It’s become fashionable, especially among younger players, to diss Eric Clapton and write him off as a minor player who stood in Jimi Hendrix’s shadow. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth, and Eric Clapton: The 1960s Review does a solid job of setting the story straight. Slowhand’s early years have been documented [...]
In a way, it’s a shame Hillman and Pedersen didn’t record this live album as a duo, as they often appear in concert. Because seeing two voices, an acoustic guitar, and a mandolin re-create “Eight Miles High” with seemingly nothing missing has to be heard to be believed. Instead, they’re joined by their Desert Rose [...]
Laurie Lewis is a bluegrass pioneer, and her latest release showcases the breadth of her musical talent – singing, songwriting, and playing guitar and fiddle. Lewis enlists the help of longtime musical partner Tom Rozum on mandolin, octave mandolin, and vocals. The roster also includes David Grier, Nina Gerber, and Scott Huffington on guitar, Roy [...]
Iranian-born Mehran has mastered flamenco guitar and here uses his skills on a concept album about events in his home country. The music is a mix of jazz, new age, and Iranian. The songs include dazzling solos and a mix of instruments, along with ambient sounds, snippets of speech from Winston Churchill and crowds of [...]
Walter Trout’s guitar skills are unquestioned. In fact, his playing often turns mediocre songs into decent songs. At times, though, his music has lacked urgency. That’s not the case with Common Ground, where all 12 cuts work on a number of levels. Trout wrote most of the music here, mixing rock, blues, and soul. The [...]
Junior Wells released enough mediocre product in his lifetime that it’s easy to forget what a great stylist and showman the Chicago bluesman was. This hour-plus live set, recorded at Club 47 in Cambridge in ’66, is a vivid reminder. The harmonica great cut memorable singles in the ’50s, but his long-playing debut didn’t come [...]
Sweet – the ’70s glam-pop act that’s almost as famous for its hairdos as its music – is today actually two bands touring under the name. The U.S. version that recorded this disc is led by original bassist Steve Priest, while another, led by guitarist Andy Scott, mostly tours the U.K. On guitar, Priest has [...]
Haggard’s first album for Vanguard recalls the folk music featured on that label in the 1950s and ’60s. Marked by minimal percussion, resonator guitar, acoustic (or subdued electric) leads, Haggard’s unmatched sense of melody and warm, clear, atmospheric production shows that besides being a traditional, progressive force in country music, Haggard is also a folk [...]
Robert Johnson’s “Cross Roads Blues” is more than just a song and artist that inspired and haunted Eric Clapton; it symbolized the conflicts in his own life and career. As he told me in 1988, “I don’t think I’ll ever get across the crossroads. It’s always standing right there in front of me.” In Johnson’s [...]
Singer/songwriter Chely Wright’s seventh album is different in tone – less solicitous and more emotionally purgative. To enhance her already well-crafted material, Wright has an empathetic producer and collaborator in Rodney Crowell and the aid of first-rate players including Nashville go-to keyboardist Tim Lauer, bassist Michael Rhodes, and guitarists including Crowell, Kenny Vaughan, Randy Scruggs, [...]
