America at the crossroads

The blues emerged from the pain of Mississippi’s cotton fields, going on to shape modern American music as we know it. From B.B. King to Elvis Presley, Jacqui Agate traces its story across the Magnolia State

A once-neglected patch of land in Duddingston, Edinburgh has been transformed into a welcoming green space by volunteers. Jock Tamson’s Gairden – named in honour of Duddingston’s Rev John Thomson, ins

AN ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUE all electric guitarists should strive to master is the art of string bending, which can be used to create personally expressive, vocal-like sounds in unique ways. String bending

December round-up Although he’s been writing and performing for many years, Donald WG Lindsay might come across as a bold new Scottish talent on Two Boats Under the Moon, his excellent two-disc debut

There’s more than a whiff of swing in the air–and on the airwaves. Will Hosie explores the resurrection of one of music’s most gentlemanly genres

Kenny Chesney’s grit and authenticity have earned him a string of hits and a legion of fans—his No Shoes Nation. Yet despite his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the singer-songwriter isn’t slowing down