It is always a pleasure to receive new material from an established artist, although I do enjoy new musicians and experiences as well. Watching familiar players as they develop, mature and change with the times is truly fascinating.
Round Red Light is the debut recording from Barcelona guitarist Dave Juarez and the album is comprised of all original material. Juarez has assembled a fine ensemble to present his compositions for this recording session, including John Escreet (Piano), Seamus Blake (Saxophone), Lauren Falls (Bass) and Bastian Weinhold (Drums) are solid players. The music is modern in nature and the melodies fairly complex.
One of the many common misconceptions about Death Metal is that people think Death Metal musicians and fans are all about violence and death. It makes sense really; the genre is called DEATH Metal, and one look at the lyrics of any song is enough to make any God-fearing man crap his pants. What outsiders fail to realize is that the so-called “headbangers” do all this in good fun; for the most part. There are always the black metal bands who burn churches and torture people, but they are NOT Death Metal. They are just lumped in to this genre by people who don’t know better. Death Metal is really all about having a great time.
Michigan has had a rough go of things in recent years. The economy has taken a pounding and the State has become the poster child for the struggling middle class as America moves into the new century. But, regardless of what the unemployment rate is, how many jobs GM just cut from their factories or where the State budget is going, Michigan has always managed to produce new and exciting music and some of the best musicians in the nation. Bassist, composer and arranger Tom Knific is just such an artist. The Western Michigan University jazz studies faculty has consistently produced solid recordings of hard-swinging, heavy groovin’ jazz throughout his long and successful career as a performer and recording artist. His latest album, Knific: The Muse, is no exception as it showcases all of the things that have made Knific the premier bassist in the Wolverine State for going on two decades.
As one of the most prolific Blues-men of the 70’s and 80’s, Rory Gallagher has become a guitar legend and an Irish icon. There is no better evidence of this than filmmaker Tony Palmer’s Irish Tour 74. Originally released in 1974, the work provides a rare look into Gallagher’s music, technique and affable character. Though it was to be aired as a television special, and was created for no other reason than Palmer’s adulation of Rory’s music, fans across the globe are glad that the film has now made it to wide release by the good folks over at Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Arobas Music has recently released the latest edition of their famous guitar tablature scoring software, Guitar Pro 6, and it’s better than ever. Guitar Pro 6 comes with all the features of the previously released versions, but also has many new features and options, that I can’t wait to dig in.
When I was asked to review the Taylor GS8e, aka Grand Symphony, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew the first song that I was going to play on this beauty would need to be fitting for the moment; the song that came rushing to my head was “Norwegian Wood” by the Beatles, a great acoustic song for a memorable occasion.
Aaron Shragge is a young trumpet and Shakuhachi flute player who, on his first recording date as a leader, collaborates with New York virtuoso guitarist Ben Monder in an intimate duo setting. The duo setting of wind instrument and guitar is certainly not a departure for Monder, whose previous record Bloom was recorded with Saxophonist Bill McHenry, a record on which they both bewitchingly achieve loose, ethereal atmospheres. The Key is in the Window is a reflection of Shragge’s musical influences, such as the music of Shakuhachi flute and North Indian Vocal style music. Aaron Shragge, in my opinion, creates a remarkable bond between Oriental and Indian traditions with his own Western musical roots. The talented multi-instrumentalist pays tribute to his influences by performing pieces from the Shakuhachi repertoire, such as “Choshi” and “Kyorei,” as well as music from the North Indian Classical tradition.
Like many fellow guitar players and gear enthusiasts, the search for that perfect overdrive pedal is one that rarely finds an end. I can’t tell you how many late nights I’ve spent scouring video reviews on YouTube and proguitarshop.com looking for that perfect box of sonic goodness. This is why I can’t tell you that my search is finally over. What I can say, is that I’ve found a pedal that has halted my search. That pedal is the Rockett Pedals Animal Overdrive.
For the purposes of this article, I’ll define jazz guitar as the tradition as exemplified by Charlie Christian, Eddie Lang, Barney Kessel, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Johnny Smith, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow and others of a similar pedigree.
