The Guitar Channel

Greg Howe "Sound Proof" reviews

I'm currently working on a review of Greg Howe's new album Sound Proof (hint - it's awesome). Meanwhile, here are couple of well-written reviews that have popped up on the web:

Smokey Mountain News: Guitar virtuoso finds his sound

Modern Guitars Magazine review: Greg Howe - Sound Proof

 

Review: Liquid Tension Experiment - Chicago, IL 6/25/08

Liquid Tension Experiment
Park West
Chicago, IL
June 25th, 2008

When you go to a concert to see a band you really enjoy, your hope of course is that everyone plays great, and they play your favorite songs, right? Just meeting that simple criteria would have most concert goers leaving the venue with a smile. However, every once in a while, if you're lucky, you'll get to witness a live performance that goes beyond your hopes and expectations; something unique and special. A one-of-kind gig, the likes of which may never happen again. Such was the case when I saw Liquid Tension Experiment on Wednesday, June 25th at the Park West in Chicago. Had the show gone off without a hitch, I'm sure I still would have loved it, and would have been raving about it afterwards. There was a hitch however - a big one. But that hitch turned out to be the catalyst that pushed this already amazing show into that category of "unique and special." More on the hitch later - first some background.
 
Liquid Tension Experiment is one of the great modern-day progressive rock super groups. Featuring John Petrucci on guitar, Mike Portnoy on drums, Jordan Rudess on keyboards, and Tony Levin on bass and Chapman Stick, the group recorded two excellent albums in the late 90s; Liquid Tension Experiment (1998 - Magna Carta), and Liquid Tension Experiment 2 (1999 - Magna Carta). Petrucci, Portnoy, and Rudess are members of the prog-metal band Dream Theater (though Rudess was not yet in that band when LTE first formed), and Levin is a prog-rock legend who has played and recorded with King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and countless others. Last year, a third recording was released under the name Liquid Trio Experiment entitled Spontaneous Combustion (Magna Carta). This album features completely improvised jams that Portnoy, Rudess, and Levin recorded during the making of the second Liquid Tension Experiment album in late 1998, after Petrucci had to leave the sessions early to be with his wife who had gone into labor. The band played some gigs in 1998 and 1999, but that was it. It seemed like this great prog-rock project had come and gone.

Then, late last year it was announced that LTE were reforming to play the NEARFest Progressive Rock Festival in Bethlehem, PA in June of 2008. I live near Chicago, and was considering driving out to Pennsylvania to see this can't-miss performance. Turns out I didn't have to. The group decided to book some more dates, and turn the NEARFest show into the first gig of a short 10th Anniversary reunion tour. Luckily for me, the third stop on this tour was the Park West in Chicago, IL.

When I arrived about 30 minutes before the doors opened, my heart sank - the line was already around the corner and halfway down the block. Would I be able to get a good spot once inside? No problem; despite the huge line I still ended up pretty close to the stage. Shortly after 7:30pm, "Flight of the Valkyries" starts playing over the PA as video screens slowly drop on either side of the stage. When the band finally walked out, the crowd went insane. Their opening song was "Acid Rain" - one of my favorites. Petrucci uses a seven string for this song, making it extra-heavy. Levin had the Chapman Stick, and was fascinating to watch right from the start. Rudess' rig consisted of a single keyboard - a Roland Fantom G8. It was mounted on a rotating platform of sorts, and he would often spin around to face a different direction. I actually thought he was a little buried in the mix from where I was standing, but I could still hear him. Petrucci's solo in this first tune was incredible. He's one of the few players who's alternate-picking speed rivals that of the late Shawn Lane, in my opinion. When the first song ended, the crowd again went bananas. The band also played "Kindred Spirits" - a strong riff-based tune, "Biaxident" - a piano-heavy piece that featured some great work on the keys by Rudess, and "Freedom of Speech" - a song that starts out quite low-key and melodic, before building into some uber-heavy James Bondesque riffs. Levin used a regular 5-string bass on a couple of these tunes. Petrucci and Rudess also played the duet "State of Grace" while Levin sat in front of his amp and snapped a few pictures.

Group improvisation is one of this band's strong points. Both of their albums include long improvised pieces, and the Liquid Trio Experiment songs were entirely improvised in the studio. The band's first foray into this area during the show were some long jams leading into "Another Dimension," the highlight of which was Levin's Stick playing. The amount of music he can create on that instrument is amazing.

On to the hitch I mentioned earlier. Maybe an hour into the show, after the band finished "Universal Mind," it was obvious something was wrong with Rudess' keyboard. He spent a couple of minutes trying to fix the problem, before finally saying something to Portnoy and leaving the stage. Portnoy, in his comical showman way, told the crowd one of the things this band loves to do is improvise, even when they don't plan on it such as when the keyboard rig goes down. He informed us that the rest of group were going to jam awhile until they got the thumbs-up from Rudess that the keyboard was good to go. Well guess what... that thumbs-up never came. The trio of Levin, Petrucci, and Portnoy spent the next hour improvising through a wide range of grooves and moods. Blues, heavy riffs, atmospheric stuff, crazy experimental stuff, you name it. I'd say if anyone was the leader here, it was Levin. Oftentimes it would be his riff or groove that would start the jam, then Portnoy and Petrucci would build on it and change it's direction. It was a fascinating thing to see. Group improv is something normally associated with jazz or fusion, or "jam-band" groups like Phish or Umphrey's McGee. To hear it done in a heavy prog -rock context by players of this caliber was remarkable. Levin used both the Stick and his bass during these jams; and even whipped out his famous miniature finger drumsticks (known as "funk fingers") a few times to attack the bass strings. Petrucci was very impressive during these jams. Yes, he did a ton of shredding, but he also displayed some great blues and jazzy chops during certain sections. He also had a keen sense of when to back down and throw in some clean chordal stuff. Occasionally, Portnoy would chat with the crowd to make sure we were all still on-board (everyone was). He mentioned at one point that he hoped someone was bootlegging this, since this could be their next album. Rudess came back out a few times to check some things on the keyboard, but it was no use. He was out of the picture completely, or so it seemed. There came a point where Portnoy said they could only play for another ten minutes. The show had already lasted about 2 hours by this time. So they launched into what would apparently be their final jam. Had the show ended that way, it would have been seen by all in attendance as an amazing gig, I'm sure. But a few minutes later, something happened that pushed the evening even further over the edge. Rudess walked out and went right up to  Petrucci while he was shredding his brains out. He said a few words to him then asked if he could play his guitar. Petrucci took off his guitar, handed it to Rudess, and watched as Rudess - who moments before was the fallen band member - became the hero who stole the show. Rudess stood right at the front of the stage and wailed. The crowd went cock-eyed stinking nuts. Everyone was screaming their heads off as a sea of cell phone cameras were thrust into the air to capture this rare moment. Levin then handed his bass to Petrucci and picked up his Stick. Now I'm watching Liquid Tension Experiment with Jordan Rudess on guitar, John Petrucci on bass, Tony Levin on Chapman Stick, and Mike Portnoy on drums. What a amazingly cool thing to see. After awhile, the instruments changed hands again with Portnoy taking over the bass while Charlie Benante from Anthrax (apparently there to take in the show) played drums, Petrucci played guitar once again, and Levin played the Stick.

When all this incredible music came to an end, more than 2 hours after it began, Portnoy said a few words to thank the crowd then handed the mic to Rudess who explained his keyboard situation. Apparently, the Roland had freaked out, and every fourth key was playing up about a half-step. He was unable to fix the problem, so he had called Roland in Japan while he was backstage, and they were stumped too! The audience cheered when he mentioned there was a high-profile meeting taking place in Japan at that very moment to figure out what was wrong with his keyboard. I'm sure Rudess was none-too-happy when his keyboard freaked out, and I certainly would have liked to hear him play more that night, but I have to call it like I see it - it was a blessing in disguise.

I was looking forward to hearing "Paradigm Shift" (a popular LTE song which I'm sure they would have played), and the prog version of "Rhapsody in Blue" they had arranged for this tour. Was I disappointed that I didn't get to hear those songs? Not at all. What I got to see and hear instead was so cool, the stuff they weren't able to get to didn't matter. This unforgettable gig turned out to be a very special treat for those lucky enough to attend. I've read that the show they played two days later in Downey, California was filmed for a possible DVD release. If and when that DVD comes out, it will be at the top of my most-wanted list. 

View my photo album of pics from this show.

Check out the official websites of Tony Levin and Jordan Rudess for some great pics and road diaries from this reunion tour.

Rich

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Review: Gustavo Assis-Brasil - Hybrid Picking Exercises - Single Note Permutations (Book)

In 2005, jazz guitarist Gustavo Assis-Brasil released Hybrid Picking For Guitar (review) - a fantastic instructional book covering the technique and implementation of hybrid-picking. Now Assis-Brasil has released a new book entitled Hybrid Picking Exercises - Single Note Permutations. As Assis-Brasil notes in the foreword, if you already own Hybrid Picking For Guitar, this new book can be viewed as supplemental material, though it certainly stands on it's own as well. Whereas Hybrid Picking For Guitar was loaded with eighth note and triplet lines designed to help develop your hybrid-picking technique, Hybrid Picking Exercises - Single Note Permutations, as the title suggests, is strictly an exercise book. It's practice patterns are based on simple 4-note finger shapes, as opposed to actual lines. Assis-Brasil did include some pure hybrid-picking exercises in the previous book, but he takes the idea a giant step further here.

The book is broken down into two sections; Short Exercises and Extended Exercises. The Short Exercises section contains 32 separate exercise patterns for each possible permutation of the 4 fret hand fingers (1-2-3-4, 2-1-3-4, etc). Each exercise spans two to four strings (often skipping a string or two in the process), and includes a combination of picked notes, plucked notes, and hammer-ons or pull-offs. The Extended Exercises section takes those same patterns and moves them up, down, and across the fretboard. At 178 pages, it's a massive amount of practice material, entirely geared towards developing finger independence for both hands.

The whole idea of this book is to get your fingers moving in ways they have not moved before, and it does this quite well. As a guitarist I can tell you, when you make up your own practice patterns, there is a natural yet unconscious tendency to use fingerings and shapes that you already have a good grasp of. Breaking out of that routine can be tough. On one hand, extrapolating on patterns you already play well is a great idea; you'll get more mileage out of a given lick. However, unless you spend a certain amount of practice time on patterns that are outside your comfort zone - patterns that feel downright awkward when you first approach them - you'll be slow to develop good finger independence. For this reason, I enjoy discovering patterns that are totally different from what I normally play or practice. If new, awkward-feeling patterns are what you're looking for also, you'll find plenty of them in Single Note Permutations.

To me, the hybrid-picking style falls under the larger category of "Legato." Better finger independence is something any guitarist can benefit from, but it's an absolute must if you are an aspiring legato-style player. The legato approach (as exemplified by players such as Assis-Brasil, or Allan Holdsworth, or Brett Garsed) lends itself to more free-form sounding lines. Granted, they may not actually be free-form, but if you have the kind of finger independence that the great legato stylists have, you can make it seem that way by relying less on stacked, symmetrical patterns, and more on your own spur-of-the-moment inspiration. Having said that, playing some of the Single Note Permutations exercises with strict alternate picking yielded a great workout for me as well.

Some educators argue that all of your technique should be learned from practicing real music (transcribed lines, etc), and that generic finger exercises will do you a disservice. A valid point, certainly. However, there is still plenty of musical benefit to be had from Single Note Permutations, even though it's exercises are not based on real scales. I found that by taking these exercise patterns and plugging them into actual scale shapes, all sorts of cool lines can be generated. Plus, I'm sure I was able to get the lines down quicker this way (as opposed to starting with the line first), since the contours of the pattern I intended to use were already committed to my muscle-memory before I tackled the line.

Most guitarists have practiced the age-old four-note-per-string left hand permutations to develop finger independence at one point or another (1-2-3-4, 4-1-2-3, blah-blah-blah-blah, etc). By taking those same patterns, and spreading them across multiple strings with hybrid-picking, the exercises in Single Note Permutations will give you a much better workout than the standard four-note-per-string patterns can. Plus, how much musical benefit can you really extract from those old exercises? The permutations in this book easily translate into real lines, which makes it a source of both technical exercise, and musical inspiration.

Rich

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Review: Return to Forever - Chicago, IL 6/20/08

Return to Forever
The Chicago Theatre
Chicago, IL
June 20th, 2008

The Return to Forever reunion tour is quickly shaping up to the be the jazz event of 2008. Though they haven't recorded an album since the 1970s, this classic groundbreaking fusion band (consisting of Chick Corea - keys, Stanley Clarke - bass, Lenny White - drums, and Al Di Meola - guitar) have been filling concert halls since they first hit the road in late May. I was fortunate enough to see RTF with my father when they played the historic Chicago Theatre this past Friday night, and blown away by the sheer musicianship this band possesses.

The first thing I noticed while we made our way to our seats was the audience. While there were some younger folks in attendance, the age demographic of the crowd seemed skewed to the 50+ set. There are always some older "fuseheads" at the types of shows I see, but this crowd was loaded with them. The band/promoter obviously anticipated this, since the pre-show house music consisted of RTF-era fusion classics such as "Crosswind" and "Proto Cosmos." When the band took the stage, they received the first of many standing ovations. This was an enthusiastic crowd to say the least, but it was the band's own enthusiasm that really struck me. From their opening song onward, the guys were obviously having a great time onstage. They were loose and fun to watch, and their mood definitely rubbed off on the audience. Despite a few technical glitches (e.g., one of Di Meola's amp heads gave up the ghost), the show was fantastic and included many of the band's classic songs over the course of two sets. Di Meola had a couple of his PRS guitars, but he also played his black 1958 Les Paul. This, along with the appearance Clarke's Alembic bass and Corea's Fender Rhodes, added to the evening's "throwback" vibe.

"Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" and "Sorceress" were big highlights from the first set for me. The fast doubled lines in these and other songs were always tight and punchy. Di Meola had some great solos in these tunes, and was amazing for the entire show. While his patented fast-as-possible triplet patterns always whipped the crowd into a frenzy, I found his mid-tempo lines to be more interesting and dynamic - especially when he would drop in some chromatic or diminished ideas. And his rhythm work was equally impressive. On some songs, such as "Vulcan Worlds," he displayed some of the funkiest, syncopated strumming work I've every witnessed. Take it from me, this guy's right hand is legendary for a reason.

The second set was played with acoustic instruments, and included solo showcases from each band member. Di Meola opened the set with an incredible unaccompanied nylon-string solo, but it was Clarke's acoustic solo spot that really stole the show (or at least the second set). The types of things he played (slapping, amazing fast runs) would be difficult for a lesser player on an electric bass, much less on a giant double bass like Clarke was playing. The term "jaw-dropping" jumps to mind. The second set also included some cool straight-ahead acoustic jazz from the trio of Corea, Clarke, and White.

For the final encore, they played a great version of the Corea standard "Spain." Corea pulled out his "keytar" for this one, and enticed the crowd into a fun call-and-response segment. It was a great ending to a great show. On the way home I had a thought - In this day and age, especially in the United States, which bands or players from the jazz fusion genre can fill a room as prestigious as the Chicago Theatre for a premium ticket price? Return To Forever, with it's lineup of legends, is perhaps the only band currently touring that can pull this off. All jazz and/or fusion fans need to catch this tour if they have a chance. 

The 6/20/08 setlist, as provided by the Return to Forever website:

SET 1
Opening Prayer
Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy
Vulcan Worlds
The Sorceress
Song To The Pharoah Kings

SET 2
No Mystery
Summer Night
The Romantic Warrior
Duel Of The Jester And The Tyrant

Encores
Day Ride
Spain

Check out http://www.return2forever.com for more info on the tour (including pics from this show).

Rich

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Return To Forever Live Review at All About Jazz

Geoff Anderson has written a great review of Return To Forever's June 3rd show in Denver for All About Jazz.

Live Review: Return To Forever - Paramount Theater: Denver, Colorado  June 3rd 2008

Review: John McLaughlin - Floating Point

Jazz guitar icon John McLaughlin has recorded with some of the greatest musicians in the world. And those musicians have always brought their unique styles to his projects, and left their own stamp on the resulting music. In that respect, McLaughlin's latest album Floating Point (Abstract Logix Records) is no different; it's a wonderful album full of great playing by all the sidemen involved. However, the musicians McLaughlin has chosen to work with here do more than just bring their considerable skills to the table. On Floating Point, they represent the entire concept of the album, and are as responsible for the fantastic end-result as McLaughlin himself.

Simply put, Floating Point is a western-style jazz-fusion album played by (for the most part) Indian musicians. McLaughlin has recorded with Indian musicians countless times in the past - Indian classical music has been part of McLaughlin's musical fabric for some 30 years now. So, is this album another of his many forays into Indo-Jazz, ala Shakti? Not exactly. Floating Point finds McLaughlin largely adhering to the jazz-fusion style he himself helped create, but his decision to record the album in India, with Indian musicians, has had a palpable impact on the final outcome. Listening to these Indian musicians strike a balance between their own concept of harmony (their ragas), and McLaughlin's western jazz harmony is fascinating stuff.

Each track features a core band of McLaughlin on guitar and guitar synth, young phenom Hadrien Feraud on bass (from McLaughlin's touring band, the 4th Dimension), and three great musicians from India - Ranjit Barot on drums, Sivamani on percussion, and Louiz Banks on keyboards. (Note: Feraud was not present at the original sessions in India - his parts were recorded later at McLaughlin's home studio in Monaco.) While this is a great band in it's own right, the guest soloists McLaughlin employs are what really make this album fun and special. Except for George Brooks, who contributes some great sax work to the album's opener "Abbaji (for Alla Rakha)," the guests are all relatively unknown Indian musicians. These "young lions of India," as McLaughlin has dubbed them, are largely responsible for the unique flavor of the album.

That's not to say McLaughlin takes a back seat here. In fact, as silly as this sounds, I was struck by how well he plays on this album. I know; this is John McLaughlin, his greatness as a player is a given at this point. Part of the reason his playing here really grabbed me may be his tone. He's using a drier sound on this recording than he used on his previous studio album, Industrial Zen (2006). As a result, everything he plays sounds bright and well defined. Every solo McLaughlin takes on Floating Point is loaded with incredible 16th-note lines, all played with a harmonic depth that only he can muster.

There are many compositional and improvisational highlights on the album. "Raju" features some great interplay between McLaughlin, and Hindustani slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya. Feraud also takes an amazing bass solo on this tune. "Inside Out" featuring U. Rajesh on electric Mandolin is another standout track. This upbeat groover is one of many tunes on the album where the guest soloist doubles the main melody with McLaughlin to great effect. "Off the One," with it's great Bamboo Flute work by Shashank, and "The Voice" featuring Shankar Mahadevan's powerful vocals and McLaughlin's beautiful guitar synth playing are two more songs that really stood out for me.

My favorite track on Floating Point is it's closer, "Five Peace Band." This song features one of the most stirring highlights of the album - Niladri Kumar's remarkable electric Zitar solo. Kumar is a fan of western rock guitar players, and it shows. This guy can shred like nobody's business. And the way he doubles the main melody with McLaughlin makes the whole track more fun to listen to than it otherwise would be.

Note: some of Floating Point's tracks may be familiar to you - "Raju," "Maharina," and "Five Piece Band" are all songs McLaughlin has been performing live with his 4th Dimension band since that quartet's first tour last year (McLaughlin also performed "Five Peace Band" with Remember Shakti).

McLaughlin has always been a fixture on the jazz scene, but the last couple of years have seen a surge of inspired output from the maestro (a new touring band with two live recordings, several DVDs, etc). Floating Point is not only one of the high points of this surge - it's an album that no one but McLaughlin, with his intimate knowledge on Indian music, could have made. If McLaughlin recorded Floating Point in the west using western musicians, it would still be a great and surely well-received album (the strength of the compositions alone would almost guarantee it), but it wouldn't be as fun or engaging as the album turned out to be. Floating Point is McLaughlin's best studio recording in some time, and so far, it's one of the best jazz-fusion albums of 2008.

John McLaughlin - Floating Point (Abstract Logix)

Personnel:

John McLaughlin - Guitar & Guitar Synthesizer
Hadrien Feraud - Bass
Ranjit Barot - Drums
Sivamani - Percussion
Louiz Banks - Keyboards  

Tracklisting:

1. Abbaji (for Alla Rakha) (featuring George Brooks - Saxophone)
2. Raju (featuring Debashish Bhattacharya - Hindustani Slide Guitar)
3. Maharina
4. Off the One (featuring Shashank - Bamboo Flute)
5. The Voice (featuring Shankar Mahadevan - Vocals)
6. Inside Out (featuring U. Rajesh - electric Mandolin)
7. 1 4 U (featuring Naveen Kumar - Bamboo Flute)
8. Five Peace Band (featuring Niladri Kumar - electric Zitar)

Rich

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Return to Forever: The Anthology review at All About Jazz

John Kelman has written a fine review for All About Jazz of the new Return to Forever: The Anthology release.

All About Jazz review - Return to Forever: The Anthology

John McLaughlin Floating Point review at All About Jazz

John Kelman has written a great review of the new John McLaughlin album Floating Point for All About Jazz.

All About Jazz review: John McLaughlin - Floating Point

Guitar Jam Live Review: Paul Gilbert and Richie Kotzen at HOB

Guitar Jam Daily has posted a review of the May 7th Paul Gilbert & Richie Kotzen shows at the House of Blues in Hollywood.

Live Review: Paul Gilbert and Richie Kotzen

Review: Chris Buck - Progasaurus

LA-based session musician Chris Buck has brought together some of the biggest names in prog-fusion for his new album Progasaurus (Early Boy Records). A largely vocal album (there is one instrumental), Progasaurus has elements that will appeal to both old-school and new-school progressive rock fans. One look at the album's personnel should give you a clue about what you are in for - Derek Sherinian (Planet X, Billy Idol) plays keyboards, the drumming duties are split between Virgil Donati (Planet X, Devil's Slingshot, CAB) and Brian Tichy (Derek Sherinian, Billy Idol), and Brett Garsed (Uncle Moe's Space Ranch, Dirty Martini, Planet X) plays guitar on every track except "Kanines," which features Allan Holdsworth. Buck wrote the majority of the tracks (there is one cover), handles all bass and vocals, and plays some rhythm guitar. 

One would assume a strong Planet X-vibe would be present on Progasaurus, given the musicians Buck has enlisted here. There's certainly some truth to that, but Buck's writing and vocals is the X-factor (so to speak) that keeps the album from being a Planet X clone. As a vocalist, Buck has a definite Brad Delp-meets-Steve Walsh quality. This, coupled with his writing style, adds a certain classic rock/'70s prog flavor to the proceedings. Buck is also a great bass player, but surprisingly he only takes two solos on the album. Songwriting is obviously Buck's main focus on this project, but after hearing his great slap-solo on the album's second track "Imprint," I was hoping his bass work would be more prominently-featured than it ultimately is. That said, this is a prog-rock album after all, and as such there are some pretty complex parts in these songs for every instrument, including the bass. 

Stylistically, Progasaurus features lots of heavy doubled riffs, odd time signatures,  and crazy solos. In other words, this material is right up Derek Sherinian's alley. His contributions have a huge impact here. The solos he takes on the final two tracks, "Progasaurus," and "Inside/Outside," are particularly impressive. Donati and Tichy turn in great performances as well, especially on the odd time stuff.

Also, this album is further proof that Brett Garsed is one of the top guitarists on the rock/fusion scene today. One of Garsed's great strengths is his chameleon-like ability to fit in perfectly in any musical situation. For example - compare and contrast his subtle slide work on the ballad "La Mere En Douler," with his complex lines on "Imprint," or his bluesy inflections on the straight-up rocker "The Gator." Who else but Garsed could wear all these hats so convincingly? To me, his range as a player is at least as impressive as his signature hybrid-picking technique. Garsed stands out on numerous other songs as well, including "Inside/Outside," the instrumental title track, and the Jimi Hendrix cover "Up From The Skies."

Another player on Progasaurus that is sure to generate some interest is, of course, Allan Holdsworth. "Kanines" is the only track the legendary guitarist appears on, but any output from this icon is a welcome treat, and he does not disappoint here. Holdsworth takes two great solos on this tune - first, in the very interesting main solo section over alternating segments of 7/4 and 5/4, and again at the end over the song's primary 4/4 groove. As always, his tone is gorgeous, his phrases are strong, and his fast runs are baffling.

Buck definitely knows what he's doing when it come to writing this type of material. While any prog fan would enjoy these songs, regardless of who was playing on them, the fact that Progasaurus features such an impressive group of musicians really sweetens the pot.

Chris Buck - Progasaurus (Early Boy Records)

Tracklisting:
1. One Squared
2. Imprint
3. La Mere En Douler
4. Kanines
5. Ende Von Tagen
6. Up From The Skies
7. The Gator
8. Progasaurus
9. Inside/Outside

Rich

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Autour de Blues Meets Larry Carlton and Robben Ford DVD reviewed at Blogcritics

Blogger Richard Marcus has posted a review of the new Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, & Autour Du Blues - The Paris Concert DVD on Blogcritics.

DVD review: Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, & Autour Du Blues - The Paris Concert DVD

Review: Paul Gilbert - Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar

In 2006, guitarist Paul Gilbert released his first all-instrumental album - Get Out Of My Yard. For many of the shred pioneer's fans, this was the album they had been waiting for for years. Get Out Of My Yard was a fantastic, well-received recording that proved Gilbert could hang in there, both as player and a writer, with the biggest names on the instrumental rock guitar scene (Satriani, Vai, etc).

But would he (could he) do it again? Had Gilbert genuinely been bitten by the instrumental bug, or would Get Out Of My System been a better title for his first all-instrumental effort. Gilbert's new album, Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar (released in the US through Shrapnel Records), answers that question definitively - not only does he have plenty left in the tank as a writer and producer of instrumental rock, he's getting better at it.

Comparing Silence to Get Out Of My Yard is admittedly unfair, but ultimately inevitable. Any album should be allowed to stand on it’s own feet, and be judged on it’s own merits. That said, being that they are both instrumental recordings (the only two Gilbert has ever done), it’s hard not to view Silence as a "follow-up" to Get Out Of My Yard. But fear not - while there are certainly a few songs on the new album that sound like they were cut from the Get Out Of My Yard cloth, Silence is a very fresh-sounding record; it doesn’t come off like Get Out Of My Yard: Part Deux. One notable difference between the two discs is the highly textured production of the new album. The palette of guitar tones and effects on Silence, as evidenced by tracks like "Bronx 1971" and "Paul Vs. Godzilla," is broader than it was with Get Out Of My Yard. This gives the new disc a deeper, more polished sound than it's predecessor.

Great tones aside, the key component that separates an engaging instrumental rock album from a boring one is the writing. An instrumental album of any kind may be packed with great playing, but it will only hold your interest for so long if the songs themselves are dull. This is why Silence is a stand-out album in it's genre. Sure, there is a lot of great guitar playing here, but isn't that always the case with a Paul Gilbert album? The mature writing and slick production are what really make Silence an enjoyable record, not just the abundant shredding.

In general, the melodies found throughout this record are very catchy and tuneful. In fact, some tracks, such as “Norwegian Cowbell” and "Eudaimonia Overture, " have an almost sitcom theme-like quality at times. Even the very fast stuff is often melodic in it's application, such as the soon-to-be-signature tapping part in the album's title track.

Not surprisingly, there's some heavy stuff on the album as well. For example, Gilbert ventures into old school Shrapnel-shred territory on “The Gargoyle.” Clearly the most "metal" tune on the album, this track is loaded with fast, harmonized runs and riffs, and will surely remind many of the Racer X song "Technical Difficulties."  "The Rhino" is another heavy Silence track where harmonies are used to great effect.

Gilbert has recorded many adaptations of classical pieces in the past, but what he does here with Ernest Bloch's "Suite Modal" is quite different from anything he has tackled before. This subtle, highly melodic guitar/piano duet completely lacks the "perpetual-motion" vibe that some of Gilbert's previous classical arrangements have had. This piece really drives home the notion that melody is king on this album. Furthering that point, there are a couple of nice ballads on Silence as well; a Gilbert original entitled "I Cannot Tell a Lie," and a great instrumental version of the Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach song "I Still Have That Other Girl."

The song where it all comes together, however, is "Bultca Saturno." This Pat Travers-like funky track can be viewed as a microcosm of the whole album - the melodies fit perfectly with the dynamic grooves, the fast stuff is very well-placed; in short, it's the best example of everything that is right with this record.

Gilbert's supporting cast for this album is identical to Get Out of My Yard. The rhythm section of Jeff Bowders on drums and Mike Szuter on bass is rock-solid, and Emi Gilbert adds some nice B3 work to a couple of tracks and plays piano on "Suite Modale."

If you are a Paul Gilbert fan, or an instrumental rock guitar fan in general, purchasing Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar is a no-brainer. But given it's melodicism and great production, this album will no doubt appeal to wider audience as well. Highly recommended.

Paul Gilbert - Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar (Shrapnel Records)

Tracklisting:
1. Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar
2. Eudaimonia Overture
3. The Rhino
4. Norwegian Cowbell
5. I Cannot Tell a Lie
6. Bronx 1971
7. Suite Modale
8. The Gargoyle
9. I Still Have That Other Girl
10. Bultca Saturno
11. Paul Vs. Godzilla

 

Rich

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Two reviews of John McLaughlin's new album

Here are a couple of reviews of the upcoming John McLaughlin album Floating Point.

Rod Sibley review at Abstract Logix

Bill Milkowski review on McLaughlin's news site

Tim Miller's "Trio Vol. 2" reviewed at All About Jazz

All About Jazz has a great review up of Tim Miller's new album Trio Volume 2. I'm really digging this CD lately. It's only March, but so far this is one of my favorite albums of the year.

All About Jazz review: Tim Miller - Trio Volume 2

Review: Allan Holdsworth - Live at The Baked Potato 1/18/08

Guitar legend Allan Holdsworth is in a class by himself. Not just as a guitarist, but as a composer and improviser as well. His unique brand of instrumental jazz-fusion is highlighted by his one-of-a-kind chord voicings, his otherworldly legato technique, and an improvising vocabulary that is wholly his own. Though he's never attained as much mainstream attention as, say, John McLaughlin, many "in the know" musicians consider Holdsworth to be, pound-for-pound, the best guitar player in the world today.

I had seen Holdsworth live a couple of times in the past, but seeing his gig at the small Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City California on 1/18/08 provided a completely new experience for me. Joined by long-time band mates Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Chad Wackerman on drums, Holdsworth seemed more relaxed and jovial than the previous times I've seen him play. Perhaps this was due to the small size of the room, or the fact it was the second show of the night. Whatever the reason, the notoriously self-deprecating Holdsworth was in great spirits for this performance.

For this gig, Holdsworth used his main Bill DeLap headless guitar through some Hughes & Kettner amps. He had two KORG volume pedals on the floor, but he did most of his effects switching by hand, as his main effects board was sitting near the club's mixing console right next to him about waist high. The Baked Potato is so small, you could hear the click clear across the room when Holdsworth would reach over and push the switch on one of his pedals.

All three musicians played magnificently throughout the entire set, but the fun these guys were having struck me almost as much as the music did. For example - at one point in the show, after Johnson took an emotional solo with his head swaying back and forth, Holdsworth playfully mocked him by putting on his best "over the top" guitar solo face. He then made the crowd crack up by starting his solo with a blues bend (!). It's the most basic guitar solo move in the world, but Holdsworth never does it, which is why it was so funny.

The set featured several "oldies but goodies" including "Fred" from the Tony Williams New Lifetime Believe It album (one of Holdsworth's best recordings for the '70s). I've always loved the contrast of slow-moving chords over a quick groove in this song. Not surprisingly, Holdsworth 's solo on this tune was unreal.

Another memorable song was the Metal Fatigue classic "Devil Take The Hindmost." In the middle of the guitar solo, Johnson dropped out completely and Holdsworth unleashed an atonal "sheets of sound" barrage, with Wackerman wailing away underneath. After maybe 45 seconds of this onslaught, Johnson and Wackerman relaunched the solo section's G minor groove, and Holdsworth fell right back in step with them. It was a great moment that induced a triumphant cheer from the crowd. Johnson and Wackerman really stood out on this tune, as well as their showcase piece "Water On The Brain."

After their "final" song, Holdsworth and Wackerman stood by the bar, and Johnson returned to his seat (which happened to be right behind me). After a couple of minutes, they took the stage once more for the real final song - "Red Alert" (another staple from the Believe It album). This is a perfect encore tune for this group. It's a fun, heavy riff that most Holdsworth fans are familiar with, and it gives the guitar icon a chance to really blow. This is not a song Holdsworth was playing live until the recent Tony Williams tribute shows with keyboardist Alan Pasqua (Pasqua also played on the Believe It album). Those shows must have rekindled Holdsworth's interest in the tune, as Holdsworth's band closes with "Red Alert" quite often now. The song works well for the trio format too; I loved the way Johnson emulated the keyboard parts from the original recording.

I've concluded a small, intimate club such as The Baked Potato is the ideal venue to see a Holdsworth show. Seeing his incredible solos up close and personal was really something. Holdsworth will be touring the east coast and Europe this spring with Wackerman and Johnson. Check them out if you can.

Rich

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Review: The Jazz Ministry - Live at The Baked Potato 1/17/08

My review of the 1/17/08 Jazz Ministry show at The Baked Potato (featuring Michael Landau on guitar) has been posted at Modern Guitars Magazine.

Concert Review: The Jazz Ministry at The Baked Potato - 1/7/08  (first show)

UPDATE 2/18/08: I've republished my review below.

One of my favorite parts of attending the NAMM show this year was getting to see some amazing live shows around the Los Angeles area. When I learned The Jazz Ministry would be have a gig at The Baked Potato on January 17th, I knew no matter what else was going on that night, I would need to catch one of their sets. The Jazz Ministry is keyboardist/producer/music industry veteran Greg Mathieson's band, with Abe Laboriel Sr. on bass, the bassist's son Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums, and Michael Landau on guitar. This band has played The Baked Potato many times, and even used the venue to record the excellent live album Another Night At The Baked Potato in 2005. I saw the band's first set, and to say I was blown away would be an understatement, and a cliche. Seeing Landau at the Baked Potato is something I've always wanted to do, but I had no idea what I was in for. Without question, this was the tightest, most "in the moment" band I have ever seen.

Before I talk about the show itself, you need to know something about the Baked Potato if you've never been - it's tiny. How tiny? Postage stamp tiny. The place was jam-packed for The Jazz Ministry, and there were probably 100-120 people there tops, many of whom had to stand by the bar. Plus, with the playbills and posters plastered everywhere, and the blue Christmas lights strung near the ceiling, you get the feeling you're sitting in someone's basement. But this is all part of it's charm; the fact that you are seeing such top level players in a little place like this makes it all seem more special somehow. I saw 3 shows at the Potato during NAMM week, and each time it felt like I had snuck into a secret club where you get to see amazing jazz players up close and personal.

To give you a better idea of my experience at this gig, you'll need to know how close I was to the action. In The Baked Potato, the mixing board sits on the left side of the stage, facing the band. This is the side of the stage Landau was on (he would often make small tweaks to the mix while the band was playing). I was sitting directly behind the board in the aisle seat. Landau was so close to me, I could have reached out and touched him. I could even hear his pickup switch click when he would hit it during a solo. He was also turned to the right most of the time, so I could see everything he was doing. Before the show, he placed his jacket on the floor right at my feet; I think I stepped on it once or twice (sorry Mike!) By the way, I took a few pictures before the band started, but the club said no pictures while they were playing. Had I not been sitting in such a high-profile seat I would have snuck in a few live shots without the flash, but I wanted to be cool about it.

For this gig, Landau had his '63 Gibson SG and a custom sunburst Fender Strat with a black Suhr humbucker in the bridge. He went with the strat for most of the set, but both guitars sounded awesome. Not much was used in the way of effects; his pedal board included 2 Roger Mayer boxes (a Voodoo-1 and a Voodoo-Vibe), a Maxton pedal (distortion I believe), an Arion Chorus pedal, a Real McCoy Wah Wah, a BOSS volume pedal, and a BOSS tuner. He also had a Lexicon MPX-1 Processor sitting atop his Suhr ML-100 amp head.

It was almost funny to see how little room the players had to move around when they started the set. The Baked Potato stage would be less than spacious for any band, but it was really cramped for these guys. Most of the right side of the stage was taken up by Mathieson's massive B3 (which had a Kurzwiel sitting on top). With Landau on the left, Laboriel Sr. had to stand right in front of his son's drum kit.

The band played what are by now Jazz Ministry "standards." These are keyboard-driven jazz tunes written by Mathieson that give the band a chance to really groove and stretch out. They opened with the mid-tempo tune "The Sauce," and immediately the band was locked in. Landau peeled off a great solo that had everyone howling. By the end of that first tune I was downright giddy. Here I am, a mid-western guitar-geek, enjoying a Sam Adams in the legendary Baked Potato while I watch Michael Landau play not 4 feet from me. Yeah. Things could be worse.

One of the amazing things about this band is their ability to improvise as a group. Case in point; in the song "Goyo," the band went into a shuffle rhythm for Landau's solo, as opposed to the standard, driving groove they usually do. In another instance, Mathieson got quite jazzy leading up to Landau's solo. As a response to this, Landau started his solo with some out-of-character straight-ahead lines, much to the delight of Laboriel Sr. That kind of thing happened all night. Each player had the ability to take any other player's idea and roll with it. Note; I overheard the Baked Potato owner tell someone this band never rehearses. They know the material inside and out, they know each other, they know the room; they can show up and groove at the drop of a hat.

The songs were no less than 12 minutes each, and Landau had incredible, dynamic solos in all of them. Plucked double-stops, insane pentatonics, cool jazz lines - his versatility was on display in each tune. Even though Landau was right in my face the whole time, the other players made huge impressions on me also. Laboriel Jr. was like the Tasmanian devil back there behind his kit. He seemed unconscious at times, playing insane fills and solos with his eyes closed. At one point, I saw him do a cymbal fill with his bare finger to get a lighter effect.

I enjoyed Mathieson's playing as well. He's a true pro who knows how to groove. And I've never seen a player more emotionally attached to their playing, and their band's playing, then bassist Abe Laboriel Sr. At least two of his incredible solos ended with him jumping up and down on the stage as he slapped the tar out of his bass. He was emotional, intense, and very fun to watch. As an aside, I thought it was neat that Mathieson introduced both father and son as "Abe Laboriel." He never used the word "junior" when referring to his drummer.

One thing I need to mention - At one point, in between songs, Laboriel Sr. said a tearful prayer. He prayed that we could all take the love we were feeling as a result of the music, and spread it to others throughout our troubled world. It lasted a couple of minutes, and it's emotion and sincerity was aided by the small size of the room. It really felt like he was leading us in prayer, not just standing up there talking. At the end of the prayer, Laboriel had a personal moment with each of his band mates to tell them he loved them. That's the kind of night it was; it was more that just a great gig, it felt like a special gathering.

After the final song, the uptempo "QT Pie" (co-written by Laboriel Sr.) I reached over the board, shook Landau's hand and thanked him for a great set. The musicianship, emotion, and professionalism The Jazz Ministry displayed that night was of a higher caliber than any other band I have ever seen. They don't play together very often, but if you get a chance to see them, you simply need to do so.

Rich

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