Blues How teen blues guitar sensation Grace Bowers is winning over critics one gig at a time She’s been championed by some of the best blues players around, but comments about her age and gender show she has work ahead of her Jim Suhler talks about sneaking backstage to meet Stevie Ray Vaughan and the career-shaping advice he gave him The George Thorogood guitarist has played with Joe Bonamassa and Billy Gibbons, but meeting SRV was a career highlight Eric Clapton reveals the guitarist that inspired him to quit the Bluesbreakers and form Cream Buddy Guy's 1965 show at the Marquee Club made Slowhand realize he needed to escape John Mayall's shackles Latest Blues Peter Green recalled talking his way into Eric Clapton’s Bluesbreakers shoes. That's when his struggles began By Phil Weller published 7 November 24 The guitarist never liked comparisons to the man he replaced Origin Effects honors Marshall’s iconic 1990s drive pedal with the Halcyon Blue Overdrive By Phil Weller published 29 August 24 A second voice joins the “faithful” BB tone, with an added Dry control and improved dynamic response aiming to take the template to new heights Claudette King to celebrate B.B. King’s 100th birthday with funk-infused 2025 tour By Phil Weller published 30 July 24 The blues legend’s daughter will front a 10-piece band including Grammy-winning bluesman Grady Champion and King’s longtime drummer as they celebrate his legacy “with a flavor of funk” The night Eric Clapton invited Richie Sambora to a dream jam session By Phil Weller published 5 July 24 The former Bon Jovi man opens up on being accepted by the blues community and his heroes, having cut his teeth playing the blues as a young, hopeful guitarist “I Want to Be an Inspiration to Young Girls”: Blues Phenom Ally Venable Steps up to the Big Leagues With New Album, ‘Real Gone’ By Joe Bosso published 21 September 23 “If I can be a role model to girls and get them to pick up the guitar, then I’ll feel like I made a real impact,” says the Les Paul-toting Texan Have the Same Old Blues Chord Shapes Become Stale and Boring? Here’s How to Avoid Sounding Predictable By Guitar Player Staff published 16 August 23 Avoid the trap of humdrum chords by getting command of a few alternate dominant voicings Fatten Your Chops With Double-Stops in the Style of Blues Legends Like B.B. King, Lightnin' Hopkins and Robert Johnson By Guitar Player Staff published 15 August 23 These essential phrases will help you speak the language of blues guitar “What Captured Me Early on Was the One-Guitar-as-Orchestra Kind of Approach”: Catfish Keith Has Copious Licks in His Bag of Tricks By Jimmy Leslie published 26 July 23 From slide to fingerstyle, Catfish Keith’s modern technical virtuosity makes old-time country blues simmer with new flavors “I’ve Dedicated My Life to the Blues, and a Lot of Other People Have, Too. What Did We Do to Be Treated Like That?”: Buddy Guy Has, Most Definitely, Still Got the Blues By Gary Graff published 9 June 23 “I’ve kept doing it so people don’t forget Muddy and Wolf, B.B. – all the rest of ’em,” says the Strat-toting blues guru Watch the Rolling Stones' Iconic Television Performance of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” By Guitar Player Staff published 31 March 23 Video The producer, bassist and immensely prolific songwriter was responsible for some of the blues’ – and popular music’s – most enduring hits Video 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors LATEST ARTICLES1“I get disrespected before I even play. People take one look at me and immediately get a thought in their head of what I am." How teen blues guitar sensation Grace Bowers is winning over critics one gig at a time 2“Prog-rock was king. I’m not ashamed to admit that I loved it.” The Jesus Lizard’s Duane Denison says he tried to sell Steve Howe a rare jazz guitar when he was a teenager. Looks like the Yes guitarist missed a good deal3“I had to audition with this horrible black, Japanese Les Paul, and it started to fall apart, right in front of everybody's eyes." Scott Gorham on his worst guitar moment with Thin Lizzy and the mod he's made to every Les Paul ever since4"Why does John Frusciante want a piece of crap like this?" Eddie Van Halen didn't like the guitarist's choice of wah pedal. His advice to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' axeman was priceless5Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over but these 29 guitar deals are still going strong - get something before they're gone
Peter Green recalled talking his way into Eric Clapton’s Bluesbreakers shoes. That's when his struggles began By Phil Weller published 7 November 24 The guitarist never liked comparisons to the man he replaced
Origin Effects honors Marshall’s iconic 1990s drive pedal with the Halcyon Blue Overdrive By Phil Weller published 29 August 24 A second voice joins the “faithful” BB tone, with an added Dry control and improved dynamic response aiming to take the template to new heights
Claudette King to celebrate B.B. King’s 100th birthday with funk-infused 2025 tour By Phil Weller published 30 July 24 The blues legend’s daughter will front a 10-piece band including Grammy-winning bluesman Grady Champion and King’s longtime drummer as they celebrate his legacy “with a flavor of funk”
The night Eric Clapton invited Richie Sambora to a dream jam session By Phil Weller published 5 July 24 The former Bon Jovi man opens up on being accepted by the blues community and his heroes, having cut his teeth playing the blues as a young, hopeful guitarist
“I Want to Be an Inspiration to Young Girls”: Blues Phenom Ally Venable Steps up to the Big Leagues With New Album, ‘Real Gone’ By Joe Bosso published 21 September 23 “If I can be a role model to girls and get them to pick up the guitar, then I’ll feel like I made a real impact,” says the Les Paul-toting Texan
Have the Same Old Blues Chord Shapes Become Stale and Boring? Here’s How to Avoid Sounding Predictable By Guitar Player Staff published 16 August 23 Avoid the trap of humdrum chords by getting command of a few alternate dominant voicings
Fatten Your Chops With Double-Stops in the Style of Blues Legends Like B.B. King, Lightnin' Hopkins and Robert Johnson By Guitar Player Staff published 15 August 23 These essential phrases will help you speak the language of blues guitar
“What Captured Me Early on Was the One-Guitar-as-Orchestra Kind of Approach”: Catfish Keith Has Copious Licks in His Bag of Tricks By Jimmy Leslie published 26 July 23 From slide to fingerstyle, Catfish Keith’s modern technical virtuosity makes old-time country blues simmer with new flavors
“I’ve Dedicated My Life to the Blues, and a Lot of Other People Have, Too. What Did We Do to Be Treated Like That?”: Buddy Guy Has, Most Definitely, Still Got the Blues By Gary Graff published 9 June 23 “I’ve kept doing it so people don’t forget Muddy and Wolf, B.B. – all the rest of ’em,” says the Strat-toting blues guru
Watch the Rolling Stones' Iconic Television Performance of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” By Guitar Player Staff published 31 March 23 Video The producer, bassist and immensely prolific songwriter was responsible for some of the blues’ – and popular music’s – most enduring hits
