Tagged: bluesandbluesrock

When it comes to my influences in my own music and guitar playing, I've got far more than one might expect. Sure I have my core favorite guitarists/musicians to whom I look to the majority of my inspiration, but the number who have inspired me numbers in the hundreds I'm sure, and includes saxophonists, violinists, and even a bagpipe player (no joke). I feel like if there's a great musician out there who's doing something innovative, powerful and emotional... then there's probably something I can appreciate and learn from to enhance my own music. The "inspired [...]

I wish I could provide this tribute under better circumstances, but unfortunately this one comes with a heavy heart. Earlier this month blues great Koko Taylor passed away at the age of 80. Nominated for a Grammy 8 times for her stellar blues albums, Koko Taylor was and is considered by many to be the indisputable "Queen of the Blues". I actually wish I had more to say as a tribute to Koko and her tremendous talent on this sad occasion, but to be honest I've just recently really come to appreciate her music. Instead, [...]

As someone who didn't grow up during the 1960s, being enamored with the music of that era has always left me feeling a little detached. Most of my favorite bands/artists stopped touring years before I was even born and in many cases their albums proceeded me by as many as 20 years! That may not have tempered my love of those bands any, but it has left me a little unsatisfied in terms of attending concerts. It's only compounded by the fact that many of the rock and roll shows of the 60s and [...]

This is the twenty-seventh in a series of Rock & Roll features I'm writing for this site. I'm a rock and roller, so this column is a way for me to feature a different album that I like, from different genres every month. Well it's time for the Rock and Roll Feature for the month of May 2009... Let's feature one of the greatest band to come out of Los Angeles of all times: The Doors!. For me, being raised on classic rock, the Doors are another one of those bands [...]

I've been sort of resisting discussing the Dead Weather since I first heard about them... why? Well because of my own bias really. I mean it's a new "supergroup" where you have on drums Jack White from the White Stripes/Racontuers... I'm big fans of both... combined Jack Lawrence, bassist from the Raconteurs/Greenhornes, guitarist Dead Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age... another favorite band of mine... and Alison Mosshart of the Kills, a band I wrote about for the Soul of Rock 'n' Roll, way back in the day. Combine all those sounds and all that talent [...]

Back last year I was lucky enough to be able to review the latest live offering from one of my most favorite guitarists: Jeff Beck. The album, Performing This Week Live at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club really caused a stir as a pretty incredible listen, a great showcase of the talents of Beck and his latest band, and a great addition to the Jeff Beck catalog, which has been somewhat lacking in live recordings. I think that album is pretty awesome and you can read my whole review of the album here: [...]

Recently, I was inspired to take a look at a slightly lesser known blues man by the name of Junior Kimbrough. Inspiration came in the form of a one-two punch; the music of a more modern band and an email contribution from a reader. Combine together with some good timing (I just happened to be listening to this "more modern band" when I read said email contribution) and we have inspiration for a small tribute to a somewhat under appreciated blues master. I'm relatively new to Kimbrough's unique blues style... it's sort of hypnotic and [...]

When it comes to guitar legends, few can measure up to Jeff Beck. Going all the way back to his days with the Yardbirds, Beck has continually infused new life into electric guitar, pushing the boundaries into jazz fusion and forging his own unique technique and style. I've been a fan of Jeff Beck pretty much from the first time I heard him play. He has a way of touching a note and sculpting it in a way that is completely unexpected and can take a simple phrase and wrench more emotion out of it than just [...]

Sometimes it's amazing how the arrangement of a song can completely change the feel... or even something as small as the guitar timbre. Maybe this is why guitarists spend so much time searching for their perfect guitar tone; to create that perfect mood for the song. Changes to that tone though, or to the arrangement of a song, does not always have to produce undesirable results. In many cases, if the song is strong and the musicians talented, the song can morph into something new that stands on it's own, just as well as the original. [...]