BEN'S GUITAR WISDOM

Influences and Inspirations: John McLaughlin

2014-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Jan. 4: Happy birthday John McLaughlin!

John McLaughlin has been a true master and at the same time a genuine seeker, for all of his 40+ years in music. For many years I have admired his adventurous spirit - pushing jazz to new heights by blending it with a wide range of other styles and multi-cultural influences. His technique is phenomenal, his phrasing endlessly inventive, and his spiritual commitment is deep. It is McLaughlin (along with Carlos Santana) who made me see that playing music can be a path to spiritual discovery. He balances stunning virtuosity with passionate emotion, reminding me to strive for excellence, but also to allow myself to get lost in the moment. His amazingly diverse body of work sends a message that there is no need to be limited by definitions or categories. Jazz, rock, acoustic, electric, Western, Eastern - all mingle and interact in his work, with tremendous positive energy and joyous spirit. This again reflects the spiritual quest, in which one aims to drop the illusion of separation between one's self and everything else.

Here's a clip from his latest album, Now Here This . At age 72, he is still writing, recording and performing incredible new music with the most kickass musicians on the planet.

Here's a great interview (audio only) done in 2009 by Andy Ellis:
http://www.theguitarshow.com/interview-johnmclaughlin.html

It includes wonderful insights from John on a wide range of subjects, and a superb selection of diverse song excerpts.

Essential listening:
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Inner Mounting Flame
Shakti, Natural Elements
Friday Night In San Francisco
Live At The Royal Festival Hall
Time Remembered: John McLaughlin Plays Bill Evans

Also essential is the DVD: Remember Shakti: The Way of Beauty, which offers a full concert of his most Indian influenced music, along with documentary footage on the history of the band Shakti, and John's remarkable lifelong friendship and collaboration with the amazing tabla player Zakir Hussain.

Here's some links to some excellent recent articles/interviews:
Barry Cleveland: Lunch With John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin: Musical and Spiritual Connection
John McLaughlin - To The One

With a career that has so many awe-inspiring, exhilarating moments, it is so hard to pick just one video clip to share. Here's one from the 1977 album Natural Elements, part of his epic exploration of Indian music with the group Shakti:

This clip is from what I think is one of the greatest groups he ever had, featuring the amazing Trilok Gurtu on percussion. You can hear this group on the 1989 album Live at the Royal Festival Hall.

This piece is from Time Remembered, his 1993 tribute to jazz pianist Bill Evans, featuring John plus a classical guitar quartet, playing absolutely gorgeous arrangements of Bill Evans tunes.

And finally, here's one that's not like anything else you'll hear him do, but isn't that just like him...

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Influences and Inspirations: Jeff Beck

2013-06-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

June 24 - Happy birthday, Jeff Beck!

Jeff Beck has been very active in recent times, reminding me of the enduring impact he has had on me as a guitarist. It started in the 70's with his classic instrumental albums Blow By Blow and Wired. Thus began my love affair with instrumental jazz-rock fusion that has evolved over the years but still endures. And those albums are still amazing, brilliant works that rightfully earned Beck the status of guitar legend.

Since they came out, he has re-emerged from time to time to give us another taste of his powerful, unique style. How can the guitar be played so roughly, yet so beautifully, all at once? How do hard rock, jazz, pop standards, rockabilly and funk all merge together into one utterly unique style? How can all that be done with nothing more than fingers on strings, guitar plugged into amp, usually with no effects at all? Jeff answers the question every time he walks on stage. He is just being himself, and he couldn't possibly do it any other way. The raw honesty of his playing is what sets him apart from many others who possess technical virtuosity but little else. By keeping it so truly real, his creative channel stays wide open, and it is a marvel to witness the passion he pours into every note.

I have been thrilled and inspired by JB for most of my life, and have been fortunate enough to have had opportunities to play some of his songs with some groups I've been in over the years. One such group, XYZ, eventually became the core of my first all instrumental CD, First Light. You can read all about that in my blog post, "The Road To First Light." After that CD I formed another group, Sherman-Resto-Young, and we did another all instrumental CD, One Mind. I will be telling the full story of that band soon. You can be sure that the influence of Jeff Beck loomed large over all of the music we created.

The concert video, Live At Ronnie Scott's is essential viewing. Released in 2008, it shows that Jeff, now in his 60's, is mature and accomplished but has lost none of his grit and fiery passion. As usual, he surrounds himself with world-class musicians, but this time, the line-up which includes Tal Wilkenfeld on bass, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, and Jason Rebello on keyboards, has a chemistry that borders on magical. Check out this burning rendition of "Scatterbrain":

Here's some of my essential Jeff Beck listening:
Blow By Blow
Wired
Guitar Shop
Emotion & Commotion
A Day In The Life

Finally, a rare treat: Jeff Beck, live, performing a jaw dropping rendition of "Over The Rainbow":

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Windshield or Bug?

2013-05-08T22:24:00.002-07:00

art by Crystal

Sometimes you're the windshield...

I was playing a gig with Elena, at a local venue we're well established in. We love playing there - the acoustics are great, management is nice, and we have a lot of friends and fans that come out when we play there. But this particular gig was near Christmas and we weren't seeing our usual crowd. The place was packed with company parties and lots of college age people. Both of those kinds of groups are not usually there for the music, and indeed there was a din of noisy chatter but very little attention being paid to us. Eventually the crowd started thinning out and we figured the last set would be slow.

A group of young people emerged from the back of the bar and grabbed a table right in front of us. Then, a miracle occurred. They did not ignore us, did not talk loudly to each other or obsessively tap on their phones. They did not get up every five minutes to make a call or go out and smoke. They did not take pictures of each other making gangsta faces. No, these college kids actually listened to us. Even more amazing, they knew every song we played and were ecstatic about our mostly classic rock songlist. They sang. They cheered for every darned song. They raised their lighters. And - bonus - they tipped. And when it was over, they demanded an encore.

Wow, what can I say. My faith in the younger generation was renewed!

art by Crystal

Sometimes you're the bug...

Whenever I have a great gig and feel a little excessive self-esteem creeping in, I know it must be about time for an ego smackdown in the form of a gig I regularly do at another Baltimore area venue. I can be fairly sure of what will happen when I do this gig, and the very next night after the previously described miracle, I was not disappointed. I was presented with a young college and professional crowd, all quite dedicated to ignoring me, talking loudly, texting on their phones, taking pictures of each other and constantly hopping up to go out and talk on the phone and smoke.

But then, someone did notice I was there, and came up to make a request. "Hmm," I thought, "I wonder what it will be?" but I could already feel it coming, and yes, there it was: "can you play Sweet Caroline?"

It's not that they wanted to enjoy my superb rendition of the song. They just wanted to join in on the chorus and go "dut, dut, dah!" and "so good, so good," at the top of their lungs, carrying out a bar ritual that they have surely participated in dozens if not hundreds of times already. I know I have. And even then, they were only good for two choruses. By the third chorus, the moment was gone and before the song is over they had already resumed their talking/drinking/picture-taking/texting/smoking routine. There was no applause. There was no tip. There were no more requests. In less than three minutes I have faded from their awareness, for the rest of the night.

The whole episode is like a pre-ordained moment of musical involvement, imprinted in the minds of young bar-goers after the song was revived in a scene from a movie in which - surprise - a bunch of drunk young people at a bar are singing the song. My audience seems programmed to re-live the scene and then go back to what they were doing.

I have written about this sort of thing before; it is part of the game if you want to be a working musician. Sometimes you love what you do; sometimes you are just earning the money. It's nice if you are enjoying yourself and getting paid, but it doesn't always happen. Would I rather be driving a truck, or working at a bank? Not in a million years. I feel lucky that I do love my work more often than I don't, and blessed that I get to play guitar and sing for a living. So I take the not-so-much fun ones as learning experiences, and try not to take it too seriously. It's counter-productive to have an over-inflated sense of self-importance on a gig, especially the less than ideal ones. You have to be able to laugh at the situation, and at yourself. Besides, if only three people are there to see me, I have learned that it's always a good idea to play my best for those three people.

And I try to keep smiling.

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Influences and Inspirations: Pat Travers

2013-04-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

April 12: Happy birthday Pat Travers.

Wow, what a big influence in my early guitar playing years, the late 1970's-early 80's. This was quintessential hard rock of the day but with a healthy dose of of funk; unique and ballsy guitar tones; great songs; a powerful voice; and top notch musicianship. But beyond that, Pat put forth a remarkable combination of musical qualities that was rare for that "hard rock" genre. He could do gorgeous multi-tracked guitar harmonies like few others (outside of Brian May) would dare attempt. He was one of the only guys besides Rush who could write songs in odd time signatures that still kicked ass. And I didn't mind one bit that his songs would have extensive instrumental sections. All the above are in evidence in this great tune, "Heat in the Street," from the superb album of the same name:

Pat always fills his band with incredible musicians and generously gives them plenty of room to stretch out and flex their musical muscles. The classic live album Go For What You Know is a powerful example of that.

And of course I have a soft spot for instrumental rock; Pat produced a great one on his classic Puttin' It Straight album, called "Off Beat Ride."

Puttin' It Straight is a personal favorite. This whole album has a great vibe, with a magical combination of great songs, musicians and production. I first heard of Pat through this album, shortly after it came out in 1977. Once I discovered it, I just couldn't stop listening to it, and I still do.

Pat is still around, playing shows and kicking ass; check him out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pattraversband. He keeps his schedule updated there, and regularly posts about his influences and inspirations!

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Influences and Inspirations: Brian Setzer

2013-04-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

April 10: Happy birthday Brian Setzer.

I always liked the Stray Cats vibe. And I truly admired Brian Setzer, after the Cats broke up, for committing to a huge big band that enables him to go deep into the all the branches that intertwine with the rockabilly that he started out on: country, swing jazz, rock and roll. A great bandleader and entertainer, he has never stopped becoming an even better guitar player, as this rendition of Sleepwalk surely shows.

I never get tired of his ability to seamlessly blend all his influences into a hugely entertaining package that is raucous fun and high energy, while never skimping on musicianship and marvelous sophisticated band arrangements.

http://www.briansetzer.com/

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Influences and Inspirations: Steve Gadd

2013-04-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

April 9 - Happy birthday Steve Gadd.

What, I'm reviewing a drummer? Yes, well, the fact is, great drummers have always excited and inspired me. And all of them respect and admire Steve Gadd. He is, of course, most often heard doing the famous drum riff on Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, " and the brilliant drum solo on Steely Dan's "Aja."

I heard and absorbed Steve's utterly unique style back in the late 70's from a number of albums by Chick Corea and Al Dimeola that Steve was on.

The song "Nite Sprite," from Chick Corea's Leprechaun album shows that Chick knew what kind of mega-talent he was working with, and gave him some very demanding music to play. Listen to the clip below to hear how Steve rose to the challenge. Awesome, musical and beautiful drumming. http://www.drstevegadd.com/

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Influences and Inspirations: Carl Perkins

2013-04-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

April 9 - Happy birthday Carl Perkins.

Perkins was one of the earliest, best and most successful in the style known as rockabilly. That makes him one of rock's founding fathers, people. He hung with dudes like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. He scored a massive hit with his song "Blue Suede Shoes," selling more and charting higher than Elvis's later version. I know it might sound quaint and tame today, but you have to listen and imagine, in the bland pop culture of the 1950's, how electrifying it was to hear something like this for the first time. Elvis may have been the superstar celebrity, but Perkins was a genuine musician who influenced and inspired the likes of The Beatles, Eric Clapton and need I say, Brian Setzer. So give some props to an essential early rock icon.

Here's a cool 3-minute mini-documentary on Carl Perkins, with some discussion of his classic song, "Honey Don't."

Blue Suede Shoes, Rock Around The Clock, Roll Over Beethoven - these and other early rock and roll classics had a huge influence on those who followed, and opened the floodgates for generations to express their creativity, their rebellion, the sheer power of youth. Musicians I love, like Clapton, Hendrix and the Beatles, were not shy about paying tribute to their early rock and roll heroes, while at the same time boldly pushing the music forward in new and unexpected directions. For example:

Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart, "Jailhouse Rock," 1969:

and Jimi Hendrix's incendiary live version of "Johnny B. Goode," 1970:

Rock and roll, everybody.

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Influences and Inspirations: Steve Howe

2013-04-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

April 8 - Happy birthday Steve Howe.

It's hard to know where to start when discussing a guitarist whose influence on me has been as huge, and whose best work still inspires me as much as Steve Howe.

Steve Howe was the first guitarist who firmly implanted the idea in my mind that being stuck in one genre was neither interesting or even necessary, but also, that whatever you decide to play, you must do it the best you can and with as much feeling and commitment as you can. Steve played in a rock band with symphonic inclinations, but his big influences were jazz guitarists like Barney Kessel, and country legend Chet Atkins. And he allowed those influences, and others, to show as much as he wanted. Add in some classical, flamenco and ragtime, a penchant for unusual instruments, and a flair for pedal steel guitar, and you have a guitarist with amazing creative energy that was always turning in unexpected directions. This led to him being voted Best Overall Guitarist in the Guitar Player magazine's reader's poll, five years in a row. The only others to accomplish that happened to be two other genre-defying guitar giants, who I also rank among my biggest influences: Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.

For me, as a classical guitar student all the way back to high school, "Mood For A Day" and "Roundabout" were ingrained in my fingers very early on. But I have equally admired his genre-busting creative energy always flowing in so many directions; and his early performances, with their high intensity just-go-for-it vibe, are still riveting.

The song below, "Sound Chaser," from the Relayer album, captures all that for me in one stunning song.

UltimateClassicRock.com has a pretty good "top 10 solos" list for Steve Howe, with some very well written commentary. Click here to read and listen. I concur with most of their choices but would have to add a few others. How about you?

I have happily labored over a great number of Steve's guitar parts for many years, and been blessed with the chance to play a number of Yes songs with my band Hectic Red over the years; most recently we unveiled a Yes medley. I definitely play them in tribute to Steve. http://www.stevehowe.com/

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Influences and Inspirations: Eric Clapton

2013-03-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

March 30: Happy birthday Eric Clapton!

It was this live version of Cream playing "Crossroads" that really drew my attention to EC. Being a teenager into hard rock, I was blown away by that performance, and consequently mystified as to why he would ever choose to leave that sound and that hard driving style behind. But really, when you are Eric Clapton, and by 1970 your résumé already includes the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, a guest shot with the Beatles on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and Derek and the Dominos, well...how can you top that? And with your reputation already firmly in place as a guitar legend, what have you got to prove?

Perhaps that's what he was thinking, and perhaps he concluded he no longer needed to prove anything, at least not to guitar players. So he became, as Rolling Stone put it, "a dependable hit maker" with an "easy-going commercial style," and achieved massive mainstream success. No arguing with that. But as years go by I have come to appreciate his diversity, and accepted his right to be radio-friendly when he chooses to; and I have come to treasure the blues roots that are always audible.

We should all be grateful to EC for starting up what has become one of the greatest music festivals around, the Crossroads Guitar Festival, in which he generously gives the limelight to other guitar players. I look forward every time a new one is announced, to another amazing lineup of some of the greatest guitarists in the world, some known and some unknown, delivering some of the most exciting yet relaxed performances, spontaneous musical collaborations, and obviously having enormous amounts of fun.

Here's one of my favorites from Clapton's more recent output. Wonderful song, superb production. EC's voice in fine form, and busting out some choice blues licks on his acoustic. Life is good. http://www.ericclapton.com/

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Influences and Inspirations: Wes Montgomery

2013-03-06T22:46:00.000-08:00

March 6 - Happy birthday, Wes Montgomery.

I came late to Wes Montgomery. I was influenced by those who followed him long before I ever actually got into the man himself. I have loved jazz all my life, but only in the last decade have I truly tried to play it and feel it. To do that, I realized that an appreciation for Wes is essential. He directly influenced such greats as George Benson, Grant Green, Pat Martino, Allan Holdsworth and Lee Ritenour. Pat Metheny has said "I learned to play listening to Wes Montgomery's Smokin at the Half Note." Even amongst his contemporaries, which included such talented guitarists as Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney,Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell, Wes was recognized as something special. Fellow guitarist Joe Pass referred to him as one of only three real innovators on the guitar, the others being Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt.

If these names are new to you, consider this an invitation to explore the amazing world of jazz guitar. Go and start listening to some music by every one of these greats. But start and end with Wes. Why?

Why do guitarists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Eric Johnson feel such a strong influence from him? Why did Frank Zappa say, "If you want to learn how to play guitar, listen to Wes Montgomery."

The year 1960 was when he first came to public attention, but he was no newcomer. Indeed he was almost 40 years old and had been playing for years before he hit the big time. After a brief run with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940's Wes had been toiling in obscurity in Indianapolis, working a day job, raising a family, and gigging three or four nights a week at local clubs. It takes passionate commitment to voluntarily stay out until 2 in the morning playing club dates, night after night, knowing you will go home, get four hours sleep and then get up and go to your day job. But Wes was not just surviving during this time, he was thriving, growing, maturing. He was developing an amazing technique and a style all his own. Clearly Wes loved what he was doing and was utterly devoted to his music. Watch the short clip below for some great insight into how, in spite of the indignities of segregation, Indianapolis provided a nurturing environment for Wes, a safe haven for him to allow his talent to grow and blossom.

So put on "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" and listen. Get past the relatively primitive recording quality and picture the scene. Wes shows up at the studio with a group of musicians, they set up their gear, the producer puts some microphones around, and a few hours later, the record is done. This is the sound of jazz records of the time. You get a sense of being there, hearing exactly what happened on that day: the sound of real people playing music. The tape recorder was just like the fly on the wall, eavesdropping on the moment. There was no studio trickery or post-production magic to sweeten the sound; what they played that day was what went on the record. And what went down that day was so good, it is still considered one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.

Every time I return to Wes, I still marvel at his command of jazz vocabulary, his impeccable rhythmic precision, and his endless melodic inventiveness. On top of all that, there is his tremendous sense of swing, and a laid back, relaxed feeling that underlies everything. He infuses his playing with his unique character - a gentle, fun, relaxed quality that balances out the thoughtful, intense nature that overtakes a lot of jazz.

Then there's the thumb. Watch some video and try to get your mind around how he accomplishes all that with only the thumb of his right hand ever striking the strings.

Wes had the whole package: technical mastery and musical depth, all wrapped up in a warm inviting package that jazz critic Stanley Crouch referred to as "the true welcome." Music has never been more true, or more welcoming, than it was with Wes.

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Influences and Inspirations: David Gilmour

2013-03-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

March 6 - Happy birthday, David Gilmour.

During his years in Pink Floyd, David Gilmour delivered a string of epic, powerful, brilliant performances that established him as an all-time guitar great, indeed coming in at #14 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists.

"Wish You Were Here," "Comfortably Numb," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Another Brick in the Wall," "Run Like Hell"...and that doesn't even include anything from Dark Side of the Moon.

I consider several of his solos essential for all my students who aspire to play lead guitar, because of their phrasing, bending, vibrato, and his ability to mix from-the-gut blues riffs with well thought out note choices over the chords. I rarely have to suggest it - the songs are usually requested!

Gilmour's diversity is often obscured behind the massive guitar heroics of those songs. His creative use of effects, his tasteful fingerstyle work, the ease with which he integrated funk and blues into the music of what would seem a most un-funky, un-bluesy band. And just for good measure, he was quite proficient at lap steel guitar, which permitted him to add some wonderful parts that contributed immensely to the tracks on which they appear (for example, "Breathe," heard in the clip above). All give evidence of a powerful creative force who took every opportunity to push the boundaries of what was possible within the confines of Pink Floyd.

Here's one of my favorites, "Poles Apart" from The Division Bell. It features a gorgeous finger-picked acoustic guitar part, a graceful and gently building song structure, culminating at 5:17 in a classic Gilmour solo.

Over-arching it all is his tone. Gilmour's approach to his sound has always been in a state of evolution and development, but every step of the way, he has produced guitar tones that are always clear, beautiful, powerful and distinctive.

Gilmour has re-emerged in the last ten years with a superb solo album, On An Island, and a series of tours, documented on two terrific DVDs, Remember That Night and Live in Gdansk. The live performances, especially, exemplify the maturing Gilmour: less notes, deep feeling, huge sound. His tone has become gigantic, and every note is well considered and given space to express its deepest feeling. Case in point: "On An Island." Bonus: Graham Nash and David Crosby on backup vocals!

Gilmour is a great guitarist not content to rest on his laurels - still evolving, still creative and vibrant; a powerful presence we are lucky to have. http://www.davidgilmour.com/

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Influences and Inspirations: George Harrison

2013-02-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Feb. 25 - Happy birthday, George Harrison.

George Harrison's career has so many high points, I have two playlists on my iPod for him: Beatles and post-Beatles. Great guitar work abounds at every point. When I was a young guitarist, it was hard rock and intense technique that captured my attention, but as years have gone by, I have developed a much greater appreciation for George's skills, stylistic diversity, his sheer professionalism. I have always admired his ability to express, through music, his honest and humble pursuit of higher meaning and purpose in life. And most of all, I love his dedication to making great songs, and always placing the guitar in service to making every song the best possible piece of music it can be.

Here's a trailer for the fantastic documentary, "Living In The Material World," essential for understanding this deep and complex man:

I always come back to "Something." It is a magnificent song, and the performance and production as heard on the Abbey Road album show the level of absolute mastery the Beatles had achieved at this point, their final album together. The solo epitomizes George's best qualities. Every guitarist who has tried to play it knows that it is tricky, because it is completely devoid of cliches or typical guitar tricks. George's confidence and skill on the guitar allowed him to go past technique to create a gorgeous solo melody of timeless, haunting beauty. A true classic.

His solo catalog is full of songs that are enriched by such great guitar riffs and solos, including some masterful slide work. For example, check out some of my personal favorites: "Here Comes The Moon," Give Me Love," "Blow Away," "My Sweet Lord," and the wonderful "I'd Have You Any Time:"

And that's just from the "post-Beatles" playlist. This is music to return to over and over, because it comes from the heart, and touches the heart. http://georgeharrison.com/

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Influences and Inspirations: Terry Kath

2013-01-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

From Wikipedia:
"Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978), born in Chicago, Illinois, was the original guitarist and founding member of the rock band Chicago. He died in early 1978, eight days before his 32nd birthday, from an unintentional self-inflicted gunshot wound."

Terry Kath was an amazing guitarist and singer in what was once an amazing band. He died tragically, much too young. His praises have never been sung enough and he deserves far more tribute than he's ever got. Kath was a huge inspiration for me in my formative guitar playing years. Like the band itself at the time, he was so full of creative energy, musicianship and soul that it still takes my breath away.

Kath is well known for the blazing guitars that permeate the early Chicago hit, "25 or 6 to 4."

That performance left no doubt that he could hang with the best guitarists of the time, and considering the competition in the late 60's-early 70's, that is saying quite a lot. And he did so while retaining a very personal and unique approach that made him unmistakable. Even more to his credit, he did so without acquiring the "guitar hero" ego, preferring instead to make brilliant and heartfelt contributions to the powerful group he was a part of.

Here is my favorite live version of one of my all-time favorite Chicago songs, "Introduction," written and sung by Terry, which encapsulates everything I've tried to describe about him into one awesome performance:

"In The Country" is another Chicago tune I always loved; surprise, it's written by Terry Kath. As usual, Chicago packed more musical content into one song than most groups today have in a whole album. And they did it with style, fire and soul. Here's a great live version:

And here's an excellent 20 minute documentary about the band, from 1970:

His daughter Michelle has created a wonderful website tribute, http://www.terrykath.com/ ,
and is producing a full documentary about Terry. Hopefully it will raise awareness of his talents and contribution, and give him the wider recognition he truly deserves.

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Skype Guitar Lessons - the Video

2013-01-16T08:22:00.001-08:00

As you might have read in my previous post, I am using my webcam to expand my teaching business online, through the magic of the Skype video calling program. The idea is to reach people who can't get to Coffey Music to study with me in person. It has the potential to connect me with guitar students all over the world!

Even if you're not interested in lessons, you can be a tremendous help by simply watching the 4-minute video I have created to promote my teaching business. Please click on the video title to open up the clip on YouTube's site:

The more people that watch it, the more likely it is that other people will find Ben Sherman when they search for this topic. This will help me to reach lots more people who want to take lessons via Skype.

If you are really motivated and want to do a little more, here's what you can do:

1. Watch the video all the way through.
2. Click the thumbs up icon to give it a Like.
3. Leave a nice comment.
4. Add the video to your YouTube favorites.
5. Share it with your friends by email or on your Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
6. Put up a link to the video or embed it, if you have any place it would be practical to do so. Please let me know if you do this, so I can be sure to return the favor!

Here's the direct link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgx3V4CZRCo

If you need any help with any of that, just get in touch with me. And thanks so much for your support!

Skype Guitar Lessons with Ben Sherman

2013-01-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

If you have wanted guitar lessons with Ben Sherman but couldn't get to Coffey Music in Westminster MD, there's good news: I am open for business again with live one-on-one guitar lessons via Skype! Any level, any style. 30-minute or 60-minute sessions available. No long term commitment required.

SKYPE
Skype is a free, live webcam communication service. To use it, you will need:
1. A good internet connection
2. A webcam, a computer and an e-mail address.
3. Skype (free internet video calling software). Go to http://www.skype.com/ and click on "Downloads."
4. A credit card or PayPal account.

If you need help with any of the technical issues, contact me, I'll help.

Here's what to do:

1. Contact me (see below) - we'll work out all the details: day and time, lesson plan, etc.
2. I'll send you an invoice and you can pay for your lesson - via credit card or PayPal.
3. Be ready at the scheduled time.
4. Have fun!

GUITAR LESSONS
I offer lessons for beginners to advanced, age 10 and up, providing instruction in:
acoustic, electric, rock, jazz, classical, advanced techniques, improvisation,
and specializing in teaching music theory in a practical, easy to understand way.

With Skype and me, there's nothing stopping you from accomplishing what you always wanted to do with the guitar. Contact me to get started!

Email: ben@benshermanguitar.com
Message me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-Sherman-Guitar/76856808647
Or use the contact form on my website: http://www.benshermanguitar.com/classical/contact.html

Thanks for your support and your interest in the guitar! - Ben

First Light - Track By Track

2012-12-19T10:33:00.002-08:00

1990's promo pic

UPDATED, Feb. 2017:
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of my first CD, First Light, I'm going to go track by track with my recollections about the songs, the gear and the people that made this project a reality.

Track 1: You Ain't Right - This song features the album's core rhythm section of Angelo Cammarata on bass and Carl Hupp on drums. The three of us had a group together in the mid 1990's called XYZ, and had the rare good fortune to get a regular gig in which we were given carte blanche to play all our favorite instrumental rock and jazz fusion covers.

Ben, Carl and Angelo in the studio, 1996.

And so we did, cranking out everything from Joe Satriani to Weather Report, with plenty of Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson and much more like that. (A video tape of us from 1994 has recently surfaced, hope to share some clips with you soon.) "You Ain't Right" was written based on a riff from Angelo that I developed into a completed song, did a demo version at home, and brought it back to the guys to learn and expand on. I was excited about the collaborative process, but we only got a couple songs done this way before Angelo and Carl got sidetracked by other personal and professional commitments. I had to continue developing the rest of the music on my own and with other musicians. But happily, the guys were able to still be part of the project, playing on this and several other songs on the CD.

"You Ain't Right," CD clip:

Later on, I played on a track from Carl's solo CD, Hyper Statue. To check it out click here.

Track 2: Three Wishes - Three Wishes is a completely different story. This track is a fairly faithful re-creation of one of my earliest recordings from the 1980's, back in the day when I had first got my home studio equipment and started making demos in the tiny living room of my first apartment.

Excerpt from home demo, 1987:

For the version on First Light, I called Barre Lankford, the bass player in my first band Spectrum and a good friend since high school, to play bass. Frank Young was recommended to me to do some drum tracks. Both guys were wonderful because they were able to remain true to the content of the original demo while adding tons of personal style and flair. The guitar parts are great examples of the crisp clear tones of my 1974 Fender Stratocaster.

Here's a clip from the final CD version with Frank and Barre:

Track 3: Chickenfish - This song goes back to the line-up of the first track. Written with XYZ in mind, it started with another Angelo bass riff. I joined that up with a melody from another very old demo of mine, and it evolved from there.

Excerpt from "Streets of the City," home demo 1985:

I was feeling a lot of creative freedom, which included being willing to deconstruct my old songs and integrate some of the ideas with new ones. It was exciting, and the finished track has a feeling I really like, a mingling of relaxed sophistication and playfulness.

Clip from "Chickenfish," final version from the CD, with Carl and Angelo:

I played my 1996 PRS Custom (practically brand new at the time) on this one, for that super thick lead tone, and whammy bar goofiness.

Hectic Red 1990's promo pic

Track 4: The Shadow - this was another song I had fully developed in home demo form in the 1980's. For the album, this one seemed perfectly suited to Hectic Red, the group I had already been with for ten years at that point (and is still going strong today!). Our keyboard player, John Suchy, also did all the recording and mixing for the entire album at his studio, Such Sound. The huge influence of Steve Morse on me is easily detectible by anyone who knows his style.

"The Shadow," CD clip with Such, Rich and Danny from Hectic Red:

Barre

Track 5: Horizons - the only cover tune in the project, came from an old album by Genesis. It was a lovely Steve Hackett solo piece that had been in my repertoire for years already. I had developed an idea for a multi-track arrangement, but the final result went far beyond my expectations. Besides layering multiple electrics, 12-string, steel string and nylon string guitars, I also asked Barre to add a bass part to it. He came up with some ideas on a fretless bass that were just stunningly beautiful; we were blown away.

"Horizons," CD clip with Barre:

Track 6: Hour Of The Wolf - This song was in an unfinished state until near the start of recording. I wanted to take this one in a slightly jazzier direction, and adding piano and percussion to the mix really helped to give it the right vibe. Brian Comotto played the keys and Hoppy Hopkins added the percussion. Another fine drummer, Brett Hayes, played on this track, and Angelo was on bass.

"Hour Of The Wolf," CD clip with Angelo, Brett, Hoppy and Brian:

Brian, Brett, Angelo, me

Track 7: Countdown - A very similar situation to Hour of the Wolf. I had an incomplete demo I had never been able to finish. But I got a ton of inspiration and motivation from how well the recording sessions were going, and I came up with what I needed to flesh out the song. Brett and Angelo again provided a superb rhythm section. The whole song was very much inspired by Joe Satriani, but I worked hard at investing the middle solo with my personal style and passion.

Early demo from 1987 with basic parts worked out:

Final CD version, new parts added:

Track 8: Nightmare on Church Street - This track was another one I had fully developed at home in the late 1980's, long before this album was conceived. I basically did it as an experiment in multi-track guitar overdubbing, which was a challenge back in the day when recordings were made onto physical pieces of tape. I had my Tascam Porta Two cassette recorder, a drum machine, a bass and a few other items like reverb and EQ. I went to work piling on the guitar tracks. I also was working with the timed echo concept to create the very mechanical sounding guitar parts that percolate through the song. I used super distorted tones, super clean tones. It was everything I could think of. Underlying it all, I had a very simple bass line and a repetitive drum machine part, just trying to keep out of the way of the mushrooming population of guitars going crazy.

Frank

When it came time to record it for the album, I did the bass myself because it was so simple. But Frank Young came in to do the drums for the song, and this was another case in which the part the musician came up with dramatically improved the song. And as I recall, he did it all in one take on the second try.

1987 demo excerpt:

clip from final CD version with Frank on drums:

Track 9: Last Best Hope - Now back again to collaborating with Carl and Angelo. Both guys took solos on this song, and really put all their skills and their hearts into it. You can really hear the intensity and emotion we all were expressing.

"Last Best Hope," CD clip:

Track 10: First Light - a solo acoustic instrumental in an alternate guitar tuning I had recently discovered: C G D G A D, or "C-Gad" as I like to call it. I have always pursued many aspects of guitar, because I simply love the diversity of sounds and expressive possibilities offered by different styles. Playing quiet finger-style on a steel string acoustic is a unique timbre, related yet very different from classical finger-style on a nylon string, as in Horizons. The unusual tuning further helped me drop into a very meditative, even spiritual zone. It took a while to get this track done, because I wanted the phrasing and articulation to be just right.

"First Light," CD clip:

In order to get going with this CD project, I had to get over the fact that several of the songs I planned to do were not finished. There is a saying: "leap and the net will appear." For a very long time, I just couldn't believe it, and so I remained stuck in a very frustrated state of wanting to do something, but not being able to get over a writer's block that was nothing more than useless insecurities and self-criticism. Thank goodness I finally found the courage to take the leap into the unknown. Once I committed to going forward, I found myself meeting and interacting with new musicians, all wonderfully talented, enthusiastic and creative people. They helped me find the inspiration to develop and finish those old unfinished songs, and their performances took the songs to new heights I never would have imagined possible. This was one of the greatest joys of making this CD.

Another stumbling block was the worry that my songs sounded too much like the artists I was influenced by. I was paralyzed by the fear that I was not original at all, but merely a good imitator. Again, I had to overcome what were really irrational fears and baseless self-doubt. Once I got the nerve to let go of worrying about it and allow my influences to show, I started to notice that actually, I did have a style and sound of my own after all. Well, what do you know...

Pick up a copy of First Light, or download MP3s on iTunes and from CD Baby.

The Road to First Light

2012-12-06T07:15:00.001-08:00

UPDATED, Feb. 2017:
Twenty years ago I created and released my first CD project, First Light. Following that, I formed a new three piece group which eventually created a followup CD, One Mind. Doing those albums was possibly the most challenging yet satisfying work I have ever done. I think after all these years, it's time for a retrospective. How did those CDs come about? Who were the players? What were my inspirations and influences? All this and more...

It all started in 1985 with a Tascam Porta-Two 4-track cassette recorder. Remember cassettes? Remember anything not digital? Hey, it was the 80's. We still had to do it the old fashioned way. It was good enough for the Beatles (we'd tell ourselves).

Once I had acquired the Tascam, plus a drum machine (a Yamaha RX-15, the best I could afford), and a cheap electric bass, I was in business. I was excited about making demos and creating my own music.

Just recently, I dug out and unpacked boxes and boxes of those old cassettes from the late 80's-early 90's and started listening. I can hear now that I was having a lot of fun, but lacked direction. On the one hand, I was writing instrumental rock pieces in the style of the guitar gods I worshiped, like Steve Morse, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, and many others. The songs were not complete but I figured I would finish them at some point. Several songs that ended up on First Light were started during this time and still exist in demo form. Here's an early version of The Shadow:

On the other hand there were numerous tracks that were clearly intended to have vocals, but almost none of them did. Evidently I wanted very much to write sophisticated pop music. Listening back today, some of those tracks sound like I was trying to do Mr. Mister as if interpreted by Steve Morse. For example:

But the songs never got lyrics, and the instrumentals never got completed. I like to say that life got in the way, but I was simply experiencing a big fat creative block, and didn't know why. It took a lot of soul searching and self-analysis to finally shake loose from layers of self-doubt and self-criticism, insecurity and lots of other mental/emotional baggage. Almost ten years passed before I finally realized what should have been blindingly obvious - that what I really wanted to do was make an all-instrumental album. I simply woke up to the reality that I could do it and I should do it right away. OK!

At that point in the mid-1990's, I was lucky enough to be in a group, XYZ, that was providing me a chance to play my favorite instrumental rock and jazz-fusion covers. We had a regular Thursday night gig at the Ritz in Baltimore for a long time, and we were pretty tight. Angelo Cammarata on bass and Carl Hupp on drums were (and still are) first rate musicians, and we were having a ball. We had started writing, and I anticipated this group would become the vehicle to fulfill my ambition to do a CD. But it was not to be. Angelo and Carl got sidetracked by other personal and professional commitments, and things fell apart. The signs were all pointing to the fact that if I wanted to do a CD, I would simply have to take the leadership role and do it as a solo project. Once I saw that was how it must be, I pushed forward and things started to fall into place.

Enter John Suchy and Such Sound studio. Such and I had already been playing together in Hectic Red. That band was (and still is) very fun and musically satisfying, but I wanted to go in a different direction. Nevertheless, Such was definitely the guy to record my stuff. He had already been in business with his studio for several years and was doing great work recording, mixing and producing for many local artists. We got along really well, and he was incredibly generous about letting me into the studio whenever I had time.

I realized that as a leader, I could ask whoever I wanted to play on the songs. So Carl and Angelo from XYZ could play on some songs; the Hectic Red guys could play on some, and from there I let the door open to meet and work with some other incredible players. It turned into an all-star project, and on top of that, Such was willing and patient as I indulged myself with sometimes massive amounts of overdubbing, as I attempted to recreate the multiple layers and textures I had come up with through endless tinkering in my home studio. We put in many months of intensive work.

And in 1997, ten years after originally coming up with at least half the songs, I finally released First Light.

Continue to the next post: "First Light - Track by Track," which talks about the songwriting, the musicians, the guitars - and everything else that went into making an album at the dawn of the digital age.

Hendrix at 70

2012-11-27T09:25:00.001-08:00

Yes, that's what the cover of a recent issue of Guitar Player magazine said - Jimi would be 70 this year. My first reaction was, "why did they have to remind me that it's been that long?" Then I got over it and read the article. Here's a link to the online version:

http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/hendrix-at-70/148549

They made a point of getting appreciations and anecdotes from people like Adrian Belew, Steve Vai, Mike Kenneally, Reeves Gabrels, Nels Cline, Phil Keaggy and many others - a diverse assemblage of brilliant guitar players who are known to be highly talented, adventurous and individualistic - in other words, musicians that have some things in common with Hendrix. Yet they all consider him one of their greatest influences and inspirations. Why? Why is he still relevant today? Read on as I put in my two cents worth.

Jimi's imagination was always going full blast. He was one of that rare breed of artist who was naturally creative and highly motivated to constantly push forward into unknown and innovative directions. This applied to the way he played guitar, the songs he wrote, the sounds he created, and the equipment he used.

I have read that his wild imagination may have been his personal way of dealing with a lot of painful and hard circumstances in his childhood. He was known to love science fiction, and his lyrics often have fantasy and sci-fi elements to them. That all makes sense to me. What I like is that his music conveyed the sense that it was fun to be imaginative, fun to be intensely creative, fun to rock out and go wild. There is a joy and enthusiasm in his music that needs no words to be understood. This is a valuable lesson for anybody in the arts.

Jimi was evidently fearless in his willingness to try new and different things, to explore the unknown. I think that is directly related to how much joy it gave him, but it also shows strength of character, inner confidence and trust in his own intuition. I think it sends the message that if you love what you do and it brings you joy, it strengthens your resolve to plunge onward into the unavoidable uncertainty you experience on the path to manifesting a creative vision. And the more you do it, the easier it gets.

There's an abundance of eloquent tributes to Hendrix, and there's a reason for that. Hendrix was a powerful, innovative talented musician; combining flash, finesse, groove, soul, wit and spaciness into a new thing totally his own. His work has withstood the test of time and his influence looms large over each new generation. If he was alive today, he'd still be kicking our ass.

Here's one of my favorites - Hendrix live, with a totally crushing version of Johnny B. Goode:

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Can You Dig It?

2012-11-13T21:34:00.003-08:00

"You are so great, I absolutely love what you do. I've been really paying close attention to your performance, and I really have a great appreciation for your talents....."

What musician wouldn't enjoy hearing such a compliment? It's so good for the ego, and always nice to find out that someone is paying attention when often it seems like nobody is even listening. And yet...

Professional musicians also live in dread of the possible follow-ups that often come on the heels of such glowing praise. Two come immediately to mind:

1. "I love what you do... and I want to hire you. But I'll need you to basically change everything about what you do. I know you can do it, because you are so talented!"

2. "You are so great...do you ever let anyone sit in with you? I brought my harmonica/guitar/violin/horn. Lots of bands let me sit in. We can just jam and I'll solo over your groove." This one often comes after a few more lines of buildup, like: "I can really appreciate what you do, because I used to play professionally myself...I had a record contract...I just play for fun now...I do a lot of open mic nights..." and then he (or she) reveals he has a harmonica in his pocket, or his "axe" is in the car...

Now I understand that this is how some people show their appreciation. But frankly, some people think every musical performance is an opportunity to impress their friends and themselves with their amazing musical talents, by imposing themselves on a professional musician's gig.

Couldn't they just say, "Hey man, I really dig what you're trying to do up there," and leave it at that? I think we could all live with that.

Hectic Red at 25

2012-11-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

Can it really be? Has it really been that long? Well, yes: from 1987 to now is indeed 25 years. And thus it is true - Hectic Red, one of the finest classic rock bands ever to hit the stages of Maryland's music scene, has been together 25 years, with no personnel changes, just the same four guys the whole time - Dan Grim, Rich Filbert, John Suchy and me. I won't bother to attempt a comprehensive chronicle of how it all began, who we are, what we've accomplished - you can get all that on our website, www.hecticred.com. For now, after having delivered one of the best shows of our career at the Recher Theatre on Oct. 13, I am content to simply offer personal thoughts and reflections. Click "read more" and away we go.

For starters, go to www.hecticred.com and click on the "Retro" page.

It's a great gallery of pics that take you back to our earliest times together. The obvious take-away: lots of hair, very little body fat.

Now go to the "Video" page and check out the clip for "I've Seen All Good People" filmed at the Dulaney Inn in 1988. Check out Danny Grim playing acoustic guitar, bass guitar, foot pedals and singing the lead like nobody's business. (The video was shot by Crystal, but that's another story.)

And by the way, the video page is the place where you can see all the videos that have been officially released by the band, gathered together on one convenient video player. (A few other videos from the late 80's-early 90's have recently resurfaced. They include some real gems from our early days; we hope to be sharing them soon. Also we had some pro video done of the 25th anniversary show, so hang in there for that too.)

I look back at the early days and I keep thinking, "what an amazing band I am in," over and over. We were damn good right from the start, and you can see from the old videos that we were having a ball and playing our butts off. And we had the rare good fortune of getting along well with each other and actually becoming very good friends.

Fast forward to Oct. 13, 2012. Twenty five years have passed, and we are still playing great, and our friendships are as tight as ever. And I came off stage after the Recher show, still thinking, "what an amazing band I'm in."

When we started planning for our 25th anniversary concert at the Recher, we all agreed we needed to work up something new and special for the set list, to supplement the all-time favorites we knew the people would want to hear. We have some incredible fans who have also become great friends and have supported us for many years, and we wanted to give something back. The idea of doing a medley of songs by Yes rose to the top and we decided to go for it. It was a very ambitious thing to do but we obviously had some prior experience playing Yes, so we knew that if we planned it right, we could handle it.

The guys naturally rose to the challenge, and after many rehearsals and revisions, the medley came together. One of this band's many gifts is that everybody knows how to learn their parts thoroughly, play them well and listen to what the others are doing. We normally rehearse at very low volume levels; so quiet we can hear each other sing without microphones or PA. So we stand face to face and start working out vocal harmonies. As it was then, it still is now: Hectic Red knows how to do harmonies. Everybody knows how to find the best part to fit their vocal range, but also to adapt to what the others are doing so that we quickly end up with perfectly complementary parts.

I got more and more excited as we got closer to show date. The music of Yes, and guitarist Steve Howe, has always been hugely influential and inspirational for me. Now I was going to get a chance to play some of my favorite songs by them, with the one bunch of guys that could really pull it off.

The Oct. 13 gig was a fantastic night all around. After 25 years, this band is still capable of getting up and delivering a stellar performance. People have come to expect a very high level of professionalism and top-notch musicianship from us; on top of that, it is obvious from our stage presence that we are still enjoying what we do immensely. All those elements were clearly in evidence at the show, but intensified in a big way by the amazing audience response. It was so great to see such a huge number of our fans, old and new all coming together. You could feel the positive vibes everywhere - the level of enthusiasm and appreciation coming from the audience was just off the charts. And I think it supercharged our performance, resulting in what many people told us was one of the best Hectic Red shows ever.

And the Yes medley...well I was absolutely thrilled, but you can decide for yourself. There are two clips available at the moment. The first one is from an audience cam, and includes a little thing we worked up to give everyone an unexpected laugh, which then led into the Yes medley.

The second clip is from a stationary cam with very clean audio taken right off the sound board (thanks to Keith Nachodsky)

I could go on for hours with Hectic Red memories and anecdotes. From time to time, maybe I will! But for now, I can only say how fortunate I have been to have the opportunity to play music that has been so personally gratifying; to be part of such a great group of musicians and to be able to count them as friends; and to have connected with so many friends and fans over the years. This band has touched a lot of lives, and made a lasting impact on music lovers far and wide. I am left feeling very humble and grateful, but also very proud!

Best Crazy Month Ever

2012-07-16T23:29:00.000-07:00

June was a busy month. Yes, crazy busy. But I ask you, how lucky can you get, to be playing so many different kinds of music, with such great musicians, and actually get paid for it? I am very fortunate indeed. And busy is a relative term. I am friends with some great local musicians whose gig schedules make me look like a slacker. So I am dedicating this blog post to Dave DeMarco, Bryan Ewald, Dale Coleman, Ellis Woodward and all the rest of the fantastic musicians around here who work very hard to bring you great music every single month. And so without further adieu, click "read more" to see how my month went down.

So, here's a recap of my June - there were:
8 solo acoustic gigs,
4 wedding gigs on solo classical guitar;
a public solo classical performance at a local library;
4 shows with Hectic Red;
a first time gig with a band, the Classic hit Men, that had itself never played live before;
2 shows with Technicolor Motor Home, the Steely Dan tribute band;
and my traditional 3rd Thursday at the Still with Brian Comotto;

for a total of 21 shows.

With such a variety of gigs, I was constantly practicing to make sure I was prepared and in the zone of each gig as it came up. Upside: with all that practice and performing, I ended up feeling more confident than ever with my classical chops, which is by far the most difficult to just sit down and pull out of the hat. Also, the Steely Dan repertoire is completely under my belt now, so I am able to relax and enjoy myself more on the TMH gigs.

Keeping ahead of the itinerary was critical. Twenty one shows, every one in a different location. Four days were doubles. One day had me playing back to back sets with Hectic Red and Technicolor Motor Home at the same outdoor festival. Another day started with classical guitar at a wedding in Arlington, VA, then directly to Parkville MD to play with Hectic Red at the Barn. Many evenings were spent scrutinizing Google Maps.

In the midst of all that, I finally got a replacement for the beloved gig wagon that was totaled when I was in a car accident back in February. A good friend who runs a used car lot in Glen Burnie kept an eye out for me and finally came up with a 2002 Dodge Caravan in beautiful condition. We took possession on June 8, and just in the nick of time, because our other vehicle (an old Honda Accord sedan) had brake trouble and busted air conditioning. So we were back in business and drove to the rest of the month's gigs in comfort we have not known for a long time.

Also in the "grateful-for" department: no equipment failures. Indeed, some if my practice time was spent refining and re-working my electric guitar tones (for the zillionth time). I was going to be playing a lot more electric guitar than usual this month, and there were some things I felt needed serious tweaking. I use a Johnson Millenium programmable amp, and it was very responsive to my new ideas, and I ended up more pleased and comfortable with my electric sounds than I have been for quite a while. Which makes me play better!

Also, in the midst of this crazy month, Crystal and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary. Needless to say, being married to Crystal is at the top of my "grateful-for" list. (Note: as I write this line, Pandora Radio decided to play the song Crystal and I had playing at the beginning of our wedding - Moody Blues, "Are You Sitting Comfortably." Thank you, Universe.)

Anyway we celebrated by taking one of the few nights not booked and going out to see Lindsey Buckingham, famed guitarist from Fleetwood Mac, do a solo show at Baltimore Soundstage. (Pandora just played Fleetwood Mac's "Monday Morning" featuring Lindsey.) He gave a fantastic performance.

Hectic Red officially went public with the news that our 25th anniversary concert bash has been scheduled for Oct. 13 at the Recher Theatre. We are thrilled to be celebrating this milestone by rocking out more than ever.

Being in Technicolor Motor Home, the Steely Dan tribute band, has brought opportunities to play some wonderful venues I've never been to before. One unexpected gem was a show we played at the Lurman Woodland Theatre in Catonsville.

It's a natural amphitheater in a beautiful secluded woods, just a mile off the main drag of this Baltimore suburb. The weather was gorgeous, the sound was perfect, and there was an amazing magical vibe about the whole event.

One gig that came out of the blue happened when Colleen Carew from 100.7 the Bay contacted me and asked me to get in touch with Harvey Kojan, the station's program director. It turns out that Harvey is quite a good keyboard player, and was putting a band together for an event that the station was putting on. It was only two-and-a-half weeks away but they needed a guitar player. I agreed to get on board because the list included a bunch of classic rock tunes I knew, or had at least heard a lot, so I figured I could easily get into the right zone. It turned out to be quite a pleasure because I got to play some cool tunes like "Aqualung," "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," and a bunch of other classic rock songs with great keyboard parts. Plus I got to show off on some guitar classics like "Black Magic Woman" and "White Room."

Harvey and his band, dubbed the Classic Hit Men, nailed it (a highlight was Harvey totally slamming on the keyboard solo on "Hush" by Deep Purple), and we had a blast. There is nothing like the feeling of a first-time gig that goes really well.

And so, on we go. July includes gigs with the only people I didn't work with in June: an electric gig with the Dave DeMarco Band on July 8, and an acoustic duo with Elena Martin on July 21. Plus on July 20, a rare chance for me to play an acoustic set with the great Viki Childs on vocals. There's also the usual line-up of solo gigs, and Hectic Red wraps it up with a show at McAvoy's. Life is indeed very good!

Photos and digital imaging by Crystal.

Telesma - Action in Inaction

2012-05-26T17:08:00.001-07:00

When trying to describe Telesma, you quickly find yourself coming up with so many different qualities that one can scarcely imagine all of them applying to the same group. Yet after hearing them you have to concede that yes, they are indeed a tribal-techno-psychedelic-trans-cultural rock band. And their new album Action In Inaction perfectly captures the magic of a band whose music is spiritually uplifting, emotionally moving, intellectually stimulating, infectiously rhythmic and hard rocking - all at once.

Telesma has been pursuing and developing this multi-layered, multi-dimensional approach together since 2002, with core members Ian Hesford and Jason Sage eventually joined by Chris Mandra, Joanne Juskus, Bryan Jones and a stable of amazing drummers. When I first saw them in 2009 they had already done a lot of shows, produced a CD (O[h]m) and a live DVD (Hearing Visions) and had collaborated with legendary visionary artist Alex Grey. Their performance was full of fiery intensity and self-assurance as they effortlessly crafted their magical musical fusion. I wrote about it in a blog post back then; you can click here to read it; for Crystal's first impressions, click here.

I have seen them several times since then, and my appreciation for what they do has only grown deeper. When I heard the new CD I was delighted to find that everything I have come to know and love about this band and their music is clearly in evidence. The production is outstanding, and the performances are brilliant. But they have gone further, creating a superb album of music that makes a profound musical statement.

The album begins with a Hindu mantra, beautifully sung by Joanne. With the sounds of breathing, ringing bowls and natural elements like wind, fire and water in the background, the effect is to calm and clear the mind, and to consecrate the "space" of the album - a declaration of sacred intention. It affirms from the outset a strong spiritual basis for their work. Their lyrics show an affinity for the wisdom of Eastern religious traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but the band itself is not propagating a religious point of view, nor do they all even share one. They call on Eastern traditions because they most closely align with what Telesma is trying to convey - the struggle, interplay and balance between the material world and the spiritual. Their music expresses a quest for transcendence, and at the same time an embrace of all that it means to be human.

This interplay is perfectly exemplified when, as Joanne is still intoning the last syllable of the chant, Jonesy tears into the high-energy funky bass line that opens track 2, "Shivananda." The band kicks in a moment later and we are treated to the full Telesma experience in one gulp - driving rhythms that demand your physical involvement, huge choruses of wordless vocals sung in beautiful harmonies that stir your emotions, and guitar playing by Chris that veers effortlessly from peppy modal melodies to blazing guitar solos that soar and wail. Eventually Joanne returns with the words of the chant, but now the melody is re-cast to fit the groove. This is Telesma, reaching for the spiritual while reveling in the physical, and inviting their audience to join with them in the experience. As they pursue this in song after song, you realize that something truly new is being created; a genuine paradigm shift is taking place.

The songs on the album always have layers of sounds, layers of musical themes, and layers of meaning, all coming together to make a powerful statement. A perfect example of this is "Ascension," in which every aspect of the composition, arrangement and performance completely supports the feeling of yearning to ascend beyond the transitory nature of earthly experience. But the band is not afraid to explore the shadow side of the human soul, as in songs like "Chain," in which the lyrics call us to confront the darker aspects of our selves. Chris uses a fretless guitar here to perfectly convey the sense of peering into the darkness.

Telesma has a distinct musical objective. As expressed by Ian in an interview, the idea is "bringing the primordial and futuristic together, and coming full circle with the sounds of our collective human tribal past.” We hear that very clearly on "Groovinda," in which the instrumentation ranges from Ian using a humble mouth harp called a kubing, to Chris playing something called a mandrum, an electronic musical interface that...well, you just have to see it. Click here for a demo and watch the genius at work.

Chris plays guitar with a huge amount of energy, passion and a powerful sense of melody, and he is not afraid to create some chaos while employing modern technology in the most creative ways. Expect to see him supplementing his sound with guitar synth, fretless guitar, E-bow and a variety of effects pedals. On the other hand you may see him simply singing directly into his guitar's pickups and running that through a looping pedal. Either way it is Chris who sets the tone and drives the songs through their many moods, and carries them to incredible heights of intensity.

On the other hand, Ian is dedicated to exploring ancient traditions from many cultures, and letting them fuse with modern methods of music-making. During a typical show you will see him throat singing, playing didgeridoo, kubing, and percussion such as the African djun-djun and the middle-eastern dumbek. Click here to watch an amazing performance of Ian playing two didgeredoos and a dumbek all at once, on a street corner in Baltimore. To watch a time-lapse video of Ian getting his body painted, click here. This is a ritual for Ian at every show, and further evokes his desire to connect with "the primal part of the human spirit."

Throughout the album, every musician's presence is felt, but all contribute to the whole, whether it's the vulnerability and transcendent beauty that co-exist in Joanne's singing, Jonesy's virtuoso bass skills, Brandon Wildman and Rob Houck's hugely powerful drumming, or the multi-talented Jason, who may be seen playing percussion, singing, and creating eerie sound-scapes with synthesizer or theremin. Every member is a top notch musician, but all have directed their musical talents to fulfilling the band's mission.

This is even more evident live, where you can witness this vastly diverse bunch of characters coming together and creating something utterly unique, infectious, powerful, meaningful and yes, fun! The impact of their live show cannot be emphasized enough. To fully "get" Telesma, you have to experience the powerful energy that is shared between the band and the audience when the band performs. When you make that connection, you are not just rocking out and dancing, but flying with the band through a landscape of imagination and spirit.

Learn more about Telesma at http://telesmaband.com/

Buy their music at CDBaby.com and on I-Tunes

P.S. Ian is recovering from a heart attack he experienced just prior to the CD release. He is doing well, out of the hospital and making remarkably quick progress, but could definitely use your support in any way that you are able to give it. Click here to visit their website and find out more.

Images by Crystal.

Playing For The Kids...Again!

2012-05-01T22:51:00.000-07:00

I was delighted to be asked, for the third year in a row, to play a series of classical shows for kids at various branches of the Enoch Pratt Library system in Baltimore. There is an over-arching fairy tale theme for all the events, and the kids, mostly ages 3 to 6, are encouraged to wear costumes. The library staff plans various activities, story time and snacks. Sometimes the music is the center of attention, other times it's just in the background, but I always feel good about being there.

Image editing by Crystal

This year I was asked to provide a trio, so I called my good friend and bassist extraordinaire Jay Dulaney, and he suggested violin virtuoso Lucas Lechowski. All were available and happy to do it, so off we went. I set up a roughly one hour program of fairly easy, kid-friendly classical tunes and sent the sheet music out to the other guys a month or so in advance of the first show. Last year, Jay and I had done this same series as a duo, so we were already familiar with how it would go. Lucas was new to this program, so he was starting from scratch, but he was confident and ready to take it on, and that was good enough for me. Having seen him sit in with a jazz group at a show recently, I already knew he was a first-class, highly accomplished violinist.

As is often the case with busy musicians in the Baltimore area, we did not rehearse together in advance. I have been very privileged to be a part of a community of extremely proficient musicians; I have gotten quite accustomed to simply trusting their talent and professionalism, and going with minimal preparation, and I have never been let down. So it was on this gig. I met Lucas for the first time about an hour before the first performance at the Herring Run Branch library on Erdman Avenue. Jay, Lucas and I spent the pre-show time in the foyer of the library, chatting and hanging out. When the time came, we got up and played our program like we'd been doing it forever.

One must be prepared for the unexpected on this gig, and I was very grateful that Jay and Lucas were generous and open-minded enough to go with the flow. We played a total of four different libraries during two weeks in April. Each one was quite different. There was always a large group of kids, at least 50 or more at each event. In some cases the kids' time was highly structured with planned activities; other times not at all. Sometimes we had a lot of breaks, other times we played constantly the whole time. Sometimes the kids were rowdy and excited, sometimes very quiet and polite. Sometimes we played accompaniment as they sang popular kids songs. Sometimes they danced. Sometimes we did question-and-answer time. Sometimes the kids knew a lot about playing an instrument, sometimes it was something brand new to them. Sometimes they had a million questions and wanted to touch our instruments. Sometimes we let them!

I take it as an honor and privilege to be allowed to share music with kids this young, for what may be the first time many of them have ever seen someone playing live. I know how much I loved hearing and watching live music when I was a kid. Now hopefully I can be the spark that lights that fire in the hearts of another generation.

Thanks to Petra Compel and all the folks at Feats Inc. for organizing the shows again this year. Feats is a great event planning company, and Petra is the best of the best.

And thanks again to Jay and Lucas, two superb musicians and great guys.
I look forward to more opportunities to play with you.

May 2012 Gig Schedule-Newsletter

2012-05-01T22:49:00.001-07:00

April was a great month! I had such a great time playing for the Enoch Pratt library kids events again this year, click here to read my blog post on that. Let's plunge forward into the May schedule which has some great shows, and I'm including a sneak preview of the June schedule, because there are some genuinely special events coming up that you will not want to miss! Click "read more" to, um, read more.

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a full detailed itinerary.
In May I have some of my usual acoustic shows, plus two special band gigs:

May 11 - I will be performing a full show at the Barn with the Dave DeMarco Band. It will be a great night of cool and unexpected classic rock covers, and I'll be jamming with some very talented musicians! Dave is well known as a top notch bass player and singer who has done countless gigs with many of the area's best bands including Crack The Sky and Never Never. We will be joined by the fantastic John Davis on drums.

May 25 - Baltimore's own Steely Dan tribute band, Technicolor Motor Home, comes to Annapolis for our first ever show at Rams Head Onstage,
a superb sit-down concert-dining venue.

And in June, there are a ton of extra special gigs in a wide variety of styles. As a bonus, many of them are daytime shows open to all ages!

June 3 - I'll be playing with two bands in one day at the Charles Village Festival: Hectic Red followed by Technicolor Motor Home!

June 10 - Hectic Red plays Honfest, a nationally renowned festival celebrating the uniqueness and fun of Baltimore culture.

June 13 - I'll be doing a rare public classical guitar performance at the Mount Airy library.

June 17 - Technicolor Motor Home plays an outdoor concert at Lurman Woodland Theatre,

June 29 - Hectic Red opens for rock legend Dennis DeYoung, former lead singer of Styx, at the Dundalk Heritage Fair.

As always, you can find all the schedule details at www.benshermanguitar.com/ as well as tons more info about all my gigs and other musical projects. And don't forget to become a follower of this blog and join the community of Ben Sherman friends and fans. If you need help with that, send me an e-mail via my website. Hope to see you out there. Full details below:

Sat. May 5 - day SOLO CLASSICAL private event

Sat. May 5, 9 p.m. - SOLO ACOUSTIC at Rafael's
32 W. Main St., Westminster, MD 410-840-1919

Fri. May 11 - with DAVE DEMARCO BAND at The Barn
9527 Harford Rd., Parkville, MD 21234 410-882-6182

Sun. May 13, 9 p.m. - SOLO ACOUSTIC at Hightopps
2306 York Rd., Timonium, MD 21093 410-560-7101

Thurs. May 17, 9 p.m. - ACOUSTIC DUO with Brian Comotto at The Still (An Poitin Stil)
2323 York Rd., Timonium, MD 21093 410-560-7900 www.briancomotto.com

Fri. May 25, 8 p.m. - with TECHNICOLOR MOTOR HOME at Rams Head Annapolis
33 West Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 410-268-4545

Sun. May 27 - SOLO ACOUSTIC private event

JUNE PREVIEW:

Sun. June 3 - with HECTIC RED at 2:30 p.m., then with TECHNICOLOR MOTOR HOME , 4:30 p.m. at Charles Village Festival, Wyman Park Dell, 29th and Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218

Sun. June 10 - with HECTIC RED at Honfest, 5 p.m.
on the Falls Road stage in Hampden, Baltimore, MD 410-243-1230

Wed. June 13 - SOLO CLASSICAL at Mount Airy Library, 7 p.m.
705 Ridge Avenue Mount Airy, MD 21771 410-386-4470

Sun. June 17 - with TECHNICOLOR MOTOR HOME at Lurman Woodland Theatre, 6 to 8 p.m.
Bloomsbury Avenue and Hilltop Rd., Catonsville MD 21228

Fri. June 29 - with HECTIC RED at Dundalk Heritage Fair, 5 to 7 p.m. - 2717 Playfield St, Dundalk, MD 21222; Shipway stage, opening for Dennis DeYoung of Styx.

Guitar Adventurers

2012-04-17T22:52:00.005-07:00

Just wanted to share some music by some great guitar players who are sailing off into the uncharted realms that lie between the frets. I never get over the thrill of discovering players like these, so full of creativity, commitment, talent and exuberance, in such a diverse range of styles.

David Fiuczynski (http://www.torsos.com/) is the quintessential modern musical adventurer. In this clip, he plays a fretless guitar and somehow manages to fuse Arabic, Indian, blues and bebop, in under two minutes. Not kidding.

I highly recommend checking out the amazingly creative and diverse catalog of mind-bending yet fun music he has put out. You can hear clips on his website, and even more on his page at CDBaby.com

Here's Sonny Landreth, one of the best and most creative slide guitarists around, backstage doing a solo that shows his typical ability to do the unexpected, always keeping you on the edge of your seat wondering what he'll play next. Whatever it is will always be technically astounding, entertaining and full of sweet tones.

If that wasn't unpredictable enough, here's a jaw-dropping performance from the 2007 Crossroads festival, a stunning mix of intensely powerful technique, soaring melody and earthy Louisiana style. Just wow.

How about Guthrie Govan jamming on a fretless, and sounding like he's been doing it all his life. Surprised? Nah. But still, Guthrie always amazes with his endless virtuosic inventiveness; the fretless just provides another outlet for his vast creative energy.

Wrapping up this excursion is Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, playing a traditional Indian piece on his custom archtop guitar, modified with drone strings and sympathetic vibrating strings. Add to that his brilliant slide playing and you have a modern master of East-meets-West guitar.
This music takes its time getting where it is going, but try to drop any sense of impatience. Consider it an opportunity to discover a new way of enjoying music. Be willing to allow it to develop in its own way. Relax and let yourself become immersed in a very different musical world. The musical rewards you will receive are deep and rich.

Enjoy!