Posted July 22, 2011 at 6:56 am | No comments
“Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” is the last track on the third and last album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and is based on the 15-minute “Voodoo Chile,” which is also on that same album. It was recorded after the group had finished recording the long, slow blues jam of “Voodoo Chile” when a TV crew came in and wanted footage of the band recording. As the group’s only song to hit No. 1 on the charts in the UK, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” is one of the most beloved guitar songs in Hendrix’s body of work. The guitar solo is #11 on Guitar World’s 100 Best Guitar Solos list, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd has said that it is “the guitar anthem of all time.”
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 21, 2011 at 8:04 am | No comments
Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” is one of the most famous guitar solos. Part of the reason for this is his revolutionary use of a wah-wah and whammy bar with controlled feedback. It’s also partly because he played it at Woodstock in ’69 and was featured in the documentary film on the festival. Some people loved the solo, believing it to be an update on our national anthem, an anthem-goes-psychedelic kind of thing, but some thought Hendrix was desecrating something sacred. Either way, it’s a killer solo, so use that whammy bar and get dive-bombing!
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 20, 2011 at 11:50 am | 10 comments
Guitar teachers are always telling students to practice. You come in for your lesson having neglected structured studies in favor of jamming to your favorite tunes for the past week, and your teacher looks at you all disappointed that you flubbed an A Dorian scale. But did you really waste your time? Absolutely not.
Posted in: Guitars and Guitarists
Posted July 20, 2011 at 10:18 am | No comments
This 2 CD set was recorded November 20 and 21, 2010, in Raleigh, NC. Headlining the festival was John McLaughlin, with his current band The 4th Dimension. He was joined on the program by the Jimmy Herring Band, Wayne Krantz, Lenny White’s Group, Ranjit Barot, Alex Machacek, and Human Element.
Posted in: Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted July 20, 2011 at 8:16 am | No comments
Jimi Hendrix has said that “Little Wing” is “one of the very few ones I like,” from his 1967/68 album Axis: Bold as Love. He got the idea for the song by putting everyone who attended a festival at Monterey into a girl named “Little Wing” and writing a song about her. Hendrix’s unique guitar tone in the song was achieved by playing through a Leslie organ speaker cabinet, giving his guitar a swirling effect. The frustratingly short song is one of Jimi’s finest compositions, fading out during the ending guitar solo shortly after the 2-minute mark. Bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan later gave fans more to chew on with an almost 7 minute long version on his 1991 album The Sky Is Crying.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 19, 2011 at 1:10 pm | 3 comments
John Scofield is a fellow guitarist whose recordings I am always pleased to see hit my mailbox for review. His albums are always interesting and varied musically. There is no doubt that Scofield not only enjoys many genres, and he is more than capable of proving quality music in them as well.
Posted in: Jazz Reviews, Reviews, Uncategorized
Posted July 19, 2011 at 8:49 am | No comments
“Foxy Lady,” one of the great Jimi Hendrix’s most recognizable songs, showcases Jimi’s amazing guitar tone as he sings about, well, a foxy lady. Although the lyrics are somewhat possessive regarding women (“You got to be all mine, all mine”), Hendrix has commented that that is not how he approaches women at all. Either way, this is one of the great guitar songs of the ’60s, appearing on Are You Experienced, and the badass riff the song is based on is necessary knowledge for any level of guitarist, so go get groovin’!
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 19, 2011 at 12:00 am | 8 comments
Tim Mahoney has had the kind of career that every aspiring rock guitarist dreams of. As the lead guitarist for the popular rock band 311, Mahoney has no doubt been inspiring fans to pick up the guitar and learn to play ever since their first album, Music came out in 1994. It is no wonder why he is such a popular player and has acquired legions of fans. His groove is incredible, he has a very melodic soloing style, he plays clean, he plays dirty, and he might even have more riffs than Jimmy Page.
Posted in: Interviews, Rock Interviews
Posted July 18, 2011 at 1:28 pm | One comment
Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats) and Danny B. Harvey (Rockats, 13 Cats, Lonesome Spurs), have teamed up in the high-energy, “take no prisoners” combo HeadCat to remind the world how real rock ‘n roll is supposed to sound! HeadCat serves up a delicious melting pot with flavors of rockabilly, punk, blues and undeniable rock ‘n roll!
Posted in: Interviews, Rock Interviews
Posted July 18, 2011 at 12:58 pm | One comment
I finally got to see Metallica play after the 18 years it has been since Metallica’s last show in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rock The Hill, the all day festival, had rain for most of the day during the openers spots, but just before Metallica hit the stage the sky showed the colors of a great evening to come. The all-day event featured Prince Edward Island’s Death Valley Driver, Matt Mays, Protest The Hero, Seether and Coheed and Cambria. who all delivered great performances.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Metal Reviews, Reviews
