Before there was Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton, there was Top Topham. The original guitarist in one of the most famous, guitar-hero filled bands in rock history, Topham was the guitarist who started it all. Though his tenure with the band was short lived, being only 15 years old at the time his parents had issues with his late nights spent jamming in clubs, his influence can still be felt to this day.
Released in 1973, “La Grange” became an instant hit for Texas rock band ZZ Top, and one of the band’s most successful singles in their long and prestigious careers. Written for their album Tres Hombres, the song, which is basically a one-chord blues, talks about a bordello in La Grange, Texas, the same bordello that was the inspiration behind the film “The Biggest Little Whore-House in Texas,
Joe Bonamassa considers Dust Bowl to be his best CD to date, and although his guitar playing stands out throughout, his intricate storytelling talent and vocal ability reaches heights that parallel the musicianship. Released on his J&R Adventures record label, Dust Bowl is number six in a successful five-year collaboration with producer Kevin Shirley. The album was recorded in separate sessions at Black Rock Studios in Santorini, Greece, Ben’s Studio in Nashville, The Cave in Malibu and The Village in Los Angeles.
When one hears the words “one-man band,” they often get a comical picture of a cartoon like character dancing around with a bunch of instruments strapped to his back. While this may work for the movies or in TV shows, it is musicians like Claude Hay that take this term and turn it into an art form. Utilizing modern technology such as loop pedals and effects, Hay is able to bring together multiple layers of instruments and sounds into his songs, both in the studio and live, all without hiring a band. He is a DIY musician in the purest sense.
There have been many young guitarists over the years that have burst onto the scene at an early age, only to burn out after one or two albums and fade into obscurity. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an artist who defied this trend by taking the momentum gained from his Platinum selling debut record Ledbetter Heights and growing it into a long and successful career. Only 33 years old, Shepherd has three platinum and one gold album to his credit, as well as an armful of major award nominations and wins, and yet it seems that he’s just getting started, 16 years after his first release.
With five Grammy Awards, 23 W.C. Handy Awards [the most of any artist], 65 albums, a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and disciples like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy ranks as one of the music legends of our time.
Evan Goodrow, `Boston’s own blue-eyed soul and R&B groove man, recently released Say It, his tenth overall release. An ever-growing ability to lay down a soulful melody drenched in absolute emotion is in full bloom on this album. He shows more than ever that he’s a complete performer, a guitarist with solid lead and rhythm chops, a fine vocalist, and a creative songwriter.
There are few genres of music that are so beloved and so wide spread today as the Blues. Reaching across borders, languages and beliefs, the blues can be heard being played in Chicago night clubs, Japanese concert halls and festivals in Tiradentes, Brazil.
Pics of the blues legend performing live in Chicago, January 2011.
The CD version of Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan – In Session has been out for years; however, it’s nice to finally see as well as hear both of these blues icons together. And for those who have yet to purchase a copy of this session, you can now pick up the CD and the DVD in one package. Videos of Albert King are far and few anyway, which makes it even more significant.
