The Guitar Channel

Dunlop Releases The Eric Johnson Classic Jazz III Pick

Eric Johnson has been using Dunlop Jazz II picks for years. Dunlop is set to release  a custom signature version of this classic pick called The Eric Johnson Classic Jazz III. From the press release:

"Working with Eric to recreate a prized vintage Jazz III from his personal collection, Dunlop used the most advanced laser scan and molding techniques available. The result? The Eric Johnson Classic Jazz III pick, with an even more refined and smooth tip, increased flexibility, and a matte finish with raised logos that offer an incredible gripping surface."

via Harmony Central

John Petrucci to give guitar clinics in Australia

Dream Theater will be doing a short tour of Australia in early 2008. To coincide with these dates, guitarist John Petrucci will be giving some guitar clinics. Here are the dates and locations.

Perth - Friday, January 26th: 1pm to 3:30pm, venue yet to be announced
Adelaide - Monday, January 28th: from 1pm at the Viva Function Centre (Lizard Lounge), 9a Light Square, Adelaide
Brisbane - Friday, February 1st: 1pm to 3:30pm, venue yet to be announced.

via Truth In Shredding

Frank Gambale video - 12/28/07 with Chick Corea

Here's some great footage of Frank Gambale at the Blue Note in New York City on 12/18/07 with Chick Corea. Check out bass monster Victor Wooten grooving in the background.

Steve Morse interview with Guitar Player Magazine

Guitar Player Magazine featured a nice Steve Morse interview in the November 2007 issue. You can now read this interview on GP Editor Jude Gold's MySpace blog. Well worth checking out.

Mike Stern audio interview part 2

Len Davis has posted part 2 of his interview with Mike Stern. Part 1 was posted a couple of weeks ago.

Mike Stern audio interview part 2

OHM posts new track on MySpace

Guitarist Chris Poland's heavy fusion band OHM has a new album on the way entitled Circus of Sound. The band has posted a track called (for now anyway) "The Untitled" from the new album on their MySpace page.

Merry Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho! (Oops! Make that Ha Ha Ha!) Merry Christmas everyone!

Rich

New Widespread Panic album with Jimmy Herring coming Feb 12th

Widespread Panic's new album Free Somehow will be released Feb 12th 2008. This is WP's first studio album with guitarist Jimmy Herring, who joined the band in the summer of 2006.

Free Somehow tracklisting:

   1. Boom Boom Boom 
   2. Walk on the Flood 
   3. Angels on High 
   4. Three Candles
   5. Tickle the Truth
   6. Free Somehow 
   7. Flicker
   8. Dark Day Program   
   9. Her Dance Needs No Body   
  10. Already Fried   
  11. Up All Night

 via HARP Magazine

Michael Landau Spring 2008 European tour dates

Michael Landau will be touring Europe next spring with Andy Hess on bass, and Gary Novak on drums. Dates and locations are below.

3/2/08     Auditorium A. Kraus      Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, ES
3/31/08   Tobakken     Esjberg, DK
4/1/08     De Boerderij     Zoetermeer, NL
4/2/08     Spirit of 66     Verviers, BE
4/3/08     Domicil Club     Dortmund, DE
4/4/08     Quasimodo     Dortmund, DE
4/5/08     Hot Jazz Club     Munster, DE
4/6/08     Jubez     Karlruhe, DE
4/8/08     A 38     Budapest, HU
4/9/08     General Music Direction     Graz, AT
4/11/08    Altes Pfandhaus     Köln, DE
4/12/08    Gambrinus Jazz Plus     St. Gallen, CH
4/13/08    Lucerna Music Bar     Prague, CZ
4/14/08    Club Parnik     Ostrava, CZ

Favorite albums of 2007

There have been some great jazz fusion/progressive guitar albums this year. While 2006 was one of the best years in guitar music in some time, this year was arguably better. Here are my favorite albums of 2007 in order of their release.

Uncle Moe's Space Ranch - Moe's Town

Highly creative fusion featuring incredible playing by guitarists T.J. Helmerich and Brett Garsed. Review

Cosmosquad - Acid Test

Great heavy fusion disc featuring guitarist Jeff Kollman.

Oz Noy - Fuzzy

A fantastic fusion of funk and jazz. Awesome funk rhythm guitar on this disc. Review

Alex Machacek, Jeff Sipe, Matthew Garrison - Improvision 

Incredible writing and playing. Best album of the year. Review

Jonas Hellborg - Art Metal 

Heavy fusion mixing eastern and western influences. Features Mattias IA Eklundh on guitar.

T Lavitz - School Of The Arts 

Acoustic progressive jazz with Frank Gambale and Steve Morse on guitars. Great writing. Review

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension - Official Pirate 

Download-only album featuring the best performances from McLaughlin's 2007 tour.

Other albums that deserve mentioning:

Marc Norgaard - Tolerance  Review
Planet X - Quantum
Ed DeGenaro - Dog House  Review
Freeway Jam - To Beck And Back  Review
John McLaughlin - The Essential John McLaughlin 

Rich

Pics of John McLaughlin recording Hadrien Feraud

The John McLaughlin News site has some cool pics of McLaughlin recording monster bassist Hadrien Feraud for an upcoming album.

Recording Hadrien Feraud

More info on the 2008 Return To Forever reunion tour

More details have been released on next summer's Return To Forever reunion. The band (featuring Chick Corea - keys, Stanley Clarke - bass, Lenny White - drums, and Al DiMeola - guitar) will play 40-50 dates across North America and Europe. An anthology will also be released in conjunction with the tour featuring remastered tracks from the Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery, and Romantic Warrior albums. Read the Abstract Logix news post for more info.

Brett Garsed - All Out Guitar interview part 2

All Out Guitar has posted part 2 of it's interview with Brett Garsed. Among other topics, Garsed discusses his initial move to the States. Part one of this interview was posted a few weeks back

Brett Garsed All Out Guitar interview: Part 2

Mike Stern live review at The Concert Blog

Jim Harrington of The Concert Blog has posted a nice write-up of last night's Mike Stern gig at Yoshi's in San Francisco. Stern will be appearing at Yoshi's through Dec 22nd.

Live review: Mike Stern - Yoshi's San Francisco 12/18/07

Jimmy Herring 1985 GIT video - Squakin' In The Henhouse

Another YouTube gem: this is Jimmy Herring when he was a student at GIT in 1985. I've heard Jimmy was way into Steve Morse in those days (notice the humbucker-laden tele with the strat neck.) Check out the uploaders page for more.

Mike Stern audio interview

Len Davis has posted an audio interview he conducted with Mike Stern regarding Stern's latest album Who Let the Cats Out. Davis runs the Bitches Brew jazz radio show on PBS-FM 106.7 in Melbourne Australia.

Mike Stern audio interview part 1

Herring, Trucks, Sipe, and Burbridge to record studio album in 2008

NEWS FLASH: a little birdie told me guitarists Jimmy Herring and Derek Trucks, drummer Jeff Sipe, and bassist Oteil Burbridge will join forces for a new studio album for Abstract Logix in 2008! I'll post more details when they become available.

Cool new feature at All Out Guitar

All Out Guitar has a new interview feature called "Elevenses", where they ask great guitarists the same 11 questions. Their first subject was T.J. Helmerich, now they have a new "Elevenses" posted with Steve Lukather. Check it out!

All Out Guitar - Elevenses

Scott Henderson - 12/13/07 video

Here's a cool video from Scott Henderson's show in Rio de Janeiro last night. The quality isn't great, but the playing is.

New Robben Ford Instructional DVD

Robben Ford has released a new instructional DVD entitled The Art of Blues Rhythm. The footage comes from one of Ford's masterclass clinics. From the Music Dispatch product description:

"He explains and demonstrates dozens of blues rhythm concepts and techniques from 12-bar shuffle blues rhythms to mixing in jazz chords to blues comping. Robben also takes you through several of his tunes showing his chord voicings, rhythms, and right-hand picking/finger techniques."