Granada and the Traditional Guitar Luthier John Ray has just released a 2nd edition publication of his landmark book on guitar-makers of Granada, Spain, which should be available from DK Classical Guitars in Glasgow, Strings … Read more…
Julia was asked recently by Book Shepherd, a new website devoted to “Discovering the Best Books,” to offer her selection of recommendations for the category of “The Best Books on What Drives an Artist.” Thank … Read more…
This past Saturday, September 11th, Gary Lucas and Gods & Monsters performed a memorable 40th Anniversary Concert to at Poisson Rouge (in the former Village Gate location) with a variety of guest artists, which included … Read more…
Tis the season to address cuticle care. I’ve covered humidifiers for guitars but not much in the way of how winter dryness also affects the hands and fingers, particularly for guitarists whose hands require care … Read more…
Last Minute Guitarist Gifts It’s been a lot this year…an understatement, especially for musicians and live performances. My writing here is work that I’m proud of, in terms of being able to support other musicians. … Read more…
Guitarist René Izquierdo’s Stellar Cuba in His Soul Classical guitarist René Izquierdo’s new album release, Cuba en al Alma (Baros Records), “Cuba in the Soul,” is an hour-long disc featuring his favorite, selected guitar works … Read more…
I’m sorry to convey the news that Don Witter, Jr. died this month after just making it to his 70th birthday. He is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Heiderose Witter, in addition … Read more…
Anyone who is a fan of guitarist/composer Jorge Morel will be interested in reading his independently published biography, Jorge Morel: The Remarkable Journey of a Legendary Guitarist/Composer, written by J. Vincent Moran. The book, which … Read more…
The Americas Society presented the opening concert for the 19th New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes in celebration of composer and conductor Leo Brouwer’s 80th Birthday. The evening featured a program of music written entirely … Read more…
Guitar Maestro – The Juan Martín Collection London-based flamenco guitarist Juan Martín has released a joyful 4-CD compilation, Guitar Maestro: The Juan Martín Collection (Flamencovision), with each disc featuring a generous set of 70 minutes … Read more…
Play it Loudly: The Met Museum’s Rock Guitar Exhibit The Metropolitan Museum of Art is offering its first major exhibition of iconic rock n’ roll instruments from April 8, 2019 through October 1st. The show, … Read more…
Announcement of the 2019 Leo Brouwer International Composition Competition for Solo Guitar. Submission Deadline: February 20, 2019 Length of Composition: <13 minutes in length max. Format of Composition:.PDF or legibly handwritten and comprehensible. Must include … Read more…
What a way to close out the year: Dan’s Chelsea Guitar Store will remain happily ensconced within its current location at The Chelsea Hotel, continuing what will be nearly thirty years in business. Of course, … Read more…
A few years ago, one of the first stories on this page featured an intrepid band of strummers and crooners who played at Conté’s Market in Yorktown on the far Upper East Side of Manhattan. … Read more…
Guitarist João Luiz Rezende, one of the founders of the acclaimed Brasil Guitar Duo, presented a lecture at the 2018 New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes this past July on Brazilian rhythms. I’d missed the … Read more…
The cliffhanger is on as to whether Dan’s Chelsea Guitar Shop will remain at The Chelsea Hotel. We shall have an update shortly. Everyone is hoping the store stays because it is a vital presence … Read more…
Last year New York-based guitarist and singer-songwriter Sylwia Kloc and her band, The Troubadours, gathered for their first album photo shoot. The Troubadours include percussionist Katherine Stock and cellist Anastasia Golenisheva. Kloc, who studied classical … Read more…
How to Humidify a Guitar: Expert Luthier Advice The heated, winter dryness in the air here in New York inspired me to collect advice from various luthiers on how to best maintain humidity in a guitar … Read more…
Home: Where Everyone is Welcome (Grand Central Publishing) by Deepak Chopra, MD, Kabir Sehgal and Paul Avgerinos is a small book with a big heart that features a collection of thirty-four poems, accompanied by a … Read more…
Kevin Eubanks’ Something About Nothing Julia’s speaks with guitarist Kevin Eubanks about his new CD Release, Something About Nothing, at the Wilson Center Guitar Festival for DownBeat Magazine.
Elias Barreiro, the 87-year-old Cuban guitarist, recording artist and pedagogue, was honored in a tribute at this year’s 17th New York Guitar Seminar at Mannes, together with the Americas Society. Barreiro has served as a … Read more…
Luthier Ekrem Uğurlu of Istanbul’s Seren Violin Turkish luthier Ekrem Uğurlu plies his busy instrument-making and instrument repair trade in his 9 year old instrument-making and repair shop studio, Seren Violin, in the neighborhood of … Read more…
The Assad Brothers’ 15th Concert at the 92nd Street Y To celebrate the The Assad Brothers’ 15th concert at the 92nd Street Y, Artistic Director of the “Art of the Guitar” concert series, Ben Verdery … Read more…
Guitarist Dr. Yenne Lee’s unusual career trajectory opened with toddler piano lessons, which she abandoned in favor of becoming the prize-winning junior league table tennis champion of Gang-nam Gu, Seoul. Years later, she landed … Read more…
Roland Dyens’ Interview from My First Guitar The guitar community faces the loss of one of its originals, the Tunisian-French classical guitarist, arranger and composer Roland Dyens. Dyens was known for his extraordinary improvisatory skills and … Read more…
The address of 225 Parsons in Kalamazoo, Michigan should be a bucket list destination for any fan of vintage Gibson guitars. It is the original factory site where former New Yorker Orville Gibson founded Gibson … Read more…
In honor of Scotty Moore’s memory, I am posting his complete interview here from My First Guitar: Tales of True Love and Lost Chords. Moore was the Sun Studios guitarist who auditioned a young Elvis … Read more…
It’s no surprise that Dusty Tovsen, a roving bandleader, singer and guitarist of the Speakeasy Jazz Cats, has the sort of family tree that includes a Chicago mob boss on one side and a Guinness … Read more…
It is hard to believe that the music Taimane Gardner plays comes out of a tiny ukulele. Her playing convey the full sound of a guitar, albeit one that was left inside a dryer and … Read more…
A Kora Player in Jackson Square While darting one morning from New Orleans’ Treme District into the French Quarter, a shimmering strain of strings caught my attention. The melody cascaded over light percussion and drifted … Read more…
Audience members who attended the Magos Herrera and Javier Limón concert at the Americas Society received a single red rose as a sweet gesture to celebrate both the approaching Valentine’s Day holiday and the evening’s … Read more…
I shot the cover for Gary Lucas and Jann Klose’s Stereopticon album during the dog days of summer in the historic garden of The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields, located in the West … Read more…
Through completely crazy serendipity, I was fortunate to be invited to celebrate harmonica legend Sugar Blue’s birthday with his family and friends at a concert at Rosa’s in Chicago earlier this month, where I took … Read more…
Anthony Ocaña’s In Trance Anthony Ocaña, the Madrid-based, Dominican-born guitarist, has released his fifth album In Trance featuring an ethereal blend of African-Caribbean music he has composed and performed on electric and classical guitar. Enhanced … Read more…
The outstanding Argentine folk duo, Juan Quintero and Luna Monti, made their New York debut earlier this month at the Americas Society, in a concert that mixed popular Argentine songs along with their own original … Read more…