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Artists
Ace Frehley dies at 74
As Kiss reached its apex in the mid/late ’70s, “Space Ace” Frehley became the quintessential guitar hero. Supremely influential to a generation of rock players who followed, he died unexpectedly on October 16. Our January…
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Danny Fender
Danny Fender was one of the great guitarists you may never have heard. He died December 3, 2024, at age 54. Fender was well-known among his people, the American Roma. He recorded sporadically including several live recordings as Danny Fender and the Caravans, released by L.A.’s Festival Records, including his 2006 album, A Band of…
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Check This Action: Folk Festival of Blues
I heard blues records earlier than I can remember. My dad had Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee albums, and a family friend had records by Lead Belly and Jesse Fuller. It was the Folk Boom of the mid/late ’50s, and blues was mixed in with commercial stuff like the Kingston Trio, so the acoustic, rural…
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Marcin
Birth Of The Dragon
Marcin wields classical, flamenco, percussion, and two-handed tapping to create jaw-dropping music. Dragon In Harmony is his first full-length album, and it’s a stunner. Combining accessible tunes with guests Delaney Bailey, Tim Henson, and Ichika Nito, Marcin loves the music of Bill Evans, Mozart, and Nirvana, and the result is sublime. What prepared you for…
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Kristian Borring
Time Zone
Kristian Borring is a jazz guitarist who lives in Perth, Australia, but sends his fearless playing echoing around the planet via his trio, Number Junky, which just released its second album, Birak. Borring is intriguing because of the fluidity of his improvisations, which can jump between single-note phrases and chords in a flash – the…
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Oz Noy & Andrew Synowiec
Musical Combustion
New from Oz Noy and Andrew Synowiec is a guitar team-up highlighting hot licks, high energy, and strong songwriting. The album is Recreational Substance, and post-bop note density is the crux of the biscuit. The two virtuosos run the gamut with a variety of grooves and textures, but both say good songs are the name…
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Yasmin Williams
Art of Collaboration
Yasmin Williams turned heads a few years ago with her brilliant solo acoustic music, often playing the guitar flat on her lap and tapping on the neck, like a piano. With her latest, Acadia, she connected with other great musicians, framing her guitar work with larger ensembles and collaborations including guitarist Kaki King, singer Aoife…
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Remembering Vic Flick
From Bond to the Beatles
The music world lost session legend Vic Flick on November 17, at age 87. While not a household name, Flick’s soundtrack riff in James Bond movies became one of the most-famous licks in guitar history, beginning with 1962’s Dr. No. “Almost every guitar player is familiar with his phrase used in the James Bond themes,”…
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Tab Benoit
What 10 Sounds Like
I Hear Thunder marks a return to recording for Tab Benoit. With 13 years between albums, he is recording music that stirs his soul. Rugged guitar tones and fierce vocals permeate an album that leads the listener through the emotional pathways of heartfelt blues from past to present. You left it all in the ring on…
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Gwenifer Goes “Cattywomp”
Fierce fingerstyle! Hailing from Wales, former punk-rock drummer Gwenifer Raymond’s fingerstyle playing is inspired by greats like John Fahey and Mississippi John Hurt. Her latest, “Last Night I Heard the Dog Star Bark,” is rife with virtuosity. Here, she uses her Waterloo WL-14L to play “Cattywomp,” from the album. Our review of it and interview…
