One of my very favorites on the record is
“Dead Weight,” an acoustic tune that finds Duda in duet with Cherrie Currie, the former lead singer from one of my favorites of the ‘70s, the all-girl band The Runaways. (Which also featured Joan Jett.) Full disclosure, I used to have a poster from Creem Magazine of Cherrie hanging in my bed room, and told everybody she was my girlfriend. Ha! Wrapping up the album is “One Last Ride,”
featuring guitar from the iconic Pat Travers. Nice acoustic guitar intro gives way to a heavy groove with that unmistakable Travers lead style. Nice. And a great way to wrap up an ex- cellent metal/hard rock release, a record with not a bad cut, from The Handful. Get yourself a Handful. But this one is too big! (That’s what she said!) You may need both hands.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Arlen Roth Slide Guitar Summit (Aquinnah Records)
Arlen Roth has long been one of my very
favorite slide guitarists, and on his latest album he brings that masterful slide and blues twang to a collection that finds him in duet with a who’s who of rock and blues gui- tar slingers. Slide Guitar Summit pairs Roth with Dave Lindley, Cindy Cashdollar, Jimmy Vivino - even some of my own friends are along for the ride. The awesome Jack Pearson sings and plays with Roth on “Do What’s Right” to great effect. Jack is amazing. Our man Lee Roy Parnell rocks some Robert Johnson on the timeless “Dust My Broom.” Lee Roy returns for an excellent rendition of Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken.” Love that song! Our buddy Greg Martin (Kentucky Head-
hunters) pulls out the Southern boogie on Peach Picking Time in Georgia,“ a great trib- ute to the South! The “Kings of Slide” just keep a comin,’ with Sonny Landreth joining Arlen on “Sonny Skies.” One of the many highlights of this album is
the pairing of Arlen Roth and the late Johnny Winter, doing a rousing take on one of the earliest rock ‘n roll songs, “Rocket 88.” One of the saddest things in my life recently was the loss of Johnny. He had been a musical hero of mine as far back as 1972 when I first entered high school, and I have every album the man cut. It seemed he was really getting his life and career back on track, sounding better than he had in years and playing with a clear head. Then he left us. He will always be re- membered through his body of work, includ- ing two fabulous final albums, and this excellent track with Arlen. The album closes with style, mining one of
the original American musical stiles, good ol’ gospel. Greg Martin returns to join Roth in a downright beautiful instrumental take on “Amazing Grace.” It’s a great way to wrap up an album that every guitar player or guitar fan is sure to love. Buffalo says, “Check it out!” -Michael Buffalo Smith
Guitar Heroes Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, David Wilcox and James Burton (Stony Plain)
Speaking of guitar slingers, this new live
record finds four “Telecaster Masters” mak- ing guitar history. The show was performed on July 12, 2013 at Vancouver Island Mu- sicFest, and is truly a “must have” CD (also available in 180 gm vinyl) for guitar lovers. Rooted in blues and rockabilly influences, this recording includes four legends who have
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