Vanishing Grace (a variation) I’ve been steeped in Gustavo Santaolalla’s music and guitar playing since 2005 when his iconic score for Brokeback Mountain was first released. The minimalism of his playing captivated me immediately. Santaolalla’s style has informed my playing ever since. Gustavo Santaolalla has […]

The Last of Us (HBO) HBO’s The Last of Us is being heralded as “the greatest video game adaptation ever”. No surprise as Craig Mazen is the executive producer and showrunner. Mazen’s Chernobyl mini-series (on HBO) was one of the greatest shows I have ever […]

1923 1923 is a Yellowstone origin story, where the Duttons face challenges to the ranch, in the early 20th century. I particularly like the character of Spencer — a WW1 soldier suffering from PTSD who’s biding time as ‘man-eater’ hunter in Africa. Kind of like […]

The Pale Blue Eye I was REALLY excited to see The Pale Blue Eye – as the whole thing was shot around my hometown of Pittsburgh. Western PA is filled with well-preserved colonial sites that are located within state parks. Specifically, I spend a lot […]

Adagio in C Minor HBO’s Succession has definitely been on my list to watch. A friendly listener suggested Impromptu No. 1 from the soundtrack of Season 3. I had no idea the classically inspired music was from composer, Nicholas Britell. He’s one of my all […]

The Whale The Whale is a film directed by Darren Aronofsky, and stars Brendan Fraser as a reclusive English teacher, who tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. Brendan Fraser is easy to like. His career is in a renaissance — as he’s reinvented […]

I’m With You (Always) Bones and All is a romantic/horror/road film directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name). The film tells the story of two young cannibals, falling in love, and fleeing together on a road trip across the US. The Bones and […]

21 Grams I completely lifted my right-hand technique from composer, Gustavo Santaolalla. He effectively arpeggiates chord shapes by rolling through them with his fingers. This is a beautiful way to voice chords, and pretty easy to do with a little practice. The best way to […]

1883 I’ve been obsessing over Taylor Sheridan’s work since he wrote the screenplay for Sicario (2015). However, I’m only getting a chance to watch his 1883 series now — and IT IS fantastic. 1883 is a prequel to Sheridan’s Yellowstone series, and it tells the […]

The Banshees of Inisherin The Banshees of Inisherin, is a 2022 black comedy written and directed by British-Irish playwright, Martin McDonagh. The film follows two lifelong friends (Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson) who find themselves at an impasse, when one abruptly ends their relationship. The predicament […]

The Parting Glass Friends, my new EP is out today, The Parting Glass. It’s a collection of 5 contemplative guitar pieces in the World/New Age genre. This one has more of a Celtic feel as the EP progresses. Links to streaming below: 👇🏻 1. Pale […]

Yellowstone Yellowstone is a Paramount TV series written and directed by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Hell or High Water, Wind River). Kevin Costner plays John Dutton, a father trying to protect his ranch, the largest in the United States, from land developers, and a neighboring Indian […]