I have seen many great guitarists in my time, but few of the calibre of Steve Vai. What he can make a guitar do for him is amazing. He has also understood that a live performance is part music, part visual, and he gives the crowd value for their money. Sunday night Steve Vai played a packed Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo.
Hedvig Mollestad is one of the toughest ladies playing the guitar. She plays with her own trio, a very personal mix of intricate jazz and pure heavy gutar rock. The trio has been on a hiatus while Hedvig Mollestad has been home with here baby, but now they are back with a vengeance. Yesterday they played at John Dee for an enthusiastic audience.
Buddy Guy is 77 years old today, and here are pictures from some of the concerts I have seen with him. FIrst of all at the ACL Festival in Austin in 2005, but also at the Notodden Blues Festival in 2009.
Richard Thompson has been named one of the best guitarists in the music world, and also the one with the most characteristic sound. It is not that he plays everything very fast or loud, but more that his style is so personally unique and with influences from an eclectic range of sources.
If you are interested in guitar playing and also steel guitar, you have to check out Junior Brown. He has played steel guitar with Asleep At The Wheel, he has taught guitar playing, and he has invented the guit-steel, a two-necked combination of a guitar and a steel guitar. On SXSW’s last day, he played at the ACL Moody.
Carolyn Wonderland is a well known and celebrated artist in Austin, Texas. She moved from her hometown Houston to Austin 13 years ago, and has built a gradually bigger and bigger reputation. Saturday March 10th she played at Antone’s, Austin’s famous blues venue, and it was a great pleasure to see her and her trio on stage once again.
