• Check This Action: A Year In Their Life

    Artists

    Check This Action: A Year In Their Life

    Recently, I stumbled onto one of those “reaction” videos by a New Zealander named Courtney, who wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen footage of the Beatles or even heard their songs. This shouldn’t be surprising. The video she watches of the Fab Four, playing “All My Loving” on Ed Sullivan in 1964, was created probably…

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Bettie Serveert

Go Dutch!

Bettie Serveert is still going strong, 25 years after bursting on the scene in Amsterdam at the height of alternative rock. Palomine, its acclaimed debut, mixed fuzzy riffs and folky…

The Manakooras

Tiki Twang

Call it exotica or tiki twang, but the Manakooras play tropical instro that evokes visions of dreamy Pacific islands. Led by steel guitarist Kane Manakoora, the act features Tiki Mo…

Mark Knopfler

Straitforward

Very early in life, Mark Knopfler had a connection with music. His mother cared for the family while BBC programs like “Listen with Mother” played on the radio with its…

Eddie Kramer

Gaurdian of Jimi's Sound

People who think they know Jimi Hendrix’s music inside and out may have to think again. A new batch of compact discs being released this April might make you hear…

Arlen Roth

Flourishing After Adversity

By any measure, Arlen Roth’s recent spate of creativity would be impressive. It began with his solo acoustic CD, Drive It Home, in 2001, and was followed by an eclectic…

Eric Gales

Eric Gales

Makin’ Good

The wild and crazy life of Eric Gales has been well documented, but through it all, his guiding light has been a passion for music. From humble beginnings as a…

Jay Jay French talks Freddie King!

Guitarist/author Jay Jay French grabbed his ’53 goldtop and friend/bassist Bobby Held for this run-through of Freddie King’s “The Stumble.” Read our interview with Jay Jay and review of his…

Warren Haynes

Better Music Through Chemistry

Warren Haynes’ first solo record in nearly a decade brings themes of optimism, uplift, and hope with Haynes at the top of his artistic game, performing with a stellar ensemble.…

Tom Keifer

Thick and Thin

Tom Keifer is a tad young to be on the (very) long list of musicians inspired first and foremost by the Beatles’ “arrival” in the U.S. in 1964. But he’s…

  • Phil Chen

    1946-2021

    His business card read “Phil Chen De Bassman,” and his picks had “OD” after his name, standing for the Order…

  • Dudley Taft

    Life At Full Speed

    A songwriting blues-rocker in the purist sense, Dudley Taft is succeeding in an era when nothing comes easy for his…

  • Sarah Borges’ plays “Wasting My Time”

    Roots-rocker’s solo, essential take Sarah Borges grabbed her Stonetree Custom Roscoe Special for this take on “Wasting My Time,” from…

  • Influenced by Benson, Montgomery, and Christian: Jorge Garcia

    Flavorful Jazz on “Dedicated to You” Jazz guitarist Jorge Garcia brings many flavors to his musical table. Here, his ’77…

  • Frank DiBussolo

    Jazz Master

    Frank DiBussolo is an eight-time Grammy nominee who has been a featured soloist in the bands of Buddy Rich, Dizzy…

  • Blackberry Smoke

    Blackberry Smoke

    Beyond Southern Musical Borders

    Comparisons between Blackberry Smoke and earlier Southern-rock bands may be inevitable, but the Atlanta-based quintet takes such observations in stride.…

  • Aerosmith

    Rockin' on Bobo

    Although Honkin’ on Bobo was labeled by some as a blues record, Aerosmith views its new release as being a…

  • Glenn Phillips

    Cult-Guitar Icon

    For more than 40 years, Glenn Phillips has been an underground hero of the guitar. His solo albums, unusual choices…

  • Graham Dechter

    Post-War Perfection

    Since his debut at age 19, Graham Dechter has rekindled a post-war jazz sound, effortlessly swinging and always in the…

  • Kristian Borring – post-bop wizard

     Danish jazzer’s transcendent style on “Persian Hills” Kristian Borring plays a fabulous version of “Persian Hills,” from Number Junky’s…

  • Elliot Easton

    Elliot Easton

    Shifting Gears Again

    Not long after he released an instrumental album with an aggregation known as the Tiki Gods, veteran southpaw guitarist Elliot…

  • Rory Block

    Keeping The Blues Alive

    From her first album appearance, at age 12, with her father’s string band, to guesting on Stefan Grossman’s 1971 album,…

  • Allen Hinds

    Flowing

    On The Good Fight, guitarist Allen Hinds finds the sweet spot between melodic fusion and good, earthy music for the…

  • Dan Auerbach

    Nashville Collaborative

    One of the first modern alt-rockers to recruit B-list guitars, Dan Auerbach’s fixation on Silvertones and Airlines, Kents, Corals, and…

  • Joe Satriani

    Satch's Surfin' Turns 20

    Photo: Lisa Sharken. It’s been 20 years since the release of Joe Satriani’s landmark album, Surfin’ with the Alien ,…

  • Freddie King’s Gibson ES-345 Keeps on Playin’

    Family Ties

    Watching her baby boy become rapt whenever his grandma played country blues on her guitar, Ella May King had a…

  • Steve Dawson

     Channeling Sol Hoopii in “Singin’ the Blues” Steve Dawson used his unplugged Celtic Cross Weissenborn model lap steel and…

  • Wata

    Mega-Decibel Fuzz

    Anyone who digs fuzzed-out hard rock with amps pushed to their limit should add Boris to their play list. Hailing…

  • Born In Chicago Documents ’60s Revival

    Disciples Of The Blues

    A new documentary on the blues revival of the late ’60s opens with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band performing live…

  • Jake Shimabukuro Plays the Beatles “Something”

    Silky-Smooth Shimabukuro Jake Shimabukuro’s playing is a silky delight on this run through the Beatles “Something.” That’s his Kamaka tenor…