The Guitar Channel

Current Listening (and Reading... and Viewing)

Here's what I've been listening to, and reading, and watching lately...

Bombastic Meatbats featuring Chad Smith - More Meat

Awesome funky throwback fusion. Killer version of "Moby Dick." With Jeff Kollman on guitar.

 

Gary Husband - Dirty & Beautiful Volume 1

Great writing and playing with an incredible guest list. Includes Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, Steve Topping, Steve Hackett, and many others.

Ranjit Barot - Bada Boom

Excellent fusion of Indian music and western jazz harmony. Guests include Wayne Krantz, John McLaughlin, Mattias IA Eklund, Matt Garrison, and others.

 

Prashant Aswani - Sonically Speaking (Review)

Highly melodic instrumental rock album with great playing from all involved. Includes guests Brett Garsed and Rob Caggiano.

 

Anil Prasad - Innerviews: Music Without Borders (Book)

Excellent collection of musician interviews from Innerviews founder Anil Prasad. The diverse list of featured artists includes John McLaughlin, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Chuck D, McCoy Tyner, Bela Fleck, and many others. A great read.

 

Eric Clapton - Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 (Blu-ray)

DVD release of this year's Crossroads Guitar Festival. Loaded with great performances and backstage footage.

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

McCoy Tyner's "Guitars" reviewed at All About Jazz

All About Jazz has posted a great review of McCoy Tyner's new album Guitars. This album features guitarists Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, John Scofield, and Derek Trucks, along with banjo legend Bela Fleck. Can't wait to hear this one.

All About Jazz review: McCoy Tyner - Guitars

McCoy Tyner - GUITARS trailer

Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner will release a CD/DVD entitled GUITARS on September 23rd. Guests on this release include Bela Fleck, Derek Trucks, John Scofield, Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell. This looks like a very cool project - check out the DVD trailer above.

via JazzVision