Say the name Roy Rogers and most people picture the singing cowboy, but this episode is about the other Roy Rogers, born in Redding, California in 1950 and named after that cowboy, who became one of the most formidable modern masters of Delta blues slide guitar. We start with what slide playing physically demands: removing the frets from the equation, finding microtones by ear, and mimicking the wails and moans of the human voice with a margin of error measured in millimeters.

From forming the Delta Rhythm Kings in 1980, Rogers joined John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast band and then produced four Hooker albums, including the Grammy-winning The Healer, plus Mr. Lucky, Boom Boom and Chill Out. We explore the psychology of producing a legend without imposing your own ego, using the analogy of a chef adding a pinch of salt rather than smothering  ...