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.
Black Stone Cherry grinds it out with muscled working man’s rock , with diesel fueled lead guitar riffs from Chris Robertson. Wind the clock back to the days when rock was unadorned, when it was ground in the dirt, unwashed and full of spit and vinegar and you get the idea of BSC musical roots.
On her latest album, Waltz for Abilene, she ropes in a cornucopia of styles that range from the opening track, “Foggy Mt. Rock” with guest, Albert Lee, clipping along in driving Western swing style to the Appalachian roots sound of “That Ain’t No Way for Me to Get Along” with Rory Block, and other tracks blended with jazz, R&B, soulful country, country western, and an exquisite final track titled, “Waltz for Abilene”.
Out of the West, comes Alec Lytle with an eclectic mix of melodic vocals and acoustic guitar with subtle references to both traditional and contemporary country-folk. Whether Alec’s running solo, in a quiet duet, or with a herd of bandmates called Them Rounders, he hits the marks laid out by Dylan, Lovett, Van Zandt, and the The Byrds in their rodeo days.
Legend, music pioneer, and amazing blue-eyed soul stylist Gregg Allman can proudly lay claim to being one of the all time great, influential, landmark artists in rock history. After some forty five years making music with his esteemed Allman Brothers Band, the ABB retired last October 2014 after playing an acclaimed slate of finale shows at New York’s Beacon Theater.
If you’re into down home rock that’s laden with the grit and power of a South bound train, then you need to do yourself a favor and check out singer songwriter, Joe Davis – he’s the real deal.
After over a decade of paying his dues, a fountain of good fortune is flowing endlessly for slide guitar virtuoso extraordinaire Derek Trucks. During these years of nonstop, grueling touring, he has built a name for himself as the bottleneck boogie guitar player to be reckoned with. Trucks has coordinated countless tours and recordings, playing with his own group, The Derek Trucks Band, played alongside mentors and kin The Allman Brothers Band and has appeared on numerous side projects and guest work from the Frogwings to Phil Lesh.
Though not a household name, Maines is renowned in artist and industry circles for his journeyman talents and facility performing and producing with arttists such as Wilco, Robert Earl Keen, Joe Ely, Willie Nelson, Hank Thompson, Roger Creager and Terry Allen. Lloyd also has earned the esteemed distinction of appearing on and playing and performing live with several dozen artists on numerous episodes of Austin City Limits, PBS’s prestigious, nationally televised live music showcase.
In July 2001, I was deeply honored to interview roots music legend, the late, great Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown before he passed away just a few years later. At some 77 years young, the virtuoso guitarist, fiddle player, and multi-instrumentalist had been blessed with a luminous, storied career and had shared the live performance stage and recording studio with the likes of Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Leon Russell, Roy Clark, and a glittering who’s who of music icons who have all tipped their hats to Gate’s musical gifts and immeasurable influence on them.
You may not have heard of Bob Boykin, but it’s a near certainty that you have heard him play. It’s always inspiring and equally uncanny how some guitarists have the creative juice to produce work that can fit into a broad spectrum of the performing arts. Bob Boykin has been a “go to” session player in Los Angeles and Nashville and a performing artist with some of the country’s top acts. He has also written an impressive body of music that regularly finds its way into top television programs and commercials as well as major motion pictures.
