--"Thanks, Ted. The rule is: can they play an instrument as well as most guys in a rock band? Specifically, drums and guitar."--

Here are some more. When it comes to guitar there is Ruyter Suys from Nashville Pussy and Corin Tucker from Sleater-Kinney.

The drummer Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney is good too. Another real good one is Stefanie Eulinberg. She plays in Twisted Brown Truckers, Kid Rock's back-up band. Another one is Meg White from The White Stripes (one of my favorite bands). It's hard to describe her playing. She's overrated and underrated at the same time.


--"On the Mar Y Sol Festival album, there's a blues band called Nitzinger. He (John Nitzinger) introduces the members. I can't hear him real well, but when he introduces the drummer, he says, (I think I hear him right)"--

I know his drummer back at that time was Linda Waring. But I don't know if it was her that played with him at the festival.

Just writing that last sentence I'm reminded of a blues guitarist I saw in Vegas about 5 years ago. Her name was Teresa Russell. She was very good. But that might have been the alcohol. I wonder if she's still around. I bought a cassette that night but Lord knows where it is now. If you like blues you should check her out.

Thanks, Icono for getting my brain going. Trying to think of female musicians got me looking through all my old cassettes and bringing back some good memories.

I know his drummer back at that time was Linda Waring. But I don't know if it was her that played with him at the festival.

Even though I couldn't understand him real well, I'm sure he didn't say Linda Waring.

after three days of holding this one back, i no longer have the strength to restrain myelf.

your best argument can be summed up in two words: linda mcccartney.

Sheryl Crowe and Tift Merritt - two of my faves.

your best argument can be summed up in two words: linda mcccartney

Neither a singer nor musician.

Sheryl Crowe and Tift Merritt - two of my faves.

Sheryl Crowe is pretty good. I haven't heard of Tift Merritt.

Neither a singer nor musician

exactly my point. and yet she regularly performed with a former beatle. in the words of george michaels, it's not what you know, it's who ya blow.

it's not what you know, it's who ya blow.

*L* No truer words have been said.

Women have a harder time since the drums and guitar are far from traditional instruments for women to play. Bands with male front singers fear how they would look with a female in such a role in their band, traditionally all female bands have done poorly with few exceptions. The overall mindset may just be that the music watching public don't want to see women leads in bands, let them sing, but it's the lead guitarist that runs the band and isn't often fired without consequences to the band. Don't ask me why. I don't know the answer. My Uncles old band used to fire lead singers left and right. Van Halen is among those also. But there is NO Motley Crue without Tommy Lee.

You could trace some of it to band class and the instructors, I wanted to play drums, I was "steered" to the clarinet. And oddly enough, there was an electric guitar and a full kit drummer in our school band (both male, females couldn't even learn it).

It don't mean that fabulous females don't exist, it's that society wants women to be soft and fluffy (like violins, clarinets, flute, vocals) and men should be hard and raw (electric guitar, drums, tubas, Cello) Fluffy men join boy bands that appeal to teenage girls. *L*

Maybe I should point one of the highschool teachers into having the student's to a report on this.... Hmmmmmm.

She's probably more folksy, country than rock but I think she's awesome.

There was a series on PBS about blues. I recorded the final episode and watched it again last night.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Great guitarist.