Brush with the blues

During its long history, Fender has navigated several tricky turning points, but 1965 marks for some the start of a decline from the standards set by Leo’s original company. Is that view still justified?

IN THE LAST 25 years, Joe Bonamassa has dropped 16 studio records. That’s a lot of music, meaning it’s hard to keep things fresh — and his latest, Breakthrough, despite its title, doesn’t even try to

THE ERIC GALES we know today is undoubtedly a product of his environment growing up. In this case, as fate would have it, we’re talking about an incredibly musical family. Older brothers Manuel and Eu

A manifeste of musical and spiritual freedom, Axis: Bold As Love was JIMI HENDRIX ar his most exploratory, utopian. But as a new box set explores, notes of unease and psycho-autobiography cut through the Aquarian haze and freaky, proto-stereo FX, as the Summer of Love entered its more conflicted autumn. "It was all vivid colour," peers and Fhu tell MARK PAYTRESS, "with Jimi at the height of his powers."

Not only does this 1969 Tele illustrate Fender’s slowly changing post-Leo period, it also documents a lot of modding. Dave Burrluck should know – he was there!

THE NEW HARD Road is a landmark album for Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. It’s not only his first studio recording since 2021’s Grammy-winning 662, but it’s the first release on his own label, Red Zero R