Prior to a sold out show at the Best Buy Theater in NYC, I had a chance to speak with guitar Keith Nelson of Buckcherry while out on tour with HellYeah for the Jägermeister Music Tour. We talked about what fans can expect on this tour and even gave us the inside scope on the very beginnings of a new Buckcherry CD.
Out of the box, sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson pushed the envelope with their debut single “Crazy on You,” off their 1976 first album, Dreamboat Annie. By coupling Nancy’s fine acoustic intro to a surge of hard rock, “Crazy on You” was a fire breather. Nancy has said that her fast track acoustic rhythm on the record was inspired by the Moody Blues 1970 song “Question,” from that group’s Question of Balance album.
Dave Grohl will always be a fixture in discussions about grunge band, Nirvana, but he’s moved beyond his drumming days with that group, as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for the Foo Fighters. After Cobain’s suicide, Grohl would be sought after by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and there were rumors that he might join Pearl Jam, But, in the end, Dave grabbed Pat Smear (guitar), William Goldsmith (drums) and Nate Mendel (bass) to form Foo Fighters, although, Dave had already recorded the album that would serve as the group’s self-titled debut CD.
The term arpeggio describes a pattern of movements executed by the right hand fingers and thumb when playing a chord. The number of possible combinations may be endless, and the study of many of these patterns is an integral part of every serious classical guitar student’s daily practice routine.
Some things were invented for obvious reasons. With others, the motivation is less clear. Consider, for example, the electric guitar. When guitarists first crudely electrified their instruments in the 1920s, what were they trying to do? Why change something that had been successful for hundreds of years? Could they have envisioned that the instrument that inspired some of Vivaldi’s and Boccherini’s most beautiful compositions would one day be used by Motorhead and Blink-182?
Un Tiempo Fue Italica Famosa is the remarkable, debut recording by D.C. based classical-guitarist Matt Palmer. Consisting primarily of music by Spanish composers, such as fan favorites Rodrigo, Turina, and Tarrega, the album also features works by Giuliani, and a virtuosic rendition of the “Sonata Mongoliana” by contemporary composer Stepan Rak, among others. Palmer delivers an absolutely incredible performance on this album. His command of advanced techniques, a refined sound, and a high-level of artistic expression, make Un Tiempo Fue Italica Famosa a classical guitar album of the highest standard.
Brad Richter (guitar) and Viktor Uzur (cello) are musicians of the highest caliber, and on their latest recording, String Theory, these two accomplished performers are at their absolute best, shining throughout. Never before has the guitar and cello duo captured such a wide range of expression, beauty, excitement, and artistry. Each a virtuoso in their own right, when they come together as a duo it’s easy to hear how closely these two are connected. They blend classical music, rock music, and improvisation, all with exquisite original compositions, producing a sound that is all their own.
Petar Jankovic’s Leyenda is an incredible recording that features a mix of standard works by Granados, Villa-Lobos, Albeniz, and Tansman, along with more recent additions to the classical guitar repertoire by Merlin and Dyens. Jankovic is a strong personality on the instrument, who possesses his own unique and distinguished style of playing. As one would expect from such a seasoned performer, his interpretations and performances are solid throughout the album.
International Guitar Night IV is a collaboration that features the acoustic guitar stylings of Brian Gore (founder), Lulo Reinhardt, Stephen Bennett, and Itamar Erez. Coming together from the four corners of the globe, each of these performers brings a unique and diverse sound alongside a wide range of influences from Spanish, Latin, Gypsy, and Rock. The album is a collection of performances from their 2009 North American tour, and this recording delivers the goods for anyone who loves the sound of the acoustic guitar.
Echomythia is the latest recording by Greek guitarist Dimitris Kotronakis, and is perhaps one of the most dazzling guitar recordings in recent memory. The original title for the CD was “Jazz, Latin, and Brazilian vibes for the guitar,” which perfectly describes the focus of the album on lesser known works and transcriptions from composers like Django Reinhardt, Raphael Fays, Augustin Barrios, Stepan Rak, Roland Dyens, Vojislav Ivanonvic, and Paco De Lucia to name a few.
