A pantheon of guitar legends is discussed in Gregory's latest foray into musical biography. He is also the author of Soul Music A-Z [RBB S 1 92]. The guitarists are pulled from a wide variety of styles: rock, blues, country, classical, folk, flamenco, etc.
The alphabetically arranged essays give date and place of birth and death (when appropriate) and the guitars played, before launching into a description of careers. The narratives focus on important factors in technique or style, important recordings, and collaborations. The essays are short, ranging between 50 and 500 words, but for some session players this book may be one of the few sources of information. Players include Kokomo Arnold, Eddie Van Halen, Roy Clark, and Charlie Christian. Cross-references are given within articles in boldface type, and page numbers are given for 12 musicians who also have a special feature. These 12 do not necessarily represent the best but are a selection of 'living guitarists who underline the sheer diversity and brillance of guitar driven music.' Featured players range from the classical guitarist Julian Bream to the rock of Steve Vai and from the traditional style of Martin Carthy to the blues of BB King. The features are annotated discographies ranging from two to three pages and include album covers reproduced in color. An index and bibliography close the book.
This inexpensive source on a wide selection of musicians will be popular in public, high-school, and undergraduate libraries. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.