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The Roots Of Rock • At the turn of the 20th century, America was a melting pot of musical styles. A country founded on colonisation and then mass immigration, those who came to the United States, whether in hope or despair, brought the music of their homelands with them. This is the story of how the disparate musical traditions of America gradually came together to form blues, jazz and finally rock ’n’ roll – and how the guitar evolved with that music to become the most iconic, widely played instrument there has ever been
LONNIE JOHNSON & EDDIE LANG • Lonnie Johnson and Eddie Lang were both star musicians in the 1920s – but it was when they challenged racial prejudice to work together as a team, fusing Lonnie’s bluesy licks with Lang’s jazz virtuosity, that they made guitar into an instrument that would dominate music for the next 90 years…
Blue Guitars • This revolutionary duo broke boundaries to create an important legacy
Roots Maneuvers • The dawn of electric blues and jazz was full of big, blooming tones. Get in on the act with our pick of 1920s and 30s-inspired archtops
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN • Although Charlie Christian didn’t live past his twenties and left behind just a handful of recordings, the young Texan’s electrifying solos on a Gibson semi ushered in not just a new era for jazz guitar, but heralded the birth of rock ’n’ roll itself…
First Electric Guitar Hero • Charlie Christian appeared on the scene at a pivtoal point in jazz development
ROOTS RECORDINGS • Our pick of nine essential cuts from pioneers of early blues and jazz to get your mojo working…
DJANGO REINHARDT • Few guitarists in the history of the instrument have inspired such devotion as the Belgian-born Gypsy genius Django Reinhardt. His infectious and, at times, outrageous guitar playing continues to delight, enthral and perplex generations of guitarists who fall under his spell
Gypsy Jazz • A tragic accident transformed Django’s style and revolutionised the genre
Blues Breakers & Country Gents • The music that early 20th century guitar heroes grew up with, be it in humble communities or great cities, gave rise to two contrasting, but inextricably linked guitar styles: country and blues. These were to become the two most important blood-lines of rock ’n’ roll. In this section we examine how radio, records and some of the most talented guitarists the world has seen made country and blues big news
T-BONE WALKER • If you’ve ever played a blues lick on an electric guitar, then you’ve paid homage to the music of T-Bone Walker. Here’s how Aaron Thibeaux Walker, a po’ boy from Texas, went on to become the godfather of modern rock ’n’ roll
Close To The ’Bone • The Blues Daddy was pivotal in the formation of guitar playing as we know it
BB KING • From farm to stage, the story of Riley B King’s rise to that of musical legend is an incredible one, at times both uplifting and heartbreaking. As a boy, King found himself at epicentre of a new musical form that would influence everything that followed. We explore the story of his blues…
SZYMCZYK SPEAKS
The Blues Boy • The King of the blues ranks alongside the greatest players of the 20th century
BLUES BREAKERS • Our pick of nine essential albums by eight acknowledged masters, which trace the path that electric blues took from T-Bone onwards...
CHET ATKINS • Somebody once said, “There are good players, there are great players, and then there’s Chet Atkins.” Endlessly inventive, the Gretsch-playing virtuoso was nicknamed ‘Mister Guitar’ with good reason – his pristine jazz-country licks helped launch Elvis’s career, and inspired everyone from Eddie Cochran to George Harrison
The Nashville...