By: Rick Landers
The Brotherhood of the Guitar, a brainchild of rock photographer, Robert M. Knight, backed by Fender Guitars, Guitar Center and Ernie Ball Stings is gaining traction and beginning to launch into it’s own guitar movement, one that’s looking for a new generation of guitar heroes.
Rock photographer, Robert M. Knight, had a notion that a new generation of music talent remains hidden from view, talent that may demand attention because of a young artist’s technical virtuosity, melodic genius or a talent that’s beyond definition, when a young artist has what Knight calls the “it factor”.
Knight contacted his longtime friend and rock poster artist, Jim Evans, who designed the Brotherhood site and continues to keep it stoked with updates, while adding new young artists as they’re discovered.
Robert M. Knight – photo credit: Maryanne Bilham
And with over 45 years in the music business, Knight’s been part of rock history as one of its most prolific photographers and networkers.
During the 1970s, he hung out with a new group called itself Led Zeppelin, hosted a young Jimi Hendrix at his home in Hawaii and has cataloged thousands of images of legendary musicians over past five decades.
And as much as he was part of that scene, he found himself challenged by producer Tim Kaiser [Will and Grace and Seinfeld] and director John Chester [Lost in Woonsocket, Jockeys, Random 1] during the filming of their documentary of Robert’s life, Rock Prophecies.
Kaiser prompted, “Look, in the old days, you always knew the bands you worked with. Like you were one of the first guys to work with Led Zeppelin when they hit the shores of America. You kind of helped them early on and other bands like that. Do you think you could still do that?”
Both Kaiser and Chester were committed to the film project and figured Knight could push the envelope again with a new generation of musicians.
“Can you pick some young artists that no one ever heard of, and hopefully by the time the movie comes out, we can promote them?” he prompted.
The award winning documentary, Rock Prophecies” came out in 2009 that highlighted Robert’s new mission, as well as getting heavy rotation on PBS and Netflix.
With that, Robert started a search for some young guitar slingers and groups that he felt showed promise. And his quest gravitated toward artists like Australia’s Sick Puppies and prodigy, Tyler Bryant.
Soon after an avalanche of requests from parents who asked if Robert could do the same thing he did with Tyler and the Sick Puppies.
The Brotherhood was launched where today Robert’s corral of young performers is a group to be reckoned with that includes such hot musicians as: Jacob Morris, Noah Bernardout, Josh Jamarillo and Quinn Sullivan.
Young performers from far off lands who would normally be beyond the star making machinery now had an “inside” mentor, who would gain some horsepower from the backing of Fender, Guitar Center and Ernie Ball; companies with huge brand recognition, resources and global reach.
Knight approached his friends at the companies, “I’ve been with Guitar Center for quite some time, working with the Rock Walk and the photography they display on their buildings. Fender has been a super client of mine and I have a long history with them. I suggested to them that there was an opportunity needing filled. We’ve been promoting guys in their seventies, and they’re all my favorite guitar players, but we have a generation of kids coming off of gaming who can’t identify. I think we’re missing the boat. This generation of kids is going to be the next generation of guitar players. Let’s find them.”
Fender and Guitar Center were enthused and both said, “Great idea!” Then Ernie Ball Strings came on board and Knight ended up with a triad of music industry giants backing the project.
Robert soon established his Brotherhood of the Guitar, followed up by Guitar Center’s successful campaign ad promoting, Tomorrow’s Guitar Heroes. The idea gained heavy traction through the social media of the three companies.
“The strength of the support from Fender, Guitar Center and Ernie Ball Strings has really put a spotlight on kids that never would have gotten the attention. It also interconnected over 70 young performers, which is even better, because now they know that they’re not alone and that there are other people like them in obscure locations that can’t find other young enough to play music with. So, there are all kinds of chattering amongst themselves. It’s very, very successful,” said Knight.
At this point, Robert M. Knight and his music industry friends have been working for several years to build a supportive environment for young guitarists. Knight does point out that the Brotherhood is not exclusionary and includes both young men and women, with an age range of 14 years old up to 20 year olds.
ENTER BROTHERHOOD’S CONTEST TO WIN AN AMERICAN STRATOCASTER!
Although, the Brotherhood concept started off as a coupling of altruism and ambition, Fender, Guitar Center and Ernie Ball all knew that it needed to be grounded in sound business practices to ensure in implementation the idea didn’t spin out of control and become unmanageable. They knew that there must be brilliant young guitarists in nearly every town in America, let alone the world, and selecting those for the Brotherhood had to be managed smartly.
There’s only so much time to go around. So, the selection process, the mentoring and the full range of support must be a balance of focused attention by leaders of the effort and a willingness of each young member of The Brotherhood to seek out others for collaboration, for help and to pave their own roads ahead.
Some of the artists have started working with one another, particularly some of the cohort that lives around Nashville. Robert’s been working with a group called, Exist Elsewhere. The group includes a singer-songwriter-guitarist, Noah Benardout, that he found when Noah was only 15 years old.
“The group kind of came together when Noah had a tour booked with Scott Stapp and SXSW. The kids in his local band were all in school at the University of Southern California and they couldn’t break away. So, he called me asking if I could find him a band. I knew I could get him some great performers the next day. ” Said Knight.
Robert made some calls and pulled together guitarist, Josh Jaramillo, and rapid-fire drummer, Elijah Wood, whom Knight claims is “like a Keith Moon or John Bonham already.
“I put these two guys together, and with Noah, now there’s a very, very powerful band. I spent three years coaching Josh, who is one of the rare Latino kids who really wants to be a lead guitar player, in the very classic sense of wanting to be a guitar hero. He’s a very special kid, who left Barstow for L.A. and worked in an In and Out burger shop to make ends meet while he works towards his dream. Things are happening for him!” Knight said with the enthusiasm that he claims is equal to his early days shooting rock performances.
Exit Elsewhere
So, between the heavy fueled support of Fender, Guitar Center, Ernie Ball and Robert Knight, talented kids are getting some buzz, getting known and feeling that they have the backing of heavyweights in the music industry.
“Now people send me stuff all the time. I’m inundated from players as far away as Indonesia, Korea and Thailand! And, I’ve gone to places all over the world to interview them. The interviews are on the Brotherhood website. I’ve got kids who sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan or some other guitar hero, but at the end of the day, what we’re looking for is originality. Sometimes you can see somebody and they’re just okay, but you know they have some kind of quality or what we call the ‘it factor’. We found a player in New Zealand, Jacob Morris, and he was extraordinary,” offered Robert.
The story goes that Jacob found a double-neck Ovation in a local pawnshop and bought it, assuming you had to play both necks at the same time. He sent a video to Robert who was amazed when the kid started playing both necks.
Robert called him up asking him about his goal and Jacob replied, “My goal is to someday go to the Berklee School of Music and work with Tomo Fujita, who taught John Mayer.”
It so happens that Tomo is a friend of Robert Knight. Knight sent Jacob’s video to Tomo and “he freaked”, according to Robert, and that led to Jacob getting a new mentor. Jacob’s father arranged for his son to be flown to Los Angeles, and then on to Boston with Joshua Ray Gooch.
It didn’t take long before Tomo Fujita was helping him out, he was hanging with Josh Ray Gooch and he was invited to the home of Johnny A., where he listened to Johnny’s new album before it was released.
“So, there’s Noah, Jacob, Josh Jaramillo and others, like Quinn Sullivan who’s amazing and I think he’s on a vector path to make it all the way,” suggested Knight.
Still, the Brotherhood of the Guitar has an ongoing outreach mission and Robert Knight keeps finding new blood for the Brotherhood.
“I recently discovered a very amazing young singer, songwriter, guitar player in Toronto, Canada. Believe it or not, his name is Lyric Dubee! He is only just 16 and already has three albums under his belt and a half dozen pro videos. I feel he could be a breakthrough artist in the next 12 months. Think young John Mayer.” says Knight.
With the backing of Fender, Guitar Center and Ernie Ball Strings, the “insider” effect and the global reach of The Brotherhood has become formidable. Add the interests and support of such heavy hitting artists as Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, Orianthi, Warren Huart, Neal Schon, Def Leppard and Phil Collen, and you have a movement.
You want heavy fueled traction? This new consortium of power players that support and promote The Brotherhood, not only helped define our music in their own inimitable ways, but are on target to discover the future of rock by seeking out young performers around the world and helping them fulfill their dreams.
