The Guitar Channel

Oz Noy Videos for Guitar Player

Guitar Player has posted the following videos of Oz Noy discussing his new album Schizophrenic, and his pedalboard.

Oz Noy on recording his new CD Schizophrenic

On playing songs from Schizophrenic

On his pedalboard

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has a safe and prosperous 2010!

OHM Live at The Baked Potato - 12/9/09

Great footage from OHM's 12/9/09 gig at The Baked Potato.

via Truth In Shredding

Upcoming Wayne Krantz dates with Keith Carlock and Tim Lefebvre

Not much to announce just yet, but Wayne Krantz has posted the following gig dates and potential gig dates for 2010 for his trio with Keith Carlock (drums) and Tim Lefebvre (bass).

January 13th  Rose Live - Brooklyn, NY
January 25th  3rd and Lindsley - Nashville, TN
January 28th  55 Bar - New York, NY
February  possible Yoshi's - Oakland, CA
February  Asia Tour
April  possible Highline Ballroom, New York, NY
May  Europe Tour

European Tour Dates for Holdsworth Levin Bozzio and Mastelotto

Maximum Booking has announced the following European tour dates for the incredible supergroup of Allan Holdsworth (guitar), Tony Levin (upright bass, Chapman Stick, bass guitar), Terry Bozzio (drums), and Pat Mastelotto (drums, samples).

April 6th Berlin, Quasimodo
April 7th Hamburg, Fabrik
April 8th NL-Amsterdam, Paradiso
April 9th NL-Zoetermeer, Boerderij
April 10th Münster, Jovel
April 11th NL-Groningen, Oosterpoort
April 12th B-Limbourg, Salle Le Kursaal
April 13th Bonn, Harmonie
April 14th Ludwigshafen, KUZ dashaus
April 15th NL-Eindhoven, MC Frits Philips
April 16th Karlsruhe, Tollhaus
April 17th A-Dornbirn, Spielboden
April 18th I-Milano, Live Club
April 21st A-Vienna, Planet.tt
April 22nd CZ-Ostrava, Ostrava
April 23rd CZ-Prague, Lucerna Music Bar
April 24th PL-Opole, Open Air 

via Aural Moon

Favorite albums of 2009

With another year drawing to a close, the time has come once again to reflect back on all the great music that was released over the past 12 months. Here are my favorite albums of 2009, in no particular order.

 

Wayne Krantz - Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (Review)

An amazing guitar album. Incredible compositions and group improv.

 

Odd Meters - Uncommon Denominator (Review)

Addicting funky jazz from 8-string guitarist Jon Morrow and drummer/vibraphonist Shane Parreco.

 

Holdsworth Pasqua Haslip Wackerman - Blues for Tony

Live 2-disc set culled from the quartet's 2007 European tour. Holdsworth is searing throughout.

OHMphrey - OHMphrey

Cool jam project featuring members of OHM and Umphrey's McGee. Great guitar work from Chris Poland and Jake Cinninger.

 

Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats - Meet The Meatbats

Excellent throwback fusion. Features Jeff Kollman on guitar.

 

Steve Morse Band - Out Standing In Their Field

Finally a new SMB album! Great stuff.

 

Gerald Gradwohl Trio - Sally Beth Roe (Review)

Raw guitar-driven fusion at it's finest.

Other favorites from 2009:

Ed DeGenaro - Less Is Seldom More (Review)
Robby Ameen - Days In The Life
Jon Reshard - Jon Reshard
Oz Noy - Schizophrenic (Review)
Mike Stern - Big Neighborhood
Akira Jimbo - Jimbomba
Adam Nitti - Liminal
Liquid Tension Experiment - Live 2008 Box Set

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas my friends!!!! I hope everyone has a safe holiday, loaded with innumerable kick-ass gifts. If Christmas is not your bag - then Happy Holidays! Hoooo Hooooo Hooooo!!!

Rich

Review: Ray Ferretti - Nice View

Nice View (Vectordisc) is the debut release from Philadelphia-based guitarist Ray Ferretti. It's an ambitious collection of original fusion instrumentals that run the gamut from heavy, riff-based tunes to lighter jazzy fare. Ferretti provides all the guitar, bass, and drum loops on the album, and plays some keyboards as well. Joining Ferretti are co-producer Richard Burton on Keys, Ron Thomas on Keys, Jonas Aras on Piano, and Devan Andre on Flute.

While Ferretti is a fine player - well-versed in jazz harmony and smooth legato techniques - his writing skills are probably his greatest strength. Compositionally, the majority of Nice View is geared towards a modern fusion-vibe, and when Ferretti really hits the mark with that style - as he does with "On and On" for example - the results are as strong and realized as something you might hear on, say, a CAB album. I'm certain if Ferretti's band featured a live rhythm section, he'd be able to hit that mark more consistently - especially if their skills were on par with his or Richard Burton's abilities. Still, that Ferretti was able to craft an album of often complex fusion music without the luxury of a fleshed out band is quite impressive.

In addition to "On and On," tracks such as "Meet My Mind" and "Not Shore" are further examples of standout fusion. These are high-octane tunes, loaded with convoluted sixteenth-note lines - often doubled with the synth - and great improv (Ron Thomas' solo on "Meet My Mind" is one of the album's highlights). There's more than just fusion on Nice View however - "Seven Heaven" is a fine acoustic jazz piece, while "Song For Elizabeth" is a pure ballad that utilizes Devan Andre's flute playing to great effect.

When is comes to guitar tones, Ferretti employs a high-gain distorted sound on most of the tracks, but he sounds stronger to me when he chooses a lighter tone, as he does for "Something Beautiful Something Not" or "Husband and Wife." His solos breath a bit more on these tracks, due in large part to the snappy, dynamic tones he employs.

Nice View is an impressive feat for Ray Ferretti. This album obviously took a lot of hard work and dedication, though next time around, I'd like to see him throw his music at a monster rhythm section and see the results.


Ray Ferretti - Nice View (Vectordisc)

Personnel:

Ray Ferretti - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards & Drum Loops
Richard Burton - Keyboards
Ron Thomas - Keyboards, Piano
Jonas Aras - Piano
Devan Andre - Flute


Tracklisting:

1. Meet My Mind
2. Hive Got It
3. Slow Day
4. Something Beautiful Something Not
5. Not Shore
6. Nice View
7. Sonik Funk
8. Confused and Alert
9. Husband and Wife
10. On and On
11. One Way Out
12. Seven Heaven
13. Eye Don't Know
14. Song for Elizabeth
15. Kinda Blue Too (jam)
16. Just Kidding

Rich

List all reviews

NAMM Show Gig Guide

The 2010 Winter NAMM show is fast approaching! The industry-only music instrument trade show runs from January 14th through January 17th in Anaheim, CA. I'll be attending NAMM again this year, and I'm super excited. This will be my 7th NAMM show overall, and it's always a great time. If you're interested, my pics from the last two NAMM shows can be seen here and here. Also check out the posts tagged NAMM for past reports and videos.

One of my favorite parts of the NAMM show experience are all the amazing gigs that take place around town during the week of the show. There's so much great stuff going on, it's often hard to decide what to see and what to pass up. For the past couple of weeks, I've been compiling a list of shows taking place during NAMM that Guitar Channel readers may be interested in seeing. The list can be found on it's own page, which I've linked below and in the Site Map section (upper right). I'll continue to update the list as NAMM draws closer, so check back often!

Winter NAMM 2010 - The Guitar Channel Gig Guide

Chris Poland to give RMA guitar clinic

The Raleigh Music Academy will be hosting a clinic by OHM guitarist Chris Poland on March 20th 2010. You can reserve a seat through the RMA website, or by calling 919-878-3338.

And the winners are...

David Zahn and Brett Berntsen! David and Brett have each won a copy of the new Steve Morse Band album Out Standing In Their Field. Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway!

Rez Abbasi Interview for Abstract Logix

Rod Sibley has conducted an extensive, two-part interview with jazz guitarist Rez Abbasi for Abstract Logix. Among other topics, Rez discusses his latest album Things To Come.

Rez Abbasi Interview: Part 1

Rez Abbasi Interview: Part 2

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension - 2010 European Tour Dates

The following tour dates have been posted on John McLaughlin's official website. McLaughlin will be playing with his 4th Dimension band for these gigs (Etienne Mbappé - Bass, Gary Husband - Keyboards & Drums, Mark Mondesir - Drums).

APRIL 2010

22/04/10 Nice Conservatoire de Nice France
23/04/10 Bremen Jazz Ahead Germany
25/04/10 Gronau Jazz Fest Germany
27/04/10 Tbilissi Tbilissi Concert Hall Georgia
28/04/10 Yerevan Armenia
29/04/10 Darmstadt Central Station Germany
30/04/10 Kaiserslautern Kammgarn Germany

MAY 2010

01/05/10 Kempten Kemptener Jazz Frühling Germany
03/05/10 Thonex, Switzerland
04/05/10 Luxembourg Den Atelier Luxembourg
05/05/10 Rottweil Jazzfest, Alte Stallhalle Germany
06/05/10 Barcelona Palau de la Musica Spain
08/05/10 Uppsala Uppsala Guitar Festival Sweden
09/05/10 Vara Sweden
10/05/10 Liverpool UK
11/05/10 London Barbican UK
12/05/10 Norwich UK
14/05/10 Coutances Coutances Jazz FestivalFrance
15/05/10 Paris Salle Pleyel France
17/05/10 Bucharest Romania
18/05/10 Istanbul Is bank Sanat Hall Turkey
19/05/10 Roma Salla Santa Cecila Italy
21/05/10 Catania Italy
22/05/10 Wien WienerKonzertHaus Austria

Wayne Krantz Video - "War-torn Johnny" Live in New York 12/9/09

A low-quality video of Wayne Krantz, Keith Carlock, and Tim Lefebvre playing "War-torn Johhny" at Sullivan's in NYC on 12/9/09. The audio is so-so in this clip, but I figured it was worth posting. Krantz becomes easier to hear in the solo section.

New project featuring Robben Ford and Michael Landau - "Trial By Fire"

Guitarists Robben Ford and Michael Landau have teamed up with drummer Gary Novak and bassist Jimmy Haslip for a new band project entitled Trial By Fire. The group has already recorded an album for Mike Varney's label to be released this coming spring. This killer group has also scheduled a string of live shows starting next month. Here is the most current list of dates and locations I've been able to find. I'll post more info as it becomes available. Go see this band if you can!!

"Trial By Fire” featuring Robben Ford, Michael Landau, Jimmy Haslip, Gary Novak

Jan 07 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
Jan 08 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
Jan 09 - Phoenix, AZ - The Compound Grill
Jan 12 - Santa Cruz, CA - Kuumbwa
Jan 14 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi's
Jan 15 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi's
Jan 16 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi's
Jan 17 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi's
Jan 21 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley
Jan 22 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley
Jan 23 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley
Jan 24 - Seattle, WA - Jazz Alley

Scott Henderson Trio Tour Dates - Spring 2010

Scott Henderson has scheduled a string of guitar clinics in Italy for February 2010, followed by a European tour with his trio (feat John Humphrey on bass, and Alan Hertz on drums). The band will then head to India in March. Here is the current list of dates and locations:

FEBRUARY 05 Rome  (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 06 Rome (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 07 Cagliari (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 08 Milano (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 09 Messina (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 10 Firenze (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 11 Lucca (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 12 Genova (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 13 Genova (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 14 Genova (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 15 Caserta (ITALY) clinic
FEBRUARY 17 PRAGUE (CZECH REP.) LUCERNA MUSIC BAR
FEBRUARY 18 OSTRAVA (CZECH REP.) KLUB PARNIK
FEBRUARY 20 MAINZ (GERMANY) M8 - Haus der Jugend, Mainz
FEBRUARY 21 ZOETERMEER (HOLLAND) DE BOERDERIJ
FEBRUARY 22 KARLSRUHE (GERMANY) JUBEZ
FEBRUARY 23 VERVIERS (BELGIUM) SPIRIT OF 66
FEBRUARY 24 TILBURG (HOLLAND) PARADOX CLUB
FEBRUARY 25 ASCHAFFENBURG (GERMANY) COLOS-SAAL
FEBRUARY 26 ATHENS (GREECE) ATHINA JAZZ CLUB
FEBRUARY 27 ATHENS (GREECE) ATHINA JAZZ CLUB
FEBRUARY 28 MAROSTICA(VI) (ITALY) PANIC JAZZ CLUB
MARCH 02 TORINO (ITALY) LAPSUS CLUB
MARCH 04 S.G. VALDARNO (FI) (ITALY)
MARCH 05 CONVERSANO (BA) (ITALY) CINEMA NORBA
MARCH 12 -17 INDIA TOUR

Review: Gerald Gradwohl Trio - Sally Beth Roe

Austrian guitarist Gerald Gradwohl has been making great fusion records for years. A highly skilled soloist, Gradwohl's style combines the hip lines of a jazz player, with the technical proclivities of a shredder. Though he has loads of session and sideman work in his background, his solo projects - particularly ABQ (Emarcy/Universal 2003), and Tritone Barrier (EMC 2007) - are what put him on the map as a force to be reckoned with in the world-wide guitar community. Those albums featured keyboards, horns, and laudable guests such as Bob Berg, Kirk Covington, and Scott Henderson. For his latest recording, Sally Beth Roe (Gtone), Gradwohl changes things up and goes for a bare-bones, stripped down approach. It's a pure trio album, recorded with few overdubs, and no guests. The result is one of the rawest, rocking fusion discs I've heard in some time.

Right from the opening whammy bar outburst of the title track, the album's "live in the studio" feel is apparent. It's a fun, loose recording, and the chemistry between Gradwohl and his trio mates Farid Al-Shami (drums), and Jojo Lackner (bass) is palpable throughout the disc. If I had to label Sally Beth Roe stylistically, "Heavy fusion" would be the best moniker to use, though some tracks are closer to instrumental rock ("Time to Play"), or blues ("Blues For Ben," "Stevie"). Gradwohl seems to shine best on the groove-based fusion material, where he can stretch out harmonically (as a writer and soloist), and lock in with his band for some dynamic group interplay. "Tunnel Elevator" and "Maths" are two great examples of this.

"No Matter" is another standout track that is pure fusion. It features some of Gradwohl's most legato-oriented playing on the album (though he still throws in some insane Gambale-esque sweeps), a nice bass solo from Lackner, and a great memorable melody. Listening to this track and others, it's clear that Gradwohl knows well how to arrange this type of material for a trio setting. His chords are often deployed in short staccato bursts, and there's plenty of doubled lines with the bass. There's a couple of fine ballads on the disc as well - the acoustic and improvisational closer "Joni," and the deliberately paced "Hope" (which is not the Mahavishnu Orchestra piece of the same name, but it seems to take inspiration from some of that band's epic ballads).

Regardless of it's style, every song on Sally Beth Roe is driven by Gradwohl's guitar. Though he's got chops to spare (particularly with his picking), Gradwohl's great strength is how seamlessly he can drop in a cool altered line or triad-based idea in middle of a shred-filled solo. And while he has an original musical voice, he's not afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve either. Pieces like "Maths" and "Viper" have strong shades of post-Tribal Tech Scott Henderson, whereas "Wayne II" owes it's title and inspiration to Wayne Krantz. And like those great players, he's not shy about his tonal choices. Gradwohl favors a heavier rock-oriented tone throughout most of the disc, which he sometimes kicks up a notch by adding over-the-top fuzz effects. It's a very natural tone, however, which enhances the live feel of the entire album.

A lot of great fusion has come out of Europe lately, and Sally Beth Roe is no exception. Definitely recommended.


Gerald Gradwohl Trio - Sally Beth Roe (Gtone)

Personnel:

Gerald Gradwohl - Guitar
Farid Al-Shami - Drums
Jojo Lackner - Bass


Tracklisting:

1. Sally Beth Roe
2. Tunnel Elevator
3. Joe's Place
4. Blues For Ben
5. Maths
6. Viper
7. Wayne II
8. Time To Play
9. Hope
10. No Matter
11. Stevie
12. Joni

Rich

List all reviews

Win a copy of the new Steve Morse Band album!

I'm giving away not one, but two copies of the new Steve Morse Band album Out Standing In Their Field. It's been several years since the last SMB disc, and I can tell you it's been worth the wait.

For your chance to win, send an email to guitarchannelcontest@gmail.com with the subject Steve Morse Band CD Giveaway. On Friday December 18th, I will choose 2 entries at random and announce the winners on the site. One entry per person please; past Guitar Channel contest winners are not eligible. Good Luck!