Can somebody out there please explain to us why we see artists like John Mayer showing up more often than Steve Hackett in those so-called “All-Time Greatest Guitarists” rankings regurgitated by guitar magazines, instrument manufacturers and pop music critics? We’re a lot closer to solving the ancient riddle of the Sphinx than figuring out that one.

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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As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, there’s a new Killers single cover version of Hotel California out hogging the airwaves in Europe this week.

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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With Thanksgiving dinner barely digested and the first candle on our Advent wreath broken in, we’ve begun pencilling in some items on our Christmas wish list.

• 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

Chris Rea, singer, songwriter and, in our minds first and foremost, fabulous guitarist, has got a new single coming October 20, the title track packaged in a greatest hits collection Still So Far to Go: The Best of Chris Rea

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.

Al Perkins’ new band Big Dog 3‘s debut album drops this coming Tuesday, August 18.

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