Scotty Moore, 1931 – 2016

Guitarist Scotty Moore died Tuesday at the age of 84. In 1955, at tiny Sun Studio in Memphis, Mr. Moore played his Gibson ES-295 through an EchoSonic amp and, along with bass player Bill Black, backed up young Elvis Presley on an uptempo version of Junior Parker‘s song “Mystery Train.” It was the first Rock n’ Roll record many people ever heard.

You can hear the key role Scotty Moore’s finger-picked guitar played in propelling the tune on the Elvis recording and on the version he recorded in 1964 without a lead vocal:

Bert Jansch, 1943 – 2011

“Bert Jansch, an Influential Folk Guitarist, Is Dead at 67,” William Grimes, New York Times

“Bert Jansch: a modest man with an immodest talent,” Pete Paphides, The Guardian

“Brilliant Guitarist Bert Jansch: An Appreciation,” Tom Cole, All Songs Considered, NPR