Jim CampilongoSocial Links NavigationJim Campilongo has 14 critically acclaimed instrumental records available on vinyl, CD and digital download here. Latest articles by Jim Campilongo Listen to Bill Connors’ ‘Of Mist and Melting’ – ECM Jazz at Its Finest By Jim Campilongo published 2 February 23 This 1978 acoustic guitar masterpiece exudes atmosphere Here’s Why Santana’s ‘Abraxas’ Is a Lesson in Finding Your Own Voice on Guitar By Jim Campilongo published 26 January 23 The band’s ‘Billboard’ number one album remains the most focused and concise album from Carlos’s group Listen to the Breathtaking Virtuosity of Thumbs Carlisle’s “Springfield Guitar Social” By Jim Campilongo published 26 January 23 The face of Fender’s golden era replicates Grady Martin, Les Paul, Jimmy Bryant, George Barnes, Chet Atkins and Hank Garland ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’ (and Every Guitarist Can Benefit From Listening to This Record!) By Jim Campilongo published 25 January 23 Here’s why this 1959 jazz primer is a must-hear for guitar players Here’s Why the Ramones’ ‘It’s Alive’ Is One of the Greatest Rock and Roll Records of All Time By Jim Campilongo published 24 January 23 Johnny Ramone’s machine-like, all-downstrokes, no-minor-chords approach to guitar combines a ferocious wall of sound with brief barre-chord interludes Listen to Hank Garland’s ‘Jazz Winds From a New Direction’ – the Album That Made George Benson Want to Play Jazz By Jim Campilongo published 20 January 23 Recorded in just one day, this LP chronicles the Gibson signature artist becoming a bona fide world-class jazz guitarist Classical Guitar Albums Can Be Staid Affairs, but This One Is an Exception You Need to Know About By Jim Campilongo published 16 January 23 The Lima brothers put their personal style on a selection of classical standards Here's Why the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be... Naked’ Is a Must-Have Album By Jim Campilongo published 13 December 22 The Fab Four’s 1970 swan song finds its groove in this 2003 redux This Musician Was Too Shy to Perform Publicly. Instead, He Found His True Destiny: Composition By Jim Campilongo published 18 November 22 Federico Mompou’s music is as uncorrupted as the sound of nature Here’s Why Talk’s Talk’s ‘Spirit of Eden’ Remains One of the Most Extraordinary Albums in Rock History By Jim Campilongo published 21 October 22 Oozing with atmosphere, craftsmanship and focus, this 1988 classic plays like a great psychedelic opera Here’s Why Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Remains a Perfect Moment in Music History By Jim Campilongo published 30 September 22 In a world of noise, this soulful album is balm for the ears and shelter from the storm This Essential Album Is an Encyclopedic Source for How to Play Rockabilly Guitar By Jim Campilongo published 13 September 22 Elvis Presley’s ‘Sun Sessions’ is the sound of rockabilly’s accidental birth Trace the Roots of Rock and Roll with a Spin of Roy Brown’s 'Laughing But Crying' By Jim Campilongo published 8 August 22 This compilation of material by the original singer of “Good Rocking Tonight" showcases a number of fleet-fingered guitarists, such as Bill Jones, Bill Jennings, and Jimmy Davis. Why Howlin’ Wolf's Landmark 'Rockin’ Chair Album' Remains One of the Greatest Blues Records of All Time By Jim Campilongo published 22 July 22 Featuring Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, and a host of other legendary musicians, this 1962 Chess compilation is a reminder of what real blues is all about. If Hooks Could Kill, This Holy Grail Album Would Be On America’s Most Wanted List By Jim Campilongo published 30 May 22 One of the rare jazz masters who actually played a Jazzmaster, Roy Lanham slayed listeners the old-fashioned way: with his bare hands. Here’s Why Searching Through Record Store LP Bins is a Good Idea By Jim Campilongo published 27 April 22 When the album ‘22 Original Gospel Greats’ found Jim Campilongo it felt like divine intervention. Need to Hit the Reset Button? Listen to Herby Remington’s ‘Steel Guitar Holiday’ By Jim Campilongo published 18 April 22 This vinyl treasure is a high-octane palate cleanser and something positive to binge on. Listen to Sergio and Eduardo Abreu Morph Into a Single Entity with 20 Digits and 12 Strings By Jim Campilongo published 31 March 22 This timeless and powerful recording from the brothers’ all-too-brief career has an otherworldly musicality. Here's Why Junior Brown is Bar-Band Virtuosity Personified By Jim Campilongo published 1 March 22 ‘Guit With It’ reveals the show-stopping excitement of his guit-steel double-neck performance in full. Old Man’s Blues or Young Man’s Blues? Here’s Why Eric Clapton’s Beano Album Remains Essential Listening for Everybody By Jim Campilongo published 1 February 22 Slowhand reinvented electric blues with this landmark recording. Here's Why Pat Martino’s ‘Joyous Lake’ Remains an Essential Listen from the Golden Age of Fusion By Jim Campilongo published 14 January 22 The late, great guitarist took a stirring voyage on fusion’s treacherous waters with this classic album. Here’s Why Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Again’ Remains an Essential Listen By Jim Campilongo published 6 January 22 Jim Campilongo takes a trip down memory lane with this 1967 classic. Featuring John McLaughlin on Guitar Miles Davis Broke Every Jazz Police Law with ‘On the Corner’ By Jim Campilongo published 4 January 22 This street-savvy album was a precursor of post-punk, electronica and hip-hop. Vinyl Treasures: Mary Osborne – A Girl & Her Guitar By Jim Campilongo published 19 November 21 This is an essential work from an essential jazz swing guitarist whose bad-ass Charlie Christian-esque style is ripe for rediscovery. Here’s Why the Allman Brothers Band’s ‘At Fillmore East’ Still Holds Up 50 Years Later By Jim Campilongo published 15 November 21 The classic album that gave southern rock a home. 123Archives MOST READ1Gary Clark Jr. never asked to be a guitar savior 2Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more3“‘Those old Beatle bashers?’”: Paul McCartney talks Vox amps, and his love of dirty tones4“I was 17 years old and found it in this local paper. It said, ‘Gretsch guitar, 100 bucks.’ I called the guy up and asked, ‘Is it like Eddie Cochran’s?’ He was like, ‘Who?’”: How Brian Setzer forged his trademark twanging tone 5“We’re the birthplace of blues, country and rock and roll music, and the guitar is at the core of all of it”: The America at the Crossroads exhibit charts the guitar’s history with instruments owned by Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and more
Listen to Bill Connors’ ‘Of Mist and Melting’ – ECM Jazz at Its Finest By Jim Campilongo published 2 February 23 This 1978 acoustic guitar masterpiece exudes atmosphere
Here’s Why Santana’s ‘Abraxas’ Is a Lesson in Finding Your Own Voice on Guitar By Jim Campilongo published 26 January 23 The band’s ‘Billboard’ number one album remains the most focused and concise album from Carlos’s group
Listen to the Breathtaking Virtuosity of Thumbs Carlisle’s “Springfield Guitar Social” By Jim Campilongo published 26 January 23 The face of Fender’s golden era replicates Grady Martin, Les Paul, Jimmy Bryant, George Barnes, Chet Atkins and Hank Garland
‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’ (and Every Guitarist Can Benefit From Listening to This Record!) By Jim Campilongo published 25 January 23 Here’s why this 1959 jazz primer is a must-hear for guitar players
Here’s Why the Ramones’ ‘It’s Alive’ Is One of the Greatest Rock and Roll Records of All Time By Jim Campilongo published 24 January 23 Johnny Ramone’s machine-like, all-downstrokes, no-minor-chords approach to guitar combines a ferocious wall of sound with brief barre-chord interludes
Listen to Hank Garland’s ‘Jazz Winds From a New Direction’ – the Album That Made George Benson Want to Play Jazz By Jim Campilongo published 20 January 23 Recorded in just one day, this LP chronicles the Gibson signature artist becoming a bona fide world-class jazz guitarist
Classical Guitar Albums Can Be Staid Affairs, but This One Is an Exception You Need to Know About By Jim Campilongo published 16 January 23 The Lima brothers put their personal style on a selection of classical standards
Here's Why the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be... Naked’ Is a Must-Have Album By Jim Campilongo published 13 December 22 The Fab Four’s 1970 swan song finds its groove in this 2003 redux
This Musician Was Too Shy to Perform Publicly. Instead, He Found His True Destiny: Composition By Jim Campilongo published 18 November 22 Federico Mompou’s music is as uncorrupted as the sound of nature
Here’s Why Talk’s Talk’s ‘Spirit of Eden’ Remains One of the Most Extraordinary Albums in Rock History By Jim Campilongo published 21 October 22 Oozing with atmosphere, craftsmanship and focus, this 1988 classic plays like a great psychedelic opera
Here’s Why Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Remains a Perfect Moment in Music History By Jim Campilongo published 30 September 22 In a world of noise, this soulful album is balm for the ears and shelter from the storm
This Essential Album Is an Encyclopedic Source for How to Play Rockabilly Guitar By Jim Campilongo published 13 September 22 Elvis Presley’s ‘Sun Sessions’ is the sound of rockabilly’s accidental birth
Trace the Roots of Rock and Roll with a Spin of Roy Brown’s 'Laughing But Crying' By Jim Campilongo published 8 August 22 This compilation of material by the original singer of “Good Rocking Tonight" showcases a number of fleet-fingered guitarists, such as Bill Jones, Bill Jennings, and Jimmy Davis.
Why Howlin’ Wolf's Landmark 'Rockin’ Chair Album' Remains One of the Greatest Blues Records of All Time By Jim Campilongo published 22 July 22 Featuring Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, and a host of other legendary musicians, this 1962 Chess compilation is a reminder of what real blues is all about.
If Hooks Could Kill, This Holy Grail Album Would Be On America’s Most Wanted List By Jim Campilongo published 30 May 22 One of the rare jazz masters who actually played a Jazzmaster, Roy Lanham slayed listeners the old-fashioned way: with his bare hands.
Here’s Why Searching Through Record Store LP Bins is a Good Idea By Jim Campilongo published 27 April 22 When the album ‘22 Original Gospel Greats’ found Jim Campilongo it felt like divine intervention.
Need to Hit the Reset Button? Listen to Herby Remington’s ‘Steel Guitar Holiday’ By Jim Campilongo published 18 April 22 This vinyl treasure is a high-octane palate cleanser and something positive to binge on.
Listen to Sergio and Eduardo Abreu Morph Into a Single Entity with 20 Digits and 12 Strings By Jim Campilongo published 31 March 22 This timeless and powerful recording from the brothers’ all-too-brief career has an otherworldly musicality.
Here's Why Junior Brown is Bar-Band Virtuosity Personified By Jim Campilongo published 1 March 22 ‘Guit With It’ reveals the show-stopping excitement of his guit-steel double-neck performance in full.
Old Man’s Blues or Young Man’s Blues? Here’s Why Eric Clapton’s Beano Album Remains Essential Listening for Everybody By Jim Campilongo published 1 February 22 Slowhand reinvented electric blues with this landmark recording.
Here's Why Pat Martino’s ‘Joyous Lake’ Remains an Essential Listen from the Golden Age of Fusion By Jim Campilongo published 14 January 22 The late, great guitarist took a stirring voyage on fusion’s treacherous waters with this classic album.
Here’s Why Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Again’ Remains an Essential Listen By Jim Campilongo published 6 January 22 Jim Campilongo takes a trip down memory lane with this 1967 classic.
Featuring John McLaughlin on Guitar Miles Davis Broke Every Jazz Police Law with ‘On the Corner’ By Jim Campilongo published 4 January 22 This street-savvy album was a precursor of post-punk, electronica and hip-hop.
Vinyl Treasures: Mary Osborne – A Girl & Her Guitar By Jim Campilongo published 19 November 21 This is an essential work from an essential jazz swing guitarist whose bad-ass Charlie Christian-esque style is ripe for rediscovery.
Here’s Why the Allman Brothers Band’s ‘At Fillmore East’ Still Holds Up 50 Years Later By Jim Campilongo published 15 November 21 The classic album that gave southern rock a home.
