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Oscar Jordan
Living Colour
Black-Rock Renaissance
Beating the odds with the Grammy-approved album Vivid in 1988, Living Colour ascended victoriously amidst a heaping handful of black rock bands sent packing by record companies for not playing blues, dance music, or R&B. It was luck, talent, Mick Jagger, and a music video that propelled the song “Cult Of Personality” to the eyes…
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Oscar Jordan
Rich Robinson and Marc Ford Of The Magpie Salute
Wiser Time
Musical chemistry is a special, sometimes flammable rapport between two musicians. It’s a rare thing – highly sought, difficult to attain – and you know it when you share it. Rich Robinson and Marc Ford have it, and if you want to hear what it sounds like, check out their latest collaboration. With a past…
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Oscar Jordan
Sonny Landreth
Live In Lafayette
When music fans discuss upper-echelon slide mastery, the name Sonny Landreth tops most lists. The preeminent slide-guitar stylist of his generation, his touch not only harkens to the masters, but yields fresh and innovative techniques. His new album, Recorded Live In Lafayette, is two discs that join the rich influences heard on Bound By The…
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Oscar Jordan
The Isley Brothers & Santana
Love, Peace – And Soul!
Ernie Isley was a hero to a generation of young, bell-bottom-clad guitarists who wore afros and enveloped themselves in soul crooners and the funkiness that caused involuntary dancing. Positioned in one of the greatest R&B bands – the Isley Brothers – he brought soaring, fuzz-saturated lines and beautiful ornamentation to rapture-inducing soul music. Albums such…
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Oscar Jordan
The Magpie Salute
The Magpie Salute
This debut album from a 10-piece band is woven together from the smoldering embers of the Black Crowes. Vocalist Rich Robinson, guitarist Marc Ford, bassist Sven Pipien, and the late keyboardist Eddie Harsch lead a tight ensemble for a live studio recording of blues-based jam rock. The ensemble seamlessly dips into comfortable Black Crowes territory…
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Oscar Jordan
Gov’t Mule
Revolution Come… Revolution Go
Gov’t Mule’s 10th studio album treads the similar hard rock meets southern blues territory of past albums, but with the added dimension of the polarized social and political climate of the United States. Triple-thick power chords laced with lustrous organ permeate the album with Warren Haynes’ beautifully gruff, Southern-fried rasp up top. The band consists…
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Oscar Jordan
Sonny Landreth
Supernatural Slide
Even guitarists who don’t play slide know scary supernatural slide mastery when they hear it. Some guitarists won’t go down that rabbit hole, realizing they’ll never reach the level of Elmore James, Son House, Robert Nighthawk, or Earl Hooker. Today, guitarists like Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and Derek Trucks are still blowing minds, but few…
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Oscar Jordan
David Ryan Harris
Songs For Other People
David Ryan Harris gets his greatest exposure singing and playing guitar around the world with John Mayer, but he’s been an accomplished songwriter for nearly 30 years. While he has a handful of solo albums and songwriting credits with Mayer, Dave Matthews, and Cassandra Wilson, he kept a handful of tunes for his new solo…
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Oscar Jordan
MXR Dyna Comp Mini
A Classic, Compressed
In the ’70s, the original MXR Dyna Comp found its way onto a plethora of now-classic vinyl sides and was a key ingredient to the soundtrack of a generation. With an eye toward the latest trend in miniaturized effects pedals with full-sized sounds, MXR’s Dyna Comp Mini Compressor retains the same rich analog sounds of…
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Oscar Jordan
Warren Haynes
Gov’t Revolution
Digging through the Gov’t Mule catalog recalls a legacy of great music. More than just another jam band, the group spent the last 22 years not only mining the Southern-blues-based rock they adore, but pushing boundaries and taking risks. Guitarist Warren Haynes continues to be the band’s guiding light. For many, his top-tier finesse and…
