Latest articles by Joe Bosso
Frank Swart of Funkwrench Blues has recruited Vernon Reid, Oz Noy and Mike Stern to his cosmic cause
This San Francisco bass player and producer has a knack for getting top-shelf guitarists to play on his stream of Spotify masterpieces
Jim Babjak reveals he once bought a ’70s Les Paul without even trying it – and how it would go on to shape one of The Smithereens' biggest hits
The guitarist reveals that he's “kind of embarrassed” when it comes to trying out guitars in a music store – but his faith in his engineer was well-placed
Brian Ray on how he wowed Etta James at 18 and landed his gig with Paul McCartney – after auditioning at the Super Bowl
Brian Ray's career is like no other. As Paul McCartney's guitarist for over 20 years, he gives us a unique perspective on what it's like to play with a Beatle – and how it all started with the Monster Mash
The player that almost convinced Creed Bratton to give up guitar altogether
Away from his starring role in The Office, Bratton is an accomplished guitarist – but one blues icon almost made him rethink his relationship with the instrument
Johnny Hickman on his pre-Cracker band, the Unforgiven, revisiting the Cracker catalog, and big, bone-headed riffs
Re-recording their catalog for the epic Alternative History, Cracker are taking control of their own story, and it's one that begins with a riff and their own Mick and Keef creative chemistry
“It’s the Kinks meets AC/DC”: Jim Babjak revisits 5 classic Smithereens riffs
New Jersey's finest have had their share of killer riffs. Here Babjak walks us through the catalog, talks trials by click-track, and reveals how A Girl Like You nearly ended up at the movies
The Smithereens’ Jim Babjak on how they went from broke to touring with Tom Petty – and became Kurt Cobain’s tonal reference for Nevermind
Babjak reflects on the remarkable career of the Smithereens, competing with tribute acts, and why he was too scared to speak to Pete Townshend
Matt Stubbs and Cody Nilsen on the resurrection of Boston blues power trio GA-20
Everyone’s favorite bass-guitar-free, Boston-based blues trio debut a new guitarist and drummer on their latest EP, Volume 2 – but all this change took them back to their roots
Brian Ray’s audition to join Paul McCartney’s band was a live performance – at the Super Bowl
The multi-instrumentalist didn't have long to prepare for one of the most public auditions in the history of rock and roll
Dez Dickerson on Prince, his iconic Little Red Corvette solo, and why he left the Revolution
Dez Dickerson was a teenage Minneapolis guitar prodigy – then he teamed up with another one. He describes his Mick-and-Keith chemistry with the Purple One, recording at Paisley Park (before Prince), and that infamous Stones show
What really happened at Prince’s infamous show supporting the Stones in 1981? Guitarist Dez Dickerson sets the record straight
The former Revolution guitarist insists the shows weren't as disastrous as some say, and reveals he persuaded Prince to return to the stage
Buck Dharma on the Blue Öyster Cult story, his Gibson SG heroes, and what he really thinks of that SNL sketch
The Blue Öyster Cult co-founder looks back on one of the most remarkable stories in U.S. rock history, how the Reaper riff unlocked stardom and why they were never the “American Black Sabbath”
He's a hitmaker who owned Eric Clapton's “The Fool” SG, produced Meat Loaf, and played with Ringo Starr
Todd Rundgren has just about done it all, but he does regret missing out on the chance to produce the Talking Heads and the Who...
They flew high with the help of the Beatles, and a few hits, then collapsed in a mess of mismanagement and tragedy
Their story is often cited as one of the saddest in rock, but Badfinger were also one of the sharpest guitar pop acts of their era. Here, the late Joey Molland recounts their rollercoaster ride of a career from his perspective
Watch Al Di Meola play Race with Devil on Spanish Highway with Steve Vai
This intimate rehearsal clip shows the fretwork of both guitar legends up-close
Randy Jackson on how forgotten '80s heroes Zebra earned their stripes as the people's power-trio
Led by singer/guitarist Randy Jackson, Zebra kept the spirit of Zeppelin, Hendrix and Cream alive. These days, family man Jackson is busy shaping up the group’s first album in two decades
Justin Hayward on the life, times and tones of the Moody Blues, and the undisputed power of a dimed AC30
The iconic Moody Blues guitarist revisits obscure Moodies tracks and discusses the gear and thought processes behind his gear, tone and criminally unsung riffs
Les Dudek on playing with the Allman Brothers and getting no credit, Cher and his 2 hours in Journey
“I’m a legend that nobody knows,” says the journeyman guitarist, who played alongside Dickey Betts on Ramblin’ Man and Jessica, worked with Steve Miller, got scolded by Mike Bloomfield and was almost a founding member of Journey (but wait, there’s more…)
Grace Bowers on her dizzying rise as the world’s next guitar hero and breaking the law to get better
The 18-year-old might be the greatest thing to come out of Nashville since Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint but she's keeping her feet on the ground, hands on her SG, as everyone else stands in awe of her prodigious talent
“I got a call: ‘I’m putting a super band together’”: How Les Dudek joined Journey “for two hours”
Recruited due to his stellar resume – which included studio work with the Allman Brothers Band and Steve Miller – Dudek turned down the gig to pursue a solo career
Pat Travers on his chemistry with Pat Thrall, punk and EVH’s ‘70s arrival and Snortin’ Whiskey
The Canadian-born virtuoso discusses the rise and fall of the Pat Travers Band, witnessing the U.K. punk revolution and the riotous roots of Snortin’ Whiskey
How Les Dudek ended up on the Allman Brothers Band's Ramblin’ Man
“Dickey was thinking about harmony guitars, like what he did with Duane,” the veteran guitarist recounted to GW
Why Grace Bowers prefers the Gibson SG to the Les Paul
Though her preference was originally based on aesthetics and weight, her reasons have – as she's grown more seasoned – expanded to feel and tone
