There are few guitarists on the scene today that can boast the performing and teaching career that Sheryl Bailey has built up over the past decade. Not only have her albums been well received, and she is constantly performing as both a leader and side woman, but she has built a reputation as one of the top jazz guitar teachers anywhere, through both her video releases and her work at the Berklee College of Music.
As a lifelong Rush fan and a nascent (“wanna-be”) drummer, it was with no small level of excitement that I popped in the new Neil Peart instructional DVD, Taking Center Stage. With a track listing comprised of Rush’s 2010/2011 “Time Machine” tour set list, which featured the entire Moving Pictures album, this release is a fulfillment of many Rush fans’ long-held wishes, as it offers a chance to see what Peart is actually doing on many classic Rush songs.
My first instructional DVD with Rob Wallis and Paul Siegel of Hudson Music was called A Work in Progress, and the subject was composing drum parts and recording them. It was based around the making of Rush’s Test For Echo album in 1995.
Paul, Rob, and I enjoyed working together, and I felt it was a true collaboration, like the one I have with my bandmates, Alex and Geddy. In preparing for the shoot, the three of us exchanged dozens of notes and conversations, and while we were filming, we would get together between shots and discuss topics for discussion in the next one. Because it was filmed in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, in May, 1996, we had some nice outdoor settings for the parts where I was talking to the camera, and that made for a more “scenic” program.
After being plagued by numerous title changes, delays in production, editing, and release dates, Director Renny Harlin’s long awaited motion picture, 5 Days Of Warhas finally received an exclusive limited theatrical USA release on August 19, 2011, in New York City and Washington, D.C..
The iconic comic superhero and freedom fighter, whose 1941 debut initially served as an inspiring symbol to rally America’s patriotism during World War II, celebrates his 70th birthday by finally getting his due in this evocative, rousing silver screen adaptation.
This third installment in the multi-billion dollar Transformers franchise is definitely the charm. Leaving behind the convoluted storyline that derailed the series’ second film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Director Michael Bay and Executive Producer Steven Spielberg are once again at the helm of this third film. Only now, they pull out all the stops with a mind-blowing, thrill-ride of a film.
There are few genres of jazz that are more imposing and intimidating to guitarists than Bebop. It is fast, full of intensity, requires a thorough knowledge of one’s instrument and a deep understanding of the vocabulary used by the great Bebopers, both past and present. While many Bebop learning methods tend to uphold the genre’s complicated reputation, there are others that do a great job of breaking down this amazing music. Making it easy to understand and learn for players of all experience levels, tastes and backgrounds.
This fifth installment in the Fast and the Furious film franchise pulls out more than all the stops. Riding on the blockbuster success of 2009’s fourth chapter in the series, Fast & Furious, this edition shows off its infusion of big budget production, international jet set locales, gorgeous cinematography, and sports spectacular high-tech gadgetry and breathtaking stunts. Bigger, bolder and badass to the core, before its opening weekend even ended, Fast Five reportedly already earned some $84 million, surpassing all expectations, making it the most successful film in the series.
At the Iridium Jazz Club, where the legendary Les Paul played weekly, on the night of what would have been his 95th birthday, Jeff Beck and a slew of guests honored the guitar great. An avid fan of Les Paul, Jeff Beck seemed the obvious selection to host Rock & Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul. The two guitarists became fast friends after a brief encounter in the ‘80’s, shared a similar playing style, and both experimented with the idiomatic guitar sound.
Co-Producer Michael Bay optioned the bestselling novel I Am Number Four, authored by James Frey and Jobie Hughes, and assembled a smart and savvy screenwriting team comprised of Smallville’s Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Marti Noxon. With Disturbia Director D.J. Caruso at the helm, expectations loomed high for a bright, intelligent, science fiction thriller steeped in thoughtful character development, emotional resolve, and rich narrative. Well, maybe not so much.
