Ogur (featured in the March 2008 issue of GP) is celebrated throughout Turkey as a master of guitar, kopuz and baglama lutes, and numerous other instruments. His musical expertise spans European and Turkish classical forms, jazz, and even rock, and he probably knows more about Turkish folk music than anyone else in the world. On this album, he plays ten instruments, including violin, cello, and fretless guitar. The 19 pieces are excruciatingly beautiful in an introspective and melancholic way, and the virtuosic playing and singing remain subservient to the profundity and underlying spirituality of the music throughout. Kalan.

 

 

 

 

 

Backed by Bay Area B3 maestro Will Blades and New Orleans-based drummer Simon Lott, Bernard puts his personal spin on the classic organ trio—all the while slyly tipping his hat to Wes and Grant. His tones range from fat and snappy to ragged and nasty, his solos are concise and supertasty, and his groove is as solid as it is syncopated and sassy. Not surprisingly, the band is also funkier than a King Cake. Dreck to Disc.

 

 

 

 

 

From pioneering efforts such as the 1937 Rickenbacker M11 and 1946 Masco Map-15 to contemporary classics like the 1994 Matchless Spitfire and 2000 TopHat Club Deluxe, this book recounts the story of the world’s greatest tone machines. Besides detailing more than 60 monster amps in an easily assimilable manner, this 208-page tone tome is chockablock with fabulous photos, making it a must-have for committed gear geeks. Voyageur Press.