May 3 in the Big Easy! Guitar Player Presents a tribute to David Lindley at Papa Mali’s Birthday Day Bash held at Chickie Wah Wah on the final Sunday during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Come celebrate with a parade of killer players including @papamali@lebo_tone@jimmylesliegtr@kota_kato_gomp@theiguanas@wallyingram@_lorenzopiccone@jordanzevon@mzsan_507 Bernie Larson of El Rayo X and many more! #gppresents #guitarplayerpresents #davidlindleytribute
“Prog doesn’t have to be wiggly guitar solos…”
Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt says The Beatles were more ‘progressive’ than most modern prog. “For my taste, progressive music of today has become very technical, as opposed to mixing musical styles, which is kind of what I think it was in the beginning.”
Under Åkerfeldt’s leadership, the Swedish group has transformed from a death metal outfit into one of modern prog rock’s biggest bands. While never truly losing their metal edge, save for their divisive 10th album, Heritage, Åkerfeldt has interwoven influences as wide-reaching as Yes, Camel, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham and Slayer into the band’s expansive sound.
But, he says, not all artists in the contemporary progressive scene are as progressive as their genre tag implies. The Beatles are much more deserving of the title.
“I like to think that we’re a progressive band, maybe even belong to that genre, but I make a difference between the genre and actual progressive music,” he tells American Music Supply. “It doesn’t have to be wiggly guitar solos.
“For my taste, progressive music of today has become very technical, as opposed to mixing musical styles, which is kind of what I think it was in the beginning.”
Read more on the GP site.
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are clearly having the time of their lives playing together as SatchVai Band on their Surfing the Hydra Tour. GP Presents pitched in some promo to help lure a league of guitar zealots that packed the Oakland Fox Theater for an unforgettable Player pow 💥 wow! #gppresents #satchvai #joesatriani #stevevai #guitarplayer Photo by @jimmylesliegtr
@thewarrenhaynes played “Jerry’s Herringbone” on his recent Winter of Warren solo tour. @jerrygarcia used the 1943 Martin D-28 to write and record Grateful Dead classics including “Friend of the Devil” and “Ripple.” Haynes played a bit of the latter for the VIP pre-show in Santa Cruz where there was a GP Presents promotion on site. @gratefulguitarsfoundation graciously provided the instrument. #gppresents #warrenhaynes #gratefulguitars #martinguitar
Though he’s regarded as one of his generation’s most versatile and accomplished actors, Jeff Bridges has always been in touch with his musical side. In the late 1950s and early ’60s, after his older brother, Beau Bridges, exposed him to Little Richard, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, the two began fooling around on a Goya classical guitar owned by their father, the late film and TV star Lloyd Bridges.
But it wasn’t until Beau purchased a Danelectro (“one of those ‘lipstick pickup’ jobs you got from the Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog”) and let Jeff have a go at it that “things started to change in a big way,” Bridges says. The early ’60s surf-rock hit “Pipeline” was the first song he learned to play from beginning to end. When the British Invasion arrived in 1964, it seemed to him that music, not acting, was his life’s driving force.
Bridges recalls going to see A Hard Day's Night with his father and being thrilled at how “he totally got it. The humor, the songs — my dad loved the Beatles. Maybe it was because he was a singer, too.” (The elder Bridges had famously replaced Richard Kiley in Man of La Mancha on Broadway.) “He appreciated their creativity,” he says. “I was fortunate: when other kids’ parents were throwing out their Beatles records, mine were cool with it.”
Visit GuitarPlayer.com for the full story
PHOTO: Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Seymour Duncan 50th Anniversary! “Queen of Tone” Maricela “MJ” Juarez on archiving custom shop orders from @officialericjohnson@eddievanhalen@joewalshofficial and many more. GP stopped by Duncan headquarters after @thenammshow and this is what happened to be on her desk at that moment in the custom shop. Crazy 😜 history being made by hand in Santa Barbara and celebrated to this day. Introducing 50th Anny Limited Edition JB / Jazz Humbucker set and more right now at seymourduncan.com #guitarplayer #seymourduncan iPhone video by @jimmylesliegtr Special thanks Artist Relations Zack Cramp @zampkampmusic and @mj72456 for hospitality 🙏
@matteomancuso.guitar put on a dazzling display of technical virtuosity and improvisation last night for a GP Presents show at the fabulous @loberotheatre in Santa Barbara. Stay tuned for feature interview deep on right hand approach. iPhone video by @jimmylesliegtr . #gppresents #matteomancuso #loberotheatre
@circleinstruments CEO Anthony Dickens demonstrates the first production model of the #circleguitar for Composer’s Breakfast at fantastic @aviatornationdreamland on the Monday after the #nammshow. It uses a mechanical wheel with multiple “picks” powered remotely by MIDI to create an endless strum, so the player can focus both hands on the fretboard and push beyond conventional guitar limits, although you can play it conventionally as well. Ed O’Brien is experimenting with one. What do you think 🤔 ? #guitarplayer iPhone video by @jimmylesliegtr
@bradgillisofficial pick-scratches his way through a creative solo break on “Voyager” at the 10th anniversary of #ronniemontroseremembered , capping of the #nammshow with a spectacular guitar 🎸 fireworks 🎆 display next door to Disneyland! #ronniemontrose #guitarplayer iPhone video by @jimmylesliegtr . Thanks to @chipsterpr
@benharper and @andytaylorpowers perform “Steal My Kisses” with Harper debuting signature Taylor Gold Series Grand Concert on @lennonbus stage at @thenammshow iPhone video by Frets Acoustic Editor @jimmylesliegtr #nammshow #guitarplayer #frets #benharper #taylorguitars
@benharper unveils signature Taylor Gold Label Grand Concert and thanks Andy Powers on the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus 🚌 stage at the #NAMM Show. #benharper #taylorguitars #guitarplayer frets iPhone cideo by @jimmylesliegtr
Molly Tuttle introduces her signature Martin D-18 performing “San Joaquin” at the Martin booth to kick off the #nammshow #martinguitar #mollytuttle #guitarplayer #frets Video by @jimmylesliegtr
