Synaptic Studios » Essential Listening

Peter Gabriel’s Secret World

Chris Finch — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:12:10 +0000

“Sometimes, when you look around, everything seems still and calm on the surface. And then you detect a little disturbance and you know for sure that underneath the surface lies some other secret world.” — Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel is an extremely passionate musician and songwriter who has earned international acclaim, not only for his music but also for his human rights work and his promotion of world music.

Born on February 13, 1950, Gabriel grew up on a farm in Woking, Surrey, England.

His childhood was full of outdoor exploration, which greatly fueled his creative imagination … read the rest of this artcile at Life As A Human

Derek Trucks: Desdemona

Chris Finch — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:11:45 +0000

Few guitarists have achieved the level of notoriety that Derek Trucks has at such an early stage in their career. Born in 1979, the Grammy nominated guitarist began playing at age 9 and by age 11 was performing gigs. It was at this time where he was invited to sit in with The Allman Brothers Band, in which his uncle Butch Trucks was a founding member. Derek received a genuine music education through touring and sitting in as a special guest with the band. Throughout his teens Derek was introduced to some music’s finest, sitting in with legends such as Bob Dylan and Buddy Guy. In 1999, he officially became a member of the Allman Brothers Band.

Derek is a truly gifted guitarist who toured extensively through his twenties. In 2006 he juggled schedules with The Allman Brothers Band, The Derek Trucks Band, and a world tour featuring him alongside Eric Clapton. Through his dedication he has emerged as one of the finest guitarists in contemporary music. A master of the bottleneck slide guitar, Derek incorporates blues, jazz, and world music into his southern rock style. Both with and without the slide he produces incredibly pure and vocal sounds on the guitar. Derek commonly plays with only his fingers, which allows him to create naturally flowing phrases with a distinctive rich tone.

This is a clip of Derek Trucks performing with the Allman Brothers Band in New York City in 2003. It’s an outstanding example of his playing and the expressive power of the guitar.

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Lenny Breau: You Needed Me

Chris Finch — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:49:48 +0000

Born in Auburn, Maine to a musical family, Lenny Breau began playing the guitar at age 8. His parents were both professional musicians who played together in their touring country band, “Lone Pine and Betty Cody”. By age 14 he was the lead guitarist in their band where he first performed and recorded professionally. The family eventually moved to Winnipeg when Lenny was 16, where he branched out on his own and developed a keen interest in Jazz music. Throughout his career, Lenny worked in many aspects of the music industry, teaching and writing for Guitar Player Magazine. However, live performance was always a focus as it allowed him to be artistically expressive and develop his depth of guitar techniques. Lenny also received significant exposure through his session work with CBC radio and television, even landing his own television show. It was a recording of The Lenny Breau Show which caught the attention of guitar legend Chet Atkins. Their mutual respect and ensuing friendship led to two Lenny Breau albums released thought RCA records.

While Lenny never attained success on a mainstream commercial level, his virtuosic jazz fingerstyle technique was groundbreaking. A player with an eclectic taste, Lenny incorporated country, flamenco, and jazz into his creative and unmatched sound. His highly developed picking hand and left hand facility allowed him to comp chords and play melodies for himself simultaneously. He also developed the ability to produce complex passages using harmonics.

Lenny’s life was tragically taken on August 12, 1984. The circumstances surrounding his death were unclear as his case still remains unsolved. These two clips are an example of the growth and diversity in Lenny’s playing. They truly show why he still remains a strong inspiration to some of the world’s greatest guitarists.

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Sonny Landreth: Next to Kindred Spirit

Chris Finch — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:43:59 +0000

Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Sonny Landreth is revered among guitarists as a true original. The influence of the south is reflected is his guitar playing, singing, and compositions, through growing up with Blues, Zydeco, and Rock music. Through being immersed in various styles Sonny became a sought after session guitarist and has recorded with artists such as Junior Wells, Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett, John Hiatt, and Mark Knopfler. In Sonny’s latest release From the Reach, he composed songs specifically for the musicians he invited to play on the album. Within the album are collaborations with some of the greatest guitarists in music today, including Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford, and Vince Gill.

While Sonny’s style remains rooted in the blues, his approach to the guitar is extremely unique. The backbone of most of his playing is the slide, but by adding fretted notes behind the slide he opens up many possibilities sonically. Sonny also possess a highly developed right hand where he uses a thumb pick and fingers for intricate picking, muting, and tapped harmonics. His melodic sense combined with these techniques produces a superb sound on the instrument.

The first video clip features Sonny Landreth sharing the stage with Eric Clapton in Chicago at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2007. It captures him singing and trading some extremely tasteful musical ideas with Clapton. The second features a backstage solo performance of his composition Next to Kindred Spirit.

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Steve Morse: Deep Purple

Chris Finch — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:18:28 +0000

Steve Morse is potentially one of the most diverse and virtuosic guitarists alive today. A true master of the guitar, Steve is an extremely versatile guitarist. His style and compositional skills draw from classical, jazz, country, blues, folk, and rock. As a founder of the fusion band Dixie Dregs, Steve has been playing and touring since the 1970’s. He has also released over ten albums between his solo efforts and The Steve Morse Band. In 1992 he replaced the legendary guitarist Richie Blackmore in the rock band Deep Purple. Steve currently plays in Deep Purple where he continues to record and tour extensively.

Steve’s approach on the guitar is one of extreme precision. He has the ability to play extremely complex lines and still remain musical. He is known for producing an exceptionally clean sound through double picking a majority of his notes. Through his dedication to the instrument he has also been a recipient of Guitar Player Magazine’s “Best Overall Guitarist” over five consecutive years.

This is a live clip taken from a Deep Purple performance in Australia in 1999. This is Steve’s solo in the concert. In this 8:37 clip, he plays through an eclectic mix of style and technique demonstrating his immense ability on the guitar.

(This clip is available in HD! If it plays to slow, click the red HD button above to turn that off and it should load faster.)

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Duane Allman: Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’

Chris Finch — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:09:16 +0000

For passionate guitarists, developing their sound and technique is an experimental quest that lasts a lifetime. Some search and develop their sound for years, and others are never truly satisfied. There are also a select few who possess their musical voice early on. This can be said about Duane Allman. One of a small group of guitarists in rock history, Duane left a major impact over the span of only a few years.

Known as a powerful slide guitarist and improviser, Duane also co-founded the infamous southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band in 1969. Throughout his brief career Duane also established himself as a session player. He was recruited to play on albums for artists such as Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, and Otis Rush, to name a few. One of his more notable sessions outside The Allman Brothers Band was his contribution to Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, an album by Derek and Dominoes. For this session Duane was tracked down by their guitarist Eric Clapton, where the two developed a strong mutual admiration.

A large part of Duane Allman’s approach was his use of bottleneck slide on a Gibson Les Paul. He also possessed great improvisational facility without the slide. Within the band, Duane mixed blues, soul, and country music with fellow lead guitarist Richard “Dickey” Betts. The two defined The Allman Brothers and southern rock sound by often playing melodies in harmony. Duane’s style was highly influential in the development of southern rock and continues to be held in high regard among slide and rock guitarists alike. On October 29th, 1971, Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident just prior to his 25th birthday.

These live clips feature The Allman Brothers Band with Duane playing in New York at the Fillmore East in 1970. The first clip “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin” features some of Duane’s tasteful slide playing. The second clip “Whipping Post” shows his improvisational lead playing ( 1:30 – 4:05 ) and also the Allman Brothers dual lead melodies.

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Les Paul: How High the Moon

Chris Finch — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:28:48 +0000

Les Paul
June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009

Les Paul was one of the most significant musical inventors and innovators of our time.

Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1915, Les began playing harmonica at the age of 8. His lifelong music career began soon thereafter. By age 13, Les was performing as a country western singer. A move to Chicago at age 19 sparked his interest in jazz. Soon after, Les formed the Les Paul Trio. By 1939 the group left for New York where Les began experimenting and altering his acoustic electric hollow-body guitars. These ideas would lead to his endorsement and contribution to the development of the solid body electric guitar which bears his name, the Gibson Les Paul.

Through the 1940’s and 50’s Les also began experimenting with recording techniques. He would record an idea to acetate disc, then with another disc record a part layering the previous idea. This was the beginning of multi-track recording. Multi-tracking would also allow him to experiment with the speed in which the parts were recorded. After transferring his multi-track technique to tape, Les developed other major recording innovations such as overdubbing and electronic echo.

Les Paul’s contributions to the advancement of music are unsurpassed. The invention of his 8 track recording device created the platform for modern recording. It also set the path for the recording approach of the 60’s which produced some of the most influential recordings of all time. Through his career, Les Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

On top of all that, Les is an excellent guitar player who is held in high regard by some of the greats. This is a clip of him performing with Mary Ford in 1953. It shows his creative blend of jazz and country played with great facility.

With his passing in August of 2009, the world has lost a remarkable innovator and musician.

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Edward Van Halen: Eruption

Chris Finch — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:10:06 +0000

Edward “Eddie” Van Halen is undoubtedly one of the top influential guitarists in rock history. Eddie and his brother Alex originally formed the band “Mammoth”. With the addition of bassist Michael Anthony and singer David Lee Roth, the group then became “Van Halen”. Their 1978 self-titled debut was the lunching pad for them to become one of the most popular and influential rock bands to date. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, the band has sold over 80 million albums in their career.

Eddie’s virtuosic abilities have had a significant impact on endless rock guitarists. His technically demanding approach, which includes two handed tapping, legato, and tremolo picking, has set him apart throughout his career. Influences such as Allan Holdsworth sparked the inspiration for Eddie to approach the guitar in an unorthodox way. Large components of his sonic brilliance come from his unparalleled use of feedback and harmonics. Eddie is a true creative original. Everything from his songwriting, technique, sound, and guitars all bear his unique stamp. It’s the creative combination of these elements which make Eddie Van Halen a musical great.

This video clip was taken from a live concert in Connecticut in 1986. This is Eddie’s improvised version of two solo pieces 316 and Eruption.

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Joe Satriani: Made of Tears

Chris Finch — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:31:37 +0000

Joe Satriani is one of the most influential contemporary rock guitarists. In his career he has defined Instrumental Rock as a genre through his virtuosity and compositional skills. Touring consistently throughout his career, Joe has also been featured as lead guitarist with Deep Purple and The Rolling Stones.

Over the decades Joe has inspired countless guitarists. As a result he has sold millions of albums and been nominated for 15 Grammy awards. In 1987 his album “Surfing with the Alien” reached platinum sales in the United States, a rare accomplishment for any musical artist. His compositions are always unique containing a focus on melody to compliment his remarkable facility on the guitar. Known for his bluesy phrasing, legato, tremolo picking, and whammy techniques, Joe possesses a brilliant combination of feel and ability. He has advanced rock guitar significantly through his dedication to creating new sounds on the instrument.

Joe is also an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization in the United States that donates free instruments and lessons to children in public schools.

This clip is taken from a live performance in Anaheim, California in 2006. It’s a great clip and an example of how after years of playing, a musician can still continue to learn and improve.

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Al Di Meola: Passion, Grace, and Fire

Chris Finch — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:00:33 +0000

Al Di Meola is a Jazz Fusion guitarist well known for his advanced technical approach and Latin style. He attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 1971 before joining the jazz fusion group Return to Forever with Chick Corea. Extreme dedication to precise picking technique, rhythm, and melody, are key elements to Al’s musicianship. The stylistic and emotional influence of the Mediterranean is the foundation of Al Di Meola’s approach.

The successes of his early solo albums, such as Elegant Gypsy, were hugely influential for many rock and jazz guitarists. He has also been voted Best Jazz Guitarist in Guitar Player Magazine’s Readers Poll four times.

This is a guitar clip of Al performing a live version of “Azzura”, a song he wrote for the collaborative album “The Guitar Trio” with Paco de Lucia and John McLaughlin. It’s a great example of Al’s melodic and technical mastery of the guitar. The range of Al’s guitar sounds can also be heard throughout. The eclectic mix of technique and sounds within this clip provide a key glimpse into the depth and variety of Al’s style.

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