Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Acoustic guitarist Earl Klugh will release the ensemble recording The Spice Of Life April 29 on Koch Records. The album is Klugh’s first full-production release in nine years, and is the follow-up to his 2005 solo disc, Naked Guitar, which garnered Klugh his eleventh career Grammy nomination.
This collection was inspired by the music of Klugh’s life and includes original compositions “Ocean Blue,” “Driftin’,” “Sleepyhead” and “Snap!”
“One of the solo pieces I wrote is directly in the style of Antonio Lauro, a classical guitarist and composer from Venezuela,” Klugh said. “When I was young, there wasn’t a lot of sheet music for classical guitar. Antonio’s waltzes were some of the first transcriptions I ever had. I wrote and named the piece ‘Venezuelan Nights’ in honor of Antonio.”
Klugh will present his 5th Annual Weekend of Jazz April 3 at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., joining Ramsey Lewis, Boney James, Mindi Abair and Sophie Milman.
More info: kochrecords.com
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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