Guitartropolis

Favorite Solos - Eric Johnson

I must be on a YouTube guitar solo kick as I came across this 1990 video of Eric Johnson playing Cliffs of Dover. It has a really great intro guitar solo lead into the song. Eric's always amazing to watch and this video shows why.

Best Guitar Solo by Angus Young

We all have our favorite guitarist and a selection of their solos we like best. My tastes range pretty widely. In college my band Black Water play many AC/DC songs from that era. A buddy of mine had a video of AC/DC on it and that lead me to find this solo by Angus Young, which I really love.

What's great about it is Angus doesn't just overwhelm you with billions of notes and guitar licks. The entire 9:52 segment is all about tension and anticipation. Dozens of times Angus gives you a little bit of stuff, and then brings it back to the chanting drums. There's even a segment where you sure you're going to get mooned by Angus (I won't give away what happens), followed by Angus going into his all out guitar stuff.

Very entertaining and a good lesson on why it's not just what you play, or how much of it, but it's how you deliver it. It's all in the delivery. If Angus had just laid out the last 2 minutes of this as his solo, we'd remember this as 'just another guitar solo'. Enjoy.

Michael Reese music featured on Network World podcast

Some of you may know that in addition to blogging for Guitartropolis and The Converging Network, I blog daily for the data networking industry site Network World, where I cover topics related to Microsoft. My Network World blog also has a companion podcast, Converging On Microsoft Podcast.

I recently restarted the podcast and part of that restart included changing the theme music for the podcast. Guitartropolis' own blogger and guitarist Michael Reese donated a composition called Guitar Collage for the podcast. What's really special about this song is it's a piece Michael recorded while experimenting with the mic-pre gear but hasn't made the song publicly available on any of his CDs. Right now, the podcast is the only place your can hear Guitar Collage.

So please check it out. Got to the podcast page and the song will immediately begin playing. After the intro music stops, slide the progress bar of the mp3 player towards the very end. There's about 2 minutes more of the song at the end of the podcast.

This song has been one of my favorite "power guitar" compositions Michael has done. If you like it then join me in urging Michael to release the full song on one of this upcoming CD projects.

Here's the link to the podcast.

And thanks Michael for allowing me to use Guitar Collage on the podcast.

Blessings

Mitchell

Bob Taylor responds to United Breaks Guitars

Nielsen Wire has a good article about Dave Carroll's United Breaks Guitars video (which has well over 3 million plays, btw) talks about how YouTube has been used by customers and companies alike to respond (or not) to problems and controversies. (Thanks to my good bud and bandmate Doug Craig for letting me know about the Nielsen article.) I recently posted about Dave Carroll's experience and his viral YouTube video.

And that $3,000's Dave Carroll spent a year trying to get United Airlines to cough up for breaking his Taylor guitar? Well, per Dave's request they've donated $3,000 to a charity instead (Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.) Dave's choice to refuse the money after giving United Airlines a year to make amends has been a wise one. I'm sure Dave will benefit tons more by all the publicity than any $3,000 check from United.

Interestingly, Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars also posted a YouTube video about Dave Carroll's experience, highlighting information about repairs to damaged guitars, and how Taylor Guitars can help customers with repair needs. Bob also points out that the TSA allows you to take your guitar and case onto the airplane with you (as long as it's packed in a case), even though many airline employees may not know this and try to stop you. Also, Taylor Guitars has opened up their repair center to other non-Taylor makes and models.

Fortunately, I haven't had to use Taylor's repair services but you might check them out if you need some. I am a Taylor owner, btw. I picked up a Taylor 514CE cedar top acoustic just right before Taylor guitars became really hot and the prices jumped up. It's a great guitar though I only play acoustic occasionally.

Here's the Bob Taylor YouTube video I was talking about.

Blessings

Mitchell

Guitartown

last winter i was talking with a friend named Tony Buffalo who is the regional manager for Guitar Centers in  Colorado and surrounding states.i had mentioned a guitar festival called Guitartown at copper mountain, and expressed interest in performing there. Tony offered to put a word in for me as he and Guitar Center help sponsor the three day event. some time passed and i followed up with a phone call several months later and Tony thought that maybe the possibility for performing this year had past, but he invited me up to hang and meet some of the folks who organized the festival. of course i excepted and thanked him for the opportunity .months went by and a couple of weeks ago i received an email from Erin Kennedy. Erin is the marketing manager  for the village at Copper.the email was a request to perform at the festival for there Saturday 6:oo pm street party. i am exited and honored to have this chance to perform with my long time friends Larry Thompson [drums],Tom Capek [keyboards], Kim Stone [bass], and special guest, blues personality Scotty Cash [vocals].i owe special thanks to Tony Buffalo and Erin Kennedy for making this possible.here is a link for more info about Guitartown. i also want to thank my partner and editor for guitartropolis, Mitchell Ashley for his Yoda like internet skills. if you love anything having to do with guitar you will enjoy this gathering, so please come and join us.your dedicated stringstretcher, Michael Reese

Damaged Guitar Victim Gets Revenge Through YouTube Video

Could you imagine the sheer horror of sitting on a plane in Chicago, looking out the window, seeing baggage loaders throwing your checked guitar around, resulting in your guitar being broken. That's like watching one of your children wreck on their bike. It would be beyond painful, it would be like losing your closest friend.

That happened to Dave Carroll's Taylor guitar and after spending a year trying to get United Airlines to make it right, he took to the Internet with a well done YouTube video and song. You gotta love the Internet. Let's hope United sends Dave a nice shiny brand new Taylor guitar. Given all the publicity this video is getting, Dave would probably turn down United's offer.

Enjoy the video.

technorati claim

uqkj4df8tx

Going back for more Gilmour... I can never get enough

I think I've said on this blog quite a few times that David Gilmour is one of the top, if not the top, influences on my guitar playing style. Not because I've purposefully sought out to emulate or try and copy what he does, but I think because I both grew up listening to Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here when I was getting deep into rock music, and because his melodic and emotional playing style really connects with me. I loved the keyboards, Alan Parsons engineering, and the entire vibe of the middle period of Pink Floyd's music.

A few times recently I've gotten a comment after playing or doing a solo that my playing sounded very Gilmour-esk. I wish I could say I thought it sounded as good as David but I'll take a compliment like that in a heartbeat. So tonight while I was waiting around for some software to finish installing on my computer, I decided to play along with Shine On Your Crazy Diamond, one of my top favorite Pink Floyd tunes (along with so many others). As I was noodling along, playing Gilmour's tastefully crafted open solo and in-song solo, I realized there are many things about my playing I had forgotten came from Gilmour. (Again, this about Gilmour influencing my playing, not me playing like him, which is a far cry from David's level.)

First, I sometimes enjoy bending a note up one and then two steps (or even another half step), singing the notes up and down and you change pitch, with some suttle virbato occassionally. That's very Gilmour, I don't know how many other players do it with his emotion and style. Another more frequent lick I play is a trill like run between the 2, 3, 1 notes and land on the flat-7 and 5 notes (when in a minor penatonic pattern) resolving back to 8 (1). It's sort of my way (lifted from Gilmour) of not staying boxed in by the minor penatonic pattern and it communicates a really different vibe with great tension for an anticipated resolve. 

I hadn't learned that triplet run that repeats all through the bari sax solo towards the end of the song, so I figured out how that was played. One reason is that one of my signature licks that I build a lot of both comp'ing and soloing around is a triplet pull-off pattern, usually between strings 2 and 3, or 1 and 2. It's actually a riff I learned from some songs by Christian artist guitar player, Lincoln Brewster, who also toured with Journey btw. That riff didn't use the slide up one fret at the start of the riff, like the Floyd one did. Also the line in the Floyd song sounds sort of like this B riff over a Gm to C to F, etc., chord line. Not a way I've ever used that before, so I learned both a variation on a riff I know and a new voicing to play it.

I really enjoyed sitting down and playing along with this song, learning stuff along the way. What a way to spend an hour. In honor of David Gilmour and one of my favorite bands, here's a YouTube video of Shine On You Crazy Diamond from the Echos tour. Sit back and enjoy. Or better yet, play along.

Life is like a guitar...

Life is like a new guitar: You want to play it all the time, and even when you set it down, you just pick it right back up again. Occasional setup and repairs are required.  - Mitchell 

Michael Molenda's reality check

This morning i was captured by an an article written by  Michael Molenda, Editor Guitar Player Magazine, and i think he really hit the hammer on the head with his statements.

SO THE SMUG AIG SUITS FELT THEY deserved bonuses for such “stellar” performance that us taxpayers had to bail there asses out of financial ruin.

thank you Michael.i think a lot of us feel the same, and why wouldn't we? Michael goes on to comparing this behavior to musicians who just can’t get enough of them selves.aig type players as Michael puts it. you know the type .what do you mean it’s about the music? what about me?ok,those players all deserve an Emmy award .ok ? only that's spelled ME award.have we totally forgotten about the bliss of creating art with a community of friends?sharing the stage?or is it all about who wins the prize. ladies and gentlemen, the American dream is exactly what it states…….it’s a dream.play your instruments and thank god for the talent you have to be shared. that's the prize ,and you have it in your hands.

any way ,if you get a chance, do read noise from the editor, Michael Molenda ,Guitar player magazine June 2009.

i found it generously full of wise information . have a great day,your dedicated stringstretcher ,Michael Reese

Derek Trucks - The Genius Of Our Time

Submitted by Guitartropolis.com contributor Tommy Gallahger.

Have you heard about this guitar player, Derek Trucks? If you have not I suggest you Run, Search, Scream,  do whatever you can to find & listen more about this Master.

I have been following Derek and his playing since 97, he was 17 then.  He turns 30 in early June.  He has played in Eric Clapton’s recent tour, is a member of the Allman Brothers Band since 99 and is the nephew of the Allmans Original drummer Butch Trucks, other notables he has played with  B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Carlos Santana and so many more its just too many to list let alone his own project the Derek Trucks Band.  I have had a variety of times to sit & talk with Derek, He is so humble "a true kind soul". He is Married to the Beautiful Susan Tedeski who's voice will knock you out, he also has a project with Susan called Soul Stew Revival.  

Derek plays in open E tuning, his slide and fretting is unbelievable beside tone, his openness to other influences- Music has taken him "in my opinion" further than any current guitarist alive or dead.  Like I said, if you have not heard of Derek, his playing, take the time to discover what he brings with his being.  Sure he may not be your cup of tea but as Carlos Santana spoke of Derek he said, "we had John Coltrane, Miles Davis and now we have Derek Trucks....He is truly the genius of our time."

Also visit Tommy Gallahger's page on Facebook, and his projects Tommy Gallahgers Incredible Friends on mySpace and A New Brain For Arnie (FB, MS).

explain your tone in two words or less

guitar tone expressions,brittle,warm,glassy,woman,edgy,fat,crunchy,clean,distorted,singing,throaty,ballzy,woody,metallic.please feel free to add your personal words for describing guitar tones.

tunesociety.com

If your looking for music for any project ,check out http://www.tunesociety.com/music/musicSearch.aspx   This is a new music library. i have submitted 36 original compositions geared towards television and film.some of this music is from my collection called Guitarscapes .if you would like to listen my music go to [artist] box and add Michael Reese .as always thanks for visiting Guitartropolis!

friends at the acid jazz jam

my good friend  Mitchell Ashley has been visiting us at the acid jazz jam at Dulcinea’s the last couple of weeks .he knows what to do,watch ,listen and enjoy yourself.thanks Mitchell, you are always welcome. it’s a pleasure to have you join us .we hope you will come visit us starting June 7 at the Ancient Mariner in Manitou springs. your six string pal ,Michael

Tommy Emmanual….amazing

check this out!http://www.tommyemmanuel.com/