Steve Vai is a creative and innovative composer, guitarist and musician. Okay, that’s an obvious statement if I’ve ever written one. He’s changed the way people write within the instrumental guitar genre, his use of rhythm, effects and melodic development have helped to shape the modern guitar vocabulary and his Jem guitar series and Carvin amps have reshaped the custom gear market for the past 25 years. one
Forty-five years after releasing his debut album, The New Boss Guitar, jazz guitarist George Benson is still going strong. With the upcoming August 25, 2009, release date set for his latest studio album Songs And Stories, the ten-time Grammy winner pays tribute to some of his favorite songwriters and composers. Featuring an all-star line up that includes bassist Marcus Miller, guitarists Lee Ritenour and Toninho Horta, saxophonists Tom Scott and Gerald Albright, among others, Benson and company come together to produce an album that is not only a tribute to great songwriters, it is also a reflection of more than four decades of experience by one of jazz’s greatest instrumentalists and vocalists.
Modern rockers Irvine have recently released a video for their single “Welcome Home.” The song features strong lyrics, great musicianship and a vocal hook that sticks in in your head and just won’t let go. Irvine brings a maturity to their songwriting and performances that one would expect from a band much older and experienced, a testament to their natural talent and ability to play off their strengths.
With the economy taking a nosedive a few years back, it seems that two new paradigms have emerged in the guitar manufacturing sector. The first is that big companies such as Gibson and Fender lowered the prices of their products during the downturn, making their instruments more accessible to the average person, which many people took advantage of. But, there was also another more unexpected byproduct of the recession. People began looking for high-quality instruments that would give them the best bang for their buck.
Guitar maestro Paul Gilbert has returned! On April 30, I was so surprised, that I thought the product announcement on HMV Online was a prank or a typo. It was soon realized that this was genuine, and Gilbert’s latest opus, Fuzz Universe was about to be unleashed upon an eagerly waiting public. I got right in line, and a few months later, I’m happy to report that I am not disappointed! Gilbert has maintained his reputation for exceptionally high quality output with this platter, his third instrumental offering.
As part of Guitar International’s coverage of the 2010 Summer NAMM show we’ve put together a photo gallery for our readers to enjoy. Take a look around, there are some great pics in this gallery of Ibanez, Larivee and Parker guitars. Be sure to check out the other four galleries and all of GI’s coverage of the conference.
In the music performance world some artists actually get better over time. The energy and the passion for their craft only increase as they mature. For several decades George Benson has distinguished himself as one of the finest jazz guitarists of his time. Add to that his expressive vocals and scat singing and the musical package is totally complete.
