Jorma Kaukonen Gives Virtuoso Performance Spanning Eras at Higher Ground (SHOW REVIEW)
The term ‘guitar hero’ doesn’t usually conjure up an image of professorial dignity the likes of which Jorma Kaukonen radiated as he took the stage at Higher Ground April 2nd, But if this burly gray-haired musician proved anything to the rowdy but reverent standing room only audience, it’s that he’s redefining the concept: his was […]
Eric Clapton Give Me Strength: The 1974/1975 Recordings (BOX SET REVIEW)
It’s a measure of Eric Clapton’s iconic stature as the prototypical guitar hero that his extended career encompasses so many stellar milestones. The tenure with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers remains a touchpoint in contemporary blues even as it gave way to Slowhand’s collaboration with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce in the groundbreaking power trio […]
Bob Dylan – The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration – Deluxe Remaster (DVD REVIEW)
There was no celebration recognizing the fiftieth anniversary of Bob Dylan’s recording career in 2013, perhaps because The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration, released in a deluxe edition of DVD/Blu-ray & CD, simply couldn’t be surpassed. The stunning visuals and audio clarity of the recording match an redoubtable array of artists spanning ages and genres, all […]
Bob Dylan – New Morning, Before The Flood, Basement Tapes, Dylan and The Dead
Bob Dylan’s status as a bonafide cultural icon is such that even straight remasters of his previously recorded work, sans bonus cuts, warrant close examination. Released comparatively unobtrusively just prior to the drop of his new studio album Together Through Life, these four digi-pak’d titles, two of which are double cd sets, cover expanses of time and style that remind just now much the Bard and his music have changed (and changed us) over the years.