Category: Scenes

Inside the McClurg Jam, the Heart of the Deep Ozarks Sound

Music has put McClurg and its rollicking Monday-night jams on the map. Not just any music—Ozarks roots music, a style mostly obscure to all but those who live here, or those curious enough to seek it out.

Karen Peterson
August 14, 2017

Letter From Cuba: A Journey Across the Caribbean Island Where Acoustic Guitar is Omnipresent

The acoustic guitar is believed to be the first instrument heard in Cuba—it's as essential to the Cuban zeitgeist as cigars and rum, serving as the accompaniment to 500 years’ of history.

Melinda Newman
July 16, 2017

LA Unplugged: 12 Must-See Acoustic Music Spaces In and Around Los Angeles

The City of Angels has a lot to offer acoustic guitarists wanting to buy a new axe, hit up an open mic, or listen to bluegrass while chowing down on pizza.

Melinda Newman
March 23, 2017

Ann Savoy Is a Driving Force in Louisiana’s Folk Scene & the Matriarch of a Kick-Ass Musical Dynasty

“A friend of mine once said, ‘You’re the most egoless guitar player I’ve ever met,’” Ann says. “It’s not about me, it’s about how I fit into the band and how I can make them happy."

Kenny Berkowitz
March 13, 2017

Trekking the Mississippi Blues Trail: B.B. King Museum, Parchman Farm, Dockery Farms, and More

Founded by the Mississippi Blues Foundation, the trail’s purpose is to honor and promote Mississippi’s rich blues heritage.

Karen Peterson
October 7, 2016

How to Start a Jug Band in 5 Easy Steps

“There are at least hundreds, maybe thousands of jug bands out there. It’s amazing. I see them everywhere I go and hear some really good ones,” says guitarist and bandleader Jim Kweskin. “In every town, every village, every city, someone’s got a jug band. “It’s astounding to me.” Kweskin, the…

Greg Cahill
September 20, 2016

A Week at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop Offers a Chance to Woodshed & Canoe with a Guy Named Dave

Dear Aunt Sarah, Thank you so much for sending me the link to your online posting of “Jambalaya.” I enjoyed all 12 verses, although not in one sitting. And let me be the first to say that those guitar lessons are really paying off, because you were able to switch…

Dennis Globus
August 22, 2016

Legendary McCabe’s Guitar Shop Is a Mecca for LA Guitarists

It's one of the world’s great guitar shops—so storied that LA Weekly instituted the annual awards category, “Best Guitar Shop (That’s Not McCabe’s).” There’s no place quite like it.

Adam Perlmutter
July 27, 2016

An Insider’s Guide to Nashville: 10 Spots to Eat, Shop, and Listen to Music

Droves of tourists flock to Nashville each year for the honky-tonks that line Lower Broadway—and you should check those out—but here are 10 must-see spots off the beaten path.

Bob Doerschuk
June 29, 2016

Spirit‘s ‘Nature’s Way’ Became a 1970s Rock Anthem and Classic-Rock Radio Staple

Spirit guitarist and boy genius Randy California penned “Nature’s Way” in San Francisco one afternoon while the band waited to perform at the Fillmore Auditorium.

Greg Cahill
April 21, 2016

12-String Blues from Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix didn’t play a ton of acoustic guitar, so this clip of him playing his blues song “Hear My Train A Comin’” on a Zemaitis 12-string is real treat. So, put some headphones on and listen to a master at work.

Blair Jackson
March 30, 2016

Don’t Fence Them In: 10 Genre-Bending Texas Troubadours

The Lone Star State has produced a size-appropriate share of bona fide singer-songwriter legends over the decades.

Richard Skanse
March 7, 2016

Trolling for Trouble: The Internet Can Be an Ugly Place for Musicians

In June, two weeks after Frank Fairfield appeared on what should have been a career-heightening NPR Tiny Desk Concert, the old-timey musician announced he was quitting the music business forever.

Patrick Sullivan
February 25, 2016

Venerable NYC Mandolin Brothers Guitar Shop Up for Sale

Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Sarah McLachlan, Don McLean, Graham Nash, Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Stills, and Dave Van Ronk all shopped there.

Kenny Berkowitz
January 27, 2016