• Tommy Castro

    Artists

    Tommy Castro

    Circling Back

    In a career spanning four decades, Tommy Castro has crafted a commendable catalog and built a devout following with his soul-infused music, informed by the blues, R&B, pop, and rock and delivered with conviction. Beloved for his guitar work and vocal style, he has carved his own niche. Born and raised in San Jose, California,…

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Jon Butcher’s psychedelia mastery

Jon Butcher tales his Olympic White ’63 Strat for a rip on “Jam,” a track from his new album, “Nuthin’ but Soul.” The disc is an homage to sounds of…

Ace Frehley

Shock Waves

As an original member of rock titans Kiss, “Space Ace” Frehley inspired countless budding musicians. His new album, 10,000 Volts, is his first set of original material in six years,…

Jackie King

From Willie to T-Bone and Others

Jackie King’s pretty much done it all. Born in Texas, the son of a guitar player, his path took him from playing in bars at age 13, to hanging out…

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 Ibanez Artist helps him exhibit a bit of “Dedicated To…

Black Joe Lewis

Garage Soul

Eectric Slave is the third album by Black Joe Lewis, and marks a return to the sound of his roots – Hound Dog Taylor, Elmore James, Ron Asheton, and Jimi…

Frank Marino

Tools of the Trade

Photo: Willie G. Moseley. For most pro musicians, this is what it’s all about. While a collection of classic guitars can be respected or admired by lovers of the instrument,…

Richie Kotzen

Better Days Coming

Richie Kotzen is one of today’s busiest rock guitarists. In addition to being a long-time solo artist (and possessing an awesome singing voice), he manages his time between the Winery…

Dave Specter

Chicago Deep Dish

There are many styles of blues guitar, from haunting Delta acoustic to volcanic blues-rock. Hailing from the mecca of Chicago, Dave Specter plays electric blues that comes from deep immersion…

Joel Hoekstra

Road Warrior

The busiest man in hard rock, Joel Hoekstra spends his life touring, recording, and jamming with Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Iconic, and pop icon Cher. In-between, he joined Revolution Saints, the…

Freddie Krc gets “Dandy” on a ’64 SJ

FTop-Flight Tune by Texas Stalwart You can’t blame Freddie Krc for loving his ’64 Southern Jumbo, which he’s using here to play an exclusive rendition of “Bohemian Dandy” from his…

Raul Malo’s Instrumental Side

 Mavericks frontman with a vintage Jazzmaster Though he is renowned and beloved for his vocals in the Mavericks, Raul Malo’s new album, “Say Less,” is a showcase for his…

Brennen Leigh’s Heart-Tugging Honky-Tonk

Shades of Norman Blake and Dolly Parton A student of the “Carter Scratch” guitar technique – melody on the low strings, rhythm on the high – Brennen Leigh plays and…

Bill Carson

My LIfe and Times with Fender

Reveals good times and bad, the infamous CBS years, Fender’s remarkable resurgence to regain command of the industry, and much more! Price was: $14.95 plus Shipping. Now for a Limited…

Have Guitar Will Travel 070 – JJ Wilde and J.D. Smigelski

The latest episode of “Have Guitar Will Travel” finds host James Patrick Regan speaking with indie rocker JJ Wilde and her guitarist, J.D. Smigelski. JJ grew up listening to her…

Marshall Crenshaw

Rock & Roll Renaissance Man

Marshall Crenshaw is nothing if not an enigma – which is ironic, since his music (whether played and sung by him or covered by other artists) is so infectious and…

Chris Tapp

Heavy Adversity

Unphased by knee-jerk comparisons to rock duos like the White Stripes, Royal Blood, and Black Keys, The Cold Stares have nothing to worry about. Their teeth-rattling blues-rock sound is heavier…

Shawn Starski

His Own Blues

After spending nearly a decade with harp ace Jason Ricci, guitarist Shawn Starski has stepped out with a self-titled album that establishes him as a triple threat, not simply a…

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 her new album, “Together Alone.” Eric “Roscoe” Ambel’s production and…

Dale Watson

Dale Watson

Honky-Tonk Hammerin’

Dale Watson remembers well a conversation he once had with Leo Fender. “Leo gave me a guitar, and it was so shiny and new, I said, ‘Well, I just hate…

Bill Nelson

Brit-Guitar Deluxe

Bill Nelson is one of the unsung heroes of British rock guitar. From his ’70s work with Be Bop Deluxe through a lengthy solo career, Nelson has delivered powerful, artistic…

Kinga Glyk

Real-Life Bass

Like a tightrope walker, bassist Kinga Glyk finds a delicate balance between funk-fusion virtuosity and wicked, booty-moving grooves. Deploying her trademark Fender Jazz and occasionally a Gibson EB-3, Glyk has…

Zakk Wylde

Wylde's Kingdom

As a teenager, Zakk Wylde gained notoriety as one of the hottest young guitarists playing the New Jersey Shore bar circuit. He got his big break in ’87, when he…

Kinga Glyk’s four-string tightrope

Star bassist shines on “That Right There” Superstar bassist Kinga Glyk brings everything from funk-fusion virtuosity to booty-moving grooves. With her ’09 Fender Jazz plugged into an Apollo Twin interface,…

Brian Setzer

Sparking Another Rockabilly Riot

Three decades, umpteen records, and several stellar bands into his career, and Brian Setzer still makes rockabilly sound fresh and exciting. This album has much of the verve of his…

Paul Gilbert

All About Vintage – Import Style

Paul Gilbert was a teenager when he appeared on the music industry’s radar after Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records introduced him in Guitar Player magazine’s “Spotlight” column. After attending Hollywood’s…

Remembering Jeff Beck

The Guitar Hero, Defined

Jeff Beck, the guitarist who pushed the ’60s British Invasion band the Yardbirds from its electric-blues roots to a contemporary rock-and-roll sound before becoming one of the most-influential musicians of…

Philip Sayce

Proactive Perseverance

Philip Sayce is a living, breathing, godmonster beast on the Stratocaster. But his chops, tone, feel, and great songs don’t come out of thin air. The man works hard. His…

Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton

Alt-Blues Summit

Blues is a language of many dialects, and when regionalisms collide, sparks fly. So it has been since Texas six-stringer Jesse Dayton joined Kansas City’s slide maven Samantha Fish for…

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Joe Walsh

Life’s Still Good

Whether coughing up the #2 talk-box lick of the ’70s, kicking the Eagles into overdrive, or wryly expressing his views on subjects ranging from rock-and-roll excess to lawn mowers to…

Alan Sparhawk

Lowdown

Blame it on a guitar. For Low’s Alan Sparhawk, the inspiration behind the band’s latest album, Ones and Sixes, came in part thanks to a new six-string. He had been…