If there’s anybody to believe who says the album is worth the wait, then it’s Ed.

Just prior to its February 15th release, Larry has generously posted the album online. We’re talking FULL tracks, ladies and gentlemen.

Old schoolers like ourselves really appreciate Larry’s treatment of the timeless sound of Gamble and Huff. Despite the fact he’s assembled a superb band and vocals for this recording, it’s all about the guitar. Don’t miss this!

Be sure to root for Larry at this year’s Grammy Awards. He’s nominated in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category with Take Your Pick,recorded with Asia’s premier guitarist Tak Matsumoto.

Larry’s upcoming album – a tribute to Gamble and Huff’s “The Sound of Philadelphia” – is undergoing finishing touches in order to hit the shelves in October. The work will be released on Larry’s own 335 Records label and will also include a “making of” DVD.

Larry Carlton plays dates in Hawaii this week and will be joined by Michael McDonald for two shows in the Nashville area on October 7th & 8th before he criss-crosses the globe to perform in Hong Kong, Taiwan and selected European cities.

Regular site visitors know Larry Carlton is a card-carrying member in our circle of top second favorite guitarists.

Why is that? 1) go back and listen carefully to your Steely Dan “Royal Scam” album, 2) make every effort to get to a live Larry show and see for yourself how much fun a guy playing guitar can have, and 3) grab his newest album, Take Your Pick, a collaboration with Japan’s premier guitar player Tak Matsumoto. That should answer the question as to why we’re hooked on Mr. 335.

Extra credit: Read more about Larry in the latest Gibson Interview.

Hackett’s guitar was “instrumental” in solidifying Genesis’ progressive live sound during the early and mid 70′s. After leaving the band in 1977, he has since enjoyed success as a solo artist or as a collaborator, charting his own waters a safe enough distance from the music business “assembly line.”

In March of this year, Steve Hackett was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the legacy members of Genesis. His newest work, Out of the Tunnel’s Mouth will be released in the U.S. on June 8th.

More about Steve at www.hackettsongs.com

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The latin-tinged take was recorded in support of Artists Project Earth (APE) and is being heavily played to coincide with the Global Climate Change Conference which begins next week (Dec 7-18) in Copenhagen. The song will serve as the “soundtrack” to the conference.

Listen to the entire track and learn about APE and its climate initiatives
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• An all-inclusive package to Don’s shows at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls coming up on January 7-9, 2010. With the falls view, of course.
• A banjo-playing Steve Martin. We listened to this recent show recorded while he was on tour on NPR’s World Cafe and liked what we heard.
• The new Kenny Edwards album Resurrection Road available on his site. And while we’re at it, throw in a show or two of his in December with Karla Bonoff.
• Stephen Stills’ new Live at Shepherd’s Bush (CD/DVD). We were at the fantastic Amsterdam show during that solo tour and want to compare notes. (Sample video clip)
• This cool silent guitar from Yamaha. Helps preserve relationships with non-music-loving partners forced to endure late night practice sessions.

Now all we gotta do is tweet this, link it on Facebook, burn the feed on Feedburner, mass e-mail the URL to our Outlook contacts, upload a version on YouTube, text it to Santa and print a hard copy for Mom.

UPDATE 2/2/2010 – Steve Martin’s “The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo” won a 2010 Grammy in the category Best Bluegrass Album

Rea is best known in the U.S. for his hit single “Fool if You Think It’s Over,” which earned him a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year in 1978. For whatever reasons, he chose not to pursue American audiences and focused on Europe and the U.K., releasing sixteen albums between 1980 and 2000. After his recovery from a serious illness and surgery in 2001, he returned to what he considers his musical roots and has continued to demonstrate this prolific passion for the blues.

Chris Rea also has launched a new official web site and will release a new studio album in 2010. Look for him on his upcoming European tour (we defintely will!) beginning in January.

You can sample tracks and purchase it online at Smart Choice Music’s U.K. store or at CD Baby.