Battle of the Bands: Mary Had a Little Lamb

 Welcome to another Battle of the Bands. I started the year with some rock anthem battles, then I settled into a jazz grove. In April I went with 50's rock and modern millennial pop before returning to jazz. What in the wide world of music am I going to select this time around? Let's do a famous nursery rhyme. Wait let's have two great guitarists perform said nursery rhyme. 

Just in case you need a refresher on "Mary Had a Little Lamb" here is an example of the tune...

As you know I will present two contenders giving us their interpretation of this classic nursery rhyme. You my awesome readers and listeners tell me which one you like the best in the comments. My job is pretty easy I count up the votes like I am counting sheep and announce a winner in a week or so in a new post.

Contender One: Buddy Guy

Contender Two: Stevie Ray Vaughan

Which one did you like the best Buddy or Stevie? Let me know in the comments and I will see you soon!

R.I.P Peter Green

A founder of Fleetwood Mac, a blues, rock, guitarist extraordinaire Peter Green has passed away today at the age of 73. 

Before the Mac he replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers..."The Supernatural"

Then there was Fleetwood Mac, way before the girls!

"Rattlesnake Shake"

"Albatross"

If you thought this was a Santana song surprise..."Black Magic Woman"

A talent who will be missed. 

Battle of the Bands: Sleepwalk

Thought I would jazz things up on this version of  the Battle of the Bands. I decided to go with Santo and Johnny's "Sleepwalk."

You know the deal I come up with some contenders, you tell me who you like in the comments, and one day I  write a post and tell you who won.(I know I am running behind on that.)  Why not go with two incredible guitarists Jeff versus Joe.

Contender One: Jeff Beck

Contender Two: Joe Satriani

Hope you enjoy! Tell me what you think!

My Top Five Guitarists

A friend of mine posted this on facebook. After the first three it gets harder. I like a whole lot more than five. Wow! My list has changed in the last 5 years dramatically. Here are mine with examples.

1) Jimi Hendrix

2) Jeff Beck

3) Buddy Guy

4) Steve Morse

5) Tommy Emmanuel

Happy Birthday Slash!

Today Slash of Guns N Roses fame turns 50 years old! He was responsible for the many guitar riffs that filled my ears in my later years of high school and early college years.

Starting the celebration with "Sweet Child O Mine"

As my ears had gone from Eddie Van Halen to the older generations of Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Ritchie Blackmore well Slash was a modern guitar hero who in my eyes had that old guitar hero swagger.

Here he is with "Anastasia"  a solo song....

Here is Slash with a band called Velvet Revolver performing "Slither"

Here is a selection of someone's top ten list of Slash unforgettable moments...

Do you have any Slash moments or memories? Feel free to share in the comments...

I'll wrap this birthday celebration up with another Guns N Roses song..

"Welcome to the Jungle:

I hope you enjoyed your stay!

Happy Birthday Jeff Beck!

What a week for musical birthdays! Yesterday I celebrated Robert Hunter's birthday who contributed to so much music through the words he penned for them. Today I celebrate a guitarist who contributes so much to music through the notes he plays, Jeff Beck,

I celebrated his 69th birthday with this post last year. More music there, I will try to do a no repeat post here.

This cover of Sam Cooke tune is very appropriate for these times as well..

How about this version of "Because we ended as Lovers"

Lets go way back to The Yardbirds with "Heart Full of Soul"

A lot of music scanning six decades. What are your favorite Jeff Beck tunes, riffs,groups?

Happy Birthday! Santana

Today is Carlos Santnana's 66th birthday! When I hear him play a song he is one of the few guitarists I can go "hey that's Santana." In other words he has a sound all his own that shines through.I had the pleasure to see him in concert back in 1989 or 1990. I saw him two nights in a row with Jeff Beck.

It weas the first two shows of the tour so they didn't play anything together but here they are playing "Amazing Grace"

This Peter Green song, Santana makes his own...

In recent times he has played with other musicinas with great results such as this with Michelle Branch...

and with Everlast..

I've always liked this song of his..

A god mix of rarities, newer stuff, and some classics a perfect way to celebrate his birthday!

January Reads 2: The Music Bios

As you can tell I am a big music fan. I write about, blog abut, go to a ton of shows. I also read about it. Since I am I a reading frenzy in 2013 I will share which two I read in January.

First I read Clapton by Eric Clapton. 

Well I liked hearing about the musician in his own words. However, I felt like dismissed a lot of his career as being an addict. However,he did have some great moments musically in the 60s, 70s, 80s...

I did like hearing about his family life and how he dealt with his son's death. How his new life is going. Good read but felt it could be better if it didn't come off so dismissive on most of his best work. 

Jimi Hendrix: The Intimate Story of a Betrayed Musical Legend by Sharon Lawrence

I liked this book more than Scuse Me While I kiss the Sky, but I think it is a time thing. I read the latter when I was a young, so the sex, drugs, rock and roll stories were more interesting to me. Now I am older and gray. So it is more about the music and the person which Sharon gives more about. It was also neat to read the story from someone who new Hendrix. A little long on the after Hendrix legacy but quite interesting.

Well I just started to read my first music bio of this month so a new post on related books might be coming soon stay tuned!