-Vintage Guitar Magazine --Vintage Guitar Magazine, December 2008

Open-flat spiral blues instruction book and CD by Larry McCabe

Red Dog Music Books is proud to offer this superb collection of 25 model urban blues guitar solos. This book was Mel Bay's Book of the Month in the June 1984 Guitar Player Magazine, and is still in print.

Blues guitar teachers, serious students, and blues band guitarists will all enjoy his large collection of 100% pure blues and boogie solos for guitar. Twenty-five exciting solos are presented here, each played over its own rhythm progression.

Every solo is transcribed in both standard notation and tablature, and played note for-note with a full band on the professionally recorded companion CD.

Each recorded track contains one chorus of rhythm section only, followed by one chorus with the solo played over the rhythm.

This book is for the guitarist of early intermediate ability level whose interests include authentic, non-commercial blues music, the good stuff that is seldom heard via mass-market channels such as radio and television.

Guitar teachers might use the book to introduce new hand positions, fingerings, chords, and theoretical concepts.

Each solo is made up of many interesting phrases (licks) that can be adapted and incorporated into your own style. The solos are relatively challenging, and can be used in blues jams and on stage.

The solos are in the urban blues style heard on recordings by artists such as Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Elmore James, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Little Walter, BB King, Albert King, John Hammond, Anson Funderburgh, Hubert Sumlin, Little Ed and the Blues Imperials, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Dixon, R.L. Burnside, Butterfield Blues Band, Otis Spann Charlie Musselwhite, Lonnie Mack, Boozoo Chavis, Ry Cooder, Gatemouth Brown, Freddie King, Sonny Boy Williamson, Robert Lockwood, Lonnie Johnson, and similar musicians who recorded for Chess Records, Delmark Records, Sun Records, Alligator Records, Arhoolie Records and other labels that focus on roots music performers and Afro-American music.

The book is an excellent resource for creative blues guitar teachers.

Prospective buyers are encouraged to use the Search Inside Book feature to examine the contents and music pages prior to purchase. Another SUPER COOL and USEFUL music book by Larry McCabe and Red Dog Music Books.