> *** STEELY DAN SUNDAY INDEX *** Walter Becker once called himself as a “B+” guitarist. I’m not entirely sure about that, but as a bassist, I’d rate him at least an A minus. Nonetheless, Becker had a history of making way for another bassist to play on a Steely Dan tune if he thought if that person was the [...]

Over the course of the striking, stripped-down Medicine, former Detroit autoworker Solomon King returns to that moment when the blues moved inexorably away from the uplift that defined gospel music, and ultimately toward rock ‘n’ roll and then hip hop.

by Tom Johnson It was going to be hard for Bird to top his previous album, Andrew Bird And The Mysterious Production Of Eggs, a gorgeous, moody stunner. Equally balanced between upbeat rock numbers and quieter strings-backed pieces, Eggs had something for everyone, with smart, subtly-humorous lyrics strewn throughout to keep listeners coming back and making it a highlight of [...]

In most big bands, the guitarist functions as nothing more than a member of an expanded rhythm section — and for a while it seems like Richard Nelson (even though it’s his band, and all) had fallen into the same role on his forthcoming album