Latest articles by Jim Campilongo
“It’s so Raw, It’s Bloody”: Jim Campilongo Explains Why Muddy Waters’ Chess Blues Masters Series Album Is His Undisputed Desert Island Blues Disc
The father of modern Chicago electric blues along with Little Walter, Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Otis Span, Tat Harris and others work their mojo on this collection of groundbreaking masterpieces
Spectacular Pedal Steel and Virtuosic Vocals: Here’s Why Johnny Paycheck’s ‘At Carnegie Hall’ Is a ’60s Country Classic
Along with recordings by the likes of Merle Travis, Willie Nelson and Ray Price, Johnny Paycheck albums remain sonic templates
Listen to ‘A Dynamic New Sound’ – the Album That Introduced the Genius of Jazz Guitar Innovator Wes Montgomery to the World
This groundbreaking LP marked his debut as a leader and represented a giant step forward in the evolution of the electric guitar
Listen to the Limitless Guitar Playing Talent of Lenny Breau
Produced by Chet Atkins, Lenny’s second album is a stirring testament to his remarkable gifts
Listen to Bill Connors’ ‘Of Mist and Melting’ – ECM Jazz at Its Finest
This 1978 acoustic guitar masterpiece exudes atmosphere
Here’s Why Santana’s ‘Abraxas’ Is a Lesson in Finding Your Own Voice on Guitar
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”
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!)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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'
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
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
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
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’
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
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
‘Guit With It’ reveals the show-stopping excitement of his guit-steel double-neck performance in full.
