Murmurs from the Bench
Dee — Remembering Randy
Having written about Cliff, I can't leave out Randy Rhoads. The genius guitarist of a heavy-metal band, gone too soon. The details of his career and his technique I'll leave...
Metal with a Soul — "Orion"
Some people recoil at the very word "metal." To them especially, I want to offer this one piece: "Orion." Metallica's Master of Puppets is, among metal fans, an album apart....
Les Paul
Les Paul. Any guitar lover knows the name. Say it in Japan, and 98% (or so) will answer: Gibson — the guitar. And rightly so. He was, as the name...
Polka Dots and Moonbeams
In Japan we have — or had — a custom called tsukimi, moon-viewing. It falls on the fifteenth night of the eighth month by the old lunar calendar, and again...
Olé!
Jazz lovers know this one well. For me, it's the record I reach for whenever my spirit sinks. I always hear Coltrane's soul crying out in it. I met it...