Posted May 11, 2011 at 2:42 pm | No comments
Mostly written by Paul McCartney, except the middle eight bars which were written by John Lennon, “Michelle” is one of the Beatles’ most-loved ballads. The song is rare in that some of the lyrics are written in French, and after winning the Grammy for “Song of the Year” in 1966, it has become one of the Beatles’ biggest hits in France. Originally inspired by Chet Atkins’ song “Trambone,” “Michelle” was a departure musically for the Beatles as they leaned in a country, finger-picking style for the song’s guitar part. Because of this, the song stands out as unique both lyrically and musically in the Beatles catalogue.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted May 11, 2011 at 1:13 pm | One comment
One band that many veteran metal heads feel should have hit the big time was New York’s The Rods. Comprised of members David “Rock” Feinstein (guitar/lead vocals), Garry Bordonaro (bass/vocals), and Carl Canedy (drums/vocals), The Rods would go on to open arena shows for such renowned groups as Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, the Scorpions, Rainbow and during the mid ’80s, even had a then-unknown Metallica opening a headlining tour for them.
Posted in: Interviews, Metal, Metal Interviews
Posted May 10, 2011 at 11:11 am | No comments
Recorded in 1963, as the A-side along with “I Saw Her Standing There,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was the first single to be made by the band using a four-track tape machine. The song was the first chart-topping single for the Beatles, and the song that is often credited with fully launching the British Invasion of American, that had been slowly gaining momentum up until this time. After a million copies of the single were preordered even before the single was released, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is still the biggest selling single of the Beatles’ long and successful career.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted May 10, 2011 at 7:44 am | No comments
Aaron Shragge is a young trumpet and Shakuhachi flute player who, on his first recording date as a leader, collaborates with New York virtuoso guitarist Ben Monder in an intimate duo setting. The duo setting of wind instrument and guitar is certainly not a departure for Monder, whose previous record Bloom was recorded with Saxophonist Bill McHenry, a record on which they both bewitchingly achieve loose, ethereal atmospheres. The Key is in the Window is a reflection of Shragge’s musical influences, such as the music of Shakuhachi flute and North Indian Vocal style music. Aaron Shragge, in my opinion, creates a remarkable bond between Oriental and Indian traditions with his own Western musical roots. The talented multi-instrumentalist pays tribute to his influences by performing pieces from the Shakuhachi repertoire, such as “Choshi” and “Kyorei,” as well as music from the North Indian Classical tradition.
Posted in: Jazz, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted May 9, 2011 at 1:01 pm | No comments
Like many fellow guitar players and gear enthusiasts, the search for that perfect overdrive pedal is one that rarely finds an end. I can’t tell you how many late nights I’ve spent scouring video reviews on YouTube and proguitarshop.com looking for that perfect box of sonic goodness. This is why I can’t tell you that my search is finally over. What I can say, is that I’ve found a pedal that has halted my search. That pedal is the Rockett Pedals Animal Overdrive.
Posted in: Gear Reviews, Guitars and Gear, Reviews
Posted May 9, 2011 at 11:11 am | No comments
Released in the U.S. by Capital records in 1963, the B-side of the record label’s first ever single, “I Saw Her Standing There” the song was a hit for both the Beatles and the record label. Though the A-side, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” topped the Billboard charts for 11 weeks, the B-side only peaked at number 14, though it remained on the charts for 14 weeks that year. Originally titled “Seventeen,” “I Saw Her Standing There” was initially conceived by Beatles’ bassist and vocalist Paul McCartney while driving home after a Beatles concert in Southport, Lancashire.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted May 9, 2011 at 8:04 am | No comments
For the purposes of this article, I’ll define jazz guitar as the tradition as exemplified by Charlie Christian, Eddie Lang, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Johnny Smith, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow and others of a similar pedigree.
Posted in: Jazz, Op-Ed, Reviews
Posted May 8, 2011 at 9:42 am | No comments
In previous eras, there seemed to be two very distinct camps in the jazz world, those that prefer to play “traditional”, bebop-oriented jazz and those that took a more modern approach to the music, which posed a problem in itself since one person’s modern jazz is Wayne Shorter circa 1970 and to someone else it’s Ben Monder. In recent years, it seems that the jazz world has evolved a new subgenre, that of the “Modern Bebop” player, one who’s playing is steeped in the traditional jazz vocabulary, but that are also open to modern harmonic, rhythmic and melodic concepts as well. Sheryl Bailey is just such a player that fits into this new category of jazzer, and her latest album, For All Those Living, is a showcase for her traditionally steeped, yet modernly tinged, approach to jazz guitar, composition and improvisation.
Posted in: Jazz, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted May 8, 2011 at 8:31 am | No comments
Released in 1965, along with the film of the same name, “Help” was a huge hit for the Beatles in both the U.S. and the U.K, where it reached number one for three weeks in both countries. Though written by John Lennon, the song was credited to Lennon/McCartney as was the custom in those early days of the Beatles’ career. Described as an important step in his songwriting style, John Lennon wrote “Help” to express his feelings about the band’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune in the early ‘60s. Since being released the song has become a fan favorite the world over.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted May 7, 2011 at 1:18 pm | One comment
I wasn’t’ really expecting the first track of Elvin Bishop’s latest CD, Raisin’ Hell Revue to be particularly compelling. But, I’ve been wrong before and I was definitely deep into that well-plowed field on this one. It’s a swampy Cajun romp that shuffles along infectiously with its funky, hand-jive beat that’s more festive than his earlier hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.”
Posted in: Blues, Blues Reviews, Reviews
