Olaf Rupp Slaughters the Sound for the Greater Good
On ‘Fuzzy Logic,’ Olaf Rupp pushes a small amplifier past its limit and captures the wreckage at what he calls “the volume of a kitchen radio.”
Guitarists
Deniz Cuylan Scores a Life With Luca
The Istanbul-born film and television composer discusses 'For Luca' — his earlier songs recast in his friends' voices, the dog it mourns, the freedom of being one crew member among many, and the melancholy he prefers to share.
The Long Silence Behind Ayman Fanous’s Guitar
The guitarist and bouzouki player discusses 'Brooklyn Stories 1–5', his five-CD set of duos and small groups for Infrequent Seams, the years of wordless playing alongside Bern Nix that shaped his ear, and what harmolodics can mean on a nylon-string classical guitar.
Cento Threeo — Always Halfway There
Don Cento of the Austin trio Cento Threeo discusses the band's debut album 'Halfway to Mellowtown' and its jazz and Americana roots, the Ahmad Jamal influence, and a creative process built on long friendships rather than deliberate genre strategy.
Latin Roots in the Art Rock Canopy — Phil Manzanera's 'Revolución to Roxy'
The Roxy Music guitarist discusses his memoir 'Revolución to Roxy,' his lifelong immersion in Latin music and culture, the family secrets unearthed along the way, and a career built in close collaboration with everyone from Brian Eno to Enrique Bunbury.
The Strange Afterlife of Agustín Barrios-Mangoré
Elsa Monteith relates how Agustín Barrios-Mangoré's story runs through Paraguay's post-war reckoning, the politics of the classical guitar canon, a persona borrowed from a Guaraní chief, and a death under suspicious circumstances.
Gregory Uhlmann's Call-and-Response with the Dark Sky
Guitarist Gregory Uhlmann discusses 'Extra Stars,' a five-year collection of pieces inspired by stargazing in the California desert, and the Los Angeles musical community threaded through it.
Juanma Trujillo — A Cantaclaro in Barcelona
'Música Para Quinteto: Live at Jazz Cava' captures Juanma Trujillo's Barcelona quintet at full burn, following a prolific decade of recordings and a deliberate exit from New York for a life the Venezuelan guitarist believes feeds the music.
Drinking from Tradition — Fabiano do Nascimento's Quiet Guitar
'Cavejaz' finds the Brazilian guitarist collaborating with UAKTI percussionist Paulo Santos, Japanese tabla master U-zhaan, and Los Angeles percussionist Tiki Pasillas on an album that privileges listening and space over the virtuosity his tradition demands.
Lost in the Quiet Revolt of Squanderers
David Grubbs, Wendy Eisenberg, and Kramer's 'Skantagio' captures three acclaimed musos improvising with electric guitars in real time. The trio discusses friendship within the creative process, the value of getting lost, and the art of protesting quietly.
Speaking in Tongues — Jon Fadem's Guitar Language
Jon Fadem's latest album 'Thankful' strips away vocals from songs he'd been singing for years, trusting his guitar to convey emotions and concepts learned from listening deeply to Miles Davis and Jerry Garcia.
Rez Abbasi's Acoustic Meditation on Loss and Impermanence
Three decades into his career, Abbasi returns to acoustic guitar for 'Sound Remains,' processing personal loss while questioning what it means to let go in both music and life.