The Guitar Channel

Favorite Releases of 2011

While pondering my favorite music releases of 2011, I was struck by two things; the abundance of originality and depth in the "my cup of tea" genre, and Geez Louise were there a lot of live albums this year. There were also some great DVDs, which is why I'm referring to this as a favorite "releases" list instead of an "album" list as I have in the past. So here they are - my favorite releases of 2011 in no particular order:

 

Abstract Logix Live! - The New Universe Music Festival 2010 (CD / DVD) [CD Review]

Amazing live CD and DVD releases chronicling the 2010 New Universe Music Festival. Includes great performances by John McLaughlin, Wayne Krantz, Alex Machacek, Jimmy Herring, and others. I was honored to help contribute to the DVD by conducting the backstage interviews which appear on disc 2.

Brett Garsed - Dark Matter [Review]

Fantastic writing and playing. Shows a stronger prog influence than Garsed’s earlier work. Bassist Ric Fierabracci make a big impact here as well.

Chris Taylor - Nocturnal [Review / Interview]

Taylor’s remarkable debut seamlessly blends modern jazz and electronica influences in one of the year’s most original and engaging releases. The all-star line up includes Ric Fierabracci, Steve Tavaglione, Dave Weckl, and other heavyweights.

Oz Noy - Twisted Blues Volume 1

Noy’s latest showcases his quirky originality and tones in a context that’s more bluesy than his previous work. Love the writing on this one.

The Aristocrats [Guthrie Govan Interview]

Killer heavy fusion album with Guthrie Govan on guitar, Bryan Beller on bass, and Marco Minnemann on drums. A great platform for Govan’s overall talents.

Derek Sherinian - Oceana

Awesome prog-fusion disc that may be Sherinian’s best solo release yet. Has a throwback 70s Jeff Beck vibe at times. Guests include Steve Lukather, Tony MacAlpine, and Joe Bonamassa.

Allen Hinds - Monkeys and Slides

Great writing and lines from one of the west coast’s coolest fusion guitarists. Includes two burning live tracks. Features Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, and Dennis Hamm among others.

Bryan Beller - Wednesday Night Live

Killer live disc featuring a single set recorded at the Baked Potato, plus two additional tracks from other performances. Includes great contributions from Mike Keneally.

Other favorites from 2011:

Gerald Gradwohl Group - ABQ Live and Raw
Jeff Richman & Chatterbox - The Line Up [Interview]
Bryan Baker, Bob van Luijt & Sebastiaan Cornelissen - 011 Amsterdam
John Escreet - The Age We Live In
Johnny Hiland - All Fired Up
CAB - Live on Sunset
Human Element
Gannin Arnold - Five World Class Drummers DVD
Rudder - Live at Rockwell Music Hall NYC DVD (Not one note of guitar on this, but the band and DVD are super cool.)

See Also:

Favorite Albums of 2010
Favorite Albums of 2009
Favorite Albums of 2008
Favorite Albums of 2007
Favorite Albums of 2006

My Interview with Jeff Richman

I interviewed Jeff Richman recently for Abstract Logix regarding his great new album The Line Up, which he recorded with his Chatterbox band (Dean Taba - bass, Joel Taylor - drums, and Mitch Forman - keyboards). Check it out at ALBX or via the link below.

Interview: Jeff Richman

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.

Jazz Guitarist Jeff Richman Announces New CD Release

PRESS RELEASE

Contemporary jazz guitarist Jeff Richman today announced the release date of his upcoming CD, Jeff Richman and Chatterbox: The Line Up for October 18. The Nefer Records release is Richman’s 16th solo project and features Mitchel Forman on keyboards, Joel Taylor on drums and Dean Taba on bass guitar. The new CD is distributed by City Hall Records and songs will be available online at iTunes, Amazon and other music websites.

The Line Up consists of 12 new tracks exploring and expanding the boundaries of contemporary jazz. Together, the odd metered time signatures, key changes, rhythm variations, polyphony, improvisation and tempos are overcome by the band as they weave in and out of these original compositions by Richman. On three of the tracks Richman, Forman, Taylor and Taba take artistic liberties into their own hands with their shared composition of jam tracks “It’s All One”,“Square Root” and “Right Here, Right Now”. While recording, Richman imposes challenges on himself and the band to grow and capture a bigger audience; to include them in on the musical journey. There is an inherent sense throughout the CD that gives the listener the impression that Richman and the band want the listener to experience the same fun, challenges, joy, conflict and sorrow as they do when performing. It’s not forced and it happens organically, as if each song is a conversation. The melody masquerades as the topic, ideas get passed around between the artists and the audience is allowed to eavesdrop; the invisible barrier between talent and audience being removed.

Guitarist Jeff Richman has enjoyed success on the jazz scene for nearly 35 years. His guitar playing is cited as tasteful and articulate, with room to breathe. He is recognized by and associated with the other luminaries of the fusion and contemporary jazz. His guitar is heard the world over. On this new release, his tone rises above with something unique that can’t quite be described. It is the impression of a barebones approach that has simplified his tone but made it gigantic. He uses his go to Fender Strats and Teles, a Jim Hall Sadowsky, a silver faced Marshall Jubilee but this time there is something else in the water.

Throughout his career, Richman has recorded and performed with the crème de la crème of talent. He has discovered and forged a solid rapport with each member of the band. Now he successfully brings them together to form one cohesive unit that seems untouchable on this recording. As Richman sums it up,“This is the band. This is what I’ve wanted to achieve. I know I can go anywhere in the world with these guys and it will be an amazing time for us and the fans. It feels good, it sounds good, and I can’t wait to take this show out on the road.”

To learn more about Jeff Richman and Chatterbox’s new release, The Line Up, please visit jeffrichman.net.

Jeff Richman and Chatterbox The Line Up track listing:

The Line Up (4:46)
Window to the Heart (3:30)
Rule of Thumb (4:24)
It’s All One (Jam #1) (5:45)
Hat Trick (5:16)
Cross My Heart (5:57)
Once More Twice (6:14)
Square Root (Jam #2) (4:23)
Smoke Ring (5:03)
Point of You (4:47)
Right Here, Right Now (Jam #3) (5:22)
Window to the Heart (reprise) (2:33)

New Jeff Richman Album with Chatterbox to be Released in October

Jeff Richman will release a new album entitled The Line Up with his band Chatterbox on October 18th. The album features Mitch Forman on keyboards, Joel Taylor on drums, Dean Taba on bass and Jeff on guitars. Check out the JVPMedia YouTube channel for some promo clips from the album.

Videos: Jeff Richman and the Baked Potato Allstars - July 9th 2011

More great videos from Alex Kluft. This is Jeff Richman and the Baked Potato Allstars live at the Baked Potato on 7/9/11. With Richman on Guitar, Russel Ferrante on Keys, Alphonso Johnson on Bass, and Tom Bretchlein on Drums.

Jeff Richman Videos for Xotic Guitars & Effects

Jeff Richman demos some of his guitars and Xotic effects, and talks about his latest album Like That. All 5 videos are in the embedded playlist above.

See Also:
Interview: Jeff Richman (2010)

Jeff Richman Interview

Guitarist Jeff Richman's new album Like That is a great disc that has shades of both fusion and straight-ahead jazz, and features an impressive array of west coast jazz giants such as Vinnie Colaiuta, Mitch Forman, and others. I interviewed Richman recently for Abstract Logix to discuss the new album, his writing process, his gear choices, and other topics. You can read the interview at Abstract Logix's website, or here at The Guitar Channel via the link below.

Interview: Jeff Richman

Current Listening

Friends,

Sorry for the lack of recent posts. A medical issue has slowed me down this week. I've been listening to a lot of cool music though. Such as...

 

Jeff Richman - Like That

Excellent west coast jazz record. Lineup includes Vinnie Colaiuta, Mitch Forman, Will Kennedy, Neil Stubenhaus, and many others.

 

Relocator

Killer heavy prog-fusion album. Great writing. Includes Derek Sherinian on keys.

 

Tohpati Ethnomission - Save The Planet

Indonesian prog fusion! Sounds a bit like Gong-meets-King Crimson. Tohpati is a great guitarist with a Mike Miller-vibe.

Sneak Peek: Photos from Day One of the Baked Potato Jazz Festival

 

Here is a sampling of my pics from day one of the Baked Potato 40th Anniversary Jazz Festival. Mouse over the thumbnails to see the captions. I'll post a full photo gallery of the whole fest in a couple of days.

Heading to the Baked Potato 40th Anniversary Jazz Festival!

Tomorrow morning, I'm heading out to California for The Baked Potato 40th Anniversary Jazz Festival. This is sure to be an epic two-days of killer jazz and fusion music. So many great musicians will be there. From a guitar perspective alone it's an unbelievable lineup - Day one will include performances by Jeff Richman, Chris Poland, Scott Henderson, Jeff Kollman, Steve Lukather, Michael Landau, and Allan Holdsworth. The guitarists for day two include Mike Miller, Lee Ritenour, Michael Landau (again!), and Larry Carlton. Whew! Check out this post for a detailed lineup that includes all the musicians. Chances are, the only posting I'll be doing over the weekend will be on Twitter, so be sure to follow me there for any updates. Next week, I'll try to post some wrap-up stuff about the festival including some pics. I believe there are still some tickets left for the fest too, so come on out!

The Baked Potato 40th Anniversary Jazz Festival

The Baked Potato is presenting their own Jazz Festival this coming May to celebrate the legendary North Hollywood venue's 40th anniversary. The festival will take place on May 22nd and May 23rd at the John Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood (just south of the Baked Potato on Cahuenga Blvd.). The lineup of players set to perform over the two days is an absolute dream-team of jazz and fusion; all the regulars that have made the Spud such a special place over the years will be there. See below for the full schedule. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased through the Baked Potato's website. 

The Baked Potato 40th Anniversary Jazz Festival Lineup

Saturday May 22, 2010

THE BAKED POTATO ALL STARS
Jeff Richman, Neil Stubenhaus, Tom Brechtlein, Jeff Babko
 
O.H.M.
Chris Poland, Robbie Pagliari, Kofi Baker
 
SCOTT HENDERSON TRIO
John Humphrey, Alan Hertz 
 
CHAD SMITH
of “THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS”
And the
THE BOMBASTIC MEATBATS
CHAD SMITH JEFF KOLLMAN
KEVIN CHOWN ED ROTH
 
******Intermission******
 
STEVE LUKATHER
Vinnie Colaiuta, Tal Wilkenfeld, Steve Weingart
 
THE MICHAEL LANDAU GROUP
Chris Chaney, Gary Novak
 
HOLDSWORTH, PASQUA, HASLIP, NOVAK
Allan Holdsworth, Alan Pasqua, Jimmy Haslip, Gary Novak
 

Sunday May 23, 2010

JOHN DAVERSA BIG BAND
Jeff Driskill, Phil O'Connor, Tom Peterson, John Yoakum, Bob Carr, Ron King, Bijon Watson, Glenda Smith Rob Schaer, Bill Booth, Charlie Morillas, Paul Young, George Thatcher, Zane Carney, Jerry Watts, Gene Coye
 
MITCH FORMAN & THE B.P. ALL STARS
Mike Miller, Luis Conte, Joel Taylor, Trey Henry, Walt Fowler, Brandon Fields,
Munyungo Jackson
 
THE BAKED POTATO’S ORIGINAL JAZZ MASTER
Don Randi and Quest
 
TOM BRECHTLEIN, CHRIS ROY, JOHN DE PATTIE
GARY GARDNDER, CHUCK CAMPER
 
LEE RITENOUR
 
PATRICE RUSHEN, ERNIE WATTS
 
******Intermission******
 
YELLOWJACKETS
Jimmy Haslip, Russell Ferrante, Bob Mintzer, Will Kennedy
 
THE JAZZ MINISTRY
Abraham Laborial, Sr.,  Michael Landau, Greg Mathieson, Vinnie Colaiuta
 
LARRY CARLTON
Travis Carlton, Gene Coye 

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UPDATE: May 16st - Updated lineup - Volto has been replaced by the Bombastic Meatbats on day one.