Few artists deserve the word “legend” more than Graham Nash. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he’s shaped the foundation of modern rock, from his early efforts with the Hollies, which found him stitching the buoyant melodies inspired by Buddy Holly with the seamless harmonies of the Everly…
Colin Hay answers the phone, sounding remarkably cheery for a conversation that’s taking place relatively early, at least by rock star standards. Then again, as a musician whose career has found him playing the role of a perennial journeyman, he’s made a point of always being on the move, regardless…
In a sense, Andy Warhol was as much a symbol of the pop culture he celebrated as he was an artist whose work helped define it. With his pale complexion, white wig, and soft-spoken demeanor, he represented everything that was surprising and unusual about art and music in the ’50s,…
His uncle is percussionist Butch Trucks, original member of the Allman Brothers Band, and he himself was named for the Eric Clapton album credited to Derek and the Dominoes. Naturally, then, it’d seem Derek Trucks’ career in music was predestined. Rather than simply fall back on birthright, though, the young…
David Bowie always epitomized what it means to be a true musical chameleon. Some artists evolve. Bowie transformed. From his beginnings in the late-‘60s as a fair-haired folkie to his drag queen persona, on to his iconic role as Ziggy Stardust and the androgynous guise he adopted early on, through…
While the perpetual cynics hem and haw that great Americana music is in scarce quantity these days, 2015 proved such assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. Several new artists emerged from a variety of stylistic realms, proving emphatically that there remains a wellspring of excellent contemporary folk, country, soul,…
The music festival phenomenon has come a long way from Woodstock, Monterey, and those halcyon days of the late ‘60s. Once rarified occasions of historical significance, these days it’s as if there’s a gathering a week, with literally hundreds of offerings across all genres and demographics. Even so, it’s harder…
Let’s face it: It’s not always easy finding holiday gifts for those on your list with specialized tastes. But when their obsession is music, the choices are often wide open. We’re not talking about some long-sought-after rarity, either. The variety of holiday gift-giving can encompass books, Blu-Rays, DVDs, box sets,…
“I think the blues is fresher than ever if you consider the blues to be a broad-based American art form,” says Mike Zito, the St. Louis rocker who co-founded Royal Southern Brotherhood. “If you think that it’s only blues if it sounds like the 1950s, then you’re probably going to be let…
Take one look at ZZ Top frontman Billy Gibbons and you’ll get the picture: This is a guy who likes to be different. As one-third of the legendary blues-rock band, Gibbons boasts a distinctive, cascading beard typically complemented by headwear resembling a tentacled sea creature — not to mention more…
Martin Barre knows what it’s like to reach the stratosphere of superstardom. He’s toured the world, played the biggest arenas and, for more than four decades, recorded dozens of classic albums, all as chief guitarist for Jethro Tull. So it’s no small turnaround to find him scaling back in the…
It’s generally assumed that when a musician ventures out on his own and takes a hiatus from his band, chances are it has to do with some combination of money and ego. But ask Paul Barrere why he and fellow guitarist Fred Tackett opted to take leave from their longtime…
The California Honeydrops’ lead vocalist and major multi-instrumentalist, Lech Wierzynski, was born in Warsaw, Poland, and drew his appreciation of American music from listening to Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong. Like the other current members of the band — drummer Ben Malament, sax and clarinet player Johnny Bones,…
The last time we spoke to Corey Harris, things didn’t exactly get off to a promising start. The interview, scheduled for an unrealistic 8 a.m. his time, only got so far as his answering machine. We could have guessed that’d be the result. After all, musicians are not especially known…
Albert Castiglia works the room like a prodigal son at his first family reunion. The air of familiarity and fandom is unmistakable. Several people in the crowd are wearing Castiglia t-shirts. Others remark about how many of his shows they’ve seen, several insisting they’ve followed him up and down the…
Unlike many who try, Rob Thomas has achieved substantial solo success after maintaining his day job at the helm of Matchbox Twenty, the Orlando ensemble that launched his career. In the world of rock, that’s something of an anomaly. All one has to do is consider the number of famous…
“There was no question for him,” blues singer Shemekia Copeland recalls of her father, renowned singer and guitarist Johnny Copeland. “I swear, I was in my mother’s arms on the way home from the hospital when he said, ‘She’s going to be a blues singer.’ So there was never any…
Mac Rebennack, otherwise known to millions of music enthusiasts as Dr. John, can claim one of the more storied careers of the past half century, steadily shifting guises in an ongoing quest to satisfy his own music muse. Born and bred in New Orleans, Dr. John became one of the…
After some 20 albums in nearly as many years, calling Ani DiFranco an overachiever seems something of an understatement. Edgy, outspoken, and hugely influential, she remains the inherent insurgent, railing against the mainstream while others are merely wailing, taking relentless aim at issues surrounding sex, politics, and modern culture. “I…
For most kids, the idea of emulating their dad sounds about as appealing as having a tooth pulled — without the benefit of novocaine. But if your father was Frank Zappa, one of the most prolific musicians of all time, you might recognize that there’s a legacy to live up…
Photo by Pierre ZonZon If the old saying is true, that you’re known by the company you keep, then Wesley Phillips ought to be one of the most famous musicians in the world. After all, this Broward-based singer and trumpet player has performed with some of the biggest legends in…
Let’s face it. Local bands that dare to do original music have a tough go of it in South Florida. If you don’t have at least a couple of Billy Joel songs in your repertoire and a willingness to do your own take on “Play That Funky Music White Boy”…
