The Guitar Channel

New Ed DeGenaro Album "Holiday in Madras" Now Available

Advance copies of Ed DeGenaro's latest album Holiday In Madras (Unfretted Records) are now available through his website. The impressive lineup includes Ric Fierabracci, Marco Minnemann, and many others. See below for full personnel and tracklisting.

Ed DeGenaro - Holiday In Madras

Personnel:
Ed DeGenaro - all guitars
Ujjayinee Roy - voice
Steve Zerlin, Ric Fierabracci, Trip Wamsley, Chuck Rainey - bass
Benny Greb, Lyndo Rochelle, Marco Minnemann, Atma Anur - drums
Dr. S. Karthick - ghatam, kanjira, morsing, konnakol
Satish, Natalie James - trumpet,
James Carson, Anton Pukshansky - keys

Tracklisting:
1. Merera
2. Bible Camp
3. G Spot Blues
4. '57 Progosaurus
5. The Brother
6. Tutu
7. U Know What I'm Sayin'
8. Refried Funkay Ass Chicken Tikka
9. Holiday In Madras
10. Have Geetar Will Travel
11. Kolonkini Radha
12. Echo Maschine

Ed DeGenaro Posts New Tracks From Upcoming Album

Ed DeGenaro has posted several new tracks from his upcoming album on his blog. Check them out via the link below.

Ed DeGenaro: Some new tracks of the upcoming album

Review: Chris Taylor - Nocturnal

Guitarist Chris Taylor has been around the block a few times. A veteran of the music business for over 30 years, the New York native has written, recorded, and/or performed with artists such as Grover Washington Jr., Lionel Hampton, Randy Brecker and many others. Fusion guitar fans may be familiar with his work with guitarists Ed DeGenaro (Dog House, Less Is Seldom More) and John Czajkowski (West ZooOpolis). Now Taylor has struck out on his own with Nocturnal (Abstract Logix); a stunningly original debut that pushes the boundaries of modern jazz and fusion.

From a harmony perspective, Nocturnal is a jazz record at its core, yet Taylor dresses it heavily with electronica and industrial influences that wash the listener in a cornucopia of sounds and samples. While the use of these textures in jazz fusion is not unprecedented - the music of Uncle Moe’s Space Ranch and Alex Machacek comes to mind - Taylor’s thoroughly integrated application of these ideas in a jazz context feels very new. As a result, the whole album hits you as a bold,  fresh statement, especially when you consider this is Taylor’s first recording as a leader.

Though Nocturnal is clearly Taylor’s brainchild, he hardly goes it alone here as he is joined by a remarkable lineup of top-shelf musicians including drummers Dave Weckl, Gary Novak, Joel Rosenblatt, Kirk Covington and Tracey Kroll, bassists Ric Fierabracci, Gary Hease and Kevin Freeby, keyboardists George Whitty, John Findlay and Scott Kinsey, saxophonist Steve Tavaglione, and guitarist John Czajkowski. One look at these names should tell you that despite any preconceived notions you may have about terms like “electronica” or “samples,” this is still a players album. It also happens to be one of the most creative records to hit the modern jazz scene in some time.

Taylor’s playing style is quite unique. His solos are peppered with exploratory lines that flow from a strong jazz vocabulary with a heavy ‘outside’ skew, yet he plays with a light attack that forgoes the flash and shred often heard from contemporary fusion guitarists. Imagine a player with the harmonic sense of Allan Holdsworth and the touch of Allen Hinds and you’ll start to get the idea. From the tonal side of things, Taylor generally goes with “stratty” sounds with just enough gain to add some punch without getting too crunchy - the perfect tone to match his dynamic, legato style.

Nocturnal’s opening track “Voices in My Head” gives a strong indication of what’s in store for the rest of the disc. Tavaglione’s prominent sax work and Taylor’s swinging solo create an obvious jazz mood, yet samples and backwards effects are sprinkled throughout the mix to create a sonic landscape that’s as unexpected as it is cutting edge. This “cinematic jazz” approach is utilized throughout the album, though on some tracks, such as the beautiful, eastern-tinged “Nocturnal,” and the hauntingly evocative “Recluse,” Taylor leans more heavily in the “soundscape” direction to create pieces that are more like aural paintings than traditional songs.

Taylor has cited Weather Report as an influence, and “Ear To The Rail” is clearly an homage to that groundbreaking band, and their torch bearers Tribal Tech. The song’s groove and vocal accents strongly reflect the music of Weather Report founding member Joe Zawinul, while Taylor’s solo on this tune is dripping with Scott Henderson-esque blues phrases. Another standout track is “You Know What I’m Saying?” - a great piece of fast modern jazz, again augmented with samples and sound effects to tweak the ear. Taylor takes one of his best solos on the album here, as he strings together one great outside line after another. Tavaglione and keyboardist Scott Kinsey also make great contributions on this piece.

The most straight-laced song on Nocturnal is likely “Green Divided By Blue.” Save for the intro, the sonic effects are held to a minimum on this track in which everyone involved turns in a killer performance. Ric Fierabracci’s stellar fretless playing is a major factor in the overall mood of the song, as is Tavaglione’s great tenor work.

Whereas “Green Divided By Blue” largely eschews the genre bending production devices employed throughout the rest of the album, the next track is practically defined by them. “All Of Us” is a radical mash-up of jazz and electronica that starts off like a spaghetti western-themed rave. George Bush sound bites mingle with driving beats and copious amounts of sampled percussion in a head-spinning industrial techno onslaught, before the song morphs into a slow, simmering blues-inflected groove. Fierabracci really shines on this tune, especially with his licks in the intro. Despite all of that, it’s Taylor’s guitar work that truly defines the song. His understated phrases are the perfect ingredient over the track’s busy production, and the classic vibe effect he employs is the coolest guitar tone on the album.

Some of Taylor’s best playing on Nocturnal can be found on “Bela” - a fantastic tune that features some creepy Bela Lugosi spoken-word samples. Taylor’s solo on this track is arguably his jazziest on the whole record. He not only pours out tons of great lines (some of which reflect a John Scofield influence), but also demonstrates a deft use of volume swells - a technique he employs regularly throughout the disc. Whitty’s keyboard solo on this song is also one the great treats of this album.

“Here To There” is a chimey  piece full of arpeggiated guitar parts and swirling backwards sounds that begs the use of headphones to get the full effect. Tavaglione’s use of a harmonica patch for his EWI is a perfect fit here. The deep growling “Odd Hours” closes the album in strong fashion with a Jeff Beck-like low register melody, and killer playing from Tavaglione and drummer Kirk Covington. Things get nasty late in the tune when John Czajkowski comes in with some uber-heavy power chords played on baritone guitar.

With Nocturnal, Taylor, the long time sideman, clearly establishes himself not only as an artist in his own right, but as a highly original voice in modern jazz. Had he not incorporated samples, or any other post-production atmospheric elements, this would still stand as a fine debut full of creativity and depth. By so thoroughly and seamlessly weaving these “non-jazz” textures into his music, however, Taylor brings a fresh vision to the genre that is exciting and innovative. Nocturnal is a captivating release that is hopefully the first of many to come from this fine guitarist and composer. Highly recommended.


Chris Taylor - Nocturnal (Abstract Logix)

Personnel:

Chris Taylor - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
Dave Weckl, Gary Novak, Joel Rosenblatt, Kirk Covington, Tracey Kroll - Drums
Ric Fierabracci, Gary Hease, Kevin Freeby - Bass
George Whitty, John Findlay, Scott Kinsey - Keyboards
Steve Tavaglione - Saxophone, Woodwinds, EWI
John Czajkowski - Baritone Guitar
Francesca Russo - Voice


Tracklisting:

1. Voices In My Head
2. Ear To The Rail
3. Nocturnal
4. You Know What I’m Saying?
5. Green Divided By Blue
6. All Of Us
7. Bela
8. Recluse
9. Here To There
10. Odd Hours

 

Rich

List all reviews

Winter NAMM 2011: Day 2 / Mike Landau at The Baked Potato

Day two of the 2011 Winter NAMM Show was a long one. The show floor was much busier than opening day, and I expect today to be even busier still. Played lots of great guitars yesterday, and chatted with some great players including Alex Machacek, Gannin Arnold, and Ed DeGenaro. Here are my big takeaways from day two:

The Carvin booth was abuzz when Frank Gambale arrived to demo his new FG1 signature model guitar. Gambale played a short set with bassist Brian Bromberg. I believe this was the first time the two had ever played together, and they were both burning. Definitely a treat to see. The Gambale signature model sounds great. Super smooth, yet punchy. Cool finish too.

 

Lots of cool stuff at the Gibson booth, including the new Eric Clapton "Beano" model Les Paul. It's modeled after the Les Paul Clapton used on the Bluesbreakers album in 1966, and the thing plays like a dream. Gibson also had a Les Paul on display with a Beano comic finish. I also checked out a cool Epiphone Wilshire (took me back to the old Racer X days), and the Buckethead model white Les Paul.

 

A big highlight of the day for me was seeing one of my favorite rock bands of all time at the Ampeg booth - King's X. Their set got off to a late start due to a problem with Ty Tabor's amp, but once they got going the band killed. They played through some of the new Ampeg stuff which sounded great. The whole band was super tight, and Tabor's tone was incredible as always. So glad I got to see these guys.

 

After a long day at NAMM (and some rest), I headed up to The Baked Potato to see Michael Landau's late set. I've seen Landau live a few times before, but I've never seen him play with such intensity. He was on fire all night, and his tones were gorgeous. His band for this gig included Gary Novak on drums, Andy Hess on bass, and Deron Johnson on keys. All these guys were fantastic, and Johnson's contributions added a cool new element to the band's sound. Highlights included the opener "Ghouls and Goblins," my new favorite Landau ballad "Pittsfield Minor," and a searing version of "Worried Life Blues." Karen Landau (aka Hazey Jane) also joined the group for a cool, laid-back version of "Woodstock." There's a certain "home field advantage" factor when Landau plays the Spud which is palpable when you're in that room watching him play. As an audience member, it's clear that he feels at home there, and is inspired by the surroundings and the crowd. This was a special gig that I will not soon forget.

More pics from NAMM 2011 Day Two:

Videos: Ed DeGenaro - Live at The Baked Potato 9/28/10

Several clips of the Ed DeGenaro Group live at The Baked Potato on 9/28/10.

Video: Ed DeGenaro at The Baked Potato

Here's a recent clip of Ed DeGenaro sitting in with Hubcap Corral at The Baked Potato.

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

Ed DeGenaro Video Interview

Kudos to Ted Matsumura for this cool interview with Ed DeGenaro.

See also: My review of DeGenaro's latest album Less Is Seldom More.

Review: Ed DeGenaro - Less Is Seldom More

Guitarist Ed DeGenaro's latest release, Less Is Seldom More (Unfretted Records), is a perfect follow-up to his 2007 disc Dog House. While the two albums share many of the same qualities (largely gapless playback, an eclectic mix of styles, etc), DeGenaro pushes the "avant-garde fusion" envelope a bit further with this new disc, and enlists an awe-inspiring lineup of musicians to help him do it.

Most people probably associate DeGenaro with fretless guitar, which is understandable; he is widely heralded for his great work on that instrument. But while there is plenty of fretless playing on Less Is Seldom More, DeGenaro doesn't beat you over the head with it; his approach with the fretless, at least on this recording, is usually subtle. In the hands of most players, the fretless guitar sounds like an untame-able beast. Even the simplest phrase with no slides will give it away, because they just don't have the touch to keep it in tune, and in control. In DeGenaro's hands, however, you usually can't tell it's a fretless until he wants you to. In other words, he uses the instrument for it's unique ability to extend your own inflections and dynamics, rather than exploiting it as a novelty.

Less Is Seldom More is largely a collaborative effort between DeGenaro and producer/composer Chris Taylor. Taylor wrote or co-wrote most of the songs, and also contributes keyboards, guitars, and some programming (Taylor was involved with Dog House as well, but to a lesser extent). The list of guest musicians on this disc is as impressive as it is extensive. Along for the ride are Dave Weckl, Joel Rosenblatt, and Marco Minnemann on drums, Ric Fierabracci and Trip Wamsley on bass, George Whitty on organ, Matte Henderson and fusion legend Ray Gomez on guitar, and several others. Similarly to Dog House, Less Is Seldom More feels like one continuous fusion piece that shifts through many moods and styles. Some of those moods are more traditional than others, but throughout the disc, DeGenaro's creativity and musicianship are loud and clear.

After a snappy blues guitar "Intro," things kick into high gear with "Avenue D" - a hard driving jazz fusion tune with great solos by Whitty, Fierabracci, and of course DeGenaro. Even though this piece is loaded with, effects and edits, it ends up being one of the more traditional-sounding songs on the album.

The next four tracks ("Monkey Bawls Utility," "Utilitarian Research Jam," "Matte's Bible Camp," and "Confirm Walk Forward") provide the first foray into what I would call "avant-garde" fusion. DeGenaro takes an "everything but the kitchen sink" approach with some of these pieces, throwing in lots of mood shifts, instrumentation changes, you name it. There are occasionally heavy riffs and sheets-of-sound shredding, but there's a lot of sonic experimentation as well. I particularly like "Utilitarian Research Jam," which has a Zappa-like quality in it's melodies. The slowly-building ballad "Matte's Bible Camp" (written by Matte Henderson) is a great piece as well. The vocals that comprise one of the main themes are almost creepy, especially when they are first introduced at the beginning. Talk about evoking a mood. These four songs illustrate what's great about the album as a whole - it's a refreshing change from a typical "fusion" album that will have a set instrumentation and band that varies little from the first song to the last.

"Prayer" and "Joe Z" both feature Ray Gomez guesting on guitar, but they are actually one continuous piece split into two tracks on the disc. DeGenaro recorded "Joe Z" (written by Taylor as an homage to Weather Report founder Joe Zawinul) on his Dog House album as well. This new version is a bit more guitar-centric, and has less of the Indian quality that was prevalent on the Dog House version. Gomez sounds great here. The guy is an old pro who's been around a long time; his lengthy list of recordings includes the 1976 Stanley Clarke album School Days - a fusion classic. What a great player.

DeGenaro loves to shift moods on you, as evidenced by the next track - the Buckethead-like "Yes Man." This heavy tune is an incredible chops showcase for both DeGenaro and guitarist Matte Henderson (who also wrote the song). It also features some nice fretless work during the outro. The proceedings turn on a dime again with the fast country tune "Neck Bone," which has DeGenaro showing off his prodigious picking skills.

DeGenaro also includes a version of the Robben Ford tune "The Brother (For Jimmie & Stevie)." Ford recorded the original in 1992 as a tribute to Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. DeGenaro's version adds a heavy intro with some spoken-word samples, but leaves the rest of the tune's structure largely intact (except for some hide-the-downbeat monkey business). It also has some of DeGenaro's best blues playing on the album.

After a quick Tribal Tech-style piece called "One," DeGenaro launches into "Southern Flyer." This in an instrumental rock tune written by John Czajkowski (Hectic Watermelon), and is clearly the most straightforward track on the disc. I love the wide interval melody on this song, and the solo section which has DeGenaro trading off with guitarist Dave Simpson. George Whitty's organ playing gives the song a Deep Purple sort of vibe as well.

Since the album opens with "Intro," it's only natural that it closes with "Outro" - a beautiful piece of acoustic blues improv. Less Is Seldom More is another illustration of DeGenaro's great strength: his ability to mix a wide variety of styles under the banner of instrumental fusion. Jazz, metal, country, blues, electronica, it's all here, done with an experimental adventurousness that few musicians posses. The common thread through it all is DeGenaro's great guitar work. Whether he's playing fretless or fretted guitars, guitar synth, acoustics, etc, DeGenaro's killer playing is well represented throughout the entire disc. Great stuff.

Ed DeGenaro - Less Is Seldom More

Personnel:

Ed DeGenaro (guitar/fretless guitar/guitar synth)
Ray Gomez (guitar) 7, 8
Chris Taylor (keys/guitar/programming) 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12
Dave Weckl (drums) 3, 4
Ric Fierabracci (bass) 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8
Marco Minnemann (drums) 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
George Whitty (organ) 2, 13
Joel Rosenblatt (drums) 7, 8
Matte Henderson (keys/guitar/programming) 5, 9
Trip Wamsley (bass) 11, 12, 13
Satish (trumpet) 2
Ezekiel Trosper (bass) 10
Dave Simpson (guitar) 13
Gwen Snyder (vocal) 5

Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Avenue D
3. Monkey Bawls Utility
4. Utilitarian Research Jam
5. Matte's Bible Camp
6. Confirm Walk Forward
7. Prayer
8. Joe Z
9. Yes Man
10. Neck Bone
11. The Brother (for Jimmie & Stevie)
12. One
13. Southern Flyer
14. Outro

Rich

List all reviews

And the winners are...

(insert drum roll here) Manos Anyfantis and John Whaley, Jr. have both won a copy of Ed DeGenaro's new CD Less Is Seldom More. Congrats guys! Thanks to everyone who entered the contest.

Win a copy of Ed DeGenaro's new album!

I'm giving away two copies of Ed DeGenaro's great new CD Less Is Seldom More. This is a killer album that features an impressive lineup (Ray Gomez, Marco Minnemann, Dave Weckl, among others), and of course, loads of great guitar playing by Ed. For your chance to win, send an email to guitarchannelcontest@gmail.com with the subject Ed DeGenaro CD Giveaway. On Friday May 29th, 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!

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.