FEATURE: BRUCE COCKBURN
Celebrating his 30th album, the live solo set Slice o Life, Bruce Cockburn offers an insider’s tour of his brilliant one-man-band guitar style. With video. [More]

PRIVATE LESSON: TRACE BUNDY
The emerging fingerstyle guitarist illustrates the limitless possibilities of using multiple capos. With video. [More]

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: MASON JENNINGS
How the singer-songwriter revitalized his songwriting by retreating to the woods with two mics and a laptop. [More]

FEATURE: MARTIN HISTORY REVISITED
Rewriting Mike Longworth’s classic book reveals how the company’s inexpensive guitars, ukes, and mandolins—more than today’s legendary, collectible models—helped C.F. Martin and Co. weather economic hard times. [More]

NEW GEAR REVIEW: TAKAMINE LTD 2009
Vintage looks, modern playability, and advanced electronics result in a great stage guitar. With video. [More]

NEW GEAR REVIEW: ULTRASOUND PRO-25 AMP
Power and tone-shaping potential in a combo amp that’s ready for band gigs and a variety of venues. With video. [More]

STEVE DAWSON
Bursting onto the roots music scene as one half of the experimental blues/folk duo Zubot and Dawson in 1998, Steve Dawson quickly established himself as a master of dobro, Weissenborn, and acoustic slide guitar. His further collaborations with Zubot as well as a series of solo CDs have also highlighted his highly developed fingerstyle guitar chops, particularly his 2001 release Bug Parade, which features several intricate guitar instrumentals. The Vancouver, British Columbia–based musician counts early blues players such as 12-string slide guitarist Barbeque Bob and Son House among his main slide influences, and his passion for traditional music is evident on most of his recordings. [More]

INDIGO GIRLS, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug
The work of any duo invites comparisons. But what’s interesting about the Indigo Girls’ latest album is that the deluxe edition includes a second CD of acoustic “demos” that invites listeners to compare two versions of the same song. On their second collaboration with veteran producer Mitchell Froom, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers build on the new sonic blueprint laid out on 2006’s Despite Our Differences. Hearing the songs in their unadorned simplicity gives you greater appreciation for Froom’s ability to magnify the hooks and highlight the songwriters’ common ground. The trademark harmonies and fingerstyle finesse still form the foundation of heartbreaking ballads like “I’ll Change,” but it’s exciting to hear how the Indigo Girls’ familiar style sounds revitalized when the drums rock a little harder and the electric guitars snarl a little louder as they do on “What Are You Like” and “Ghost of the Gang.” One of the best surprises on the record is hearing Ray’s evolution as a singer and melody writer. Saliers may be the one more associated with sing-along choruses, but on this record, the irresistible riff and infectious melody of “Driver Education” prove that Ray has perfected the art of writing a pop hook without losing any of the grit and passion that fueled her earlier tunes. (IG Recordings/Vanguard, vanguardrecords.com)
—DREW PEARCE

KELLY JOE PHELPS, Western Bell
Kelly Joe Phelps’s 10th recording, Western Bell, is bound to be bittersweet for many fans of the Pacific Northwest–based icon of contemporary acoustic music. Phelps has returned to slide guitar (his unique lap-style slide playing put him on the map and was an integral part of his first several releases), but he does so on an album of all instrumentals, which means many fans will no doubt miss his haunting vocals. Although Phelps has already presented his unique artistry in a variety of solo and band settings, Western Bell reinforces his status as one of the most creative and identifiable spirits to play acoustic fingerstyle guitar. Phelps’s background in avant-garde jazz is more evident here than on any of his previous releases, and Western Bell, while very melodic and listenable overall, has delicious servings of atonal skronk that are rarely found in a solo guitar context. Perhaps if you can imagine a blend of Leo Kottke, John Fahey, Marc Ribot, and Nels Cline, you’d be in the ballpark of what Western Bell sounds like. (Black Hen, blackhenmusic.com)
—TEJA GERKEN

For more CD reviews, go to AcousticGuitar.com/playlist.

AUGUST 2009: Elvis Costello talks about his new album, which was produced by T Bone Burnett; six 12-string guitars reviewed; interview with Justin Townes Earle; reviews of the DPA 4099 clip-on microphone and Daisy Rock Bubinga Butterfly; and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and the Sharon Isbin/Edward Flower take on “The Drunken Sailor.”

SEPTEMBER 2009: Learn how to start playing other acoustic instruments like mandolins and banjos; Lloyd Loar’s legacy; reviews of the National Triolian, Ovation iDea, and the Genz Benz SHEN-CPK10T amp; Radiohead’s “Karma Police” and the classic ode to the Summer of Love, “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair).”

OCTOBER 2009: Pete Huttlinger lesson; reviews of the Guild D-40 and the Seagull Maritime SWS mini-jumbo; 1928 Gibson Nick Lucas; and Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler.”

Advertise in Acoustic Guitar Notes
E-mail us about your subscription to Acoustic Guitar Notes
Sign up for other Acoustic Guitar e-newsletters
Guitar Maker Directory
Guitar Talk discussion forums
Advertise in Acoustic Guitar magazine or on Acoustic Guitar All Access
Subscribe to Acoustic Guitar magazine
Subscribe to Acoustic Guitar All Access
Earn revenue as a Web Affiliate
Subscriber services
Back issues of Acoustic Guitar magazine
Acoustic Guitar store
StringLetter.com