Nearly all of today’s blues-rock guitarists are Hendrix influenced to some degree. Few, however, are capable of developing a distinctive, ethereal, almost ‘otherworldly’ tone combined with the tasteful phrasing that characterizes Robin Trower’s body of work.
Louisiana-born Kenny Wayne Shepherd grew up on the blues. From the age of seven he had a guitar in his hands and kept at it until five years later he was on stage with Jump Street Five blues group guitarist Bryan Lee.
Guitarist, songwriter and singer Eric Johnson brings listeners Up Close to his stunning musicality when the Grammy winning artist releases his sixth studio album on December 7th 2010. The 15-track disc presents 14 new Johnson compositions plus his version of the Electric Flag song “Texas,” and features guest appearances by fellow master players Jimmie Vaughan and Sonny Landreth on guitar and vocals by Steve Miller and Johnny Lang.
Alexi Laiho, founding member and frontman of extreme metal act Children of Bodom (CoB), is known for incredible six-string momentum and melodic speed along with stern vocal strength. Besides CoB and side project Sinergy, he has played with Impaled Nazarene, Kykähullut, and Thy Serpent. Japan’s premier guitar magazine, Young Guitar, voted him Guitarist of the Year in 2005.
Born in Seattle on November 27, 1942, Johnny Allen Hendrix, better known the world over as Jimi Hendrix, was raised by his mother until his father was discharged by the military in 1945 and took custody over the future guitar legend.
Warren Haynes talks about the Allman Brothers, Gibson Guitars and Gov’t Mule.
Rocker Neal Schon handles his Gibson as naturally as if it were attached to the end of his hands. Having picked up his first guitar at age five, Neal was considered a musical prodigy and by age 15, was on the road with guitar legend Carlos Santana. After touring for a year, Neal’s musical direction was not meshing with his band mates, so he and fellow Santana alum Gregg Rolie began a new project — a band called Journey.
The veteran guitarist talks about his DVD Living Out of Time Live, Gear and his many musical outputs.
Masterful, eclectic and prolific are all words that can be used to begin to describe guitarist Steve Hackett. From a guitarist’s perspective, Hackett certainly ranks as a “grand master” who has completed his theoretical studies and coupled them with hands on performance experience. His journeyman level work with Genesis, which included Peter Gabriel (lead vocals), Phil Collins (drums and later, lead vocalist), Tony Banks (keyboards) and Mike Rutherford (guitar-vocals), helped in the evolution of the group that would eventually sell 150 million albums.
George Lynch has inserted himself into the annals of rock history with a career spanning over 30 years. Largely recognized for his Grammy nominated work with hard rock-metal group Dokken, George has also embarked on other collaborative and solo works to broaden his range of playing and creativity including Lynch Mob and Souls of We.
