The Guitar Channel

Chris Poland radio interview

OHM guitarist Chris Poland appeared on the Black Night Meditations radio show on WSCA 106.1 FM in Portsmouth, NH earlier the week. The interview can now be heard online at the following location:

Black Night Meditations: Chris Poland Interview

OHMPhrey reveals cover art, tracklisting, and samples

OHMPhrey now has a MySpace page with samples from their upcoming self-titled album (releasing May 19th). This cool-sounding project features OHM members Chris Poland (guitar) and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari (bass), joining forces with Umphrey's McGee members Jake Cinninger (guitar), Joel Cummins (keys), and Kris Myers (drums). The samples sound awesome!

OHMPhrey (Magna Carta)

Tracklisting:

1. Someone Said You Were Dead
2. The Girl From Chi Town
3. Denny's By The Jail
4. Ice Cream
5. Lake Shore Drive
6. Not Afraid Of The Dark
7. Shrooms 'n Cheese
8. What's The Word, Thunderbird

OHM and OHMPhrey live dates

Chris Poland's fusion trio OHM is currently preparing material for a new album, and have scheduled the following live dates:

April 9 - The Baked Potato (Studio City, CA)
May 9 - Alva's Showroom (San Pedro, CA)

OHMPhrey news!
Also, the album Chris and Pag from OHM recorded with Umphrey's McGee members Jake Cinninger (guitar), Joel Cummins (keys), and Kris Myers (drums) this past January will be released on May 19th through Magna Carta Records. The band is called OHMPHrey, and the following gigs have been booked to showcase the project:

May 14 - The Roxy (West Hollywood, CA) 
May 15 - SoHo (Santa Barbara, CA)
May 16 - Winston's (San Diego, CA)

Chris Poland audio interview with Gagliarchives

Gagliararchives has just posted an mp3 of the interview they conducted with OHM's Chris Poland on 1/31/09.

Gagliararchives: Chris Poland interview - 1/31/09

Win a signed copy of OHM's "Circus of Sound" album!

After Chris Poland and Pag from OHM played at the Eminence booth at NAMM, they signed and gave away several copies of their latest album Circus of Sound. A very cool move on their part. I was lucky enough to not only see the guys play, but I got one of the signed CDs as well. As cool an item as this is to have, I've decided to give it away on the site since I already own this awesome album. So, If you would like to enter to win a signed copy of OHM's Circus of Sound, send an email to guitarchannelcontest@gmail.com with the subject OHM CD Giveaway. The contest runs from this moment through February 5th. On February 6th I will choose one email at random, and announce the winner on the site. One entry per person, please. Good luck!

Chris Poland NAMM videos

Here are several videos I shot of Chris Poland and Robertino "Pag" Pagliari (from OHM) at the Eminence booth at NAMM.

Crossroads

Mr. Brown

Where's My Hat

NAMM Show: Day Three (plus photos)

Saturday was my longest and last day at the NAMM show. I played some great guitars, and met some great musicians including John Czajkowski from Hectic Watermelon, and keyboardist T Lavitz. I also saw two awesome performances at the Eminence Speakers booth - Chris Poland and Pag from OHM, followed by Greg Howe. Later that night, I saw Allan Holdsworth play at Alva's (I'll post about that in more detail tomorrow). Overall, it was an awesome trip, but it feels great to be home. I've been busy since coming back; I just finished uploading and organizing my pics. Check them out:

Winter 2009 NAMM show photo album

See also: my photos from last year's NAMM show

Another OHM show added for NAMM week

Chris Poland's heavy fusion trio OHM has added another SoCal show during NAMM week (check here for the previously announced dates). They will be playing on a double bill with George Lynch's band at Tone Merchants in Orange County, CA on Saturday Jan 17th. Richie Kotzen was originally slated to play that night, but had to cancel unexpectedly. Tickets are $25; show starts at 8pm. Call or email Tone Merchants for reservations - 1-714-288-9583 or noel@tonemerchants.com.

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

Chris Poland NAMM show appearances

Chris Poland and Robert Pagliari of OHM will make the following appearances on Saturday Jan 17th at the NAMM show in Anaheim:

Yamaha Guitars signing - 1:00 p.m.

Eminence Speakers performance demo and signing - 3:30 p.m. (booth number 4334 in Hall C)

Here are some upcoming OHM shows as well:

Jan. 14 - The Baked Potato - Studio City, CA (two sets)
Jan. 24 - Club Red - Tempe, AZ (w/ Kofi Baker's CREAM tribute)
Feb. 07 - Tone Merchants - Orange, CA
Feb. 21 - Alva's Showroom - San Pedro, CA

Also, in 2009 watch for a new project featuring Poland and Pag along with Jake Cinninger (guitar), Kris Myers (drums), and Joel Cummins (keyboards) of UMPHREY'S MCGEE. Details on this release from Magna Carta Records will be made available soon.

via Blabbermouth.net

MetalJazz interview with Chris Poland

Kudos to Laurie for spotting this: MetalJazz has a quick interview up with Chris Poland from OHM.

MetalJazz: Chris Poland interview

See also: my review of OHM's latest disc Circus of Sound.

OHM video - "System of a Clown"

Here's OHM performing "System of a Clown" at the Baked Potato on 10/10/08. See more videos from this show here.

Chris Poland interview tonight

Guitarist Chris Poland from the fusion trio OHM will be interviewed on MaximumThreshold.net tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST. You can listen live on the web site and interact with Poland in the chatroom.

UPDATE 10/10/08: Grab an MP3 of the interview here.

via Blabbermouth.net

OHM - Where's My Hat video

This is OHM playing "Where's My Hat" at Brick by Brick in San Diego, California, September 20, 2008.

Review: OHM - Circus of Sound

Circus of Sound (Tone Center) is the latest release from the SoCal-based instrumental power trio OHM.  The core of the band has always been ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland and bassist Robertino "Pag" Pagliari; two highly original players whose styles are instantly recognizable. Several drummers have played with OHM through the years, and three of them (that's right, three of them) appear on Circus of Sound - Joel Taylor, Frank Briggs, and the band's longest tenured drummer Kofi Baker.

OHM could best be classified as "heavy fusion," but their sound and style are unlike any other band in that genre. Yes there's distorted guitars and heavy riffs - but the unique styles of Poland and Pagliari, and more importantly the band's writing, give OHM a very distinctive flavor. Poland is one of fusion's truly great guitar players; silky-smooth runs and a liberal approach to bending are the hallmarks of his style, and this new album will not be a disappointment to his fans. Circus of Sound seems to have more guitar solos per square inch than any of OHM's previous releases. Pagliari plays a six-string fretless bass, often employing a wah-wah to accent his lines, and is just as responsible for the band's unique sound as Poland is.

Traditionally, OHM has had a stripped-down sound. The minimal use of overdubbing has given their past studio albums OHM (2004) and Amino Acid Flashback (2005) a live feel at times (the band also released Live On KPFK 90.7 FM in 2004 which actually was recorded live). Circus of Sound is a change of direction in this regard. A lush recording full of layered guitars and harmonies, Circus of Sound is OHM's richest-sounding album to date. The material is a change of pace as well. Overall, the writing seems less eccentric than it's been in the past. While the band's signature off-kilter sensibilities are still present here, on the whole the compositions are more approachable than they've been on OHM's previous releases. Songs such as "Fun House," "Abracadabra," and "Steps From Home" are among the most melodic, "tuneful" pieces OHM has ever recorded. There's some complex, tight arrangements on Circus of Sound also. The point-counterpoint middle section of the fantastic title track is a good example. "System of a Clown" is another great song with a deep, layered arrangement. Drummer Joel Taylor take a nice solo on this track as well.

As "out there" as OHM's music can sometimes be, there's often a strong undercurrent of blues in their songs. This is largely due to Poland's input, and the new album has many great examples - on tracks like "The Shortest Straw" and "You Don't Know," he peels off plenty of wicked-fast blues runs that leave you either shaking your head, or reaching for the rewind button for another listen. The funky "Mr. Brown" is another tune with a heavy blues vibe. It's also one of the best tracks on the album. Pagliari in particular sounds great on this song.

Circus of Sound is OHM's most ambitious album yet, and it succeeds on every level. It's a more expansive production than anything they have released in the past (more guitar parts, more solos, more players, etc), and it's one of the best heavy fusion releases of the year so far.

OHM - Circus of Sound (Tone Center)

Tracklisting:

1. Fun House
2. System of a Clown
3. Photograph
4. Circus of Sound
5. Point Omega
6. Abracadabra
7. The Shortest Straw
8. The Black Hand
9. You Don't Know
10. Steps From Home
11. Mr. Brown
12. DD214
13. Leap of Faith
14. Pan's Plan

Personnel:

Chris Poland - Guitar
Robertino Pagliari - Bass
Joel Taylor - Drums on tracks 1-3
Frank Briggs - Drums on tracks 4-7
Kofi Baker - Drums on tracks 8-14

Rich

List all reviews

OHM radio interview

Chris Poland and Robbie Pagliari from OHM will discuss the band's new album Circus of Sound on the Bitches Brew radio show in Australia tomorrow at 8pm (Australian Eastern Standard time). You can stream the show from the PBS 106.7 FM website. Look for my review of Circus of Sound soon.

UPDATE 9/20/08: Listen to an mp3 of this interview here.

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.

Chris Poland talks technique in new videos

Musicplayer.com has posted some great Chris Poland videos on their "Live From..." site. Poland discusses many aspects of his style including vibrato and double-stops. Here are the links to each vid:

http://livefrom.musicplayer.com/clip.aspx?key=D231D3B7EF86CA9E

http://livefrom.musicplayer.com/clip.aspx?key=CFA3B9131C434978

http://livefrom.musicplayer.com/clip.aspx?key=7C962397A6050BD3

http://livefrom.musicplayer.com/clip.aspx?key=5780600FCE7C1234

http://livefrom.musicplayer.com/clip.aspx?key=192FBEDB86D1B078

http://livefrom.musicplayer.com/clip.aspx?key=91448527E857A857

These videos are embeddable, but I didn't want to stack that many players in one post. Enjoy!

Chris Poland practice studio interview

Chris Poland gives InnerViewWorld a tour of his practice studio. Also includes some great footage of Poland's band OHM tearing it up at The Baked Potato.

OHM video interview

This is a Monsoon Radio video interview with the Chris Poland's heavy-fusion trio OHM (Robertino Pagliari - bass, newest member Frank Briggs - drums, and Chris Poland - guitar). The audio and video quality is a bit sketchy here, but I figured it was worth a post.