Willie Dixon on Songwriting, Bass Playing, and the Blues
For four decades, Willie Dixon loomed at the forefront of Chicago blues, working as a bassist, arranger, band leader, producer, talent scout, agent, A&R man, and music publisher. His most enduring...
View ArticleGretchen Menn: Hale Souls
Gretchen Menn steps out on her own with her first solo album, and what an album it is! If you’re looking for traces of the AC/DShe and Zepparella covers she’s played in the past, forget it. If you’re...
View ArticleBlind Boy Fuller: His Life, Recording Sessions, and Welfare Records
This in-depth account of the life and music of the famous Piedmont bluesman includes never-before-published first-hand accounts.
View ArticleEddie Van Halen: The Complete 1979 Interview
Just after recording Women and Children First, Eddie Van Halen shared his views on guitars, pickups, gear, other musicians, and the perils of rock and roll.
View ArticleJimmy Rogers on Songwriting, Muddy Waters, and Chicago Blues
An under-sung hero of the blues, Jimmy Rogers played an essential role in creating the electrified, band-oriented postwar Chicago sound. He was best known for playing guitar in Muddy Waters’ lineups...
View ArticleLeslie West on Mountain, Woodstock, West Bruce & Laing, Guitars, and Soloing
In a massive, never-before-published 1979 interview, Leslie West discusses Woodstock, his bands Mountain and West, Bruce & Laing, guitars, drugs, and soloing.
View ArticleStevie Ray Vaughan: Inside the Texas Flood Sessions
Recorded in a single session, Texas Flood brought the blues roaring back to life and made SRV a star. Here's the story from those who were there.
View ArticleJohn Lennon, Guitarist: 1968-1980
From the Beatles’ 1968 White Album to his last solo album, John Lennon, self-described “primitive” lead player, recorded some of his most brilliant guitar work.
View ArticleNoel Redding: His Letter About the Jimi Hendrix Experience
In 1989, Noel Redding sent me this six-page letter about his time as the bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and what happened to him afterward.
View ArticleBlind John Davis: Recollections of a Chicago Blues Piano Great
A mainstay of the Chicago blues scene describes his musical collaborations with Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Minnie, George Barnes, and many others.
View ArticleSound Advice: Songwriting Workshops and Demo Consultation
How will music industry insiders react to your songs and demos? Here's your chance to get an honest opinion and suggestions from someone inside the music business.
View ArticleWillie Dixon on Songwriting, Bass Playing, and the Blues
For four decades, Willie Dixon loomed at the forefront of Chicago blues, working as a bassist, arranger, band leader, producer, talent scout, agent, A&R man, and music publisher. His most enduring...
View Article“Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar” is now available
For the past two years, I’ve been busy writing books about music. The first of these, Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar, is now available from the University of Minnesota Press. In it,...
View Article
