Cropper must be the second most influential guitarist of all time and his recording legacy with the Stax label just goes to show that successful, inspiring guitar playing doesn`t necessarily have to centre around aural histrionics, sonic pyrotechnics, prowess, or high octane, nitrous fuelled fingerboard bombastics! No siree… As a Stax records house guitarist, he played on hundreds of records, from “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay”, cowritten with Otis Redding, to Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man”. Besides his influential work with Booker T and the MGs, Cropper co-wrote “Knock On Wood” with Eddie Floyd, and “In the Midnight Hour” with Wilson Pickett.
Artists
Money and Cigarettes
Are you feeling the fluidity inherent in a particular view of the universe? Or the united states of consciousness?
Back in 1983 Eric Clapton released the Album Money and Cigarettes supported by the stellar backing band of Ry Cooder, Albert Lee, Donald Duck Dunn, and Roger Hawkins. Duck Dunn`s contribution to popular music beginning with Booker T and M.G`s and the Stax label in around 1965 is absolutely phenomenal and he must be one of the greatest unsung heroes of the popular music cannon. Here is his discography.
Jazz, Blues, 78 rpm and Guitar solos II
So what happens after the roaring twenties for the guitar in Jazz ? Torchbearers Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang paved the way for an explosion of guitar innovation fresh from Paris France in the form of Django Reinhardt, violinist Stéphane Grappelli plus Reinhardt’s brother Joseph and Roger Chaput on guitar. These cats used the first ever cutaway guitar – The Selmer.
Jazz, Blues, 78 rpm and Guitar solos
So what has all this got to do with guitars. Absolutely nothing except to say that parallel to the blues tradition that is most often talked about with regard to the history of music runs the tradition of the early twentieth century Jazz bands. The original Dixie Land Jass Band are credited with being the first to record a commercial jazz music recording and here is their version of the Tiger Rag. Im fortunate enough to own a copy of this hot number on `78! Groovy.
Terry Robb – updated
No description, introduction or eulogy required. Terry Robb is a blues guitarist occupying a unique position in the guitar pantheon as an exponent of American Primitivism a style pioneered by John Fahey and derived from the country blues and string band music of the 20’s and 30’s. If you own a gramophone and are familiar […]
Guitar Players
I`ve been to plenty of great gigs since back in the day and I`ve seen some hot guitar players – Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee, Carlos Santana, Jeff Healy, Johnny Winter, Jennifer Batten, The Edge, Joe Satriani, Ron Wood (with Bob Dylan), Keith Richards (with The Rolling Stones), Pete Townshend with The Who, Martin Barre (Jethro Tull), Joe Satriani, John MacLaughlin, Jack White
Blast from the Past
Here is the unbelievable Merle Travis beating Angus Young to it, but only by around 40 years or so!
Chet Atkins
About twenty years ago I went out to buy a Chet Atkins record and what I came back with contained the impressive instrumental Kicky.
Peter Green Frank Zappa.
Here it is. Snowy White ? or Peter Green? You decide, but this piece of guitar playing is an absolute triumph of phrasing, tone, meter, understated elegance and power.
Robin Trower
Here`s English guitarist Robin Trower, formerly of Procul Harem, playing the title track from his 1974 classic rock album Bridge of Sighs. Robin plays his own signature stratocaster which is an EXACT version of the on eyou can buy through Fender although when playing live Robin tunes his guitar a full step down, to a DGCFAD tuning. Robin`s tone is achieved through playing into several Marshall heads at high, high volume. Hendrix comparisons have plagued Trowers work but anyone who knows their onions will notice that Hendrix` rhythmic legacy from his days playing with Curtis Knight and Little Richard for example is not present in the fluid legato and unhurried melodic content of Robin Trower`s playing.
1990`s “In the Line of Fire” is a great album