Nev picks his way through another editorial.

WE GET LETTERS about blues all the time. The nay-sayers treat it as one great mire into which they don’t ever want to sink, while the lovers adore its almost infinite variety of styles and feels.

As if to reinforce the latter view this month’s cover feature focuses on one aspect of the blues: the shuffle. This single ‘feel’ has powered the music of great artists from early ragtime to the legendary Stevie Ray and beyond.

We’re pleased to say that Richard Barrett is back in GT; a splendid rock and blues player, Richard nails the shuffle’s range of styles perfectly.

Some would say that the perfect pairing of rock and blues was Gary Moore’s classic Parisienne Walkways. A perhaps surprising hit in 1979 when punk and new wave were all the rage and rock was, supposedly, music for dinosaurs. It’s a signature Gary song and full of his great tones and licks. Richard has tabbed the original but added a superb three-minute live outro that features some stunning soloing. Check it out!

Last month Phil Capone made it his duty to sort out your alternate picking. He continues his front-end series this issue with a look at that mysterious beast, ‘economy’ or ‘inside’ picking. A lot of rock and jazz players use this to drastically increase their fluency and speed, and if you’ve wondered about it but never given it a concerted go, now’s your chance.

You may also notice we’ve given the magazine a bit of a spruce up. Nothing drastic, but the text is a little clearer and the general style a little more up to date. Of course, the content remains exactly the same with brilliant front-end features and lessons in all manner of music styles.

Do enjoy another great issue... and I’ll see you next time.