Bill Frisell ranks in the top tier of guitarists from his generation, alongside such luminaries as John Scofield and Pat Metheny. His recorded output is arguably as eclectic as any living artist. Previous projects have ranged from trio records with jazz greats Dave Holland and Elvin Jones, contemporary collaborations with producers Hal Wilner and Lee Townsend, as well as a collection of Americana and folk-tinged albums for the Nonesuch record label.
Les Paul was a giant in the music industry long before rock and roll was even a glimmer in the eye of record company executives or a restless youth culture.
Eight of the ten tracks on Robben Ford’s fourth and most recent Concord Records release, “Soul On 10”, were recorded last April at The Independent in San Francisco’s Alamo Square.
Naquele Tempo is Roland Dyens’ incredible collection of solo classical guitar arrangements of works written by the Brazilian composer, Alfredo da Rocha Viana, Jr.(1897-1973), better known as Pixinguinha (pronounced, Pish-in-GUI-nia). Pixinguinha’s music was originally written for small jazz ensembles and is characteristically expressive, innovative, and rich with melody and complex harmonies. His pieces have an improvisational feeling to them and contain all the elements representative of an expert composer.
Joe Bonamassa dreamed of being a professional guitarist and playing the Royal Albert Hall ever since he was a young boy growing up in Utica, New York. This dream came true on May 4, 2009.
In the music performance world some artists actually get better over time. The energy and the passion for their craft only increase as they mature. For several decades George Benson has distinguished himself as one of the finest jazz guitarists of his time. Add to that his expressive vocals and scat singing and the musical package is totally complete.
Aaron Shearer’s Classic Guitar Technique has been one of the most highly used and influential classical guitar method books for more that fifty years. Like many classical guitarists, I grew up learning from Shearer’s book and it’s the main pedagogical resource I now use in my private teaching studio. Alfred Music Publishing has recently introduced the third edition of Classic Guitar Technique, with the new edition being revised, updated, and re-edited by the maestro himself and one or his former students, Thomas Kitka.
To begin with, for those unaware, a supergroup is a rock band consisting of members from a variety of prior successful endeavors, musicians who are renowned independently as well. Every now and then, a supergroup infiltrates the rock music world, immediately creating intense anticipation and interest.
For the third year in a row the Paul Reed Smith has pulled out the stops for a full force gale of a guitar company trade show near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Stevensville, Maryland.
The Monterey Blues Festival is held each year over the last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in June. One of the things I like about the Monterey festival is that it’s more Afro-centric than many other festivals I’ve attended
