TopOfGuitar Blog

Education and Passion: How Students Can Stay in School

2011-09-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Guest post by Austin Follow Austin @bloggingcobb

The musician’s thirst for edification never seems to end at the performance stage. The list of successful performers with degrees, often unrelated to their art, is long and distinguished, and the mushrooming of online training opportunities affords performers more flexibility than ever to balance the complex interests and challenges facing those whose love making music. Play it right and you’re likely to look back on your beginnings from that place you’re hoping to be in your future.

If you’re already performing for money, as a solo act or as part of a band, having a good deal of elasticity with both your schooling and time means you don’t necessarily have to take on that waiter or waitress gig to make ends meet. Here are some tips on how to leverage your skills as a musician and a student to save money, achieve that degree and pursue your musical goals:

Make a Time Budget.
Different from a fiscal budget or schedule, a time budget lists your musical “expenses” with your financial obligations. Rehearsals, gigs and composing, like utility bills, rent and class fees, all have due dates and defined costs. Include these costs along with your fiscal obligations to incorporate these important factors into your thinking.

Put a $ on your time.
No one is saying that you play just for the money, but the money does dictate how much you play. What activities pay the bills, and of those, which are more profitable given the time expended? You may not yet be at a place where you can be fussy about which venues you play, but if you maximize your paid performance times, you’ll get to that point a whole lot faster than if you just catch as catch can.

Marry your schooling to your art.
If you’ve not paid any attention, you probably missed the fact that the constraints once posed by brick-and-mortar education have been largely overcome by the internet and university sensibilities that match their courses to the customer’s lifestyles. Finding a school with the option to access your classes from any point on your upcoming tour will blend a union between your love of music andlearning.

One thread that runs through each of the previous points is the concept of backwards planning. Knowing where you’d like to be, even if that vision is not fully formed, incorporates thoughts of where you’d not like to be in the future. Of those musicians who’ve achieved respect as both scholar and artist, each navigated a course that didn’t leave them looking back regretting how their short-term choices turned into dead ends for their dreams. Like them, you have the same number of seconds in each day, and how you use those increments of time will create either regret or satisfaction at some distant point in time. Keeping your dreams and your obligations tightly focused requires discipline, but combining your budget and your love ups the odds of having no regrets.

The Creamery

2011-06-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Following one of my multiple visits across the internet, I stumbled upon The Creamery, a boutique guitar and pickup maker based in the UK

All I can say is they have some really interesting products, among them these hand-made pickups:

http://www.at-the-creamery.co.uk/scatterwound-pickups-from-the-creamery/scatterwound-stratocaster-pickups.html

And some gorgeous looking guitars whose simplicity and classic looks I find very appealing:

http://www.at-the-creamery.co.uk/handcrafted-custom-guitars.html

If you've tried any of their products, please feel free to add your comments.

“Noiseless” Pickups: Kinman AVNs

2011-05-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Guest post by Austin

Follow Austin @bloggingcobb

About 6 months ago I pulled an old Mexican Strat out of the closet. It was the first guitar I have ever owned, but the guitar I pulled from the closet was a far cry from the one I purchased all those years ago. I had upgraded the tuners, pickguard, electronics and pickups. But, even after all those changes, I just couldn’t get that “Strat” sound. I couldn’t figure it out.

I wasn’t ready to give up on this axe just yet though. I had read quite a bit about the advances of “noiseless” pickups in recent years and I figured I’d give them a try. After A LOT of researching and listening to demos of different pickups online, I decided that I was going to fit this beast with the Kinman “Blues Set” consisting of 2 Authentic Vintage Noiseless pickups, or AVN pickups and one Scn in the bridge. Little did I know that this would be one of the best guitar gear purchases I have ever made.

Here are a few quick install steps for those of you dropping a preloaded pickguard into your axe.

1. Loosen or remove strings from the guitar so that the pickguard has plenty of room to be lifted out of the guitar cavity.

2. Remove all the screws holding the pickguard in place.

3. Lift pickguard and gently place it on a soft surface. Be careful not to pull too hard or too far as you may loosen or disrupt any wiring in the cavity.

4. Remove guitar jack by loosening nut with pliers and leave in an accessible place.

5. With a mid-temp soldering iron, desolder the connection at the guitar jack. Do not heat the connection and simply pull on the wire, heat the connection and use solder wick to wick away the solder.

6. Most Strat-style wirings have the ground wire connected to the “springs” cavity of the tremolo. To access this connection, flip the guitar over and remove the backplate. This will be the only wire in this cavity (unless you have active pickups for some ungodly reason). Simply desolder and remove the connection. This should leave the pickguard free of connections to the guitar and completely removable.

7. Now that you have the old pickguard removed, it’s time to install the new one. BEFORE making any connections, make sure the pickguard, electronics and all will fit in the cavity by gently placing it within the cavity. (More than likely it will fit very nicely, but in very rare cases the electronics will be too big to fit. In this case, either reinstall your old pickguard and pickups, or find a luthier who can route the body for you so the new ones will fit.)

8. After a secure fit is ensured, remove the pickguard again and find the “hot” wire for connecting to the guitar input. Nearly all brands of pickups use a different color coding for their wiring, so be sure to consult the diagram that came with your pickups. Solder this connection to the guitar jack using FRESH solder and re-install the jack.

9. Now locate the ground wire and run it through the body into the “springs” cavity in the back of the guitar. It is vitally important, especially for “noiseless” pickups to connect the ground wire. Otherwise your guitar will hum worse than ever. Solder this connection to any part of the springs base, being sure that the wire will not interfere with any movement of the springs.

10. Gently place pickguard into the cavity. Watch your electronics and wiring as you lower it in so nothing is pinched by any part of the guitar body.

11. BEFORE screwing the pickguard down, test the guitars connections by plugging it in and LIGHTLY tapping on each pickup. Some guys will tell you this could damage the pickup, but let me be honest, we’ve all done MUCH worse to our axes and this saves you the time of having to remove the pickguard again to fix your connections later.

12. After a successful test, replace the screws, restring and your guitar is ready to rock!

Needless to say, my Mexi –Strat is now my main guitar. The Kinman AVNs sounds amazing! I finally found that Strat sounds I have been looking for. The bridge pickup is bright, but not piercing while the neck pickup is pure Texas blues growl. If you are looking for a great sounding noiseless pickup, check out the different styles offered by Chris Kinman. Prices ranging from $98 for single pickups to $275 for a complete set plus shipping

Austin is an avid blogger who has been playing guitar for 17 years. He loves to write about music, guitar gear and traveling.

Follow Austin @bloggingcobb

Guitar gifts season is upon us!

2010-11-17T11:08:00.000-08:00

So, it's that time of the year. Guitar players can't stop thinking about the dreaded not-so-great gifts and friends and family of guitar players are clueless about the stuff six-string lovers like.

That's why I created The Guitar Wishlist and The Guitar Gift Finder.

The Guitar Wishlist is a great way for guitar players to find guitar items, select them and then share with their friends and family.

The Guitar Gift Finder is a great way for friends and family of guitar players to discover items based on music preferences, styles and price.

They're both designed to be user friendly and they contain products that I either own or am familiar with. In other words, it's stuff I recommend as a guitar player.

Hope you find them useful. And don't forget to tell your friends and family about it!

Turn It Up guitar documentary

2010-09-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Few days ago I noticed the website for this guitar documentary, Turn It Up. It caught my attention immediately.

Well, just check out the talent lineup. To mention few of them: B.B. King, Slash, Albert Lee, John 5, Les Paul, Steve Lukather, Jerry Cantrell, Carl Verheyen, Johnny A. The documentary is hosted by Kevin Bacon and apparently intends to walk us through different angles of guitar history.

The official description from their site reads:

"Turn it Up! is the STORY of the electric guitar, from the invention in the 1930s to its golden years, right through the phenomenon of the Guitar Hero video-game and the digital guitars of the future. But, it’s also a series of guitar STORIES, where we’ll meet all kinds of people from rock stars, to congressmen, CEOs, and teenage virtuosos, to try to understand their emotional connection to their guitars."

This is the official site: http://loudandlouder.com/

And here is a video from one of the featured guitar players, Ana Popovic:

Remembering Stevie Ray Vaughan: October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990

2010-08-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

There's people who get remembered once a year. Then there's people whose legacy is present every day in people's lives. For most guitar players, that's the case with the great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Modern guitar wouldn't be the same today without him.

Technique, soul, tone, style, he was off the charts on all of them.

Here is my favourite performance from the great SRV. Enjoy,

Duke Robillard - Passport to the Blues

2010-08-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

I saw Duke Robillard live one year ago at the Vancouver Jazz Festival. The show was a demonstration of how to master simplicity and create great, solid music out of it. Not without the occasional and tasteful display of his great control over the instrument.

Great tone, groove and mood all put together into a great performance. The same thing applies to his albums. And this week it was the release of his latest one, Passport to the Blues.

I'm looking forward to hearing this album, and here is a little taste of what to expect from this blues master:

As you will see, he can also do blues, jazz, bluesy jazz, jazzy blues, etc. like few people out there:

Al Di Meola & Eszter Horgas - He and Carmen

2010-08-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite works by Al Di Meola is "Di Meola Plays Piazzolla". As incredibly versatile and talented as he is, when Al Di Meola ventures into that combination of latin rhythms, beautiful melodies and his sophisticated guitar style, magic happens in my ears.

That's the case with his latest release, He & Carmen. Together with talented flutist Eszter Horgas, they recorded a live concert around two years ago. The performance is beautifully shot and has been broadcast all over the world . This CD release is the result of that collaboration.

The whole production is gorgeous music, combining Georges Bizet and Astor Piazzola's compositions. Behind them is a solid ensemble consisting of percussions, piano, guitar, violin and drums.

For fans of Al Di Meola, this will likely become one of your favourites. For all guitar players, it would be a great addition to your collection.

Here is a little taste of what these two amazing talents can do together.

Robert Cray - Cookin' in Mobile - July 27th

2010-07-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

This week was the release of Robert Cray's new album: Cookin' in Mobile. A live recording from a performance at the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Alabama. Like most blues artists, Robert Cray's playing takes a different dimension when performing live. Therefore, whenever a blues live album is released, I'm always interested!

Cookin' in Mobile has songs such as "Sitting on Top of the World", "Times Makes Two" and a personal favorite like "Smoking Gun". So, for a long time fan of Robert Cray's music and his guitar playing, this album is a great way to revisit his material.

For someone who is new to Robert Cray, then this is a great opportunity to discover some well known material in a live setting, where Mr. Cray definitely shines.

BTW, this album includes a DVD.

Enjoy!

Matt Schofield - Live From The Archive - July 13th

2010-07-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

Here I am, back from a few weeks break. And today is July 13th, which means Matt Schofield's new album is due! Live From the Archive promises to be a great addition to any guitar player's CD collection.

Live From the Archive is a recording from a live performance in 2007 broadcasted by the Netherlands' NPS.

If you're not familiar with Matt Schofield, he is definitely a guitar player worth following. His style is mainly based in the blues, with a noticeable jazz influence (à la Robben Ford, I guess it's fair to say). His guitar playing is soulful and he is also a great singer.

Currently based in the UK, I believe it's just a matter of time before he gains more notoriety in North America.

For more on Matt Schofield, click here.

Enjoy!

TopOfGuitar.com interview with Andreas Öberg

2010-05-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

Andreas Öberg is today one of the most outstanding jazz guitar players in the world. Since 2004 he has released five albums under his name and one live DVD. He has also completed multiple international tours and has a very fast growing fan base.

Last year, he opened the Andreas Guitar Universe, an online music education platform powered by ArtistWorks. On May 24th, I had the privilege of chatting with Andreas, who was in Stockholm at the time.

Ernesto: By now, you have released several records. Each one of your albums seems to have a particular style/theme. There is your Gypsy Jazz album titled "Andreas Invites Yorgui & Ritary ". Then there's "Young Jazz Guitarist", which has a very traditional feel to it as well as "Solo" in 2006. "My Favourite Guitars" steps on different grounds completely. And "Six String Evolution" seems to go back into a traditional feel, but not entirely. Can you talk about the concept behind "Six String Evolution"?

Andreas: Me and my manager from Resonance records, Joseph A. Donofrio, we were planning to get a number of songs that would work with my style. We tried to find a platform where I could improvise and speak my musical language. We wanted to find songs that fit my style .

E: How do you define it?
A: Good harmonies and chord progressions that I enjoy playing and that I like.

E: There are different styles in it.
A: Yes, there's also songs that people can recognize. I took songs like "From The Bottom Of My Heart" and made them my own.

E: What is your next project going to sound like?
A: I don't know, but I'm interested in finding new audiences. I'm probably interested in doing something with house grooves. There's stuff I've done with different DJ's in the past. That's something I'd like to work on and that I like. If you go to my page in myspace.com you can find some of that material.

E: Tell us more about your personal style.
A: I check the old styles and try to combine them with new music, with energy. I have one foot in jazz history and one foot in the future.

E: How do you define your modern side?
A: It's more influenced by other instruments, for example [John] Coltrane, [Herbie] Hancock. I like some of fusion guitar players like Frank Gambale as well.

E: You obviously have developed a very advanced guitar technique. What can you say to guitar players about the balance between technique and musicality?

A: I practice to maintain my technique, but I always sing when I practice. My concept to improvising is to sing a solo. You don't have to have a guitar to practice, for example I practice when I'm in the car. I don't always have a guitar when I practice. It's important to learn fingerings, but music is about phrases too. I teach my students techniques such as practicing lines on one string, so they can focus more on the melody than the fingering.

E: What percentage of your preparation time do you dedicate to developing/maintaining your technique? What percentage to other aspects of music? (like theory)

A: 80% hearing harmonies, singing harmonies. Sitting in the car and improvising over songs. Hearing Autumm Leaves and singing [Andreas starts singing some improv lines to show his point]. Most of it I can do it without a guitar. That's a very efficient method. I can imagine it in my mind now. Then when I take my guitar I can start playing anytime and just continue with the voice. It's a really good exercise. It's important that when playing you communicate with musicians and the main thing is that you hear it. It's all about hearing, scales are just names.

E: I think I've heard references from you regarding relaxation as a way to achieve high speed.

A: I'm really relaxed when I play. My right hand specially. Relaxed when you play fast and slow, that's a good general rule.

E: Are you studying anything these days? Or learning something?

A: I learn all the time. If I hear a CD or the radio. I like to learn short phrasese and then try to incorporate them into my style.

E: By now, it's fair to say you have reached the point where you have influenced many guitar players around the world. Of all guitar players you've shared a stage with, which ones have left the biggest mark on you?

A: I haven't played with George Benson, who is one of my main influences. But I've played with Bireli Lagrene and Les Paul. They have been very important to my development. You get to learn something every time you play with great musicians. I've played with Martin Taylor and Jimmy Bruno (they both have online lessons powered by ArtistWorks). We all have different approaches.

E: Do you have a mentor?

A: No, I wouldn't say I have one. I've had different teachers, though.

E: What can you mention as your most important learning experiences in general (like your studies at the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm)?

A: To play on stage. That's where it's at. To be able to play on a stage. Playing in a room. That's the best way of learning. The lesson of playing live is priceless.

E: Let's talk about the Andreas Guitar Universe. It is a great example of using new technologies to the service of music.

A: The great thing about the AGU platform is that it enables me to teach to thousands of students. Everybody can watch my videos and the feedback I provide.

E: Have you learned from your students as well?

A: Sure. I always ask for feedback to students and I always try to improve my teaching. Lately I've noticed students want to know what to do next. When I started, I just gave them feedback. I now give them feedback and some tips about what to work on next.

E: How do you balance your tour schedule and the AGU?

A: It's great, I can bring my video equipment anywhere. I can still produce the same high quality videos while I'm away. I can look at the site anywhere. The site is designed for a touring teacher.

E: Are there any instructional books on the way?

A:I did one instructional book. But now with the AGU that's where I focus on. I believe more in this new concept. But maybe I'll do a new book sometime in the future.

E: Finally, this is probably one of the most common guitar questions. But it's always interesting nonetheless. What is your choice of gear and guitars? Are you still playing AJL guitars?

A: I use Benedetto for electric. I have 2. One Manhattan and one Bravo. And one AJL. I also use a Henriksen JazzAmp.

E:No pedals?

A: No, but sometimes I use pedals in the studio.

I hope you enjoyed this post and I want to thank Andreas for his time and for his insight on guitar and music in general.

Ernesto

My tour of the Andreas Oberg Guitar Universe

2010-05-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you felt like a kid in a candy store? Me, that was two days ago when I took a tour of the Andreas Oberg's Guitar Universe! Powered by ArtistWorks, Andreas Guitar Universe is a great educational concept for guitar players. Specially those wanting to get into jazz or expand their knowledge of guitar in general.

I have spent countless hours browsing YouTube for educational videos on all sorts of guitar styles. I have learned many tricks this way and I'm sure I'll keep doing it. I see it as a valid way of expanding my musical horizons, but it is also an overwhelming exercise. For an effective learning experience I am convinced nothing replaces structure, human feedback and coaching. And that's an irreplaceable component of taking lessons with a music professor.

So, in the online world, this is where Andreas Oberg Guitar Universe steps in! The idea is simple, it consists of a video library (hundreds of videos) covering a very wide range of topics. From beginner to very advanced stuff. Users create a student profile and have access to all these videos, which are grouped in different categories.

After the students master the different topics, they can submit their own videos regarding specific lessons and get feedback from Andreas himself, which gets published as a video. In other words, it is a video exchange between students and in this case, Andreas Oberg.

Now, let me stop for a moment. If you don't know who Andreas Oberg is, do yourself a favour, stop what you're doing and find his music! He is one of the most impressive guitar players you'll ever hear. He is one of those musicians who seem to have absolute control over their instrument. But unlike many other virtuosos, he puts his technique to the service of music and not the other way around. You can find some stories about him here: http://www.topofguitar.com/searchResults?keywords=andreas+oberg

Back to Andreas Guitar Universe... wouldn't it be cool to have the chance of getting feedback from a guitar player the calibre of Andreas Oberg? I think it is, so now let me get started with my tour of the AGU.

This is a members-only site, so you have to create a user and pay a subscription fee (as of today, $60 for 3 months). Once you become a member, this is what the landing page looks like:

Here you can see the main sections. On the left hand side there are links to videos: Lessons, Tunes, Feedback Center, Performances.

Users can interact with the online community either by posting public messages (similar to tweets) or you can also chat with logged in members, including Andreas himself. He is regularly online, which is really cool.

There are announcements from Andreas himself as well, regarding tours or news in general, including a featured video.

Now, let's take a look at the video sections:

As you can see, there is a list of topics (Guitar Basics, Tricks & Techniques, Jazz Basics, Jazz Advanced, Gypsy Guitar, etc). Each one has at least a dozen instructional videos.

Regarding the videos themselves, they consist of Andreas playing in a particular style or using a specific guitar element. Then he explains how he applies those concepts to his guitar playing, in a clear, straight forward way. If you're familiar with his playing then you know about his amazing dexterity, therefore some lessons include a slow motion clip.

Regarding the topics, they cover everything you need to know as a (jazz) guitar player. Guitar basics? Yes. Picking? Yes. Modes? Yes. How to actually use the modes? Extremely important to get a practical explanation on this topic (that's a big Yes). Scales? Yes. Sample tunes? Yes. Advanced technique? Yes. Gypsy jazz? Yes. Chord shapes? Yes. Advanced chords? Chord voicings? Yes. Arpeggios? Yes.

Then, as a student you have the option of submitting your guitar videos on specific topics and Andreas will review them and provide his feedback. You'll see the feedback is done very thoroughly and with Andreas himself showing how he would approach that topic himself. As of now, there is an unlimited number of videos each student can submit. These videos become visible to members of the AGU community, including the feedback portion.

This is where I see the most value in the AGU. Specially since lessons evolve into a video exchange between students and Andreas himself, adding so much value to the musical and learning experience.

To summarize, here is my list of conclusions after visiting the AGU:

Pros:

You get to interact and get advice from one of the best jazz guitar players in the world. This is really priceless.
Videos are organized in a logical order, as opposed to just searching for stuff in the web.
If you follow all topics, you will improve your guitar playing in giant steps, specially if you're interested in jazz.
Andreas is very open in his videos, therefore you get to see many details about his artistry.
The slow motion feature in some lessons is a great way to get a very close look into Andreas approach to jazz guitar.
You not only learn from Andreas, but also from an online community of guitar players. Lessons evolve into knowledge exchanges, and you get access to it all.

Considerations:

There is no written material regarding the lessons, either tabs or sheet music. Even though the lessons are very self explanatory and Andreas is very open, it would help to have a way to visualize the material.
I don't think the material in this site replaces a formal theory course. There are basic and advanced topics covered, but you will still need to refer to formal theory books in order to get the most out of AGU. I see AGU as an invaluable practical approach, though.
I see this site as a great complement to other sources of music education. In most cases, it probably wouldn't be a replacement.
This is a great site for guitar players interested in jazz. If you're more inclined to rock music you will still learn many interesting concepts, but it might not be what you're looking for.

Conclusion:

Andreas Guitar Universe provides great value and a priceless experience for guitar players wanting to improve their skills and knowledge. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

Ernesto

Andreas Oberg "Six String Evolution" - May 11th

2010-05-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is great news for guitar players, specially jazz guitar fans like myself! Andreas Oberg new album Six Strings Evolution is out this week. I have to say I wasn't familiar with Oberg's guitar playing until a little more than a year ago. I was absolutely impressed by his rare combination of virtuosity and good taste.

I think I stumbled upon a video in YouTube where he displayed his amazing technique and jazz playing.

Something like this:

In Six String Evolution, he teams up with musicians the calibre of John Patitucci, Dave Kikoski on keyboards and Lewis Nash on drums.

Here, he explains a little bit more about this project:

Also, few months ago he released a great website, http://www.andreasguitaruniverse.com/ , which is a video exchange system for guitar lessons. Apparently, he personally reviews the videos and provides feedback.

On the same topic, another great site like this is Martin Taylor's Guitar Academy: http://www.martintaylorguitar.com/

Enjoy!

New guitar album release: George Lynch's Orchestral Mayhem - May 4th

2010-05-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is specially good news for my guitar shredding friends out there. It turns out the great George Lynch (which some people claim invented two-hand tapping before EVH) has released this week a new CD: Orchestral Mayhem.

In this project, Lynch has followed an instrumental route. He recorded his own metal versions of classics such as Rossini's William Tell Overture, Beethoven's Für Elise, Tchaikovsky's Waltz Of The Flowers or Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, among other pieces. Although it's not exactly a new concept, it would be interesting to hear such a high quality guitar player try a different repertoire. It seems like the '80s are resurging these days, so I hope this album gets some good attention in the guitar community.

And here is a little of his great technique and metal soloing:

Enjoy!

Michael Landau & Robben Ford - Renegade Creation - April 27th

2010-04-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

This week is the release of Michael Landau's Renegade Creation. An album delivered in collaboration with the great Robben Ford and featuring Jimmy Haslip on bass and Gary Novak on drums. All of them great musicians who know and have worked with each other at some point, which is always a great way to hit the studio.

About the guitar lineup, these are two institutions in the rock/blues/jazz fusion scene we're talking about. Having both Ford and Landau in the same record promises to be a delight for guitar players.

A little bit of Michael Landau's playing:

And a little of Robben Ford's:

John McLaughlin - To The One - April 20th

2010-04-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

This week we have a new album from a guitar legend: John McLaughlin. The album is titled "To The One", which is apparently inspired in John Coltrane's A Love Supreme.

While I am a big fan of John McLaughlin, I have to confess I find a portion of his work a little hard to listen to. Specially some parts of the Indian fusion projects. Although, I realize they have many beautiful compositions and passages. From my personal point of view, I enjoy more his traditional/fusion projects.

To The One promises to deliver in that style, which it's great news for me as a guitar player.

I have been able to listen to the tracks Discovery and The Fine Line, great tunes with all those elements that I admire in John McLaughlin's albums: virtuosity, composition, a superb band, great chemistry and a very personal style.

Enjoy!

Martin Taylor - Last Train to Hauteville - April 13th

2010-04-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

For us guitar lovers, this is a great week when it comes to new album releases! There are very promising albums from Slash, Steve Vai, AC/DC and the great Jeff Beck.

But in the middle of this storm, there is a beautiful guitar album by acclaimed guitarist Martin Taylor: Last Train to Hauteville. If you're not familiar with Martin Taylor, Pat Metheny found a great way to describe him: "Martin Taylor is one of the most awesome solo guitar players in the history of the instrument. He's unbelievable"

The promotional description reads "...the ideal soundtrack to driving through the scented country roads of France on a hot lazy summer’s day...", and that's exactly what this album feels like.

I have listened to this album, and it is pure jazz goodness with a touch of gypsy jazz. From the soft opening track "J'Attendrai" listeners get the idea of what this album is about. Besides the great guitar performance by Taylor, I really enjoyed vocalist Alison Burns' work. Then you have tracks like "Roberta" and "Madame Haricot", which could be case studies on guitar phrasing.

About Martin Taylor's phrasing, it really inspires me. The smooth and fluent way in which he delivers his lines disguise their complexity. If just more guitar players (including myself) were better able to deliver on this concept.

And here is a great video: The making of 'Last Train to Hauteville'

Enjoy!

New guitar album of the week: Downchild - I Need A Hat - April 6th

2010-04-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

I just love it when there's a new blues album out there. This week is Downchild's turn. This Canadian blues band has been around for more than 30 years and has been the recipient of multiple awards. Not to mention they're also credited with inspiring the Blues Brothers concept back in the '80s.

I guess their style can be categorized as traditional blues. They have a rich ensemble consisting of keyboards and horn section, in addition to the rhythm section and one guitar: Mr. Donnie Walsh. And since we're talking guitars, I can only say Mr. Walsh has such an enjoyable style (strat-sounding blues guitar style I should add).

"I Need A Hat" is a great blues album, with a variety of traditional blues styles. And of course, great guitar playing.

And you can get a taste of it here:

http://www.downchild.com/player.html

Enjoy!

New guitar album of the week: Andy McKee - Joyland - March 30th

2010-03-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

If you play guitar and have a computer, chances are you've seen Andy McKee. Virtually anyone who has made a search for guitar stuff in YouTube has stumbled upon Andy McKee's song Drifting and his amazing guitar technique.

Well, if you liked what you saw back then I have good news for you: this week is the release of his latest album, Joyland.

Here is an video featuring the title track:

And a video featuring the classic hit Everyone Wants To Rule The World (originally by Tears for Fears), also included in Joyland, which is very cool:

I have to confess I'm not the biggest fan of that particular style of finger picking and tapping. However, I recognize there is a growing community of guitar players with an interest in pushing the boundaries of the acoustic instrument. That is always welcome and admired.

So, for all of us who love guitar, it's always a pleasure to see and hear someone with such a command of the guitar. I think there is a strong creative talent behind his music too.

As a plus, this release also contains a DVD!

Enjoy,

New guitar album of the week: Joe Bonamassa's Black Rock - March 23rd

2010-03-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Tuesday and that means it's new guitar album day! This time is Joe Bonamassa's turn with Black Rock. An album that sure is an interesting addition to an impressive and evolving career.

In Black Rock, Joe Bonamassa experiments a little with unconventional instruments and leans towards a heavier rock style. I think he will gain more notoriety outside of the blues and guitar community, but probably at the expense of blues followers. As you can see, this is not an album without its risks. But hey, great musicians are all about risks, don't you think?

Here, you can see an interview where he talks about it.

I think those who are already fans of his guitar playing will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

New Guitar Album of the week: Guitar Shorty - Bare Knuckle

2010-03-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

One day I was lucky to be at a blues jam session at The Yale blues bar in Vancouver, when Guitar Shorty showed up and played a set. What a treat! Needless to say I've been a fan ever since, so I am so excited about this week's release of Guitar Shorty's latest album: Bare Knuckle.

He has everything anyone could expect from a blues guitar legend: great voice, great tone, soulful playing. At times his playing reminds me of Buddy Guy, but obviously he has his own voice and style.

This album is preceded by the acclaimed We the People, which was released in 2006. I have heard two tracks in his MySpace page and can't wait for the album to hit the stores in Canada.

Enjoy!

Review - The Great Kat's Beethoven's Guitar Shred DVD

2010-02-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's a wild ride when you review a DVD such as The Great Kat's Beethoven's Guitar Shred! And when I say wild, I mean WILD!

You won't find anything like it, that's a fact. Watching this video and following The Great Kat brings me to different topics, ranging from the video material itself, the music selection and The Great Kat's guitar playing and image.

The Great Kat has brilliantly created this aura of genius and she is not shy about it. She makes a great case study for creating a brand and promoting it. Specially in the Internet Age we live in. She has managed to build something many independent artists should look up to as an example. By this, I mean the strategies and concepts she has brought together to create The Great Kat.

But the music material in this DVD? I am a guitar player and have listened to guitar shredding for many, many years. All I can say is the guitar playing is impressive, but not unique. The world is full of amazing guitar shredders with great chops but without a unique sound (just search YouTube). Unfortunately, musically she falls under this category. However, this is The Great Kat and cannot be ignored!

The music selection? I am a fan of Beethoven myself (I aso grew up listening to his music among other classical composers). For me, it's always interesting to hear versions of Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight Of The Bumble Bee, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, Paganini's Caprice #24, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3. Even if they're played at mind blogging speeds using a Jackson Flying V through a cranked up Marshall 100W JCM and presented with lots and lots of blood (or should I say specially when they're played through a cranked-up Marshall amp!).

The DVD brought me back to my teenage years when I was a hardcore fan of neo-classical guitar players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Timo Tolkki, Randy Rhoads, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Vinnie Moore, Michael Angelo Batio, to name a few. The Great Kat's speed seems to be in that league. Well, except for the blood and guts flying everywhere...

Back to the DVD, I would have really liked to see takes lasting long enough to see her finger motion. There's only quick flashes in it, so you can't really appreciate her playing. I'd love to comment on her technique, but then I couldn't find any material online where I could fully see it, because it sure sounds like some fast shred.

The Great Kat claims to have a desire to bring classical music to the masses. To be honest, I don't see how her versions could be considered "masses-friendly". Well, except for the thousands of metal guitar shreadheads out there! Hopefully, those who listen to her will end up getting some records of the original stuff.

At a recommended retail price of $9.95, it sure is some interesting material. I wouldn't persuade you to stay away from it. But only if you have a very open mind, a strong stomach and are a hard core fan of gore, shred metal, S&M and are up for a wild ride. Remember when I say wild ride.

~Ernesto

For more on The Great Kat, go to www.greatkat.com

New guitar album of the week: Jack Rose's Luck In The Valley

2010-02-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

It's sad when artists gain some notoriety only after they die. I'm not sure if this is the case of Jack Rose, but I can say his name appears more often after his sad passing on December 5th, 2009.

From Jack Rose, something that always caught my attention was the authenticity and honesty of his sound. He was known to record "live" in the studio, with no overdubbings or artificial embelishments. I've also read many of his tracks are first takes. The result is very gratifying for music and guitar lovers.

Here is a video featuring some of his playing:

I think it's safe to say he was a guitar player who created instant converts, me being one of them. This February 23rd is the release of his last album: Luck in the Valley

From the official description:

"Luck in the Valley is the 10th album from Jack Rose. The album continues the exploration of pre-war American music with a set of brand new material featuring The Black Twig Pickers, Glenn Jones, Harmonica Dan and Hans Chew along with a handful of solo pieces. This recording set out to capture the energy and feel of the classic three-track shack recordings by the Wray Brothers & Mordicai Jones. Luck in the Valley was written and recorded over a period of 9 months and finds Rose employing new themes and techniques."

For more on Jack Rose, click here.

New guitar album of the week: Jim Campilongo's Orange

2010-02-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

Classic yet original, I think that's the way to describe Jim Campilongo's music. This master of the Telecaster just released Orange, an album in Campilongo's signature jazz-country style.

If you are not familiar with his work, you can expect intimate performances very focused on the subtle aspects of playing. Well, enough talking:

Yes, I forgot to mention his incredible tone. That's a '59 Telecaster through a Fender Princeton, but you can find more details here. There's also a signature Tele announced this year at NAMM.

For more on Jim Campilongo at TopOfGuitar.com, click here.

New guitar album of the week: Lionel Loueke's Mwaliko

2010-02-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

One of the features I look for in guitar players is their originality. Not just the ability to sound unique, but their ability to do it tastefully (of course, music is subjective so I'm talking about my own preferences here).

From that perspective, it's really uncommon to find guitar players like Lionel Loueke. Originally from Benin, he eventually made it to the U.S. and continued his musical education at the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz and the Berklee College of Music.

I am familiar with two of his recordings: Virgin Forest and Karibu and I'm looking forward to hearing his latest release, hitting the stores on February 9th: Mwaliko.

If you're not familiar with his music, take a look at the video below. It is very representative of his guitar and music style. I really like the way he blends African sounds with jazz. His acoustic guitar playing really catches my attention as well as the rhythm in his music.

I hope you find his music intesting. For more on Lionel Loueke at TopOfGuitar.com, click here.