Many new guitar players purchase an acoustic guitar or have one given to them as a gift, not knowing a thing about the ingredients that must go into the craftsmanship in order to produce that tone they heard when they first fell in love with the acoustic guitar and dreamed of becoming a great player.
Having never been to Ram’s Head Live and having never seen either The Antlers or Explosions in the Sky in a live setting, I was in strong anticipation of the evening ahead. Assuming Ram’s Head Live was Baltimore’s equivalent of D.C.’s 9:30 Club, I couldn’t have been more off the mark. The venue is situated in what can only be described as an intense colony of nightlife surrounded by brightly lit clubs and restaurants with neon and glitz everywhere you turn. After wading through a sea of eager partiers and not before my ID was checked three times, I headed into the somewhat hidden Ram’s Head Live, where The Antlers had begun their set.
For a 50th anniversary tour and to celebrate their new release of Breathe Out, Breathe In, the iconic ‘60s rock band The Zombies are playing a lengthy tour with fellow UK sensations Strawbs (in their Acoustic Strawbs incarnation and lineup), with both bands meeting and exceeding expectations across the board.
Boston jazz guitarist, and Berklee Associate Professor, John Stein is back with his third album as a leader since 2008. With his previous two releases, Encounterpoint and Raisin’ The Roof, garnering him a wide array of attention from across the jazz guitar community, Stein brings together an all-star cast for his third album in as many years. Accompanied by bassist John Lockwood, drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario (known to many as the Brazilian Elvin Jones) and newcomer, Jake Sherman on acoustic piano and Hammond orgran, Stein has not only gathered a quartet of world-class individuals for this record, but a group that knows how to gel as an ensemble, which contributes highly to the overall success of the album.
In my early development as a guitarist, I had aspirations to play as well as Jim Hall one day. Jim Hall and Ron Carter’s Alone Together is one of the main records that inspired me to learn how to play jazz guitar, and his melodic inventiveness maintains my attention even until this day. I saw him perform at the National Guitar Workshop this past summer, and his playing did not cease to surprise me.
In this interview with one of the most influential jazz guitarists alive today, we discuss his duet recording with Ron Carter as well as many other things. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did!
Truer words could not have been spoken. Not many bands have shaped heavy metal like the British band Judas Priest. With Glenn Tipton and KK Downing on dueling guitar, Ian Hill on bass and the Metal God, Rob Halford on vocals, they have forged the metal scene since the ‘70s. The band’s unique style of wearing S&M leather and writing thunderous anthems have ignited and influenced four generations of musicians. With such hits as “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight” and “Hot Rockin,” it’s no wonder.
Every child spends time in play pretending they are what they wish to be when they grow up. Who among us hasn’t hit the game winning home run, been crowned Miss America, taken off in a rocket or performed on stage in front of thousands of adoring fans. Reality and more likely than not our parents, dictated that we have a backup plan should our plans of fame and superstardom not come to fruition. That’s how it was for most of us. But then there’s guitarist Pete Evick.
The book begins, well, right at the beginning with instructions on how to hold the guitar properly, read TAB and chord charts, and how to properly go about strumming the instrument. The book then leads readers through chords, scales, patterns, technical exercises, fingerpicking and more, as it presents pretty much all of the information one could need to make the transition from a beginning to intermediate player.
With the construction out of the way and your home studio space soundproofed and ready to handle some music, you’re now ready for step two: The tools you’ll need for recording.
Coming off a successful launch at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans, Badfinger biographer Michael A. Cimino will be hosting a book signing of his new book Badfinger and Beyond – The Biography of Joey Molland at The Nyack Village Theatre in Nyack, NY, the home of RocklandWorldRadio.com.
