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.
After a life working with such greats as Edgar Winter and White Trash, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Pink Floyd, T-Rex, Three Dog Night and Michael Jackson, Neil’s heart still surges to the beat of his collection of international gear. Whether it’s a djembe, a snare, a tambourine or a big bass drum, Neil still thumps away in the quiet haunts of Woodstock, New York.
We happened upon Australian, Jordan Brodie, a few months ago who travels the path of some who led the path for him, including Tommy Emmanuel, Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny, Bruce Mathiske, Michael Fix, and Julian Lage.
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.
Word had it that there was a Flamenco guitarist in Virginia that had the most efficient set up to haul his gear around and load out than most had ever seen. And besides that, William Zorn, gets places jumping with his thumping Flamenco guitar playing, as well as makes his audiences swoon with his quieter romantic Latin tunes.
With hot young talent waiting in the wings, like Jacob Reese Thornton, it won’t be long before a new generation of guitarists will rearrange the musical landscape from theatrics and synthetic musical hype, and take it back to gut level guitar work grounded in traditional roots, but with a willingness and a drive to explore more than the pentatonic scale
The brainchild of legendary rock photographer, Robert Knight, and co-founder, Jim Evans, The Brotherhood of the Guitar led the way to his focus on young talented percussionists, including a young man who pounds the skins with the skill and intuition of many who are now legends. So, our lead on Knight’s cadre of drummers called Drummerhood is Logan Sheppard.
In part two of our exclusive conversation with The Struts, Guitar International dives into the process and pitfalls of producing an album while simultaneously touring like there’s now tomorrow. For those of you just now being introduced to the lads, they are: Luke Spiller (lead vocals), Adam Slack (guitar), Jed Elliott (bass) and on drums, Gethin Davies.
The Struts have already piled on a series of cool accomplishments that rival and surpass the likes of many a band significantly their senior
Guerra’s latest release, American Garden, is an eclectic mix that tracks well, without going off on some tangent. Guerra sticks to the knitting with solid and interesting riffs, adds some Tom Petty and Byrds jangle, grabbing influences and driving them home to make them his own. The production is excellent and serious….thoughtful.
