May 21, 2008 Kurt Neumann (BoDeans) Interview by Skip Daly. Kurt Neumann. Photo by Morgan Hemphill. The determination and resilience expressed in the lyrics from “Round Here Somewhere” on the BoDeans’ new record, Still (2008, He and He Records), makes for an appropriate anthem for a band that has seen its share of highs and […]
June 16, 2008 by Rick Landers. We met with Judy Collins at the Willard International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the day of her show at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. As one would guess, the artist that prompted the writing of “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” has a captivating gaze and an elegance and intellect that […]
September 2, 2008 Behind the Lens: Randy Jennings by Rick Landers. Randy Jennings. Photo by Jennifer Jennings/2-artists.com. Modern Guitars caught up with photographer Randy Jennings a while back to check out his inventory of rock and other live-music photography. His body of work includes photos of major rock guitarists that have grippped our imaginations over […]
September 30, 2008 Wayne Henderson Inteview by Rick Landers. Wayne Henderson. Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart. Modern Guitars had the good fortune to catch master bluegrass guitarist and guitar builder Wayne Henderson while at a gig in Rockville, Maryland. Henderson has played all around the globe and getting a chance to see him in an […]
To guitar lovers, a new book by Tom Wheeler is an important event and his latest, The Soul of Tone – Celebrating 60 Years of Fender Amps (Hal Leonard), is no exception. But, while the beautifully written and presented 512-page hardbound book is a must-have for every amplifier fan, Fender or otherwise, to many guitarists the inner sanctum of the amp is a bizarre, uninviting landscape that could have sprung from the mind of Tim Burton. Guitar International spoke to Tom Wheeler on December 16, 2007, about what makes the Soul of Tone a celebration the not-so-technically inclined electric guitar enthusiast might want to attend. Which is not to say that Soul of Tone‘s invitation to celebrate wasn’t clear from a reading. The book’s introduction is one of the best examples of guitar-related writing to be found. Wheeler understands his potential audience: people who love the electric guitar, are interested about how fingers, guitars and amplifiers conspire to produce sound and tone, but who find the technical jargon of amplifier mechanics daunting to say the least. Wheeler’s introduction puts the reader’s mind at ease. He is one of us. The difference between the author and the uninitiated is that Wheeler has made the pilgrimage to the strange heartland of amplification and returned to tell the tales of the interesting characters encountered and mysteries revealed. Interview »
You would be hard pressed to find someone more qualified to tell the Gibson electric guitar story than Walter Carter. The author of several well known and respected books about guitars, Carter has been a keen Gibson observer for over 20 years from a unique perspective – as both a company insider and an outside chronicler of the Gibson story. The Gibson Electric Guitar Book (Backbeat Books) succinctly recounts the Gibson saga from the company’s beginning through today. While Carter’s previous 308-page book on Gibson, Gibson Guitars: 100 Years of an American Icon, is a must-have reference and enjoyable read, the new 160-page book condenses the Gibson story down to 60 pages of text without sacrificing important detail or behind-the-scenes color. Interview »
Mike Varney has a vinyl fetish. The founder and head of the Shrapnel Label Group started collecting records at the age of five or six and now owns over 40,000 vinyls and CDs, a collection that he’s put to good use. You’d be hard pressed to find someone more knowledgeable about the history of metal, hard rock, progressive guitar instrumental, blues-rock, jazz-fusion, and the various sub-genres those styles have produced, especially with respect to the role the electric guitar has played in such music. Since the founding of Shrapnel Records in 1980, Varney has expanded the business into three imprints under the Shrapnel Label Group: Shrapnel Records, Blues Bureau Records and Tone Center Records, with each label having a focus on a different genre – metal, hard rock, guitar instrumental (primarily progressive) and rock tributes on Shrapnel, blues-rock and blues tributes on Blues Bureau and progressive-jazz-fusion and jazz tributes on Tone Center. More »
by Michael Shea.
Charles (Chuck) “The Duke of Pearl” Erikson was born in Los Angeles in 1942. He’s been an integral personality and industry mover and shaker in the world of luthiery and inlay for over 40 years, becoming celebrated among instrument builders, furniture makers and jewelers for the nacreous shell inlay material he supplies. His company processes nearly 300 tons of shell each year from 18 different species and holds three U.S. patents on shell material. Chuck’s background is not limited to meeting inlay supply and demand or building his own stringed instruments. Chuck’s life has been an exploration of eclectic experiences and endeavors that defy any idea of a run of the mill existence. His livelihoods and interests have included snake hunting, gold mining, dealing in scrap metal, manufacturing mining claim signs, and serious antiquing. And these only skim the surface of his fertile mind and seemingly endless series of…
Though he claims the nickname Caveman is the result of a physical resemblance, odds are the moniker has much to do with the fact that Kevin “Caveman” Shirley spends quality time in dimly lit recording studios producing, engineering, or mixing the likes of Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Dream Theater, and, since 2006, Joe Bonamassa. On August 20, 2007, Premier Artists (US) and Provogue Records (Europe) will release Bonamassa’s seventh solo studio album, Sloe Gin, for which Shirley served as both producer and mixer. While the actual role of record producer is often nebulous and, especially in the case of a seasoned recording artist, logistic or simply titular, Joe Bonamassa is quick to point out that Shirley’s contributions to Sloe Gin are concrete, serious, and artistic. “It’s unbelievable,” Joe says in a pre-release one-sheet, “he takes my vision, augments it, and brings it further than I ever would have thought to.” Interview »
by Tom Guerra.
Guitarist Mark Easton has been a mainstay on the East Coast club circuit for more than three decades. A fiery rock and blues player and talented songwriter, Mark and Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze (one of his many bands), were just named Best Blues Band in the Northeast in a recent Advocate poll. Now in his early 50s, he’s playing at the top of his game and continues to stay busy both on the road and in the studio. Guitar International caught up with Mark in October, 2006, as he was preparing for another winter tour with Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze…
