The Long Island, New York, rock group Mountain will forever be defined by the explosive song “Mississippi Queen”, with the legendary drummer Corky Laing driving the crew with a hard punch of his then massive double bass drum kit and clanging cowbell.
People kept telling me, “You really ought to talk to Mike Dove.” “He was our first fan.” “Mike is like an Eva Cassidy historian.” Mike Dove’s name was listed in the credits for the albums Live at Blues Alley and Eva By Heart. So, who was this Mike Dove guy, anyway?
Don Felder’s storied life followed a road that pulled him into the world of the blues, rockabilly and rock music. He studied the licks, the riffs and the styles of the pioneers of rock, R&B and the blues, including Elvis, Carl Perkins, B.B. King and Little Richard. And a young Don Felder would find himself buying mail order “race records”, that couldn’t be found in local shops.
The masterful songwriter, Jimmy Webb, is another contemporary legend who has gifted us for over five decades with his own Americana magic in songs he’s penned, that include, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”, “MacArthur Park”, “Wichita Lineman”, “Highwayman”, “Didn’t We”, “Up, Up and Away”, “Galveston” and many more.
In the world of guitar, five-time Grammy nominee, Robben Ford, stands out as musician who is technically focused and adept, yet plays in an intuitive way, much like a world-class surfer catches a wave and feels his way along its surging path, to become one with it.
Armed with a knack for creating an eclectic array of songs, with clever twists, beautiful melodic riffs, butter smooth vocals, the legendary singer-songwriter, Dave Mason, has gifted us with such memorable tracks that include: “Feeling Alright”, “Only You know and I Know”, “Hole in My Shoe”, “So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away)” and many more.
Today, we find Steve Cropper out on the road with another guitar master and singer-songwriter, Dave Mason (Traffic), who has his own fascinating story to tell. Their Rock and Soul Revue launches this week. We can expect to hear many of the hit songs that they’ve appeared on, like “Green Onions”, “Dear Mr. Fantasy”, “All Along the Watchtower”, “We Just Disagree”…
Gordon’s tunes cast a net that gathers us up in his songs and his tales of life where laborious skills are honored, when some are notable for their beauty and others held dear, as they may be relied upon when life and death slip beyond the philosophical and into the harsh realities of the sea.
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.
In May 2003, I was honored to interview Lynyrd Skynyrd’s legendary Gary Rossington. At the time, Gary was celebrating Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 30th Anniversary which included the release at the time of a new Lynyrd Skynyrd Boxed Set, ® Epiphone Guitars Official 30th Anniversary Lynyrd Skynyrd Les Paul Standard Gold Top
