The Guitar Channel

New Dave Martone album to feature Greg Howe, Joe Satriani, Jennifer Batten, and Billy Sheehan

Canadian guitarist Dave Martone will release his new solo album Clean through Magna Carta Records on October 7th. Featured guests include Greg Howe, Joe Satriani, Jennifer Batten, Billy Sheehan, and Daniel Adair. From the official press release:

    If you thought that Canadian rock started and ended with Rush, Saga or Triumph, think again. Canadian guitar virtuoso, Dave Martone is a force to be reckoned with.

    "I wanted the album to be playable by a 3 piece band, while not relying heavily on studio production techniques. I wanted more of a four-on-the-floor vibe, with very strong melodies, and a more organic texture of sounds."

    All songs feature Daniel Adair of Nickelback on drums. 'Nail Grinder' features a blistering solo from none other than Joe Satriani. 'Hard Wired' features an amazing solo from Greg Howe. For 'Dinky Pinky', Martone wanted a bass player that would kick hard. Billy Sheehan was, of course, the logical choice and he lays down an incredible performance. 'Moron Face' is a heavy riff tune with Jennifer Batten guest soloing.

via Bravewords.com

New Tadashi Goto album features Chris Poland, Brett Garsed, and Ty Tabor

Japanese keyboardist Tadashi Goto has a new prog-fusion album available for pre-order entitled Innervisions. The impressive guest list on this release includes Chris Poland, Brett Garsed, Ty Tabor, Tony Levin, Tony Franklin, Matt Bissonette, Joseph Patrick Moore, Randy George, Sean Conklin, Jose Bernardo and Marco Ahrens. You can listen to samples and pre-order the disc here.

OHM posts two new tracks on MySpace

OHM have posted the songs "System of a Clown" and "Photograph" from their soon-to-be-released album Circus of Sound on their MySpace page. They also have two upcoming gigs listed: Aug 15th at The Baked Potato in Studio City, CA and Nov 1st at Alva's in San Pedro, CA. Circus of Sound will be released Aug 26th on the Tone Center label.

Hiram Bullock: 1955-2008

Hiram Bullock, the original guitarist in Paul Shaffer's "World's Most Dangerous Band" for the Late Night With David Letterman show has passed away at the age of 52. Bullock had been battling a throat tumor since January. In addition to his numerous solo albums, the New York-based funk-fusion heavyweight had a prolific studio career that included recordings with Steely Dan, Jaco Pastorius, Paul Simon, Marcus Miller, and many others.

via All About Jazz

Chick Corea & John McLaughlin - Five Peace Band tour dates

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely heard that Chick Corea and John McLaughlin have formed a touring group called Five Peace Band. This is the first time Corea and McLaughlin have teamed up since they played together in Miles Davis' band during the Bitches Brew era. Joining Corea and McLaughlin will be Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Kenny Garret on sax, and Christian McBride on bass. This project was announced several months back, but I've finally found some actual tour dates. I've culled these dates from various sources online, including the band's booking agency TKA, and TicketMaster.

10/24/2008     Cork Jazz Festival - Cork Opera House  Cork  IRELAND      
10/26/2008     Palace Hall  Bucharest  ROMANIA      
10/27/2008     Vienna Stadthalle, Halle F Vienna  AUSTRIA      
10/29/2008     Azerbaijan State Philharmonie  Baku  AZERBAIJAN      
10/30/2008     C R R Concert Hall Istanbul  ISTANBUL      
10/31/2008     Anatolia Show and Congress Center  Ankara  TURKEY      
11/04/2008     Queen Elizabeth Hall  Antwerpen BELGIUM      
11/07/2008     Festaal Ingolstadt  Ingolstadt GERMANY      
11/09/2008     Grobers Festspielhaus  Salzburg  AUSTRIA      
11/10/2008     Teatro Manzoni  Milan  ITALY      
11/14/2008     Wroclaw Guitar Festival/Centennial Hall  Wroclaw  POLAND
11/19/2008     Palacio De La Opera  La Coruna  SPAIN      
11/20/2008     Palacio Euskalduna  Bilbao  SPAIN
03/19/2009     UCLA - Royce Hall  Los Angeles, CA      
03/21/2009     University of California - Berkeley  Zellerbach Hall  Berkeley CA
04/04/2009     University of Michigan - Hill Auditorium  Ann Arbor MI
04/07/2009     University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Krannert Center  Urbana IL
04/23/2009     Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rose Theater  New York NY
04/24/2009     Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rose Theater  New York NY
04/25/2009     Jazz at Lincoln Center - Rose Theater  New York NY
04/29/2009     The Music Center at Strathmore  N. Bethesda MD
04/30/2009     Berklee Performance Center  Boston MA

Scott Kinsey Group European tour dates

The Scott Kinsey Group has booked the following dates for a European Fall tour. The current incarnation of this awesome band features Scott Henderson on guitar, Matthew Garrison on bass, Gary Novak on drums, and Kinsey on keys.

OCTOBER 21 DORTMUND (Germany) DOMICIL
OCTOBER 22 TILBURG (Holland) PARADOX
OCTOBER 23 ZOETERMEER (Holland) DE BOERDERIJ
OCTOBER 24 POZNAN (Poland)
OCTOBER 25 SZCZECIN (Poland) FREE BLUES CLUB
OCTOBER 26 BERLIN (Germany) QUASIMODO
OCTOBER 27 Travel to Budapest / Off
OCTOBER 28 BUDAPEST (Hungary) A38
OCTOBER 29 DRESDEN (Germany) TANTE JU

Brett Garsed video for Masotti Amps

Lots of cool videos popping up lately. Saw this one on Truth in Shredding. This is a clip of Brett Garsed pulled from the Masotti Amplifiers and Guitars Devices site.

More Scott Henderson footage from The Baked Potato

Saw this on Mark McGuigan's site: More great footage of Scott Henderson's 7/19/08 show at The Baked Potato, courtesy of the Suhr Guitars Gallery. Enjoy!

UPDATE 7/26/08: I've replaced the Quicktime version of this video with the YouTube version. The quality is not as good, but the QT version would load in the background as soon as you came to this page, whether you clicked Play or not. I found that annoying so I decided to swap it out.

Greg Howe interview at Modern Guitars Magazine

Modern Guitars Magazine has posted a great Greg Howe interview, conducted by Mark Rabuffo. Check it out!

Modern Guitars Magazine: Greg Howe Interview

Scott Henderson - "Hillbilly in the Band" video 7/19/08

This is Scott Henderson playing "Hillbilly in the Band" last night at The Baked Potato.

UPDATE 7/26/08: I decided to replace the video I originally posted here with a higher quality version that was uploaded to YouTube yesterday. This is also the complete song.

Tim Miller - Live at the Beehive: June 30th, 2008

Kudos to Laurie at Truth in Shredding for spotting this one. This is guitarist Tim Miller live at the Beehive in Boston on 6/30/08, with Steve Hunt on keys, Mark Walker on drums, and Joshua Davis on bass. Miller has another gig at Beehive tonight at 9:00pm EST.

Allan Holdsworth UK tour dates

Here is the latest list of dates for Allan Holdsworth's upcoming UK tour.

Sept 24  Newcastle, England, The Cluny
Sept 25 Glasgow, Scotland, The Ferry
Sept 26  Kendall England, Brewery Arts Centre
Sept 27 Abertillary, Wales, Metropole
Sept 28 Dartford, England, Mick Jagger Centre 
Sept 29  London England, Jazz Café
Sept 30 Wolverhampton England, Robin 2
Oct 02 Worcester England, Huntingdon Halls
Oct 03 Manchester England, Academy 3
Oct 04 Holmfirth England, Picturedrome

via drummer Chad Wackerman's official site

Review: Greg Howe - Sound Proof

Sound Proof (Tone Center) is guitarist Greg Howe's first solo album in about 5 years. Possibly his most dynamic album to date, it's loaded with great grooves, stellar playing, and a wide variety of writing styles. One of the most influential and technically accomplished players in the progressive guitar scene today, the line on Howe is he's a former "shred guy" who has morphed into a "fusion guy." Other guitarists have made this stylistic shift as well, but the results are often debatable in my opinion. Usually the "fusion" aspect is reflected more in the writing than in the playing. In Howe's case, however, there really is no debate - the guy has strong, legitimate jazz chops that show through in his improvising and his writing, and that aspect of his style is apparent throughout this new album.

The first thing you'll noticed about Sound Proof is it's sense of humor. In a move similar to what Project Z did on their self-titled debut, Sound Proof features some funny "skits" scattered throughout the disc. Whether it's a high-falutin music mogul telling Howe to write him a song, or a phone message from a guitar tone connoisseur going on and on about his gear, these brief humorous moments break up the song listing nicely, and reward the listener for playing the album's tracks in order from beginning to end; an antique notion since the advent of the mp3 player. These short breaks, plus the playful nature of some of the songs give the whole album a looser feel than Howe's previous releases. It's as if, despite all his technical ability and depth as a musician, he wants people to know he doesn't take himself too seriously.

Howe is backed by a great supporting cast here. On his previous album Extraction (2003 - Tone Center), Howe recorded with some high-profile legends (Dennis Chambers played drums, and Victor Wooten played bass). He takes a different approach with Sound Proof by working with some lesser-known, yet very talented sidemen - Jon Reshard plays bass, Gianluca Palmieri plays drums, and David Cook handles keyboards (Cook also played keys on Extraction). All of these guys sound great, and Howe gives them plenty of of room to shine.

An album's opening song often sets the mood for the whole record, but "Emergency Exit" seems to challenge that theory a bit. It's the heaviest, most "prog"-like tune on Sound Proof, and it's 5/4 groove and "out there" guitar solo made me wonder if this is what Planet X would have sounded like had Howe actually joined that band a couple of years ago, as was nearly the case. Palmieri really tears it up on this song also with his strong odd-meter playing and a killer drum solo.

Up next is a great instrumental version of the funk classic "Tell Me Something Good." It's a major mood-shift from the album's opener (Howe's point perhaps?), and a strong showcase of how dynamic Howe's new band can be. By opening the album with these two radically different songs, it's as if Howe is preparing the listener for the many moods yet to come.

One of those moods is Latin music. Howe has recorded Latin-influenced pieces in the past (e.g, "Contigo" and "Just Kiddin"), but "Reunion" is his most playful excursion into the genre yet. And it's easily one of the best songs on the album - Cook's piano work here is top notch, and Howe's crazy effects-laden solo really adds to the song's loose, fun vibe.

Howe's maturity as a writer is well-displayed on the highly melodic "Morning View." This piece has a laid-back R&B feel, and features two stellar guitar solos - first acoustic, then electric. Both solos showcase one of Howe's great strengths - his ability to drop in short effective blues phrases into just about any progression. In stark contrast to his "Morning View" solos, Howe's solo on the slow-and-heavy groover "Walkie Talkie" is loaded with crazy outside lines. This song is also has some cool guitar/bass doubled lines, and another great drum solo by Palmieri.

One aspect of Howe's playing that has continued to mature over the years is his vocabulary as an improviser. Sound Proof's best example of this also happens to be it's strongest track compositionally - "Side Note." The song itself is upbeat and fun - the open string melody has an almost Bela Fleck neo-bluegrass quality, though Howe's trademark heavy-funk writing style is still readily apparent. Howe's approach to the solo section's jazzed-up progression, however, is what really sets him apart from other former "shredders" who have made the jump to fusion. Sure, he peels off plenty of his patented barring and two-handed legato runs, but even more impressive is how he addresses the chord changes here. His slick altered lines reveal a deeper, jazz-influenced vocabulary that you don't hear from other players who also emerged from the late-80s "golden age" of shred. Furthering that point, Howe follows "Side Note" with the straight-ahead acoustic jazz piece "Sunset in El Paso." His technique is impeccable on this song, and his lines are the real thing.

"Child's Play" will surely be seen by many as one of the best songs on the album, and deservedly so. It's highly dynamic, has a fantastic groove, and features one of Howe's best solos on the album. Sound Proof's final "song" is it's title track, and it's a great example of everything Howe does well, both as a composer and an improviser. Throughout the years, one of Howe's trademarks as a writer has been turning a song on a dime by dropping in a soaring melody over a cool chord progression, no matter how heavy or funky the song happens to be at that point. The title track is one of several songs on Sound Proof where Howe uses this technique to great effect. It also has a great, jazzy guitar solo, and a fantastic bass solo by Reshard.

"Sound Proof" may be the final song, but it's not the final track. The album closes out with "Connoisseur part 2" - the longest skit on the album where the same guitar tone junky featured in an earlier phone message skit calls Howe back, and rattles on for over two minutes about his efforts to get a great tone. Definitely a fun way to end a great guitar recording.   

Sound Proof is arguably Greg Howe's best album ever. Extraction and Parallax were awfully good as well, but in addition to the great writing, dynamic production, and amazing guitar playing, Sound Proof showcases the jazz influence in Howe's style better than any of his previous efforts. No player I can think of has crossed over from shred to jazz fusion more authentically than Greg Howe has, and Sound Proof is his best example of this shift thus far.

Greg Howe - Sound Proof (Tone Center)

Personnel:

Greg Howe: Guitar
Jon Reshard: Bass
Gianluca Palmieri: Drums
David Cook: Keyboards
Dennis Hamm: Keyboard solo on "Side Note"

Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Emergency Exit
3. Tell Me Something Good
4. Connoisseur pt 1
5. Reunion
6. Morning View
7. Walkie Talkie
8. Rehearsal Note
9. Side Note
10. Sunset In El Paso
11. Write Me A Song
12. Child's Play
13. Sound Proof
14. Connoisseur pt 2

Rich

List all reviews

New Gustavo Assis-Brasil DVD reviewed at All About Jazz

All About Jazz has posted a fine review of Gustavo Assis-Brasil's new DVD/CD combo In Concert.

All About Jazz: Gustavo Assis-Brasil: In Concert

Greg Howe radio interview

Here's a radio interview Greg Howe did a couple of days ago on the Stone & Double T show on WXRX 104.9FM out of Rockford Illinois.

via Truth in Shredding

Cosmosquad Live DVD coming July 22nd - preorder now

NEWSFLASH: Cosmosquad have announced their Live DVD Lights... Camera... SQUAD! will have a release date of July 22nd (view the sneak preview trailer). Price is $19.99, plus $3.00 for US shipping. This is a region free DVD that will play on any system. You can preorder the DVD right now through their site.

CAB - "One For The Road" 7/11/08

Well spotted by Laurie at Truth in Shredding: This is a clip of CAB (with Tony MacAlpine on guitar) from their show last night at The Baked Potato.

Cosmosquad Live DVD sneak preview

Cosmosquad has posted a sneak preview of their upcoming live DVD Lights... Camera... SQUAD! on their recently revamped website.

Cosmosquad: Live DVD Sneak Preview

Updated Steve Lukather tour dates

Many dates have been added to Steve Lukather's "No Jazz" Ever Changing Times tour, so I figured I would post an updated list. Note that several new dates have been added in the US. I'm hoping to make the Palatine, IL show.

13 July 2008 Honberg-Sommer , Tuttlingen (Germany)

14 July 2008 Zeltfest , Karlsruhe (Germany)

15 July 2008 Z7 , Pratteln (Switzerland)

16 July 2008 Esedra di Palazzo Te , Mantova (Italy)

19 July 2008 The Main Square , Patrimonio, Corsica (France)

20 July 2008 Les Voix des Gaou , Toulon (France)

21 July 2008 Festival de la Bastide , Carcassonne (France )

23 July 2008 Cognac Blues Passions , Cognac (France)

24 July 2008 Capitol , Mannheim (Germany)

Ever Changing Times Tour + The Hooters

26 July 2008 Hirsch , Nürnberg (Germany)

27 July 2008 Amphitheater , Hanau (Germany)

Ever Changing Times Tour (with The Hooters & Manfred Mann's Earth Band)

12 August 2008 Red Rock , Denver (USA)

ECT Tour, supporting Jethro Tull

14 August 2008 Orpheum Theater , Sioux Falls, SD (USA)

16 August 2008 Grandma's Sports Garden , Duluth, MN (USA)

17 August 2008 Grand Theater , Wausau, WI (USA)

18 August 2008 Durty Nellies , Palatine, IL (USA)

20 August 2008 Music Mill , Indianapolis, IN (USA)

21 August 2008 Magic Bag , Detroit, MI (USA)

22 August 2008 The Winchester , Cleveland, OH (USA)

23 August 2008 The State Theater , Washington DC (USA)

24 August 2008 Ridgefield Playhouse , Ridgefield, CT (USA)

27 August 2008 BB King Blues Club , New York (USA)

02 October 2008 The Coach House , San Juan Capistrano, CA (USA)

Ever Changing Times Tour, with special guest Trev Lukather

03 October 2008 Canyon Club , Agoura Hills, CA (USA)

Ever Changing Times Tour, with special guest Trev Lukather

21 October 2008 IMP Hall , Osaka (Japan)

22 October 2008 ZEPP Nagoya , Osaka (Japan)

24 October 2008 Kosei Nenkin , Tokyo (Japan)

25 October 2008 Kosei Nenkin , Tokyo (Japan)

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH to join TERRY BOZZIO for jam sessions in Japan

This just in from MOONJUNE RECORDS:

"Allan is joining Terry Bozzio for 3 nights improv-jam sessions this November in Tokyo. One time only engagement, and for sure, a dream team for many, having together one of the greatest guitar players of our time and one of the greatest drummers of our time, and who knows what the future would bring.  1/2 set will be improv guitar/drums between Terry and Allan, and the second half would be improv of Allan Holdsworth, Terry Bozzio and two King Crimson’s alumni, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn.
www.andforest.com/events/TerryBozzio2008/index.htm
www.terrybozzio.com
www.therealallanholdsworth.com

    Tokyo, November 16 – Terry Bozzio & Billy Cobham (drums duo)
        (Billy Cobham is touring Japan with his Spectrum, Nov 11-16, and this is an extra treat for fans)
    Sendai, November 17 – Terry Bozzio & Tom Koster (drums/keyboards duo)
    Fukuoka, November 19 – Terry Bozzio & Tom Koster (drums/keyboards duo)
    Hiroshima, November 20 – Terry Bozzio & Tom Koster (drums/keyboards duo)
    Tokyo, November 22 – Terry Bozzio & Akira Jimbo (drums duo)
    Nagoya, November 25 – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Osaka, November 26 – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Tokyo, November 27: 1st set – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
                                2nd set – Allan Holdsworth with Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Tokyo, November 28: 1st set – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
                                2nd set – Allan Holdsworth with Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
    Tokyo, November 29: 1st set – Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn
                                2nd set – Allan Holdsworth with Terry Bozzio with Pat Mastelotto & Trey Gunn

Before that, there will be a UK tour of Allan Holdsworth Band (september 23 - October 4), dates to be announced soon.

Few more gigs to be added in Southern California in September. "

Sounds very interesting. Check out this Japanese site for exact venue information.

UPDATE: Tony Levin will be replacing Trey Gunn for these shows.