FEATURES

11 To Watch In 2011
Elmore writers spotlight artists poised to move up a level this year. We questioned them about their careers, and got interesting answers

Producers Pump It Up
Every artist’s got one, but what the heck do producers do, anyway? PRODUCER GARY FILADELFO reveals a few tricks

DEPARTMENTS

Letter from a Corrector: Complete creative freedom may not be the best route to great art

Kickin’ in Your Stall: The Devil is in the details, God is everywhere; so where does that leave Neil Peart?

Influences: Great guitarists live on in two men: Buddy Guy and Doyle Bramhall II

On The Record: Thank God Gregg Allman has nine lives, or we’d have missed Low Country Blues. Buddy Guy supplies even more Living Proof the blues is alive and well. Two of our featured artists, Jake Shimabukuro and the Greenhornes, prove new music is also alive and well. Thank God again.

Re.Issues: The Mamas & the Papas carved out a huge place for themselves, one where folk, pop, and singer/songwriters lived in—drumroll, please—harmony. It didn’t get much better then, and there’s nothing to beat them now. Too many excellent reissues to mention, with John Lennon, the Beatles, Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis for starters

Pet Sounds: Girls’ Night Out. Ali Green looks at the girls who join the boys’ club

Get A Grip: Steve Walbridge comes to terms with his record collection’s mortality

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning: What’s Going On? John Legend and Charles Bradley incorporate politics in their soul music—too bad politics has such little soul.

What’d I Say: Here’s to the harpers: it’s not the size of the instrument, it’s how hot you blow it

Also Appearing: Los Cenzontles aid their Bay Area community, John Lennon aids the world. Fireside reading about Eric, Jimi and Syd, and a few DVDs to help cure the winter sniffles

Collecting: Dave Edmunds wore many genres comfortably. How to put his best on your shelves