Bowie's Dennis Davis and George Murray

Dennis Davis and George Murray chat to Ralph Denyer on their rhythmic station in the Bowie band.

Chas de Whalley records the thoughts of David Bowie's young, gifted and black producer, Derek Bramble

...Is one of Britain's most inventive jazz keyboard players, with a myriad of different strings to his performing bow, and an unusually open-minded approach to new technology. Simon Trask listens to what he has to say.

His time with Rainbow, Whitesnake and Ozzy Osbourne has made Don Airey a rock institution (rather than putting him in one). Tim Goodyer talks to him about music and machinery.

Keyboard player to Rainbow, Black Sabbath and now Ozzy Osbourne, Don talks to Tim Oakes about his keyboards, how to Bark At The Moon, and life on the road with a werewolf...

Session player, freelance producer and 1-Level keyboardist Duncan Bridgeman discusses what it's like to live in a recording studio for 11 months of the year. Interview by Dan Goldstein.

Exclusive words and pics

how to stay at the top for two decades, and still not get noticed

beat in the bahamas

the fruit of guitarmanship disclosed

No doubting the Thomases from Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

The cousin of Kevin tells Richard Walmsley of his life as a lone tone

Felton Pilate's success spans "traditional" funk to the rap revolution - just now he's writing, producing and playing keys for Hammer. Nick Batzdorf raps tech with the Hammer man.

Songs from the North

From Curved Air to Sky, and beyond with the Synclavier II

Mahogany Rush — talks amps with Tony Bacon

Chronicles of a moustachioed maestro. Philip Bashe reporting.

Frank Zappa is never short of a word or a thousand. In this case, there were so many, we had to make it a two-parter. In this first, Ralph Denyer finds out why Frank doesn't hate people (quite) and why London's one of the worst places on earth.

The continuing story of Francis Vincent Zappa who, out on the road with a rock band for the first time in weeks, relates to one Ralph Denyer just how musicians get their action.

Back with a new album 'Jazz From Hell' composed and executed almost entirely on Synclavier, this 60s cult hero explains to Paul Gilby why he has turned his back on lyrics and the reasons for his four-year love affair with the sexy black keyboard with the round Winchester disks!

What makes one of rock music's most eccentric and unpredictable characters lock his guitar in a cupboard and take to composing on a Synclavier instead? Rick Davies provides the answers in an exclusive interview.

Fritz McIntyre - the key is simplicity