it for so long it seems he has always been there. And he has. In a career that has lasted nearly 40 years and produced almost 50 albums (not including compilations, of which his name graces another 40!), Mayall has very much earned the title of “Elder…
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John Heidt
Johnny Winter – Deluxe Edition
When you think about it, Johnny Winter has had quite a career. And here, from Alligator Records, just to let you know it continues strong, is a set of cuts from his stint with Alligator. There’s raucous blues, blistering rock and roll, and even some nice acoustic blues with Johnny shining on dobro. There are…
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John Heidt
Rick Nelson – Legacy
Rick Nelson was blessed in many ways, but some of those blessings also could be a curse. I’m talking about his great looks and his luck of having a national showcase in television on the “Ozzie and Harriet Show.” Those two things, unfortunatly, made some folks doubt his musical prowess. With this wonderful four-CD set,…
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John Heidt
The Domino Kings – Life and 20
The Domino Kings are (if such a thing still exists) honky-tonk kings. If you like your music with that Bakersfield kick, look no further. Stevie Newman breathes new life into country guitar, the kind of I haven’t heard since Pete Anderson was regularly lighting up Dwight Yoakam songs with sonic forays based in the playing…
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John Heidt
Larry Carlton
The Return of Mr. 335
Face it. If you’re a guitarist and listened to any music in the past 30 years, you’ve been influenced by Larry Carlton. One of the most recorded players in history, his thousands of sessions include work with Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Al Jarreau, Michael Franks, and on and on. His production credits include…
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John Heidt
Marty Stuart
Too Country for Country
Let’s say you’ve been on the country music scene for around 30 years, even though you’re only in your early 40s. And let’s say you’ve served as an instrumentalist for several members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. And let’s say you’ve spent a large part of the late ’80s and ’90s selling millions…
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John Heidt
Little Feat – Hotcakes and Outtakes
I’ve always been amazed that Little Feat wasn’t a huge band with many hits. They don’t come much snappier than “Dixie Chicken.” And especially in the ’70s heyday of FM radio, how could that not have turned into a huge hit? Anyway, it’s all here on this four-CD set – all the great songs (and…
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John Heidt
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 your easy chair with your mouth wide open. Things open with “Inspector Gadget.” They show off their great chemistry right off the…
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John Heidt
Sonny Landreth – Levee Town
Let’s just say it. Sonny Landreth is one of the best slide guitarists in the history of rock and roll. The title cut, which opens the album, is proof of that. After a great groove and lyric, Sonny’s solo is pretty much a textbook for slide. That pretty much sums up the whole album. And,…
