Pedalboard Du Jour
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 12:21am
I always love spending some time with Velcro, patch cables, and tones. Here is my pedalboard... until I change it again. I haven't used the MXR Phase 100 in a while, so I'm excited to get some swirly tones from that. The strange looking pedal in the upper left is a delay pedal that Josh Rand from Stone Sour gave to me. I think he might have built it. It has a light in the middle that is so crazy that I had to cover it with tape so it wouldn't distract me. But it's a great sounding pedal. The BOSS delay is set for infinite repeats, which I sometimes use to sample a small chunk of my playing, and loop it as an effect. The blue pedal is an Empress Effects Para EQ. I had to get out my reading glasses to help read the labels for the knobs, but it's nice for eliminating any harsh frequencies. The TC Electronic MojoMojo, MXR Distortion Plus, and MXR Phase 90 are almost always on my pedalboard. And the Foot Bass pedal is being send to a Roland TM-2 Trigger Module to get a bass drum sound. Now it's time to ROCK!
Thank you,
Paul
Two songs released w the legendary Queen of J-Pop, Namie Amuro
Fri, 06/03/2016 - 12:07am
Hey all,
Another month has started, I personally really enjoy this time of year. Happy to announce that I have co-written the new A-side single "MINT" by the legendary Japanese artist Namie Amuro. I also co-produced this one together with my friend Maria Marcus. The track has a lot of cool 1960's inspired guitars with a surf guitar-twang and sound inspired by Dick Dale and other greats from that era.
The song was the most downloaded song in Japan during it's first week, staying on the top spot of Japanese itunes for 7 days straight. After almost three weeks, it's still at Nr 2. The song has also been used as the theme song of a popular Japanese Tv-drama called Boku No Yabai Tsuma. Check out the music video below, really cool choreography featuring Amuro and her 40 back up dancers :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHF7qL1juNc
On the physical release of this song, I also co-wrote and co-produced the B-side called "Chit Chat" with Emyli & Maria Marcus.
Regards Andreas
Great Guitars in London
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 11:45pm
Martin Taylor, Ulf Wakenius, and Howard Alden recently played in London at the iconic PizzaExpress Jazz Club to celebrate the club's 40th anniversary.
Martin first played at the club 38 years ago and has performed there regularly ever since.
Last year Martin & Ulf played the club for three nights as a duo. Those sessions were recorded for Gearbox Records and will be released on vinyl only in September.
So, get your old record decks down from the attic... there's some great great playing on that record!
Talking Blues Live
Mon, 06/13/2016 - 1:32pm
On Saturday, June 18, ArtistWorks will be hosting a special live stream on our YouTube channel with our blues guitar teacher Keith Wyatt. Also joining us on the panel will be guitarist Scott Henderson, and ArtistWorks harmonica teacher Howard Levy.
The live event will begin on Saturday, June 18 at 12:00 pm PST, you can watch it as it's happening at the YouTube page right here (or on the embedded player here).
Acoustic Magazine: Martin Taylor
Thu, 06/16/2016 - 9:43am
Acoustic magazine's Summer 2016 Edition featuring interviews with Martin Taylor, Peter Frampton, Tommy Emmanuel, and Clive Carroll is now available.
You can order your copy by going to... http://bit.ly/acoustic_summer
Acoustic magazine's Summer 2016 Edition featuring interviews with Martin Taylor, Peter Frampton, Tommy Emmanuel, and Clive Carroll is now available.
You can order your copy by going to... http://bit.ly/acoustic_summer
Happy Father's Day
Sun, 06/19/2016 - 10:10am
Here is a photo of my boy, Marlon, as he pulls my guitar across the floor. He likes me to play "Fire" by Jimi Hendrix while running around the room so we can chase each other. Other Marlon favorites are "Surfin' U.S.A.," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Rockaway Beach," and "Pinball Wizard." I'm making sure that he has lots of exposure to "Dad Rock."
Happy Father's Day!
Paul
7 Amazing Jazz Guitar Performances
Tue, 06/21/2016 - 11:50am
It is almost impossible to speak about music objectively. Different listeners prefer different styles, and this is also applies to jazz guitar. Some people like a hard-driving bop, while others prefer a more hip swing or guitar solo that soars over a classic jazz standard. Still, there are some musicians who seem to transcend the genre and rise above the rest, regardless of the era or style. Although it can be difficult to decide which are the greatest, here are 7 jazz guitar performances that definitely stand out.
Wes Montgomery, "No Blues"
Getting Ready for a Jam Session
Thu, 06/23/2016 - 1:36pm
Online programs like this one provide a great opportunity to learn how to play an instrument without leaving your bedroom, but for a complete musical experience there’s just no substitute for playing with real, live musicians in front of an audience. If you don’t have a band to play with, the best opportunity to experience live performance is at a jam session.
Jams are usually hosted by bars or restaurants during otherwise quiet times like Sunday afternoons or Monday nights (Google “jam sessions” and your location to see what’s around). The common musical denominator is blues, so the rhythm styles and soloing techniques you learn here in the Blues Guitar program will give you a strong foothold. If you haven’t participated in a jam before, here are a few tips on what to expect and how to prepare:
Scope it Out
Paul Interviews Dan Balmer
Fri, 06/24/2016 - 3:43pm
Dan Balmer Rocks! Look at that arm, lifted above the guitar, in order to strike a mighty chord! I had the great pleasure of interviewing and jamming with Dan recently, and I captured it all for you to watch, right here at the Rock Online Guitar School.
I should mention that Dan is known as the the premier jazz guitarist (performer and teacher) of the Pacific Northwest (where I just moved.) So Dan has lots of great insights about those great jazz notes, grooves, and perilous chord changes.
Since it is a 13-part interview, I encourage everyone to leave comments as you watch. This will help guide future watchers about the contents of each section.
And if you're in the mood for more interviews, I've done quite a few in the past. You can find them in the +MUSIC section (upper right button) on the site.
Thank you,
Paul
Dan Balmer Rocks! Look at that arm, lifted above the guitar, in order to strike a mighty chord! I had the great pleasure of interviewing and jamming with Dan recently, and I captured it all for you to watch, right here at the Rock Online Guitar School.
I should mention that Dan is known as the the premier jazz guitarist (performer and teacher) of the Pacific Northwest (where I just moved.) So Dan has lots of great insights about those great jazz notes, grooves, and perilous chord changes.
Since it is a 13-part interview, I encourage everyone to leave comments as you watch. This will help guide future watchers about the contents of each section.
And if you're in the mood for more interviews, I've done quite a few in the past. You can find them in the +MUSIC section (upper right button) on the site.
Thank you,
Paul
