Dave Alvin helped to kick start the American roots rock scene in the early '80s with the band the Blasters and has since gone on to a career as a solo performer, songwriter, producer, and sideman that's been as well respected as it is eclectic.

James McMurtry is one artist who has earned his solid singer/songwriter/guitarist reputation. Critics, peers and music aficionados have long praised him as being among the strongest songwriters of his generation. His works, which range from atmospheric ballads to no-holds-barred rockers, are populated by world-weary souls often longing for something different, if no better, than what they're now enduring. Perhaps in part because of his powerful reputation as a lyricist, coupled with his stirring vocal style, McMurtry is often not given his due as a guitarist. Though not one to stoop to flash just for the sake of effect, he can rip forth with a flurry of fat-toned notes when the material demands it. In the next breath, he'll frame a tender composition with poignant lead lines. He tends to travel with half a dozen or so guitars, which offers him a wide palate of tones and tunings from which to choose. (L.E. Brady)