The Voice just kicked off its 7th season on NBC… Seems like a good excuse to talk about Wynonie Harris – a truly badass blues shouter who would send the smug, preening judges on (insert [...]
While killing time at Barnes & Noble, I picked up the Sept. issue of Guitar World with Nephew Dan on the cover and read several comments about yours truly – mainly as an early source of blues [...]
I think I grew up in the wrong era. Toss me in a time machine and set it for 1946, Central Avenue, Los Angeles… and give me some greenbacks too, because I’ll need a sharp zoot suit with a [...]
Rolling Stone recently came up with another list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” The new list was compiled by “a panel of top guitarists and other experts” – including RCR supporter [...]
We’ll kick things off with our own little version of “name that riff”: Mystery Riff John Lennon’s snarling intro to Revolution? Guess again… Blues guitarist Pee Wee Crayton laid down this [...]
Big-band blues. Urban blues. Blues that knows somebody. Call it what you want… and blow it off at your own risk. Sure, any attempt to move Robert Johnson into a high-rent neighborhood is going to [...]
In 1977, I’d just landed in Athens, Ohio, to begin my junior year of college at Ohio University. But more important, I started working at a record store uptown – a great opportunity to fill out [...]
I have more than 21,000 songs on my iPod. And I wrap tin foil around my head to keep out the gamma rays. Do you think less of me? I’m referring to the iPod, of course. Normal people would find [...]