AS FAR AS THE progression of the guitar goes, few time periods have been as creative as The British Blues Invasion of the mid 60s. While the earlier British Invasion saw The Beatles then other bands like The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds grab America’s attention, it was the stunning guitar skills heard in blues-based British music that uniquely enthused those young Americans. As it is well documented, UK guitarists had been so inspired by BB King, Albert King, Buddy Guy and more, that they adopted the music for themselves before taking it back to the States. And to much celebration. In this issue we’re spotlighting this special period by focusing on the most revered of those British blues heroes. They are of course Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. As a collective, these Surrey Delta musicians (Epsom to Ripley, via Kingston) cultivated their vocabulary from US blues albums. And from playing together. A lot. The results were iconic albums that still resonate with listeners today. If you’re one of their many fans, you will enjoy the detail Jon Bishop has provided (page 14 onwards). String bends, strong vibrato, Pentatonic licks and arresting rhythmic phrasing are just some of the key techniques you will gain from this unique feature. If you have a foot in both blues and jazz, you’ll appreciate our video masterclass with US guitarist, Tim Lerch. With a stong online following, Tim is well placed to add sophistication to blues, or bluesy vibes to bebop lines. Check him out on page 24. We also spotlight the jazzy-blues licks so typical of Berklee tutor, Tomo Fujita. Go to page 40 to see how John Wheatcroft presents the guy that taught pop-blues superstar, John Mayer. It may prove the ideal gateway to getting some Melodic Minor scale into your own playing!