We Got Yer B's Right Here

The B’s refuse to leave. In Episode 13 of Tone Chasers & String Benders, Chaz Charles and Dr. Porifera Glund continue their increasingly improbable alphabetical journey through 1,000 legendary guitarists with five players who manage to cover jazz sophistication, Texas swing, the invention of rock & roll, a genuine mystery man, and modern virtuosity—all before the guys can finally escape the letter B. Featured guitarists in this episode: George Benson – Before the smooth vocals and crossover stardom, there was one hell of a jazz guitarist. Benson sends Chaz and the Doctor into his early work, his unmistakable phrasing, the relationship between the notes he plays and sings, and the realization that “smooth” doesn't have to mean easy. The man can flat-out play. Ray Benson – From one Benson to another, but that's about where the similarities end. The towering leader of Asleep at the Wheel brings Western swing, Texas-sized musical history and a Telecaster into the proceedings. Bob Wills inevitably enters the room, and the guys discover once again that following the guitar backwards usually opens several more doors than it closes. Chuck Berry – Two notes. That's about all it takes. Chaz and Glund dig into the riffs, double-stops, movement, songwriting and guitar vocabulary that became part of rock & roll's basic DNA. There's the duck walk, memories of seeing Berry live, the question of just how much subsequent rock guitar traces directly back to Chuck—and, naturally, an encounter with the infamous John Lennon/Yoko Ono performance that sends everything briefly off the rails. Skeeter Best – And then things get difficult. A respected jazz guitarist with an impressive résumé who proves remarkably hard to actually find. What begins as another entry on the list becomes an on-air musical investigation involving search results, wrong Skeeters, questionable recordings and the recurring Tone Chasers dilemma: how can someone be considered legendary when two guys with the entire Internet at their disposal can barely locate the guitar? Nuno Bettencourt – Finally, the B's arrive in the modern age with one of the great technicians of his generation. Extreme, Pornograffitti, rhythm, melody, impossible-looking technique and a player whose chops never completely obscure the song. And when Nuno's connection to Eddie Van Halen enters the conversation, Chaz finds the performance that gets him every time. And in between? George Benson guitar archaeology. Asleep at the Wheel. Chuck Berry's astonishingly economical recipe for rock & roll. John Lennon trying to play along. Yoko. The mysterious Skeeter hunt. Guitarists singing their own solos. Nuno paying tribute to Eddie. And another reminder that five names on a list somehow never means discussing only five guitarists. Because around here, every guitarist opens another door. Five more guitarists down. 935 to go. Hosted by Chaz Charles and Dr. Porifera Glund. Only on the Boneless Podcasting Network.