rory block

Photo courtesy of Always

Is there a female guitarist in your Top 10 Favorites list?

Recently I learned I'm the kind of beta male who gets teary-eyed while watching a feminine-product advertisement. I'm talking about the Like a Girl viral-video ad campaign by Always that investigates why women lose confidence after puberty and how the phrase “like a girl" takes on a negative connotation as we mature. Granted, I can't imagine many boys pass through puberty unscathed, but this video indicates that society's sexual bias places lifelong limitations on girls, while boys are raised with a “you can do anything" mentality. This got me thinking about sexism that hides in plain sight.

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I Belong to the Band is the fourth CD in Rory Block’s “Mentor Series” of recordings, in which she pays tribute to great blues guitarists that she studied in her youth.

I Belong to the Band: A Tribute to Rev. Gary Davis
Rory Block
Stony Plain Records


I Belong to the Band is the fourth CD in Rory Block’s “Mentor Series” of recordings, in which she pays tribute to great blues guitarists that she studied in her youth. The previous tribute recordings were to Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, and Robert Johnson.

Block’s legion of fans will surely find this a fascinating and exciting departure. Prior to recording this disc, Block asked Stefan Grossman and David Bromberg for some lessons in the good Reverend’s brilliant and peculiar style, which is very different from her own style, even though Davis was a huge influence on her both musically and personally. Playing 12-string throughout the CD, she proves herself a powerful, pile-driving rhythm guitarist, laying a solid foundation for some multitracked supporting fills and solos. Block has also multitracked vocals, and between the guitar fills and the choir of Rorys, there are moments that almost seem a little cluttered.

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