Abe’s
L.A.-based hired gun Hawthorn did well enough playing for local artists and supplying music for TV and movies to release a self-titled solo album in 2006 under the Johnny Hawthorn Band moniker. Encouraged by the response, he’s back as just Johnny Hawthorn with “Death & Taxes.”
self-released
Fans of Allman Brothers Band instrumentals are guaranteed to love this tastefully executed instrumental electric guitar album with plenty of slide. But besides the southern-rock vibe, Pennsylvania-based Roth impressively channels jazz masters such as Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour and, to a lesser extent but just as effectively, funk greats like Steve Cropper and Leo Nocentelli.
Surfdog
Three studio albums into his 21st-century comeback, Hicks is squarely in the groove. Taken as a whole, the melodies, lyrics, vocals and musicianship on “Tales” are nearly as good as on 1972’s “Striking It Rich,” arguably the artistic zenith for his heady mixture of good-time/old-time swing, folk, country and jazz with a lyrical dose of wry humor that never fails to bring a smile.
Vanguard
It’ll be 10 years ago in November that Sahm, 58, went to sleep at a New Mexico motel and never woke up. Since then, there have been enough releases to keep fans happy while preserving his legacy: “The Return of Wayne Douglas” (his final sessions, 2000); “The Songs of Sahm” (the Bottle Rockets’ covers disc, 2002); two limited-edition reissues — “The Genuine Texas Groover” (“Doug Sahm & Band” and “Texas Tornado” with more than an album’s worth of outtakes, 2003) and “The Complete Mercury Masters” (the Sir Douglas Quintet’s six original Mercury/Smash albums plus bonus material, 2005); and “Live From Austin, Texas” (a 1981 “Austin City Limits” performance, 2006).
self-released
They call him Mr. Smooth for good reason: His stylings are like silk. What’s more, his tone can’t be topped and he likes to mix things up with unexpected staccato bursts.
