Singer-songwriter, Jeffrey Pine, hails from the Santa Barbara, California, environs, although he’s toured the country performing solo and with others. Pine also periodically finds himself recharging his creative spirit, by seeking refuge and maybe silence in the beauty and solitude of the desert.
Forty-five years after releasing his debut album, The New Boss Guitar, jazz guitarist George Benson is still going strong. With the upcoming August 25, 2009, release date set for his latest studio album Songs And Stories, the ten-time Grammy winner pays tribute to some of his favorite songwriters and composers. Featuring an all-star line up that includes bassist Marcus Miller, guitarists Lee Ritenour and Toninho Horta, saxophonists Tom Scott and Gerald Albright, among others, Benson and company come together to produce an album that is not only a tribute to great songwriters, it is also a reflection of more than four decades of experience by one of jazz’s greatest instrumentalists and vocalists.
First, a short background about the evolution of modern Irish traditional music in order to put the award winning group, Flook, into some sort of context…as well as spotlight, multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, Sarah Allen. So, there had never been a twin flute tradition in Ireland beyond a couple of flutes and/or whistles sometimes playing in unison. Flook came along in 1985 and took the UK/European folk scene by storm, first with a three-flute front line and then with two.
Around 1999, world-class guitarist, Brad Richter, found himself discovering a small group of young men and women at the Navajo Nation who had taught themselves the art of classical guitar.Essentially, a self-help ensemble who helped one another evolve and mature into solid players. He volunteered to help out the best he could, recognizing the dedication and commitment of the group reflected in their playing skills, as applied to classical guitar.
By: Rick Landers Images courtesy of Yasmin Williams The first time I met Yasmin Williams, she was hauling her guitar, pedals and a bag filled to the brim with cables and other gear to a festival stage outside Leesburg, Virginia. She smiled when I asked if I could help carry some of her gear, but she […]
By: Rick Landers French-born master fingerstyle guitarist Claude Bourbon hails from Britain, but finds himself traveling the globe strapped to his trusty Gibson J-45 acoustic dreadnaught. Whether he’s playing a straight blues, thumping out some heartbeat R&B, or his own cauldron of styles that may include Flamenco, American roots music, British Isle stylings, coupled with nuances […]
Word had it that there was a Flamenco guitarist in Virginia that had the most efficient set up to haul his gear around and load out than most had ever seen. And besides that, William Zorn, gets places jumping with his thumping Flamenco guitar playing, as well as makes his audiences swoon with his quieter romantic Latin tunes.
Guitar master Michael Angelo Batio is rereleasing his long awaited solo album after years of touring and performing clinics. Intermezzo features all new original music and is filled with MAB’s signature virtuoso guitar playing of mixed meters, great melodies, superb arrangements, and world class production.
Earlier this summer, a new progressive super group, Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian [PSMS] released Live In Tokyo on DVD, Blu-ray, and CD. Their show was recorded back in 2012 at Zepp Tokyo and this 95-minute concert is the first release from the band. It showcases a wide range of instrumental performances from each of the members’ careers as well as their collaborations with each other.
Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival & Workshop brings the greatest guitarists in the world (Pat Metheny and Joe Bonamassa to name just two) to Bigfork, Montana for its annual end-of-summer guitar camp and concert series. This year they snagged someone really special, five-time Grammy nominee and one of Musician’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century,” Robben Ford.
