‘Woody Guthrie: Songs and Art, Words and Wisdom’ is a Spectacular Portrait of American Folk’s Greatest Minstrel
A delightful visual feast, compiled by Guthrie’s daughter Nora with material from the Woody Guthrie Archive in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Moving Documentary ‘Karen Dalton: In My Own Time’ Profiles the Underappreciated Folk Music Figure
The beautifully made and moving documentary "Karen Dalton: In My Own Time" highlights the music and life of the underappreciated folk music figure.
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Remembering the Queen of Folk Music: New biography spotlights singer, guitarist, actor, and activist Odetta
Ian Zack’s ‘Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest’ is an authoritative biography of this cultural icon.
‘Small Town Talk’ Explores the Lives of Woodstock’s Famous Inhabitants
In 1969, the forested artist community of Woodstock, in upstate New York, contributed its name to a nearby music festival that many regard as the apex of the 1960s counterculture.
‘The Devil Is In It’ – Beautiful, Collectible Volume Traces the Acoustic Guitar’s Evolution and More
The limited-run, 380-page book is divided into 31 chapters that offer an inspired and accurate chronological overview of the evolution of the guitar in America.
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7 Essential Books for Fans of Delta Blues
If you're a fan of Delta blues, get your mojo working with these 7 essential Delta books.
Book Review: A Definitive Look at the Life of Blues Legend Robert Johnson
Bruce Conforth and Gale Dean Wardlow's 'Up Jumped the Devil: The Real Life of Robert Johnson'
New Book Release: Chords at Your Fingertips
Follow this series of step-by-step lessons that take you from mastering moveable chord shapes to building chords from pentatonic scales to harmonizing like Chet Atkins and a whole lot in between.
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New Book Release: Roots and Blues Fingerstyle Guitar Explorations by Steve James
"These are the songs of people who make music, not because they've been trained to do so or because they think it will make them rich and famous, but simply because they want to hear some."
Preview the New ‘Play the Blues Like…’
Blues, like folk music, is all about making it your own. The ultimate goal is to study the greats and piece together what you have learned in a unique way. The more sources you borrow from, the less you sound like, say, a Robert Johnson clone, and the more you…
Lead Belly, Jackson C. Frank Documentaries in the Works
Chances are you know Lead Belly, the iconic, influential, and greatly celebrated folk and blues master. You will not be surprised to learn that he is the subject a forthcoming documentary film directed by Curt Hahn featuring reflections on the singer-guitarist from such heavyweights as Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, Arlo…
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‘Windy and Warm’ – Watch Chet Atkins Perform this Acoustic Classic on ‘The Johnny Cash Show’
After Chet Atkins first recorded John D. Loudermilk’s “Windy and Warm,” in the spring of 1961, the guitarist made this bouncy instrumental one of his signature tunes. Bluegrass legend Doc Watson followed suit, and CGPs John Knowles and Tommy Emmanuel, among other distinguished players, also added it to their repertoires.…
‘Acoustic Uprising’ Documentary Explores Fingerstyle’s Rise to Prominence
“I’ll never forget the first time I heard, and more importantly, saw a fingerstyle performance,” says Drew Roller, director of the new fingerstyle documentary Acoustic Uprising. “The ceiling instantly became the floor and I became obsessed. I wanted to learn more, and when I couldn’t find a way to delve…
‘John Prine Beyond Words’ — A New, Essential Book for John Prine Fans
This 180-page book offers photographs, reproductions of handwritten lyrics, remarks about writing and recording, and complete lyrics for 65 of Prine's songs.
New Book ‘Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride‘ Reveals Guitar Stories and More
Country Hall of Fame Museum director Peter Cooper's new book tells the six-string tales of Loretta Lynn, Taylor Swift, Johnny Cash, and more
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Read an Excerpt of the Guy Clark Biography, ‘Without Getting Killed or Caught’
This excerpt describes Guy Clark's songwriting ethic and captures his generous spirit as he helped to cultivate the New Traditionalist movement.
New Book ’26 Songs in 30 Days’ Reveals the History of Woody Guthrie’s Columbia River Songs
Guthrie’s fertile 30-day sojourn in the Pacific Northwest, when he composed 26 songs celebrating the rugged landscape is the subject of the new book.
New Book Showcases Arkansas Farmer & Guitar Maker Ed Stilley’s Folk Art
‘Gifted: The Instruments of Ed Stilley’ is a handsome coffee table book of some of the most extraordinary photographs of some of the most extraordinary stringed instruments you’ll ever see.
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READ an Excerpt from the New James Taylor Biography ‘Sweet Dreams & Flying Machines’
In 1970, a scraggly, anti-heroic young man from North Carolina by way of Massachusetts began presenting a biting and dark-yet-comforting new sound, a kind never heard before. Within a year of his first major album, Sweet Baby James, the rock icons of the 1960s were gone: the Beatles, Hendrix, Joplin,…
Pete Huttlinger: The Resilience of the Spirit, a Memoir
I was life-flighted to Houston, Texas, where I had a heart pump implanted and spent the next four months in recovery—all without playing the guitar. Add all the time up and you’re getting close to a year without any meaningful guitar playing from me.
