John Hartford
Hearing John Hartford perform turned a lot of us onto music. And, as musician Skip Heller discovers in his moving tribute, there was a lot more to the “riverboat intellectual” than just “Gentle on My Mind.” Weaving together conversations he had with Hartford before his passing, interviews with Jaimie Hartford and a ton of research, Heller shows the many facets of the banjo/fiddle/songwriting legend. Also featured are memories from David Bromberg on producing Aero-Plain and many rare and previously unseen Hartford photographs from acclaimed photographer Jim McGuire and others.
Bill Frisell
Who better to interview Bill Frisell than his sometime cohort Danny Barnes? In a candid discussion, the eclectic banjo master talks to the eclectic jazz guitar master about his early days as a musician, the influence of visual art on his music and on the rigors of touring. Great photographs of Frisell’s one-of-a-kind customized guitars throughout.
Steve Cropper
Author Michael Jarrett talks to Stax legend Steve Cropper about the music influences Cropper had growing up, his role in helping create some of the best-loved tunes of all time (from “Green Onions” to “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay”) and, of course, his guitars. Original photography by Thomas Petillo.
Inside PRS Guitars
Former Guitar Player editor Tom Wheeler (and the guy who literally wrote the book on PRS) provides an introduction to our exclusive photo essay of the PRS factory, taken by photographer Lely Constantinople. Paul Reed Smith himself narrates the tour, featuring over 20 pages of great, behind-the-scenes shots.
Radim Zenkl
These days he’s hailed as one of the most innovative mandolin players around, but life hasn’t exactly been easy for Radim Zenkl. Matt Sircely talks to Zenkl about how he escaped Soviet-controlled Czechoslovakia to follow his Western music dreams, his unique playing style and his latest projects.
Minnesota’s Finest
Guitar builder Todd Lunneborg decided to write about the handful of luthiers who taught him, and they just happen to be some of the most famous guitar makers alive today. Jim Olson, Charles Hoffman, Kevin Ryan, Michael Keller and Brian Applegate discuss the close-knit guitar community found in Minnesota, and the numerous innovations they’ve helped each other with over the years. We have plenty of shots of their finished guitars, too, of course.
Plus:
Segovia’s Hauser; playing banjo on the Gong Show; reviews and a lot more. 128 full-color pages on archival quality, art book paper.
Available in November 2006 at finer music stores, Borders, Barnes & Noble and select newsstands throughout the U.S.
