session player

Sideman to the stars Doug Rappoport reveals the classic rock icon who persuaded him to up his gear game

By Janelle Borg published 4 March 26

Rappoport was clocked for his budget gear – which didn’t quite fit the modus operandi of the ’70s legend

Steel guitarist Pete Finney – who performed with Vince Gill, Reba McEntire and the Monkees – dies aged 70

By Janelle Borg published 17 February 26

The Nashville legend played with a variety of high-profile artists, including the Chicks, the Judds, and Patty Loveless – and was known as a connoisseur of American music history

How Leland Sklar went from being banned from the studio to a session legend

By Janelle Borg published 13 January 26

Sklar reflects on his first encounter with the legendary collective of session musicians widely known as “Wrecking Crew”

How a 20-year-old Steve Lukather beat three seasoned session pros to feature on this ’70s soft rock classic

By Janelle Borg published 31 December 25

England Dan & John Ford Coley bookended their decade-long career with the album Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive, which features a fast-rising Lukather on a couple of tracks

George Benson session player Corrado Rustici on what it took to record Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody

By Janelle Borg published 9 October 25

Rustici discusses working with producer to the stars, Narada Michael Walden, and how he was roped into Houston’s sessions

Jennifer Batten on how she landed the gig of a lifetime with the world's biggest superstar

By Janelle Borg published 6 October 25

Batten was Michael Jackson’s go-to touring guitarist for a decade – standing side by side with the King of Pop on the Bad, Dangerous, and HIStory world tours

Session guitarist extraordinaire Mike Scott on Prince’s critiques during soundchecks

By Janelle Borg published 17 September 25

Scott played in Prince’s New Power Generation, lending his guitar chops to Emancipation, Crystal Ball/The Truth, and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

Elton John bassist Matt Bissonnette looks back on one of his best gigs – playing on the Friends soundtrack

By Janelle Borg published 31 August 25

Despite playing with bona fide stars, Bissonnette reveals that playing on the hit show was his most lucrative gig

Brent Mason on his affordable secret tone weapon – and how it's become a go-to pedal for session guitarists

By Phil Weller published 22 August 25

The $130 stompbox has been a vital tool across 40 years of session work – and other players have started to take note