 In my interview with Ava last month, she asked me to name some specific New Orleans guitarists of note; and I provided links and brief rundowns on four: Lonnie Johnson, René Hall, Snooks Eaglin, and Leo Nocentelli. Of course, there have been and are far more than that. So, I agreed to provide a list with links and a few comments on other significant fretboard players from the Crescent City. Note: this is just my personal perspective, limited by time and space, and NOT a comprehensive grouping. My apologies to anyone I've left off - and I've left off a lot, including a lot of young up-and-comers. All these cats are worth knowing about. Danny Barker - A well-loved and respected banjoist, guitarist, songwriter and jazz historian, who relocated to New York City in 1930 and played in numerous well-known jazz bands over the years. Like Lonnie Johnson, he was a pioneer of improvisational soloing on the guitar. To many, he may be most remembered for the cabaret songs he wrote in the 1930s and 1940s for his wife, Blue Lu Barker, to sing, the most famous of which was "Don't You Feel My Leg", well-covered by Maria Muldaur in the 1970s. The Pointer Sisters recorded another of his songs, "Save The Bones For Henry Jones". After over three decades in the Big Apple, the Barkers moved back to New Orleans. Danny helped form the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band to get youngsters involved in the fading brass band tradition in his hometown, setting up a brass band revival movement in the city that continues to this day, and helping numerous jazz players get their start. |
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 The Guitar Hero series on Jemsite features interviews with guitarists and musicians who may not have star status YET, but their current situations have shaped them to be who they are--determined, fond of their craft, and heroes in their own right. Perhaps you'll see in these upcoming entries the next Jimi Hendrix, Melissa Etheridge, or Duane Allman. Or perhaps they'll become household names by doing what they do best--ripping a mean riff!
As we've told you countless times before, a Guitar Hero is just someone who plays guitar live or teaches it to others. A true Guitar Hero is someone who is doing something unique in the guitar world. Take Ron Hamm, for instance. As he tells it, the guitar buff always had a passion for handmade, customized boutique guitars from a young age, but when he began surfing for them online--there wasn't much out there in the Internet world. So he came up with a great idea! Why not start a resource for guitarists looking for more information on these customized creations. Boutique Guitar Resource was born, and with that Ron also became an accidental guitar dealer--gaining recognition in the eyes of boutique guitar collectors all over who wanted his site to feature their collections. Here at Jemsite, we love when someone goes against the grain and does something new for the music world. Ron has certainly proven he is a pioneer and we adore him for it. Tell me about your guitar background and how you got involved in the Boutique guitar business? |
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Jan112010 |
Let's Hear It For Music!
Written by Ava
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 How does a professional basketball cheerleader become head of one of the most popular Science blogs out there on the Web today? And how exactly does music fit into all of this? Ask Darlene Cavalier.
The former professional basketball cheerleader for the Philadelphia 76ers also holds a Masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania for studying the role of the citizen in science. This scientific chick is one smart cookie. And she's helping us see that music is always fun, even when associated with science. Last year in an educationally-inspired blog post, Darlene took the time to recognize cultural subjects like music and relate them to her favorite topic: Science. They were featured alongside each other on The Science Cheerleader, a blog created by Darlene to promote the involvement of citizens in science and science-relate policy. The blog is also aimed to increase adult science literacy, help people learn about and get involved in citizen science projects, and create opportunities for people to participate in science and technology policy discussion. |
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 The Guitar Hero series on Jemsite features interviews with guitarists and musicians who may not have star status YET, but their current situations have shaped them to be who they are--determined, fond of their craft, and heroes in their own right. Perhaps you'll see in these upcoming entries the next Jimi Hendrix, Melissa Etheridge, or Duane Allman. Or perhaps they'll become household names by doing what they do best--ripping a mean riff!
Jenifer Jackson got what she wanted. With her new album, "Outskirts," that is. The singer-songwriter-musician put together a culmination of tracks that were done live exactly the way she wanted--to gather that intimate feel she brings to bring forth every time she is on stag playing piano or strumming guitar. "Nothing slick, nothing fancy, nothing overdone or overblown," the bio on her official website says. Just right. |
 What does it take to make it in the thriving jazz scene in New York or the indie hard rock scene of Seattle? Jemsite wants to find out! In a new series, we've set out to find the best reps across the country to will tell us just what it means to make it in the big city music scene. Enter Dan Phillips, a Memphis, Tennessee native who had no formal training in music, spent most of his vacations in New Orleans, and who like Larry Grogan and Red Kelly of Jemsite interview past, can't imagine a life without funk and soul vinyl classics. So it's no surprise we opted to hear all about New Orleans from Dan, a man who knows the heart and soul of this jazzy little city through its music. Who better to give us the downlow on jazz and funk and soul in the good ol' Louisiana town known for its down home vibe, Cajun food, and maddening festivals then someone who writes about it on almost a daily basis in his blog, Home on The Groove. |
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 The Guitar Hero series on Jemsite features interviews with guitarists and musicians who may not have star status YET, but their current situations have shaped them to be who they are--determined, fond of their craft, and heroes in their own right. Perhaps you'll see in these upcoming entries the next Jimi Hendrix, Melissa Etheridge, or Duane Allman. Or perhaps they'll become household names by doing what they do best--ripping a mean riff!
Red Kelly oozes personality and you can feel it through his words. And you have many opportunities to do so as the New York-based runs four music-influenced blogs and sponsors two websites through his blog Soul Detective. And if you can't feel it on the page, you can most certainly hear it. The music buff has been trying some innovative new things with The Red Kelly Channel, a space on YouTube he created this past year. Talk about taking music to the next level! |
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