Posted February 1, 2007 at 4:25 pm | No comments
by Tom Watson.
Tish Ciravolo is well known in the music world not because she’s recorded great guitar instrumentals but because she’s been instrumental in creating great guitars for an underserved segment of the guitar buying market: women. Ciravolo claims that in the year 2000, female buyers accounted for only 5% of total new guitar sales and the odds are she’s done her homework. Tish Ciravolo is the founder and president of Daisy Rock Guitars, “The Girl Guitar Company”…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted December 13, 2006 at 3:54 am | No comments
by Rick Landers.
Cliches sometimes ring or twang true it seems, as the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree when talking about the leader of the Jay Kaye Band. The son of legendary Hawaiian First Lady of Rock ‘n’ Roll guitarist Mary Kaye (Mary Kaaihuei) and grandson of Johnny Ukulele, Jay Kaye’s musical heritage is close to the bone when he roams the stage with his black Strat and a swagger. Jay told Guitar International that he grew up on the road, sleeping in the back of his parents’ car as they toured the U.S., surrounded by some of the hottest musicians on the planet. More often than not, he watched his mom wow the crowds with her “White Beauty”, a white Stratocaster with gold hardware that would later be known as the “Mary Kaye” Strat by Fender fans around the world. Mom was also named one of the outstanding jazz artists of the year (1957/1962) by Playboy magazine…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted November 21, 2006 at 7:36 am | No comments
by Tom Watson.
Janet Robin is a working musician. She plays guitar, sings, writes, produces, records, promotes and spends time on the road. She’s a professional. Music pays her bills. It feeds her stomach and her soul. Robin’s career reflects the decades it’s been through: garage bands in the ’70s; rock (mild to heavy) and a touch of glam in the ’80s; touring with Lindsey Buckingham, a shift to singer-songwriter mode and Lilith Fair in the ’90s; and now, in the ’00s, a commitment to DIY writing, producing, recording, promoting, and purusing new opportunities in those fields via the digital revolution. She’s born (1966) and raised in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley, so I have to wonder: What turns a potentially straight-up Valley Girl into a music business…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted November 2, 2006 at 8:40 pm | No comments
by Tom Watson.
Call it serendipity. I’ve followed the Gibson digital Les Paul guitar story since 2002 when I read in a press release what I think was the first official word from Gibson about the instrument. Over the four years between then and now I’ve read more press releases and media stories about the digital Les Paul, several of which included market release dates that didn’t materialize. Prototypes would be displayed at NAMM and various electronics shows but it never came to market. Until now. Following is the digital Les Paul portion of today’s interview with Gibson Chairman and CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted October 30, 2006 at 2:37 pm | No comments
by Tom Watson.
The career of classical guitarist and educator Lily Afshar can be summed up by the phrase “the world is her oyster”. Born in Tehran, Iran, she emigrated to the United States in 1977 and now lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where she serves as the head of the guitar department of the University of Memphis. In July, 2006, her fourth album, Hemispheres (Archer Records), was released and the following month found her giving master classes at the Tehran Conservatory of Music and solo recitals at one of Tehran’s premier concert venues…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted July 28, 2006 at 5:23 pm | No comments
by Matt Baamonde.
Go back in time and catch Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure then guess who played those fiery guitar riffs flying off the fingers of George Carlin’s character, Rufus. If you answered, “Stevie Salas,” then a big, “No way, yes way!” to you. Considered by many to be one of the top fifty guitarists of all time, Salas has gained the attention of musicians around the world as well as classic rockers like Mick Jagger, George Clinton, Billy Gibbons, Zakk Wylde, Billy Idol, Rick Neilson, and Rod Stewart…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted May 8, 2006 at 2:20 pm | No comments
by Rick Landers
Reeling in the years, rock guitarist Tom Guerra keeps his guitar locked into vibes of the ’60s and ’70s. With his small arsenal of vintage guitars on hand to anchor the sound to classic rock riffs, Tom cues up riffs reminiscent of those days when hair was shoulder length, garage bands could nail #1 hits, and kids showed up at parties with bottles of cheap Ripple wine and a good buzz…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted October 15, 2005 at 8:42 am | No comments
by Hugh Ochoa
Several decades ago, San Francisco Bay area rock group Journey honed its talents and pushed the envelope of progressive rock by exploring the outskirts of jazz. Former Santana players Neal Schon (guitar) and Gregg Rollie (keyboards) joined forces with Ross Valory (bass), George Tickner (guitar), and Prairie Prince (drums) to establish the initial lineup. The group rolled out extended jams and solos, until singer Steve Perry jumped on board adding a new dimension to the music – more polished and sophisticated, further defining the Journey sound. Thirty years…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted July 25, 2005 at 12:33 am | No comments
by Courtney Grimes
Avid Gibson man Bill Mumy (pronounced Moo-me), best known for his role as Will Robinson in the hit TV series Lost in Space, is celebrating the 46th Anniversary of his career this year. Since 1959, Bill has conquered every facet of the entertainment industry, from television to films, producing to writing, voice-overs and even album recording…
Posted in: Interviews
Posted February 3, 2005 at 8:55 pm | No comments
by Rick Landers
Guitarist Jimmy Bruno has never known life without jazz. When not soaking up jazz guitar from his father, a professional guitarist, his early years were filled with a running lineup of cool cat musicians who dropped by the family home between gigs at local Philadelphia clubs and smokey cafés. Today, Bruno mesmerizes jazz fans with a mix of traditional and free-jazz guitar chops. He travels the international circuit…
Posted in: Interviews
