GUITAR GODS: Malina Moye

"I love where she's coming from." - Stevie Wonder

Guitar flipped upside down and played leftie, Malina is in the fast lane to the top of the pop-rock heap. A fabulous guitarist with the compositional chops, the voice, the dance moves, and the look to create the whole package in a way we haven't seen in a long, long time...and in a way we desperately need.

You may have seen her on stage or on video, you may have seen her on TV playing the national anthem on guitar (Vikings vs Cowboys) or playing the Chuck Berry Tribute and Michael Jackson Tribute shows at the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. You may have heard her collaboration with legend Bootsy Collins or seen her name on the charts (Billboard, Amazon, & iTunes),. You may have heard her music on MTV or seen her in Guitar World Magazine (who named her one of the top 10 best female guitarists on the scene today).

Or you may have seen her when she joined the "Experience Hendrix" tour, sharing the stage with the likes of Eric Gales, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Brad Witford, and others, or sharing the stage at Bospop Festival with legends like Chaka Khan, or on other stages around the globe, where she has shared the stage with artists as diverse as pop icon Robin Thicke and guitar legend Vernon Reid, Eral Slick, and Lemmy (Motorhead).

But if you haven't, the time is now.

She is an artist of many talents - a real musician with real-world savvy thrown in - and her time has come.

Learn more about Malina at her website (and be sure to check out the video at the end of the interview!).

I had a chance to chat with Malina recently - check it out!

GUITAR GODS: Adam Bentley

Arch Echo is an incredible new band that features rich, sophisticated instrumental songs filled with passion and dazzling displays of virtuosity.....and they have just released their debut album, ARCH ECHO.

Eight days ago, we featured an interview with one half of the twin guitar team, Adam Rafowitz (see his interview HERE). Today, we feature his partner in crime, the amazing Adam Bentley.

Adam attended the Berklee College of Music (where he met his Arch Echo band-mates), and then set out for Nashville. Once there, he stretched out beyond the scope of instrumentalist, and is also working as a composer, mixer, and producer (in fact, he mixed the debut Arch Echo album, and recorded, mixed, & produced his debut solo album, under the moniker "Absently", titled "Open Mind").

You can learn more about Adam and Arch Echo at their website, and be sure to "like" their facebook page. Adam also has a personal Youtube Channel with loads of great tutorials and music.

I had a chance to chat with Adam recently - check it out!

RIP Chris Cornell

"2, maybe 3 hours ago. I never write this soon after. I took a day to write about Michael Jackson. 2 weeks for Prince....."

Read it all at Skinny Devil Universe

GUITAR GODS: Courtney Cox

Courtney Cox is a shredding new talent. She burst on the scene in 2008 as a member of the Iron Maidens (an all female Iron Maiden tribute band), but by that time - due to her time at the Paul Green's School of Rock - she had performed on-stage with legends like Jon Anderson (Yes), Adrian Belew, Janes Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell, and guitar hero George Lynch (ed. note: see George's "Guitar Gods" interview HERE).

She then relocated to Los Angeles and was quickly tapped for the role of "Adriana Smith" in the Iron Maidens, and has scarcely had time away from the fast-paced world of music since.

Learn more about Courtney at her facebook page and check out the Iron Maidens.

I had a chance to chat with Courtney recently - check it out!

GUITAR GODS: Parker Hastings

Parker Hastings - he's already opened for several major acts; shared the stage with none other than Tommy Emmanuel (ed. note: see Tommy's "Guitar Gods" interview  HERE); been a featured performer at events like GA Thumbpickers Annual Gathering, the Jerry Reed Tribute Concert (Nashville), and more; played at the Country Music Hall of Fame with John Knowles; in 2014 became the youngest person ever to win both adult titles at the Home of the Legends Guitar Competition (winning both Contemporary and Traditional categories); and has appeared 3 times on Woodsongs Old-time Radio Hour....and he's only just now old enough to drive!

Parker is a teenage guitar sensation from Central Kentucky and started playing guitar at the ripe old age of SIX.

He has already played countless shows across the region and is making a big splash on the national scene. That's right: Get his autograph now while you still can!

You can learn more about Parker at his website.

I had a chance to chat with him recently - check it out!

GUITAR GODS: Jackie Venson

Jackie Venson is a guitarist-singer I stumbled upon just recently. I truly am a lucky guy!

With a smoky voice and a smoldering approach to guitar, everything always seems on the edge of bursting into sonic flames. Songs like "Always Free" (I was stunned silent by the acoustic version), "Rollin' On" (a classic slow electric blues in the finest Texas tradition), "Lost in Time" (an wonderful island-ie groove), and many others show her depth as composer, singer, and player.

Miss Venson performs both as a solo act and with a full band (drums, bass, keys) backing her, and is as fresh and exciting a new talent as I have ever heard. Yes, she really is that good!

Oddly, she only started playing guitar around 2011 (her final year at Berklee, where she studied piano and composition, and graduated in 2012) and wrote, recorded, and released her debut EP "Rollin' On" in 2013.

She went on to record another EP and 2 full-length albums, and has toured extensively across the US & Europe.

Learn more about Jackie Venson at her website and facebook page, and be sure to see her videos on her youtube channel.

I had a chance to chat with Jackie recently - check it out!