Led Zeppelin – Part II      This Led Zeppelin- Part II post shows that things happened very quickly for Led Zeppelin. We are now moving into the period where Led Zeppelin will establish itself as one of (if not the) biggest rock bands in the world! The much anticipated release of Led Zeppelin II meant there was now pressure for the band to meet growing expectations to equal or surpass their

 Led Zeppelin -the Early Years       In 1968, Jimmy Page and Peter Grant (who had retained the legal rights to the Yardbirds name) were determined to carry on after the demise of The Yardbirds. Page slowly began reforming The New Yardbirds to fulfill some contracted performance dates in Europe. The session bassist, keyboardist, composer, and arranger, John Paul Jones had asked Page about his plans for The New Yardbirds.  The

Guitar great Jeff Beck     Jeff Beck (born 1944-) arrived on the music scene when he replaced Eric Clapton in The Yardbirds in 1965.  He began his career as a solo artist in 1967 with the release of the single “Beck’s Bolero” that became an instrumental hit in the mid-1960s.  Beck led his own band, The Jeff Beck Group, from 1967 to 1972 that featured Rod Stewart on vocals.  From 1972

      The Yardbirds  (1963-1968) were an important English supergroup that also proved to be an important catalyst for the careers of Cream and Led Zeppelin.  In addition, they helped to launch the solo careers of guitarists Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.  The original lineup was fronted by guitarist/vocalist Keith Reif and featured guitarists Chris Dreja and Anthony Topham, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, and drummer Jim McCarty.  The Yardbirds assumed a residency

This month I am super excited to feature one of my all-time favorite bands – The Grateful Dead! The Dead are as much a part of Americana music as any band (including The Band). They created a legacy that is unmatched in American music history.  As unique as the Dead were, their fans (Deadheads) were a cultural phenomenon unto themselves- a virtual sub-culture within the counterculture of the 1960’s and beyond! The Grateful

Back by popular demand, I have decided to extend this month’s Rock Doc blog to more coverage of the great Jimi Hendrix!  Last month, we explored the life and music of Hendrix in some detail.  This month we will dig deeper into his legendary musicianship. In this article titled The Four Sides of Jimi Hendrix, I will state a case that he was one of the most complete musicians in virtually any style

I am really excited to explore the incredible musicianship of Jimi Hendrix this month!!  I really want to focus on his music and Hendrix’s many musical attributes rather than get side-tracked with “27-club” conspiracy theories about his death and other issues that pull us away from the music itself. This blog post will present some of Jimi’s musical history and then focus on his multi-faceted musical skills. It is truly amazing and