Billy Strange

by Richie UnterbergerStrange was a top L.A. session guitarist in the 1960s, and also worked as an arranger for Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin (he also wrote a hit for Chubby Checker, Limbo Rock). He also released instrumental recordings that gave a folk-country-easy listening treatment to country, folk, and pop tunes. Stranges style, with its dextrous, rich, tone, virtuosic picking, and easy-on-the-ear arrangements, has been aptly dubbed loungeabilly — roots music for those who need to ease into (or want to totally avoid) the real thing. True, its not Bill Monroe or Bela Fleck, but as a guitarist he had an interesting, distinctive flavor.