Fretmaster Don Ross exposes the Newt to the wonders of acoustic-guitar wizardry

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 29, 2001 By Steve Newton Guitar gods—I can’t get enough of ’em. There’ve always been lots of slots in my CD stacks reserved for fret masters who balance boggling technique with high degrees of feel. Because I’m mostly a rock and blues fan, the vast majority of guitarists … Continue reading Fretmaster Don Ross exposes the Newt to the wonders of acoustic-guitar wizardry

Dick Dale doesn’t need no augmented ninth to make your ears bleed

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 8, 2000 By Steve Newton Dick Dale, the undisputed “King of the Surf Guitar”, is known for a uniquely fierce playing style. In concert, he grinds guitar picks down by the dozen, while conjuring a frenzied instro-rock din that—as Ted Nugent used to boast about his own noise—could … Continue reading Dick Dale doesn’t need no augmented ninth to make your ears bleed

Jethro Tull’s acoustic side gets showcased on A Little Light Music

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCTOBER 22, 1992 By Steve Newton “So how’d it go last night?” That’s a question I’ll often start an interview with, to loosen things up when I know a musician has played a gig the night before. Usually, I get a response along the lines of, “Really good, actually,” … Continue reading Jethro Tull’s acoustic side gets showcased on A Little Light Music

Guitar hero Michael Schenker goes acoustic and his fans are fine with it

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 12, 1992 By Steve Newton When Michael Schenker was only 15, he met up with Scorpions singer Klaus Meine. Just a year later, he was laying down the white-hot guitar licks for the Scorpions’ debut album, Lonesome Crow. But Schenker’s early musical accomplishments were not without their price, … Continue reading Guitar hero Michael Schenker goes acoustic and his fans are fine with it