Thursday Tunes

Stevie Ray Vaughan is known by most people for his mainstream country-rock pieces such as "Look at Little Sister" and "The House is Rockin'". That is primarily because they were the only songs which really got played on the radio -- and that's a shame, because those are just pale shadows of what he was really capable of doing with a guitar; they were made to cater to the mass audience, most of whom have little patience with slow and intricate music.

But SRV, as his fans refer to him, was one of the best guitarists who ever walked the earth. This piece, called "Riviera Paradise," is one of the greatest examples of American classic guitar ever recorded and ranks among my all-time favorites in any genre. It's made more special by the fact that this style of music -- slow-hand, blues, downbeat jazz, call it what you will -- is truly all-American; it was invented and perfected in the heartland of our great country, and SRV was one of its grand masters.



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