Posted October 6, 2011 at 2:24 pm | 2 comments
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.
Posted in: Country Interviews, Interviews, Rock Interviews
Posted September 20, 2011 at 6:29 pm | No comments
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.
Posted in: Blues Interviews, Country Interviews, Instrumental Interviews, Interviews
Posted July 27, 2011 at 12:39 am | One comment
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.
Posted in: Blues Interviews, Country Interviews, Interviews, Rock Interviews
Posted June 3, 2011 at 9:33 am | No comments
After reaching the top of the Country music world, Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter Terri Clark decided to move away from the major label world that she had lived in for her whole career and went out on her own for her 2009 album The Long Way Home. This departure has only seemed to strengthen the Country star as she gets the best of both worlds, being able to have complete creative control, while working with distributors to help get her music out to a global audience; two things that would make countless other major label artists jealous.
Posted in: Country Interviews, Interviews
Posted April 28, 2011 at 8:20 pm | No comments
Not only does Hawaiian-born ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro make his little four-string axe gently weep, he also makes it sweep, soar, and sing. In his hands, the ukulele roams the halls of folk, jazz, flamenco, rock, funk, the blues, bluegrass and classical music. Along with his astonishing talent, Jake’s winning smile and generous personality have been recognized by the State of Hawaii that has named him a Goodwill Ambassador for the island paradise.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Interviews
Posted January 19, 2011 at 11:28 am | One comment
The wholeness of the life of Grammy award winning multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs, cannot be summed up in individual passions, but is a blending of influences of music, spirituality, family life, and friends that are reflected, much like his latest CD, into a patchwork of armament, a personal “mosaic”.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Interviews
Posted January 5, 2011 at 2:22 pm | 20 comments
It’s amazing what can happen on a whim. Just a few days ago I was surfing the web, checking out some guitar videos on YouTube and I came across a great performance by country legend Albert Lee. Seeing the video reminded me of what a stellar player Lee really is and so I decided to head over to his site to see if he was touring in my area this year, hoping to get a chance to see him live. A bit dismayed after finding out that he’ll be spending most of his time in Europe in the near future, and later learning that I had just missed him in Chicago recently, I noticed that there was a contact button on his site, and that’s when things get interesting.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Guitar Hero Interviews, Interviews
Posted December 17, 2010 at 2:00 pm | 4 comments
Making a living in today’s music business is tough on the best of days. It seems that the sun has set on the days when one could be just a studio musician, only play gigs or simply teach a few lessons a day and make a living as a guitarist, at least enough to pay the bills and get by.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Interviews