Guitars, tips and great music discussions
Now this a river boat (guitar) that I’d love to take for a spin around Toronto’s waterfront! I bet that this is what David Wilcox was thinking of when he made that great tune of his called River Boat Fantasy.
Keep on Jammin’ (just watch out for those buoys)
Only at the Nashville Earth Day Festival, held in the city’s Centennial Park (complete with its own Parthenon) would we find a bass guitar made from melted and molded plastic bags. This is the best usage I have seen of plastic bags yet.
It’s actually an art project by a Metro Nashville student for the Trash Art Contest. Considering I have forgotten your birthday for many years now Aldo D., I just saw it and it screamed your name!
Keep on Jammin’
I cannot find the correct words to describe this beautifully crafted custom made chrome electric guitar. Just look at the detailed work that had to go into something like this. Did the craftsman etch out the pattern on it? Did he or she make a mold then put it into a press to create this master piece?
I found this one when I was on line late one night and I was completely captivated by the intricate arrangement. I attempted to zoom into the name that is in between the pick ups but I couldn’t. The mounts that hold the pick ups are really nice. The tailpiece is so rock hard looking that it appears that it can take a beating! Then there is the distinctive bridge footings that make me think that the person who developed it paid tons of attention when forging it.
The only thing that I find odd about this beauty is that there are only two controls on it. If you make a piece of instrument art why don’t you give the musician(s) more options to tailor fit your sound. That is the only issue that I have with this guitar.
In all honesty, I think that I’d just put this baby under glass and never play on it. I’d be too afraid to scratch it, enjoy!
Keep on Jammin’
The Cantos Music Foundation, which is located in Calgary, has a one of a kind multi-instrument in it’s collection. It’s a five-neck guitar from Saskatchewan country music legend Steve Puto. He lent it to the society a number of years ago.
It belongs to Saskatchewan country music legend Steve Puto, who lent it to the organization several years ago.
Steve says that he brought it when I was performing at some local jamborees. Saying that it’s conversational piece is an understatement.
According to the CBC, the guitar luthier’s name is Dick Thomas. He made this work of functioning art when he was employed by Country King guitars.
When I saw this creation my first instinct was to find out more about it. If it was right in front of me, I’d be compelled to pick it up and play it, well wouldn’t you?! Steve Puto use to host the popular Saskatoon TV show The Lonesome Steve Show, aired every Saturday in Saskatoon in the mid-’70s.
The instrument has five necks that include a mandolin, a banjo, a six-string guitar, a bass and a fiddle. “And lest we forget, mounted to the fiddle is a harmonica,” Moffat said, the head conservator at Cantos. He says that the instrument isn’t in good enough shape to play anymore. “But I think we could definitely bring it back to life. It’s a great example of innovation, experimentation.”
Steve purchased this distinctive looking guitar for about $400.00 (CAN) from a buddy of his music store in 1973.
He still plays today and runs a ranch in Saskatoon.
“I’m celebrating my 65th year in country music,” said Puto, who is planning to take his old five-neck out of the Cantos collection so he can play it at jamborees this summer. CBC
I can only imagine that Cantos is praying that he returns this one back to their medley of musical instruments. To read the original article in it’s entirety check out this link. If you ever go to the Cantos Music Foundation in Calgary you should look for this beauty.
Keep on Jammin’
Stony Plain Records released a Jeff Healey’s ” Last Call” Jazz CD on April 6 in U.S.
The ones I like so far are Guitar Duet Stomp (3:35), The Wildcat (2:34)and Hong Kong Blues (3:10).
Guitar Duet Stomp is the style of guitar playing that I just can’t get enough of.
My best guitar teacher ever, Chris Peterson, introduced me to this enchanting style of playing. The emotions that overwhelms me with this classification of music, is indescribable. One’s fingers literally fly all over the fretboard. Not in that heavy/speed metal guitar styles that we have all become accustomed to, but in a more purer form.
The chord progressions are just heavenly. Really they are, check out this song for yourself and see what I mean. The tempo changes are a nice breather in the song. There is even a little bit of Leon Redbone in there as well.
The Wildcat also holds a similar musical torch to the above one. This time Jeff Healey brings in some hot fiddle player to play on this one. I’ve never had the privilege to play with one so I have a unique interest for this one. The fiddle player is running neck to neck with Jeff on The Wildcat and is playing in hurry! I enjoy the time and chordal change, some people fine this irritating so this is heads up to you folks. Ahhh, LOVE IT!
Last we have Hong Kong Blues. This is a fun but corny kind of song. It’s about a Memphis man that was arrested in Honk Kong. Do I need to say anymore? On this song it’s just Jeff playing acoustics’s on three or maybe more tracks. In the middle of this piece, he gives us this overly sappy part that makes one’s eye’s roll in a humorous way.
Does anyone out there have this CD? Love to hear back from ya.
Keep on Jammin’
Ronnie Wood, legendary rhythm guitar player for the Rolling Stones said that he taught the young Slash some fine pointers in how to play the guitar when Slash was living in England as a kid.
I wonder what Ronnie charged Slash for lessons? It shows that you can never pay too much for a good, or in this case one hell of a good, guitar teacher!
I found this article both funny but interesting. It makes me wonder if Ronnie’s influence played a big part in Slash’s learning curve or just something trivial.
I see similar parallels in styles but nothing that jumps out at me and says, I can see a little bit of Ronnie’s style in what Slash in playing there!
Wood said, “I remember him as a kid spying on me when I was playing guitar and I’d teach him little licks, and now I’m learning licks off him, it’s really good.”
Now it seems that the teacher is no learning a thing or two from the student!
Keep on Jammin’
The new release of home movies from Jim Morrison and the Doors was released in theaters on April 9th, 2010.
I loved the 1991 movie called The Doors written by Oliver Stone and Randall Jahnson. My wife and I saw it when it was in theaters back then and we, along with of close friends at the time Ben & Joanne, loved it! It was neat to see something new about the band but I am more of a documentary kind of guy. Did you see it when it came out?
On a side note: If your a big Door’s fan, then you will be looking forward to up coming movie about the band titled The Last Beat.
I found a neat video review from Movieweb and it was interesting to watch. It was with the three remaining members of the band, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger. Manzarek said the this doc. is “the anti- Oliver Stone” movie and will act as “the true story of The Doors.” OK, you sold me right there Rick!
Now with the help of personal footage, archival footage and Morrison’s own never-before-seen film, the band has assembled a new documentary called, When You’re Strange, which opened in theaters on April 9th. Movieweb
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMMo3EmIfJw
So are you a big enough fan to go out and see this doc?
Keep on Jammin’
Can you believe that Jimi Hendrix played in Engelbert Humperdinck’s band one night late in the 1960’s? Well that is what happened according to him.
So Jimi Hendrix was on tour opening up for Engelbert Humperdinck and Engelbert’s guitar player didn’t show up and he was wondering what he would do. Jimi came up to him and said Hey man don’t worry, I’ll play guitar for you. Engelbert replied You can’t do that, your a star! Jimi then told him, wait a minute, let me check out this place.
Jimi noticed a curtain near the doorway and said, I’ll stand behind that curtain.
englebert asked him You will and Jimi replied I sure will. So Jimi got the music in front of him started playing with the band. Mr Humperdinck says that Jimi sounded like 3 guitars playing all at once. It was the biggest thrill of his life but the only thing that he was so upset about was that it wasn’t recorded! Can you say collector’s item?!
He was on my favorite CBC show called The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos. On the show George invites his guest to talk candid off stage about their craziest or most memorable moment that they had and share it on tape to be shown at a later date. This segment of the show is called Best Story Ever.
I wish that I could of found this video on Youtube and dropped it directly into this post but no such luck. So if you want to see the segment in it’s entirety, you have to do a little bit of leg work here folks! It’s time well wasted.
Keep on Jammin’
Jon Anderson, the legendary singer from the greatest progressive Rock band of all time Yes, will be performing at the Danforth Music Hall on March 21st, 2010.
Jon Anderson will bring his melodic vocal tenure in a solo performance, to the same stage that he graced almost 2 years ago to the day.
The Danforth Music Hall is a great place to take in any show. I remember one time that one of my readers gave me a ticket to see Rick Wakeman play there a couple of years ago. It was after I was very sick and I guess the reader wanted to do a good deed at the time and there I was.
So if your a big Jon Anderson or Yes fan, try to get out and see the man with the golden tones! It will be worth the drive.
Keep on Jammin’
An old friend of mine, Suzy-Qew, is a great Indie songwriter. She and her band are called Steelstring Safari.
She was influenced by early guitar playing that she was exposed to during her youth. Ah the old St. Pius elementary school days. Now a days she creates her own unique style from whatever comes into her head and performs mostly for personal enjoyment. If she likes it, she records it.
Her music is currently being showcased on a site called Reverb Nation.
I hope that you could listen to her music and tell us here what style of music you think she is playing!
Here’s what I think of some of the songs on Steelstring Safari’s current album:
So check out her site and tell me what you think.
Keep on Jammin’