ROCK N' ROLL REVERIE...

As a child in the 1950s and a teenager in the early 1960s, Rock n' Roll was a seminal influence. Watching TV shows like 'Six-Five Special' and 'Oh Boy!' introduced me to the emerging British Rock n' Roll scene which had developed from the earlier Skiffle craze.

American Rock n' Roll had influenced and inspired the Brits to take up their electric guitars and wail, but the results could be mixed and not always convincing. There were some good examples though and I leaned towards those, particularly as my parents had bought a second hand radiogram complete with a collection of records, many of which were by American rock n' Roll stars of that time. I was lucky enough to hear the real deal.

One of those early standout records for me was 'Jailhouse Rock' by Elvis Presley, and Scotty Moore's terrific guitar solo in it simply defined what an electric guitar could sound like back then. Or so it seemed to me at that time.

Of course, guitar instrumental bands soon grabbed my attention, Duane Eddy and the Rebels, The Ventures, The Shadows, The Spotnicks, The Fireballs, The String-Alongs, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, The John Barry Seven, Johnny and the Hurricanes, and many, many others. The electric guitar was king and really fired my imagination. Amazingly, as you all probably know, it still works its magic to this day.

But, whilst my contemporary music embraces many other areas, from rock to avant-garde and ambient, I still have a great fondness for the music that stoked my early rock n' roll dreams.

So, here's a link to a video by contemporary guitarist/singer Darryl Higham, a musician I really admire. He must not have been even born when rock n' roll was in its heyday, but his love of the genre, and his mastery of it is clearly apparent. Whatever rock n' roll needs...he's got it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJTXKhIG6dE