Posted September 15, 2009 at 9:15 pm | One comment
As I walked out of the festival grounds the thought struck me that I’d just seen something special. I missed Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughn, the two blues musicians I would most like to have seen live, but I had now seen Kenny Wayne Shepherd in his prime. And it was a show I would remember.
I’d heard Kenny in 1996 at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium when he was 19 years old and remember thinking he was pretty good for a kid. But, this time he had matured as a guitar player and showman and I found him mesmerizing. Part of it was his appearance – in command of the stage and somewhat surly. Yet when he talked to the crowd he sounded polite and appreciative. With a white scarf wrapped around his neck he reminded me of a 1970’s guitar god. Kenny played four different Stratocasters, swapping them out every few songs. Maybe because he’s so partial to Strats, Fender named an Artist Series signature model after him!
Posted in: Blues, Concert Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 31, 2009 at 3:22 pm | No comments
Juggling is an ancient art. Archeologists discovered a 15th century Beni Hassan tomb in Egypt depicting female dancers juggling. Juggling either migrated or was discovered independently in the cultures of the Chinese, Aztecs, Romans, Indians and the Greeks. So, you’ll be just one of a new generation of jugglers once you get a handle on the sport.
Posted in: The Good Life
Posted August 25, 2009 at 5:25 pm | No comments
Pat Martino Unstrung documents the physical and psychological struggles faced by the legendary jazz guitarist before and after undergoing brain surgery in 1980 that resulted in the removal of more than half of his left temporal lobe. The film focuses mainly on the neurological aspects of Martino’s condition, both before and after surgery, with added snippets of music and concert footage spread throughout the documentary.
Posted in: DVD Reviews, Jazz, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 20, 2009 at 7:06 am | No comments
When I first became interested in solo jazz guitar in the early ’80s there was one name that stood out above the rest: Joe Pass. Joe had recorded more solo jazz guitar albums than anyone and with his special talent he kept the music inventive and engaging. With Norman Granz promoting him and issuing his Virtuoso series on Pablo records beginning in 1973, Pass raised the bar for all jazz guitarists that followed.
Posted in: Jazz, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 11, 2009 at 3:40 pm | No comments
Let’s start our wine reviews with a look at an inexpensive vintage that has something to do with guitars. Red Guitar hit the crushed grape scene back in 2005 and its distinctive brand name and very Miro inspired label that was as bold as it was whimsical.
Posted in: The Good Life
Posted July 20, 2009 at 5:14 pm | No comments
The pentatonic scale is often the first scale guitarists learn when they begin to explore the realms of blues, rock and jazz improvisation. Though most guitarists learn the basic fingerings of this oft-used scale, maybe in different keys and positions across the neck, few players delve deep into the scale’s vast harmonic and melodic possibilities. Whereas rock and blues players such as Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmy Hendrix and Jimmy Page made careers by using common application of the pentatonic, and its closely related cousin the blues scale, during their improvised solos and riffs, jazz musicians such as Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Mike Stern have applied their knowledge of modern harmony to the pentatonic scale, greatly expanding the array of sounds and tonal colors that this scale can produce. In his book Jazz Guitar Soloing Concepts: A Pentatonic Modal Approach to Improvisation, Dr. Ronald S. Lemos dives into the modern world of the pentatonic scale and presents an exhaustive volume detailing the many harmonic and melodic variations this commonly used scale can produce.
Posted in: Instructional Book Reviews, Jazz, Reviews
Posted June 24, 2009 at 1:58 pm | No comments
Guitar builder, Abe Wechter, has come a long way since opening his first guitar business in Seattle, Washington, over 30 years ago. During that time, Abe found himself immersed in world-class guitar building, that included spending over a decade with Gibson Guitars as a model-maker and designer. He designed and built handmade guitars for such luminaries as B.B. King; John McLaughlin; Al DiMeola; John Denver; Steve Howe; and Earl Klugh.
Posted in: Interviews
Posted June 24, 2009 at 1:37 am | No comments
Hailing from Boston, Gerry Beaudoin first took up the guitar at the age of 10 and has since evolved into one of the finest jazz guitarists and music arrangers in the country. He is the recipient of a 1992 National Association of Independent Record Producers award for best jazz recording, a 1994 Cadence Magazine Editor’s Choice Award for his CD Sentimental Christmas, as well as a submission for a 1998 Grammy nomination. He has also defined himself as a businessman through his experience with the logistics, legalities and other sundry affairs related to the business side of the music industry.
Posted in: Interviews, Jazz Interviews
Posted June 24, 2009 at 12:27 am | No comments
April 1, 2008 Jed Leiber Interview by Geoff Byrd. Jed Leiber. Photo by M. Bilham. I met Jed Leiber in Aspen when I was asked to write some songs with John Oates. I didn’t even know there was going to be a third person there. Soon after the session, I understood why John likes to […]
Posted in: Interviews
Posted June 24, 2009 at 12:26 am | No comments
April 5, 2008 Wrecking Crew Interview by Lynne Margolis. Wrecking Crew members Tommy Tedesco and Carol Kaye in the studio In the heyday of ‘60s and ‘70s pop and rock, L.A.’s so-called Wrecking Crew dominated the airwaves, creating some of the most indelible sounds of the 20th century on some of the most beloved songs […]
Posted in: Interviews
