Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:50 am | No comments
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.
Posted in: Classical, Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:42 am | No comments
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.
Posted in: Classical, Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:32 am | No comments
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.
Posted in: Fingerstyle, Instrumental Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:22 am | No comments
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.
Posted in: Classical, Classical Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:13 am | No comments
Behind the Player brings fans a behind the scenes with one of rock guitar’s most famous players and the lead guitarist for the legendary rock icons KISS, Ace Frehley. The DVD allows viewers the chance to sit down with Frehley while he discusses his life as a rock guitarist, his beginnings in the rock world, musical influences, groundbreaking work as a founding member of KISS, solo career, gear, thoughts on digital recording, and his gives his take on the long anticipated 2009 solo album Anomaly. With such in depth conversations the DVD provides viewers with an up close and personal look at one of the most recognized names, and faces, in rock history.
Posted in: Classic Rock, DVD Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 18, 2011 at 8:00 am | No comments
EarMaster Pro 5 is a software program that operates on both Mac and Windows platforms, and is designed to aid, develop, and enhance the ears of every musician that takes the time to work through the program’s lessons. This aural skills training program is an excellent tool for both self-guided study and as a resource in the class room.
Posted in: Gear Reviews, Reviews
Posted February 17, 2011 at 12:00 pm | 2 comments
That’s what you get when the combine Buckcherry and HellYeah sharing the same bill in New York City for the Jägermeister Music Tour. While initially this may seem like odd touring combination, make no mistake that these two bands are carrying the torch for pure American Rock n’ Roll, HellYeah with their blend of “spirit lifting” southern rock and Buckcherry with their distinctive commercial driving crotch n’ rock.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Metal, Reviews
Posted February 14, 2011 at 9:00 am | No comments
Nova Scotia experienced a bitter cold winter’s night on February 3, 2010, when Ann and Nancy Wilson showed up packing heat at the Metro Centre with the rest of their legendary rock band Heart. It was the group’s first landing in Halifax and the crowd was ready to rock.
Posted in: Classic Rock, Concert Reviews, Reviews
Posted January 27, 2011 at 9:00 am | 3 comments
It’s seems like every young man strapped with a strat dreams of rock n’ roll superstardom these days – a chance to make a quick million in cash with a supermodel on his arm and a camera in his face while doing as little work as humanely possible to get there. The opposite is true of OC-based band The Opera, who is billed as a “progressive” and “experimental” modern rock group that claims Nirvana and Muse as major influences.
Posted in: Indie Rock-Pop, Op-Ed, Reviews
Posted January 24, 2011 at 10:00 am | One comment
Cathy Richardson, with guest Anne Harris, played an intimate set Friday night at the venerable Skokie Theater, a great venue to see this very personal set.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Reviews, Singer Songwriter
