The Guitar Channel

Alex Machacek and Marco Minnemann - "24 Tales" Release date

Alex Machacek and Marco Minnemann will release their new album 24 Tales on May 19th through Abstract Logix. This unique album originated as Machacek's contribution to Minnemann's Normalizer 2 project. This unique album will feature music Machacek composed around a 50+ minute Minnemann drum solo. The extended piece will be split into 24 separate tracks on the disc, all of which are intended to both stand on their own, and work as part of the larger composition. This is sure to be one of the standout releases of the year.

Machacek, Fierabracci, Brechtlein, Turcio: Live at The Baked Potato

Some footage of Alex Machacek, Ric Fierabracci, Tom Brechtlein, and Phil Turcio live at The Baked Potato on 1/20/10.

Photo Galleries: Alex Machacek and OHM - Live at Alva's Showroom

Click the links below for my photos from the Alex Machacek and OHM gigs at Alva's Showroom during NAMM week.

Alex Machacek, Ric Fierabracci, Tom Brechtlein, Phil Turcio: Live at Alva's Showroom - 1/16/10

OHM and Kofi Baker's Tribute to Cream w/ Mike Keneally: Live at Alva's Showroom - 1/17/10

Alex Machacek Video - "Miss You" Live at Alva's 1/16/10

Alex Machacek - Guitar, Ric Fierabracci - Bass, Tom Brechtlein - Drums, and Phil Turcio - Keys playing the Stones tune "Miss You" at Alva's Showroom on 1/16/10.

NAMM 2010: Day 3

Saturday is always the NAMM show's busiest day, and I have many highlights to report. Early in the day I was able to see Chris Poland and 'Pag' from OHM jamming at the Eminence booth. It's always a treat to see players of this caliber in these small-scale NAMM floor settings. Chris was burning as usual. After Eminence, I hit some other booths and saw lots of big names on the floor - I saw Gene Simmons heading to an appearance with a throng of people following him, Slash made a couple of appearances, I saw Flea walk through, saw George Lynch chatting with Uli Roth, saw Andy Timmons, Paul Gilbert, and Tony MacAlpine signing at the Ibanez booth, and on and on. 

One of the highlights of the day for me was meeting Steve Lukather. As you may recall, back in November I posted a video of Luke jamming with Joe Bonamassa that Luke himself commented on. He essentially agreed with an earlier comment that he was overplaying on the song, and that the clip kinda sucked. Out of respect for Luke, I considered taking the post down at that point, but a good discussion was ensuing in the comments so I left it up. When I met Luke yesterday, I sheepishly revealed that the Guitar Channel was my site, and that I was the one who posted that video. Obviously I didn't need to do that, but I wanted to tell him I was sorry if I pissed him off. He absolutely could not have been cooler about the whole thing. He said hey, sometimes you're gonna have a bad night, but the next night you might play great. He said the difference nowadays is with YouTube, everything you play gets posted and viewed by millions of people. His "no-worries" attitude was very genuine, and super cool. What a great cat.

Another highlight of the day was seeing Tony Levin's Stick Men band play in the LOUD Technologies demo room. Their stuff is very rhythmic, and highly progressive. Levin is an absolute maniac on the Chapman Stick. 

After the show I headed to San Pedro to see Alex Machacek (guitar), Ric Fierabracci (bass), Tom Brechtlein (drums), and Phil Turcio (keys) at Alva's Showroom. Marco Minnemann was originally slated to play drums, but due to unforseen circumstances, Brechtlein was enlisted to fill in. At the show I met up with Souvik Dutta from Abstract Logix, and guitarist Amit Heri who has been traveling with Souvik during NAMM. What a great hang. Got to talk with Alex before the show and between sets. He's always been one of my favorite players, and is a great guy to boot. His new album with Marco Minnemann sounds like it's going to be killer. I believe he said the title will be "26 Tales;" it was originally part of Minnemann's Normalizer project,   but it will be released on it's own through Abstract Logix. Can't wait to hear it. I'd like to give this show it's own write-up, but I'll say this - These guys were some of the best pro's I've seen. Alex told me before the show that he was a bit nervous about the gig, since the setlist had to be changed at the last minute due to Minnemann's absence, and he was not as familiar with the material as he'd like to be. Nevertheless, everybody killed on this gig. They worked off of charts, and it was so cool to see these guys execute on such a professional level. There were a couple of tunes that Brechtlin hadn't even played before, but you would have had no idea. Fantastic playing by everyone involved. Below you'll find one of the videos I shot from this great gig.

I probably won't spend much time at the show today, being that it's the last day which is traditionally light on content. Tonight, however, is going to be huge. I'll be heading back to Alva's to see OHM, and Kofi Baker's Cream tribute featuring Mike Keneally on guitar. I'm sure this will be an awesome show that will pack Alva's to the gills. Stay tuned...

By the way... between the slow internet connection in my hotel, and the God-awful ATT&T coverage at the convention center, my ability to post updates, videos, etc, has been severely hampered. I've got a ton of pics, and some great videos, but most of it won't be uploaded until I get home.

Alex Machacek - "Actual Proof" solo live at Alva's 1/16/10

Abstract Logix offering discounted Guitar Holiday Pack

NEWS FLASH: Abstract Logix is offering several holiday gift packs at discounted prices, one of which is the 4-disc Guitar Holiday Pack. With this set you get Alex Machacek's [sic], Jimmy Herring's Lifeboat, John McLaughlin's Floating Point, and Wayne Krantz's Krantz Carlock Lefebvre, all for $46.98. If you don't own these great albums yet, now is the perfect time to get them.

Abstract Logix - Guitar Holiday Pack

Review: Sebastiaan Cornelissen - U-Turn

Dutch drummer/composer Sebastiaan Cornelissen's latest album U-Turn (Abstract Logix) is a fantastic collection of modern jazz fusion songs, featuring some of the genre's best musicians. The music is at times reminiscent of Tribal Tech, or Secrets-era Allan Holdsworth, and is loaded with cutting edge musicianship. You may know Cornelissen as a member of the band One Spirit with guitarist Richard Hallebeek and bassist Frans Vollink, both of whom make appearances here. This trio of Dutchmen have collaborated on many projects in the past, and are responsible for some of the best jazz fusion to come out of Europe in recent years.

All of U-Turn's tracks were written by Cornelissen, except for "England Green" which is a Gary Husband song. In general, this album is more about Cornelissen the composer than Cornelissen the drummer. There's unquestionably some great drumming here, especially on tracks like "Fruits and Fibre," and the aforementioned "England Green." However, U-Turn is a fairly keyboard-heavy disc, and is largely devoid of the drum solos and odd time sections you'd expect from a typical drummer's solo album. It also happens to be one of the great guitar albums of the year, due to the inclusion of some top-notch players.

Richard Hallebeek provides some of the best guitar moments on the album with his solos on "Up There" and "Squash." With a style that falls somewhere between Scott Henderson and Allan Holdsworth, Hallebeek is always a treat to listen to, but he's particularly impressive here. He's a great improviser with a deep vocabulary, and his fast legato runs are always executed with a crystal-clear attack. There's some amazing straight-ahead(ish) jazz guitar on U-Turn as well, courtesy of Leonardo Amuedo on the track "Stevenage." Imagine a George Benson-meets-Mike Stern sort of approach, fueled by alarming amounts of Red Bull, and you'll get the idea.

Another standout track is "4 Hands" - a breezy jazz tune that is essentially a showcase for soloists Hadrien Feraud (bass) and Mike Outram (guitar). I found Outram's tone to be a bit tinny here, but he plays some of the wildest guitar on the album as he navigates the changes with ease. As an improviser, Feraud is about as exciting as they come on the bass guitar, and he just kills it on this track. He also appears on the song "Snox!," where guitarist Susan Weinert, and flugel horn player Gerard Presencer take impressive solos.

"All So Familiar" needs mentioning as well, as it features two ex-Tribal Tech members - Scott Kinsey on keys, and Gary Willis on bass (via loops). It should be no surprise then that this track has a vibe similar to that classic group's best band-improvised pieces.

The album closes out with the aptly-named "Last One," which features one of contemporary fusion's best guitar players - Alex Machacek. Machacek takes a typically great solo - lots of smooth phrases through the changes, with a few outside lines dropped in for good measure. Tom Kennedy turns in some great bass work on this track as well.

There's a lot of great writing on U-Turn - songs like "Fruits and Fibre" and "Squash" have melodies that will stick with you long after you hear them. Having said that, this album will also be heralded for how much playing there is on it. Cornelissen gives his perfect-choice guest soloists plenty of room to stretch out over his changes, while the man himself is mostly content to let his sophisticated compositions do the talking for him. U-Turn is a major accomplishment for Cornelissen, and it's one of the year's best jazz fusion releases.

Sebastiaan Cornelissen - U-Turn (Abstract Logix)

Personnel:

Sebastiaan Cornelissen (Drums, Guitar, Programming, Additional Keys)
Alex Machacek (Guitar Solo) 14
Susan Weinert (Guitar Solo) 13
Mike Outram (Guitar Solo) 5
Richard Hallebeek (Guitar Solo) 10, 12
Leonardo Amuedo (Guitar Solo) 9
Gary Husband (Keys) 2, 3, 7
Scott Kinsey (Keys) 8
Steve Hunt (Keys) 10, 11
Hadrien Feraud (Bass) 5, 13
Frans Vollink (Bass) 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10
Jimmy Earl (Bass) 12
Tom Kennedy (Bass) 14
Johnny Copland (Bass) 12
Gary Willis (Bass Loops) 8
Ruud Cornelissen (Bowed Acoustic Bass) 4
Gerard Presencer (Flugel Horn) 1, 6, 13

Tracklisting:

1. Can Do
2. Fruits and Fibre
3. UTurn
4. Caspar
5. 4 Hands
6. Stello
7. England Green
8. All So Familiar
9. Stevenage
10. Up There
11. Bread Maker
12. Squash
13. Snox!
14. Last One

Rich

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Trey Gunn discusses Alex Machacek

Guitar Player Magazine has posted outtakes from an interview with Touch guitarist Trey Gunn, where Gunn discusses playing with Alex Machacek in UKZ.

Special Feature: Trey Gunn Interview Outtakes Part Two

Reviews and Pics of UKZ & Alex Machacek Trio Japan shows

Just found this Japanese site with reviews and pics from the recently completed UKZ and Alex Machacek shows. Here is a link to Google's translated version of the page (take the translation with a grain of salt):

Tour ends UKZ ~ Alex Machacek

Current Listening

LOTS of great fusion stuff has come out recently. Here are some of my favorite recent acquisitions I'm currently working my way through. I'll be reviewing some or most of these as soon as I can...

Ed DeGenaro - Less Is Seldom More

Great follow-up to Dog House. Features tons of great players including Marco Minnemann, Dave Weckl, Ric Fierabracci, and Ray Gomez.

Adam Nitti - Liminal

Fantastic driving fusion... includes guitarists Shane Theriot, Marco Sfogli, Phil Keaggy, and Tom Quayle

One Spirit - Go For It!

Latest recording from guitarist Richard Hallebeek's band. Great jazz fusion with a Tribal Tech vibe.

Lyle Workman - Harmonic Crusader

Great guitar album from the L.A. studio veteran. Features a cavalcade of greats - Vinnie Colaiuta, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, Simon Phillps, Gary Novak, and on and on.

Simon C.F.Yu - Exotic Species (review)

Eccentric mash-up of eastern and western styles. Includes guest David "Fuze" Fiuczynski.

Sebastiaan Cornelissen - U-Turn

Just got an early copy of this new Abstract Logix Label release. Fantastic fusion recording from the drummer of the One Spirit band. The incredible lineup includes Alex Machacek, Richard Hallebeek, Gary Husband, Scott Kinsey, Gary Willis, Hadrien Feraud, Tom Kennedy, Jimmy Earl, and many others.

Review: UKZ - Radiation

Eddie Jobson is a legendary figure in the world of progressive rock. Proficient on both the keyboards and violin, Jobson played with several prog/art rock bands in the 60s and 70s including Frank Zappa's band, Curved Air, Roxy Music, Jethro Tull, and others. However, Jobson may best be known for his work with UK; one of prog-rock's true "supergroups." With an original lineup of Bill Bruford on drums and John Wetton on bass (who had both come from King Crimson), plus Allan Holdsworth on guitar and Jobson on keys and violin, UK developed a cult status following their 1978 self-titled debut that exists to this day. Though Jobson does have some solo albums to his credit, the bulk of his work for the past 20-some-odd years has been in TV and film scoring. Now, Jobson has returned with a new band - UKZ. Much like it's late-70s predecessor, UKZ is undoubtedly a supergroup. This illustrious band consists of guitarist Alex Machacek (BPM, solo artist), drummer Marco Minnemann (Paul Gilbert, KMB, solo artist), Warr 10-string touch guitarist Trey Gunn (King Crimson, solo artist), vocalist Aaron Lippert (Expanding Man, Godboxer, solo artist), and Jobson on keys and violin. After a long gestation period that often saw the band members writing and collaborating remotely, the band has produced their first release - a promising 4-song EP entitled Radiation (Glo Digital).

The title track is the most well-rounded song on the disc, making it a perfect choice for the opener. It's a heavy, modern, progressive rock song that's chock-full of all the staples of the gene; heavy riffs, odd meters, radical mood-swings, you name it. Machacek takes a great solo on this one, filled with smooth legato lines and sweeps. What's really interesting here, is the guitar solo flows seamlessly into a distortion-laden violin solo courtesy of Jobson. Given Jobson's guitaristic licks and tone, it's hard to tell at first where the guitar solo ends and violin solo begins. Couple all this with gritty lyrics sung by Lippert through a transistor radio-like tone, and you've got a great prog tune. Next up is a synth-heavy ballad called "Houston," which shows a completely different side of the band. Gunn single-handedly provides the rhythm section in this song with some subtle, percussive touch guitar work. The vocals are strong and right out front in the mix on this one.

The polyrhythmic "Tu-95" was released early as the teaser track from the disc, and for good reason. This is a heavy prog instrumental that basically throws the kitchen sink at you. Packed full of turn-on-a-dime meter and mood shifts, this is an "out there" tune that I can see being an acquired taste for non-prog heads. Machacek provides the EP's final track - the solo jazz guitar piece "Legend," which features some beautiful chords and voice-leading.

After listening to this EP from beginning to end, my initial knee-jerk reaction was "I wish there were more songs like 'Radiation'." The four songs presented here differ radically from one another, and it's often hard to find a common thread. My suspicion now is that is exactly Jobson's point. Perhaps Jobson is using this short release to showcase the many facets of his new band; to give listeners a small taste of the varying directions this supergroup is capable of going in. I hope that's the case; I'd certainly like to see a full album from UKZ in the future.

UKZ - Radiation (Glo Digital)

Personnel:
Aaron Lippert - Vocals
Trey Gunn - 10-string touch guitar
Eddie Jobson - Keyboards, Electric Violin
Alex Machacek - Guitar
Marco Minnemann - Drums

Tracklisting:
Radiation
Houston
Tu-95
Legend

Rich

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Alex Machacek Trio to play Japan

Following his Japanese gigs with UKZ this June, Alex Machacek will play the following shows in Japan with his own trio (Marco Minnemann - drums, Kai Eckhardt - bass):

June 13th - Tokyo @ STB139
June 14th - Koriyama @ HipShot
June 15th - Sendai @ Enn
June 17th - Osaka @ Jack Lion
June 18th - Nagoya @ Bottom Line

In other news, Alex is interviewed in the May 2009 issue of Vintage Guitar Magazine, and appears on Sebastiaan Cornelissen's upcoming album UTurn (soon to be released through Abstract Logix).

Upcoming Alex Machacek Trio dates

Before heading to Japan to play with UKZ in June, Alex Machacek (along with Marco Minnemann on drums, and Kai Eckhardt on bass) will play the following gigs this May for you lucky Southern Californians:

May 22  The Baked Potato - Studio City, CA

May 23  Alvas - San Pedro, CA

May 29  Cafe Du Nord - San Francisco, CA

UKZ to play four dates in Japan

Prog super-group UKZ will play the following dates in Japan this coming June:

June 8  Tokyo - Kudan Kaikan
June 9  Nagoya - Bottom Line
June 10  Osaka - Big Cat
June 11 Tokyo - STB139

UKZ features Eddie Jobson on keyboards and violin, Trey Gunn on the Warr touch guitar, Marco Minnemann on drums, Alex Machacek on guitar, and Aaron Lippert on vocals. Their debut EP Radiation had an initial release on February 24, and is available in US stores beginning today. Look for my review soon.

Marco Minnemann, Alex Machacek, and Trey Gunn discuss Normalizer 2

UKZ bandmates Marco Minnemann, Alex Machacek, and Trey Gunn discussing Minnemann's upcoming uber-project Normalizer 2 with Modern Drummer magazine. What exactly is Normalizer 2 you ask? Machacek, Gunn, John Czajkowski, Mike Keneally, and others composed their own music over a pre-recorded 52 minute Minnemann drum solo. The resulting album (Normalizer 2) will be released on Abstract Logix sometime this year. I have an advance copy of Czajkowski's version (entitled "West ZooOpolis"), and can tell you it's a stunning piece of music. I can't wait for the full album to hear what the other guys have done. Check out this interview for more details...

UKZ "Radiation" review at All About Jazz

John Kelman has written a good review of the new UKZ EP Radiation for All About Jazz. UKZ features prog-rock legend Eddie Jobson on keyboards and violin, Trey Gunn on the Warr touch guitar, Marco Minnemann on drums, Alex Machacek on guitar, and Aaron Lippert on vocals.

All About Jazz review: UKZ - Radiation

NAMM Show: Day two

I had an amazing second day at NAMM. I took tons of photos, and test drove some great guitars, but the thing I'll remember most about yesterday was all the cool people I met. Early in the day, I bumped into Beth Marlis. Beth is currently the VP of Education for Musicians Institute, but some 17 years ago, she was my private on-on-one instructor at GIT. What a neat experience to chat with this person I hadn't seen in so many years. Beth was super-nice. It made me want to check out the school again; it sounds like they are doing some great things there these days.

A while later, I met up with Souvik Dutta from Abstract Logix. I've worked with Souvik remotely for several years now, but have only met him in person once before. While hanging with Souvik, I got to meet and hang out with some heavy-hitters such as Matthew Garrison, Jonas Hellborg, T.M. Stevens, and Scott Kinsey. Souvik, Garrison, and I also went to see Allan Holdsworth at the Yorkville booth where he was signing autographs. We were like three giddy groupies waiting to see the master. Allan was really cool. When I mentioned I would be seeing him at Alva's the following day, he said "You shouldn't have told me; I'm going to be nervous now." That's Holdsworth for you - "I suck. I'm terrible." Sure Allan, whatever you say.

At the end of the day, Souvik and I saw Mike Keneally, Marco Minnemann, and Bryan Beller (aka KMB) perform at the Fender Booth. What a great show. Their material is really intense, in a Zappa-meets-prog sort of way. Great stuff. Keneally is a mad man. I also saw Greg Howe at Tone Merchants last night, but I want to give that it's own post.

Today will be my last day at the show, and it's going to be a busy one. There are TONS of big name players performing and signing autographs at the show today, and I'm going to try to catch as much as I can. Then later tonight, I'll be seeing Holdsworth at Alva's in San Pedro with Souvik and I believe Alex Machacek. Stay tuned...

Alex Machacek radio interview

Guitarist Alex Machacek will be the guest on Tony Palkovic's Jazz-Fusion radio show on KSPC 88.7FM (L.A. area) tomorrow from 12pm-2pm Pacific, with a rebroadcast Wed 1/7 at 4am. You can listen online at http://216.235.81.103:15302. The show can also be heard on Pulsar Radio starting at 12am Pacific on Friday 1/9, with a repeat every 3hrs for 24hrs.

Also, Alex will be hosting his own one hour show as a guest artist DJ of the week on Pulsar Sound Radio this week.

Show times:

Wed. 1/7 at: 12AM, 6AM, 12PM and 6PM (Pacific)

UKZ video - "Radiation"

Behold... a new music video from prog supergroup UKZ's upcoming EP Radiation. UKZ is comprised of Eddie Jobson on keys and violin, Warr touch guitarist Trey Gunn, guitarist Alex Machacek, vocalist Aaron Lippert, and drummer Marco Minnemann. The Radiation EP will be released online (iTunes, Napster, etc) on January 6th, followed by a brick-and-mortar retail release in US stores on March 24th.

Favorite albums of 2008

2008 was another great year for jazz rock fusion progressive whateveryoucallit guitar music. Here are my favorite albums of the year, in order of their release.

Tim Miller - Trio Vol. 2

Fantastic Holdsworthian fusion. Great acoustic/electric tones.

John McLaughlin - Floating Point (Review)

Western jazz fusion played with Eastern musicians. McLaughlin's best album in years.

Greg Howe - Sound Proof (Review)

Outstanding writing and playing. True heavy fusion.

Alex Machacek/Jeff Sipe/Neal Fountain - The Official Triangle Sessions (LIVE)

An Abstract Logix exclusive. Awesome live recording featuring tracks from the Improvision album.

OHM - Circus of Sound (Review)

Highly creative heavy fusion from Chris Poland and co.

 

Jimmy Herring - Lifeboat (Review)

Remarkable writing and playing. My favorite album of the year.

Jeff Beck - Performing this week...Live at Ronnie Scott's

Great live album featuring all of Beck's classics. Look for my review soon.

Other favorites from 2008:

Paul Gilbert - Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar (Review)
Charlie Hunter - Baboon Strength
Mike Miller Quintet - World Goes Round
McCoy Tyner - Guitars
Claude Pauly - Mind Meets Matter
Tadashi Goto - Innervisions
CAB - Theatre De Marionnettes