The Guitar Channel

Current Listening

Listening to lots of great new stuff lately...

 

Prashant Aswani - Visions

Awesome melodic rock fusion disc. Loaded with Aswani's signature legato lines, smooth overdriven tones, and groove-heavy writing. Includes a guest appearance by Jeff Kollman.

Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Dennis Chambers - HBC

Awesome, raw record with killer playing from all involved. Love the stripped-down trio arrangements of fusion classics such as "Actual Proof" and "Mysterious Traveller." A must-have for Scott Henderson fans.

John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension - Now Here This

Another great release from the godfather of fusion and his crack quartet, the 4th Dimension. Filled with deep improvisation and band interplay. Not to mention, McLaughlin's ripping runs on "Riff Raff" prove that he is still one of the greatest pickers ever.

Karizma - Perfect Harmony

New three-disc release from keyboardist David Garfield's classic west coast jazz band. Includes new music, plus demos and live tracks. Features Michael Landau, Tim Pierce, James Harrah, Vinnie Colaiuta, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Porcaro, and many others. Loaded with great playing.

Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola - Not Getting Behind Is The New Getting Ahead

Love the vibe on this one. Loaded with deep grooves and subtle interplay between Hunter and Amendola.

The Fusion Syndicate

Cool collection of jazz-fusion originals from producer Billy Sherwood, performed by a lengthy roster of the genre's giants. Lineup includes Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Steve Stevens, Scott Kinsey, Chad Wackerman, Billy Cobham, Jerry Goodman, Jordan Rudess, Derek Sherinian, Jimmy Haslip, Randy Brecker, Percy Jones, and many others.

Current Listening

Some of the new stuff I've been digging...

Alex Machacek, Raphael Preuschl, Herbert Pirker - FAT

Tremendous new release from Machacek featuring his Fabulous Austrian Trio. Very adventurous in spots, yet more jazzy than much of his previous work. Love the variety of guitar tones on this one too.

Jimmy Herring - Subject to Change Without Notice

One of the standout records of the year. Highly musical with deep grooves; very textured and stylistically varied. Guests include Bela Fleck and Bill Evans. Look for my interview with Herring soon.

Paul Gilbert - Vibrato

Wow! Easily Gilbert's hippest album to date. Lots of "adult chords" - almost fusion-ish at times, and very dynamic (and funky!). Loaded with great tones as well.

Dean Brown - Unfinished Business

Cool jazz-funk record with killer grooves. Great writing. Includes Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Dennis Chambers, Hadrien Feruad, Jimmy Earl, and other heavyweights.

 

Current Listening

Frequency (Prashant Aswani)

A collection of great rock instrumentals written and recorded by Prashant Aswani for television and film soundtrack licensing. Aswani's playing is killer as always. Includes drummers Joey Heredia and Jose Pasillas.

Return To Forever - The Mothership Returns

Double Live RTFIV release with bonus DVD featuring a documentary, live performances, and more. Loaded with great Frank Gambale moments.

Renegade Creation - Bullet

Follow-up to the band's killer 2010 debut. More great writing, playing, and to-die-for guitar tones from Michael Landau and Robben Ford.

Spectrum Road

Tribute to legendary drummer Tony Williams' classic Lifetime bands. Features Vernon Reid, Jack Bruce, Cindy Blackman and John Medeski. Awesome throwback fusion. This album has turned me into a big Vernon Reid fan.

Bruce Forman Trio - Formanism

Great straight-ahead jazz disc. Guitarist Forman is fun and lyrical throughout.

Mike Stern - All Over The Place

Stern's latest is loaded with great writing, killer lines, and a who's-who list of top bass players that includes Anthony Jackson, Will Lee, Victor Wooten, Esperanza Spalding and others.

Current Listening

Some great music I've been listening to lately...

Tohpati Bertiga - Riot

Awesome rock fusion trio from Indonesia. Guitarist Tohpati is super-tasty with great chops and tones. The writing has occasional shades of Wayne Krantz, only heavier.

Matt Resnicoff - The History Of Now

Highly adventurous debut from the one-time music journalist. Resnicoff plays a vast array of instruments across 23 tracks, produced by and co-starring Mike Keneally. A veritable stream of consciousness.

Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats - Live Meat And Potatoes

Killer double live album recorded at the Baked Potato in 2009. Dripping with grooves. Outstanding guitar work from Jeff Kollman.

The Crane & Fabian Project - No Limits

All-star modern jazz record featuring Mike Miller, Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, Mitch Forman, Eric Marienthal and others.

Current Listening

Some of the new stuff I've been digging...

OHMPhrey - Posthaste

Sophomore release from the instrumental jam-fusion supergroup. Killer tunes; deeper writing than their 2009 debut. Guitarists Chris Poland and Jake Cinninger are ruling throughout.

Flying Colors

Awesome prog-rock vocal project with Steve Morse, Dave LaRue, Neal Morse, MIke Portnoy and Casey McPherson. Great riffs and melodies.

 

Jeff Kollman - Silence In The Corridor

Highly melodic writing with a deep, textured production. Great playing and tones as well. Lineup includes Ric Fierabracci, Jimmy Johnson, Shane Gaalaas, Ed Roth and Joel Taylor among others.

Allan Holdsworth - Hard Hat Area [Re-Issue]

Remastered version of Holdsworth's excellent 1993 release with Gary Husband, Steve Hunt, and Skuli Sverrisson, complete with new liner notes from Barry Cleveland. Holdsworth's "Low Levels, High Stakes" solo still stands as one of his all-time best.

Allan Holdsworth - None Too Soon [Re-Issue]

The second of Holdsworth's recent reissues is a remastered version of his classic disc of jazz standards, played as only Holdsworth can. Lineup features Gordon Beck, Gary Willis and Kirk Covington. Also includes new liner notes by Barry Cleveland.

Current Listening

I've been listening to a TON of great new music lately. Here's what I've had in heavy rotation...

The Michael Landau Group - Organic Instrumentals

Landau's first all-instrumental album since his 1990 debut Tales From The Bulge absolutely RULES. Great writing and production, killer playing, amazing tones. Line-up includes Gary Novak, Andy Hess, Jimmy Haslip, Larry Goldings, Vinnie Colaiuta, and others.

Polcat

Way-cool jazz fusion project with Chris Poland on guitar, Frank Catalano on sax, Sean O'Bryan Smith on bass, and Jim Gifford on drums. Awesome grooves and playing. Poland is a great fit.

Chad Wackerman - Dreams, Nightmares and Improvisations

Wackerman's latest features Allan Holdsworh on guitar, Jimmy Johnson on bass, and Jim Cox on keys - the same band Wackerman utilized for his 1991 solo debut Forty Reasons. Lots of group improv on this one. Holdsworth is amazing as usual.

Gary Husband - Dirty & Beautiful Volume 2

Excellent modern fusion album; a more-than-worthy follow-up to 2010's Volume 1. Amazing guest list includes Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Wayne Krantz, Alex Machacek, Jimmy Herring, Mike Stern, Robin Trower, Ray Russell and Jan Hammer.

Ed DeGenaro - Holiday In Madras

Deep fusion with a strong Indian influence. Ed drops some amazing Shawn Lane-like runs as well. Personnel includes Ric Fierabracci and Marco Minnemann among others.

Steve Weingart & Renee Jones - Dialogue

This one's been out a while but I've been digging into it more lately. Super high-quality electric jazz album with great writing and playing. Features the always-tasty Mike Miller on guitar. Steve Lukather also guests on one track.

Tribal Tech - X

One of the greatest fusion bands ever is back with their first new album in 12 years. Features a good balance of group improv and composition. Scott Henderson's current, more blues-oriented approach gives the band a different flavor than it had in the old days.

Wayne Krantz - Howie 61

This won't be released until mid-April but I had the honor of writing the press release for it so I've been digging the tracks for awhile. Krantz, once again, strikes out in a new direction here with fresh take on composition and production. Line-up includes Vinnie Colaiuta, Tal Wilkenfeld, Keith Carlock, Pino Palladino, David Binney, John Patitucci, Anton Fig and many others.

Current Listening (and Viewing)

Here is some of the great new music I've been digging lately.

 

The Aristocrats

Incredible rock fusion disc with Guthrie Govan on guitar, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums. Killer writing, tones and playing.

Oz Noy - Twisted Blues Volume 1

Noy's bluesiest album to date has an amazing lineup that includes Vinnie Colaiuta, Eric Johnson, and other heavyweights. Noy's playing and tones are amazing. Releasing November 19th.

Derek Sherinian - Oceana

Arguably Sherinian's best solo album yet. Has a similar vibe to his 1999 debut, with strong shades of Jeff Beck's early fusion work. As always, the prog keyboard maestro brings along an impressive cast. Includes Steve Lukather, Tony MacAlpine, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Stevens, and others.

Jeff Richman & Chatterbox - The Line Up

Richman returns with Chatterbox for more jammy west coast jazz. Has a looser vibe than his solo releases.

Jarle H. Olsen - Quadrasonic

Super intricate prog metal with insane chops. Includes Alex Argento on keys.

Abstract Logix Live - The New Universe Music Festival 2010 DVD

I may be a bit biased here since I conducted the interviews for this 2-DVD set, but this is a killer collection of live jazz rock fusion. A great documentation of Abstract Logix's groundbreaking 2010 festival. Includes John McLaughlin (with Zakir Hussain), Wayne Krantz, Alex Machacek, Jimmy Herring, Human Element, Ranjit Barot, and others.

Current Listening (and Viewing)

Some of the stuff I've been digging lately...

Brett Garsed - Dark Matter

Killer modern fusion album with a strong prog influence. Incredible playing from all involved, especially Garsed and bassist Ric Fierabracci. Look for a full review soon.

Corea, Clarke & White - Forever

Two disc set features Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke & Lenny White in an acoustic trio setting, plus Return To Forever studio rehearsals from 2009 with Bill Connors on guitar.

Johnny Hiland - All Fired Up

Loaded with insane chops and fun tunes. Hiland is one of the best country pickers around.

Chad Wackerman - Legs Eleven

This one is several years old but I've had it on heavy rotation lately. Exceptional writing and production. Great guitar work from James Muller also.

Gannin Arnold - 5 World Class Drummers [DVD]

Features Arnold playing with drummers Taylor Hawkins, Jimmy Chamberlain, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio and Gary Novak to demonstrate their varying styles. The bonus disc includes interviews and extra footage.

Current Listening

Here's some of the new music I've been digging lately.

Abstract Logix Live! The New Universe Music Festival 2010

This 2-CD set will be released on July 19th but I have an early copy for review. An amazing album with killer performances by John McLaughlin (with guest Zakir Hussain), Jimmy Herring, Alex Machacek, Wayne Krantz, Lenny White (featuring Jimmy Herring), Human Element, and Ranjit Barot.

Gerald Gradwohl Group - ABQ Live and Raw

Gritty live album recorded in 2004. Great guitar work by Gradwohl. Includes Kirk Covington on drums, Thomas Kugi on sax and Harald Weinkum on bass.

 

Allen Hinds - Monkeys and Slides

Great writing and playing with a west coast fusion vibe. Includes Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, Jimmy Earl and others. Hinds' guitar work on the live track "Rat Scat" is burning.

John Escreet - The Age We Live In

Fantastic jazz album from New York pianist Escreet. Includes Wayne Krantz on guitar and David Binney on sax. Krantz's contributions are integral to the overall mood of the disc.

 

Chris Taylor - Nocturnal (Review)

Still listening to this a lot lately. Very fresh and innovative with a killer line-up of players. Look for an interview with Taylor here soon.

Current Listening

Some cool stuff I've been listening to lately.

Human Element

Striking debut from the killer modern jazz quartet of keyboardist Scott Kinsey, bassist Matt Garrison, drummer Gary Novak, and vocalist/percussionist/secret weapon Arto Tuncboyacian. Imagine a neo-Weather Report sound with a strong 'world music' vibe. Great record. John McLaughlin guests on one track.

CAB - Live On Sunset

CAB's latest is a great heavy fusion disc recorded live in November 2010. With Tony MacAlpine on guitar, Bunny Brunel on bass, Virgil Donati on drums, and Dennis Hamm on keys.

Marbin - Breaking The Cycle

Highly eclectic, almost cinematic jazz and fusion recording from the Chicago-based duo of Dani Rabin on guitar, and Danny Markovitch on sax. Cool stuff if you are looking for something different.

Mr. Big - What If...

Mr. Big's first new album in 8 years features the return of the original lineup (with Paul Gilbert back on guitar). Great all-out rock record. Killer playing.

Current Listening

Here's some stuff I've been listening to lately...

 

FRO - The Paisley Album

Harold Davis Jr (aka Fro) is a great funk/fusion player out of New York, and his stuff is super-cool. Sort of a Hendrix-meets-Tribal Tech type of vibe. I'm also digging his Surprise Music EP.

 

 

 

 

Jason Sadites and Marco Minnemann - Behind The Laughter

This is Sadites' contribution to Minnemann's Normalizer 2 project, and it's one of my favorites. Great writing and playing with a heavy Zappa vibe.

 

 

 

 

Stu Hamm - Just Outside of Normal

The bass legend's latest includes guests Joe Satriani, Frank Gambale, and Robert Fripp. Cool stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

David Binney - Graylen Epicenter

Excellent jazz album from the New York-based sax player. Love Wayne Krantz's melodic lines on the title track.

 

 

 

 

Bruce Arnold - The Art of the Blues

Great, adventurous jazz blues record. Arnold's fusion disc Heavy Mental is also cool.

 

 

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.