As he drops his new album, ‘JPEG RAW,’ blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. sits down for an exclusive interview to reveal how the pandemic reshaped his playing. The results are evident in the dizzying range of styles — from jazz-pop to funk to orchestral and shred — that make ‘JPEG RAW’ a masterpiece of surprising stylistic diversity. But as he reminds us, “I never said I was a blues guy.”
PLUS: See Gary’s very first guitar: an Ibanez Blazer.
Dan Auerbach: As the Black Keys release ‘Ohio Players,’ Auerbach reveals how Beck, Noel Gallagher, Tom Bukovac and “an embarrassment” of guitar gear helped create the album’s fun — and funky — primal garage-soul.
Marshall Crenshaw: He made the guitar album of his dreams, but critics panned its production, halting his rising career. Forty years later, ‘Field Day’ is getting the respect it deserves. Crenshaw and producer Steve Lillywhite give us the inside scoop on the album’s creation.
John 5: Learn how to find the guitar that will help you play better - plus four other pieces of advice in John’s Tip Sheet.
Tinsley Ellis: The electric guitar ace feared he would lose his chops during the pandemic. He tells us how constant practice led to his new — and, surprisingly, solo acoustic — album.
Peter Frampton: “Putting a song together can be quite painful,” the guitarist tells us. In this issue’s My Career in Five Songs, Frampton reveals the tracks that were worth the hurt.
How I Wrote…“Day of the Eagle”: Fifty years since he wrote it, Robin Trower still gets a lift from his signature track.
Acoustic Intel: Guitar Player gets the 411 on the most inspiring acoustic gear for 2024. See our 25 hot picks!
Jane Getter: Sure she can shred, but she’d rather bring soul and feeling to her guitar work. And she does, on ‘Division World,’ her latest album of genre-splicing creations.
Max Light: A gifted improviser with a love for Allan Holdsworth and progressive metal, this millennial jazz guitarist reveals the six-string influences that fire up his avant-garde jazz excursions. Find out why he’s considered jazz guitar’s next big thing.
Sarah Longfield: Famous for her fierce shredding on an eight-string Strandberg, Longfield aims for the middle ground on her forthcoming album.
Lesson: Adventures in Fingerstyle Rock Guitar, Part Two: The conclusion of our lesson in letting go of the pick to discover new techniques and textures.
All this and more, including reviews of the PRS SE CE24, Custom 24 Quilt and Swamp Ash Special, Stedman PureConnect GP-2 and PK-3 Cleaning Kits, Dr. Z Z-80 head, Klos Grand Cutaway Mini and Donner/Third Man Hardware Triple Threat.
