Fans of Southern rock - and fans of the Van Zant family in particular - are in for a rare treat when brothers Johnny and Donnie take their Van Zant band on the road for the first time. The outing in support of their second album, Van Zant II, kicks off March 6 at the House of Blues in Orlando and works its way north for nine dates. Johnny is on a break from lead vocal duties for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Donnie was able to squeeze in the dates just before a national tour with 38 Special. In addition to the brothers, Van Zant’s touring band comprises some of Southern rock’s finest musicians. Drummer Michael Cartellone - another Lynyrd Skynyrd stalwart - joins the band and Bobby Capps of 38 Special lends his keyboards to the hybrid.
Veteran session guitarists Erik Lungren and Jeff Flannery and bassist Gary "Mojo" Hensley fill out the touring version of the band. Lynyrd Skynyrd will be working on a new album before launching a tour in May, and 38 Special kicks off a roadshow of their own just six days after the Van Zant trek ends. Lynyrd Skynyrd joins the Charlie Daniels Band Volunteer Jam May 11 in Charlotte, N.C., for a monthlong festival caravan. Van Zant II reaches record stores March 6, and the debut single, "Get What You Got Comin’" featuring blues guitar whiz Kenny Wayne Shepherd, is already making its way to radio.

John Hammond is well-known for his solo acoustic blues concerts but this time out, he’s going electric and he’s bringing some top-notch musicians with him. Entering his fifth decade as a performer, Hammond’s emotionally charged guitar work and powerful voice have earned a slew of accolades and awards, including a Grammy and multiple W.C. Handy nods. He’s played with traditional blues icons such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, and Howlin’ Wolf, and shares their passion for the music. But Hammond doesn’t perform with a band very often so the tour, which starts March 13 in California, offers fans a rare opportunity. The band has been dubbed John Hammond’s Wicked Grin (his upcoming album bears the same name) and features Larry Taylor (Canned Heat, Tom Waits) on upright bass; Augie Meyers (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornadoes) on keyboards, Stephen Hodges (Fabulous Thunderbirds, Smashing Pumpkins) on percussion and drums; and blues master Charlie Musselwhite (everyone) on harmonica. With the exception of Carillo, all the musicians played on Wicked Grin, which was produced by Tom Waits and features 12 tracks penned by the gravelly voiced singer. The album is due out March 13 on Pointblank/Virgin Records.

John Fahey, a guitarist who carved out his own corner of Americana only to see it become a foundation of the new age music, died February 22nd in Salem, Ore. He was 61. Usually playing a six-string acoustic guitar with steel strings, Fahey used the fingerpicking techniques of ragtime and country-blues guitar, nd melodies that harked back to hymns and parlor songs, in stately instrumental pieces with classical structures.