Over the years, blues-rock artist, Linwood Taylor, has forged ahead nailing down gigs, improving his game and building a reputation as an A-list musician in the Washington, D.C. area with a deep music history rarely fully appreciated.
One word that helps define multi-instrumentalist, session musician and more is “collaborator”. As a working musician and a superb talent, Knox Chandler has worked with some artists that helped form the contours of punk, as well as New Wave music.
Rocker – producer – award winning songwriter, Stacy Hogan, has been in the music entertainment business since he was a kid, at 12 banging away on the eighty-eights and getting out and about on tour with an adult country band. His new single, “Congratulations, You’re In A Cult” is a frenetic, blistering assault on demagogues and cults.
Guitarist Clay Melton’s roots lie in the worked lands of Louisiana and Texas where traditional and rock blues grew with the making of the old Chitlin’ Circuit with the likes of BB King, Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, as well as newcomers, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Rocker, singer-songwriter, award winning author, music workshop leader and more, Debra Devi, hits all cylinders with her hi-test drive that’s made her talents highly sought after for on-stage performances and presentations. And her ASCAP award winning book, The Language of the Blues: From Alcorub to Zuzu (foreword by Dr. John) is an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award winner, that has grabbed the attention and accolades of some of the best blues masters of our day.
We caught up with Tom Guerra recently to talk about Sentimental Junk, the work involved and the creative juice needed to not only craft great songs, but to properly dress them with the right instrumentation, vocals that suit them and a collaboration between musicians, who are also friends, who help supercharge his songs into fun romps that hit on all cylinders, that offer up thoughtful meaningful lyrics, impressing them with his own personal stamp.
Watching Josh Jaramillo play guitar is a lesson in styles. He can mix it up with crunch, as well as get some flash glassy tones out of his Stratocaster. And it all looks so easy, with a casual fluidity that comes from lots of practice and an inner channel of talent.
Chicago guitarist, singer, songwriter; Joe Becker is attempting to re-emerge onto to the scene. His quick, finger-twisting guitar riffs and sophisticated style of soloing, fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato are magnified in the hook filled music he writes and produces.
Kendall Schmidt, star of Nickelodeon’s hit television series, Big Time Rush, has just released his first single; “Parallel” from his new band Heffron Drive with guitarist Dustin Belt.
While meeting with the guys from Heffron Drive, I took the opportunity to sit down with their touring partner, vocalist and song writer, Ariana. Ariana mixes it up with traditional musical instruments and more avant-garde sounds, creating a catchy and hip techno-sound that blends well with her vocals.
