ALLY VENABLE
Texan Ally Venable has, unsurprisingly, more than a hint of Stevie Ray Vaughan about her playing. Brandishing a distinctive pink Les Paul, she delivers an interpretation of SRV’s classic “Lenny” and makes the tune her own with her fantastically facile technique, seamlessly blending flash-bomb explosions of furiously fast soloing with deep, biting phrases that drip with emotion, courtesy of her powerful vibrato. Besides being a gifted guitarist, the 23-year-old has a voice imbued with tone and phrasing that belie her tender years. Venable released her fourth album, Heart of Fire, in 2021, to universally positive reviews. The list of blues notables queuing up to guest with her, both live and on record, is further proof, if any were needed, that she is an artist with the potential to significantly broaden her audience beyond the traditional blues markets. — Mark McStea
ERIC JOHANSON
Known mostly as an electric guitar whiz with a sweet slide game, Eric Johanson had a pair of albums under his belt — his Tab Benoit–produced 2017 debut, Burn It Down, and the raucous Luther Dickinson–helmed Below Sea Level album — when COVID hit. Rather than take time off, he kept his roll going online with weekly live-streamed acoustic performances, featuring covers performed with stripped-down, loop-based arrangements, where he avoided vibe-killing click tracks in favor of organic scratch-guitar loops triggering drum tones. Since then, Johanson has made a pair of records, Covered Tracks: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, that showcase his fantastic acoustic and electric leads and tasty slide work on a resonator. His take on everything from southern rockers Marshall Tucker and the Allman Brothers to Fiona Apple and Nine Inch Nails is fresh, and it’s bound to inspire plenty of acoustic players. —Jimmy Leslie
DAVY KNOWLES
Sure, Davy Knowles has performed alongside Jeff Beck, Peter Frampton, Joe Bonamassa and Warren Haynes, among numerous other guitar talents. But he’s got major bragging rights that nobody else can claim: Back in, but by 2009’s , the group had been renamed Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam. As an official solo artist, he’s released a number of albums, including 2021’s , a brilliant collection of blues, rock and soul originals highlighted by the deep-pocket groover “Hell to Pay,” on which he pays tribute to the songwriting and guitar playing of Steve Cropper. —
