• 2026 February Issue on Spotify

    Music

    2026 February Issue on Spotify

    This month, we feature Tinsley Wllis, Jimmy Aaughan, Duke Levine, Joshua Hedley, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Pink Floyd, Coyote Motel, Julian Lage, Jocelyn Gould, and more! Spotify is free or available without ads via a paid subscription. Go to www.spotify.com and search “Vintage Guitar magazine,” or if you already have an account Listen to the complete

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Barney Kessel

Stompin’

A year after Barney Kessel began recording his now-landmark material for Contemporary Records, he performed at Phoenix’s Jazz Mill backed by the house band, the Jazz Millers. The event was captured on a…

Willie G. Moseley

Bakersfield Guitars: The Illustrated History

No, this is not a history of Joe Maphis, Don Rich, Buck Owens, Roy Nichols, Merle Haggard, and the other pickers who created the Bakersfield Sound. Rather, it’s the tale of the luthiers…

John Mayer

Sob Rock

John Mayer’s latest is a somber ode to the soft-rockin’ ’80s – think Henley and Hornsby. But don’t start eye-rolling just yet. Produced by Don Was, Mayer delivers the most polished guitar playing…

Seth Walker

Seth Walker has issued a string of fine records that come together in his latest. Walker and Dave Gross man the six-strings on a collection of strong cuts, and while the approach offers…

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble

Epic/Legacy

It’s hard to understate how important Stevie Ray Vaughan was to the guitar. He emerged when the guitar had all but ceased to exist on pop/rock radio. Even hitmakers who played guitar, i.e.…

In Concert – Ohne Filter

One hour of Watson recorded for German TV in 1990. He’s in his latter-day persona, big hat and hair, and mostly does stuff from his ’70s recordings. But, the late legend only picks…

The Rolling Stones

Amidst the late-’70s rise of punk and new wave, the Stones felt irrelevant; they were still a mammoth touring entity, but their brightest days seemed behind them. Released at last, these secret gigs…

Peter Case – Who’s Gonna Go Your Crooked Mile? Selected Tracks

Peter Case is one of those “folky” types who deserve more than a trite description. Yes, he plays acoustic guitar, occasional harmonica, and writes great songs. But he shows a background that encompasses…

Blue Lunch

Bob Frank’s Band Blue Lunch prowls the musical alleys haunted by the spirits of Bill Doggett, Dave Bartholomew, and the Five Royals, whose “Monkey Hips and Rice” makes for some of the finest…

Pan-Americans

Flat Fish

If you’re a member of Pan-Americans, “among others” is part of your resume – in terms of bands you belong to as well as instruments (and roles) played in them. The band’s ad…

Laurence Juber, Tommy Emmanuel, and various artists

With a catalog that boasts such top-drawer acoustic pickers as Laurence Juber, Tommy Emmanuel, Ed Gerhard, and Pat Donahue, Solid Air hit on a format of having a dozen or so guitarists contributing…

Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters

Ronnie Earl’s playing hasn’t changed a lot over the years, but listening to a new record by him is always a pleasant surprise. It’s rare to hear a guitarist who can take his…

Frank Zappa

Zappa ’88: The Last U.S. Show

This high-energy gig took place on Long Island; sadly, it turned out to be Frank Zappa’s final American performance. Despite incredible musicianship, personality clashes doomed this lineup and Zappa ended the tour early…

Leslie West – Blues to Die For

Mountain had just one real hit – the two-and-a-half-minute blast of “Mississippi Queen” can still be heard on classic rock radio. And while it has a 12-bar structure, it isn’t a blues song.…

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…

Various Artists – Best of Outlaw Country

The kind of disc essential to party DJs, Outlaw Country contains many cuts fans of this subgenre will already have. But it’s still worth a nod. Hearing Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank…

U2 – How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

U2 has hit another home run. Try and think of another major rock and roll band this far into it and still making consistently good albums. Hell, at this point in their career,…

Compiled by Ben Valkoff – Eyewitness: The Illustrated Jimi Hendrix Concerts

The second volume reviewing Hendrix concerts, this one covering the tumultuous period of ’68, when Hendrix worked through a relentless schedule of touring and recording. As noted in our review of the first…

Santana

Blessings and Miracles

While many of Carlos Santana’s peers coast on their catalog of hits, the guitar legend follows his muse and actually creates new music. Blessings and Miracles, like most of his albums since 1999’s…

Ian Hunter – Shrunken Heads

Ian Hunter’s latest is straightforward, nuts-and-bolts rock and roll. The writing is fueled by personal and real politics, and the sound of the band and Ian’s voice are perfect. Some credit must go…

Boss DD-200 Digital Delay

Test For Echo

Delay pedals are essential, but there are so many different types – tape, reverse, tap, cascade, shimmer, analog and more. What if you could get all of them in one box, without breaking…

Lucy Kaplansky – Over the Hills

Most new pop music falls into one of two sound categories – super-human slick or slacker sloppy. In this sonically schizophrenic environment, it’s refreshing to hear a release that chooses the middle ground.…

J.J. Grey & Mofo

Alligator Records

JJ Grey continues a long line of singer/songwriters who grew up in the South and soaked up everything that makes music from that region so unique. On his second effort for Alligator, Grey…

Paul McCartney & Wings

As clearly as the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” adage has been demonstrated by numerous great bands, it will never keep critics from harping on how each of the…

NRBQ and the Whole Wheat Horns – Derbytown: Live ’82

NRBQ is one of the most underappreciated bands in rock and roll history, and even this poorly-shot live show from 1982 does not change that. In fact, despite the grainy appearance, odd angles,…

Jon and the Nightriders – Fiberglass Rocket

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a Surfin’ comeback goin’ on. We get tons of CDs from bands that play it; some good, some not-so-good, and some in-between. Here is an excellent one. Jon…

Joe Louis Walker

Joe Louis Walker’s latest covers a lot of ground and proves once again that he can’t be pigeonholed like some of the straight blues players of his generation. The title cut kicks things…

Joecephus & the George Jonestown Massacre

Heirs of the Dog: A Tribute to Nazareth

Nazareth rarely gets credit as an influential hard-rock band, though original guitarist Manny Charlton laid down killer riffs. This tribute features the loose collective Joecephus & the George Jonestown Massacre – led by…

Trigger Hippy

While the debut of Trigger Hippy features some musicians with familiar names, it’s not a “super group” in any sense of the word. That’s meant as a compliment, because the 11 songs here…

Marillion

Misplaced Childhood

Progressive rock suffered an ignominious death in the ’80s, perhaps deservedly. That didn’t stop a few British bands from pushing onward, notably Marillion, which found a sweet spot on its third album, 1985’s…