The Sound: Can you tell our readers about the new cd?
Bruce Bouillet: Yes, I’ve taken my time to really put together something a bit more thought-out.This new album is a return to my metal roots. Heaviest record I’ve probably ever made.Plus having a couple years to practice stepped up my chops considerably. TS: So what was the moment that hooked you into becoming a serious musician? BB: I think I was around thirteen, and I saw Judas Priest open up for Kiss, This would have been around the late 70’s, ‘Unleashed in the East’-era Priest. I worked my way pretty close to the front and Glen Tipton and KK Downing were killing it. I walked out of the arena that night knowing that I was going to be a guitarist. Seeing Van Halen on the ‘Women and Children First’ tour, and Randy Rhoads on the ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ tour sealed the deal.
TS: You’ve got a new instrumental album in the works… Could you give us some de-tails?
BB: Well it’s got Glen Sobel on drums, and Dave Foreman on bass, some guitar and strings, and myself on guitars. We tracked the basics at my friend Willie Basse’s studio in Burbank. We monitored through an old Neve desk, but tracked through a bunch of old Telefunken v76’s and RCA tube preamps, as well as using classic mics, such as AKG c 12’s , and some Manley mics that sounded great. All the final dubs were done at my writ-ing room in north Hollywood. It really makes my previous efforts sound very demo-ish. So to say the least, I’m very excited to release this one. It should be released around late July early August.
Bruce Bouillet
A veteran of the G3 tour, a former member of Racer-X, and a Grammy winningpro-ducer who rubs shoulders with some of music’s biggest stars on a regular basis...Just part and parcel of the day-to-day existence of Bruce Bouillet. In a sit-down with The Sound, Bruce lays out his influences, gear, and dishes on his latest release, due out this summer.
TS: What are some records or
songs that you go back to for inspiration?
BB: Well there is so much new
and old music on the internet that is easily accessed these days that I rarely touch my music collection. So it’s usu-ally more about finding perfor-mances that I’ve never seen or artists that I never got exposed to. Inspiration for the new album also came from me moving into various rehearsal rooms around Los Angeles. I moved into a few of these 24hr rehearsal lockouts, in order to write and demo stuff for this album, and would be surrounded by some really heavy progressive metal, and death metal bands. It had to be some kind of luck of the draw but these were
some really good bands and players. It made me want to do something heavy and hard hit-ting... I would also have to add that Paul Gilbert asked me to join him for a Japan tour and also a full tour of the US and Canada on the 2007 G3 tour… Hard to describe! All I can say is that it was one of the best times I’ve ever had on tour, and that feeling of real ap-preciation from the audience and all the great players in all the bands. Just the whole vibe of that tour was great. And that has stayed with
me as an additional influence and motivator to make some-thing really special.
TS: You met Paul Gilbert at
GIT, when he was your teacher, correct? Tell us about it.
BB: Well the first day I got to
Hollywood, I went by GIT to check out the school. This was when it was above the wood Wax Museum on Holly-wood Blvd. By chance, I walked into the main performance hall when the original Racer-X line up was performing the ‘Street Lethal’ album for graduation performance credits. It was great; I couldn’t believe how good Paul was. He was a VERY aggressive player. His approach was sort of an
over-the-top-from-the-start-to-the-finish type of thing, and that appealed to me. And after filling out the entrance questions stacked in favor of Paul being my private instructor of course, I had about four of five months once a week for a half an hour to learn some of his ideas and sequences. We would try stuff in harmony and it did sound good right out of the gate. So some time in between September or Octo-ber I went and ran lights for the original line up of Racer-X at the Waters Club in Long Beach. Shortly after that, I got asked to join the band, and a couple of weeks later Scott Travis joined the band. Within a couple of months, we were on our way up to the bay area to record the Racer-X album Second Heat.
TS: Amazing that you ended up
as a member of the incredible Racer X - got any stories you want to share about it?
BB: It was very fast-paced;
we rehearsed a lot, and there were quite a few shows. Within months of joining the band, we were recording a new album, and within a month or so of its release, and the newly acquired
Ibanez ad campaign, we were selling out some of the big-ger clubs on the west coast. It was good times and it was great to be involved in some-thing that had the ability to push the envelope a little. Sadly we all knew the band’s time was limited, nearing the end. I think we reached the peak of what it was going to be, and that wasn’t going to big enough to really
till 2005 after some technique reforming and years of research into carpal tunnel and tendon-itis, that I was able to start play-ing for real again.
TS: You did do the mixing on their Superheroes album - how was that?
BB: It was great, I personally thought it to be one of the best Racer-X albums, certainly one do full time, money-wise. So really, the best thing happened and we were able to go out on top of our game as far as the band was concerned. My last really good memory of Racer-X was being backstage after playing to a sold-out show at the Omni theater in Oakland, California. We all knew that we were breaking up as a band, and that Paul was forming Mr. Big. But I felt too good about just having a great show and what we had accomplished in a very short period of time to be mad about it all, I still couldn’t believe I had got to experience that.
TS: When Racer X reformed in 1999, you chose not to re-turn with them; Why?
BB: Well there are a couple good reasons why. The big-gest reason is because at that point in time my left hand was still blown out from the Racer-X days and I had rarely picked up a guitar, much less really practiced for about 7 years prior to that. So there was no way I was going to try and play
of Jeff Martin’s best vocal per-formances on record. It was a fairly simple record to mix. As a general rule of thumb, great players + great songs = great record. Yup, pretty much at that point in time there were no rook-ies in the room.
TS: You won a Grammy for
your production and mixing on Motorhead’s cover of Whiplash, by Metallica. Got any good Lemmy stories? What was win-ning a Grammy like?
BB: Well, all of Motorhead are
very quick in the studio; it’s rare if drummer Mickey Dee doesn’t get it on the first take. And Lemmy and Phil are equally as fast, given that they have more tracks to record. This was also the fifth or sixth time for me to work with them; we had just finished the HHH theme song for the WWE months prior. Win-ning the Grammy... Well the track won the Grammy; it was a little unexpected. Did I go? No, for me, the whole Grammy thing was not that important. I mean come on; I don’t know who these people are.... Who makes the decision who is best? I do know that in the prior years, their picks were...to say the least ...not always great in my opinion. I can name plenty of artists that have influenced me in many ways that will never be mentioned on the Grammys. So I take it for what it is, you know? Thank you for noticing; now I’m going back to work on some new music.
TS: What are some of your
favorite miking and mixing tech-niques for electric guitars?
Lee, to Steve Stevens, Ronnie Dio, to Ted Nugent, Tony Levin, Edgar Winter, Vinney Caleuta, Aynsley Dunbar...members of Helmet, Slayer, Suicidal Ten-dencies, etc.
TS: What’s your current rig
setup?
BB: At the moment it would BB: Standard stuff; if I have
the gear available, I’ll use two mics, usually Shure 57 and a Royer 121, although two 57’s work great as does 57 and the AKG 414. Then into API 312’s or NEVE 1073’s then summed together on to a track. I don’t have that luxury at my current studio, so I’m using a 57 into a TLA tube preamp. The trick with recording guitars is moving the mic or mics till a good sound is achieved. Also, having the amp head in the control room will increase your ability to fine tune. Your ear is your best weapon in the studio. If it sounds good, odds are, it is good.
TS: What other artists have you
recorded or mixed?
BB: I have been very
fortunate as far as engi-neering, mixing, and pro-ducing in the studio.I’ve gotten to work with more big-name people
than I could have ever imagined just from being in the studio and knowing other artists or produc-ers. I can remember standing next to Ozzy listening to the playback of the No More Tears, and Zakk had just laid down the finished solo....I think that was at Devonshire studios, or being at Sound City when R.A.T.M. was recording their first album. Recording up at London Bridge in Seattle....etcetera.... At my studio, it went from Joe Coo-lie to Anthrax, Ben Harper to Buckcherry, and a lot of stuff in between. Working with Bruce Kulick we did 11 plus tribute albums each, with 50 different name players, So I got to work with everyone from Paul Stan-ley to Roger Daltrey, Jake E.
be an early 80’s Mark 4 Mesa Boogie. I have a 1978 Les Paul standard, and a 1978 Ibanez pf300 both loaded with Seymour Duncan JB’s, strung with d’ Adarrio XPs and a few stomp-boxes; Digitech, Boss, Fulltone, TC Electronics, Seymour Dun-can. and that’s it.
TS: Have you found any new guitar or recording equipment that has inspired you lately? BB: Well this company in Japan named Fujigen is build-ing me a guitar. I first saw this player named Jeff Kollman play-ing one at the Baked Potato. He turned me on to the company. I was impressed by the stuff I
saw so I met with them at the recent NAMM show and played some models they brought over. And they played great! Interest-ing fact is, that they were the company that made the early 80’s Squier Strats from Japan. There is also the Boss Super-shifter that I use a lot. I don’t own a guitar with a bar so this pedal allows me to have similar effects.
TS: You’re an active teacher in LA as well as via Skype - how can our readers find you for les-sons?
BB: This number, 818 209 8028, goes directly to a voice
mail. Leave your name and number and I will call you back with available times.
TS: You’ve got the last word. BB: Well I’m thinking this new album will sum it up best.
For more information on Bruce and his upcom-ing and current projects, please visit him at
www.myspace.com/brucebouillet
Discography
With Racer X
Second Heat (1987)
Extreme Volume Live (1988) Extreme Volume II Live (1992)
With The Scream
Let It Scream (1991) With DC-10
Co-Burn (1995) With Paul Gilbert solo
King of Clubs (1998) Flying Dog (1998)
With The Bottom Dwellerz
“Cracks Of The Concrete” (2006)
“Old New Orleans - Autographed Charity Edition” (2006) Solo
Unspoken (2007) Interventions (2008)
Interventions (Japan Release, 2009)
X
X
~
Ready to Fly on Your Fretboard?
Take flight with Logical Lead Guitar!
Renowned guitar industry expert Adam St. James tears scales and arpeggios apart like you’ve never seen before in this 3 DVD, 600-page lead guitar course. Players the world over rave about this course!
Find out more at www.LogicalLeadGuitar.com and join the mailing list for free book downloads, lesson newsletters, and more!
And don’t miss out on Adam’s FREE online guitar lessons at
www.12WeekGuitarCourse.com -- with hours of beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons -- absolutely free!
Master These Skills: All 5 Pentatonic Scales All 7 Diatonic Scales All 5 CAGED Arpeggios Dozens of Essential pick and fret-hand exercises Comes with 1 hour of Jam Tracks, plus fun Sample Solos!
www.LogicalLeadGuitar.com
Now updated with a 5th
hour of video lessons
teaching the “25 Rif
fs You
& personal...
The Sound gets down with the Texas axe-slinger extraordinairre on studios, touring, and his newest creation, Up Close.
Up Close
Up Close
The Sound: Tell us about
the new record Up Close?
Eric Johnson: Yeah, it was
kind of like a new thing with 15 pieces. We cut about 23 pieces and 15 of them weren’t done, and I was happy to get some other people to come in like Jonny Lang, Jimmie Vaughan, Sonny Landreth, and Steve Miller. I just had some dudes come in and help. It was kind of cool to have some other peo-ple put their own designs into it.
TS: The song “Gem” from the new
record is one of my favorite tracks. What is the story behind this song?
EJ: That was like an instrumental,
one of those kinds of things that came pretty quick. Yeah, I just had an idea, there really wasn’t a lot of sweat of that one. Once I laid
© Max Crace
the 3-piece track down I just had fun with it overdubbin’ stuff, and I just made the mo-ment with a bunch of first-take chordal stuff in the background.
TS: Let’s talk a little
about some of the other tracks such as “Soul Surprise”, “On The Way” and “Brilliant Room”.
EJ: “Soul Surprise”
is the one I enjoyed. It’s kind of like the vo-cal piece and the lyric thing didn’t work out, so I just tried to just turn the song into an instrumental. There is a scratch piece singing along with the track so I left the lyrics in there with the guitar which is kind of weird; you can hear it in the back-ground. Yeah, I never do kind of get the lyr-ics, so I just leave it with the scratch part with no words and just double the guitar and turn it into an instru-mental. And the coun-try tune- I just started working with Clint Black to write a coun-try tune together that was kind of interesting. It has an actual vocal melody thing, but I just turned it into an
instru-mental as well. “Brilliant Room” was something I wrote with Bill Mad-dox and he wrote the lyrics to it. I said I liked that pinch kind of pop-jazz kind of thing it had to it and it’s kind of fun.
TS: What is the story
behind “Fatdaddy”?
EJ: Well, it was a lick,
and I hadn’t really had all the pieces to. The song was just kind of hanging around for a few years, but I finished the record. The record seemed a little imbal-anced and didn’t seem to be enough hard rock stuff on it, then at the very last minute I put “Fatdaddy” together and recorded it and had it mixed, just as an af-terthought at the end of the record process just because I wanted to get more instrumental gui-tar stuff on the record.
TS: Continuing with Up Close, you did the
Electric Flag cover ‘Tex-as’, which interestingly enough, you have two fellow Texans appear on with you; Steve Miller on vocals and Jimmie Vaughan on guitar. Was that by design or did it just happen that way?
that just happened. I went to see Steve Miller play in Austin and Jim-mie Vaughan was sitting in with him, and we got together after the show, and I asked them if they would like to go to my studio and cut something, to which they both
agreed. In the studio, Steve said he wanted to sing ‘Texas’ so we recorded it with Steve doing the vocal and Jimmie doing a fine solo; it was one of those unplanned events that worked out very well!
TS: A follow up to ‘Texas’; there
are very few people under the age of 50 who are familiar with Electric Flag… What prompt-ed you to record that song?
EJ: Other than Steve
want-ing to swant-ing ‘Texas’ it was one of my favorite blues songs as a kid. In my younger days I listened to Electric Flag fre-quently, I just loved that song.
TS: There are similarities
be-tween your rendition of ‘Texas” and Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Red House’, was that by design, or was that how Electric Flag recorded it?
EJ: No the original wasn’t like
that, it was our interpretation of it; I guess that›s what hap-pens when you get 3 Texans who love the blues together.
TS: Performing live, is there
anything that you thought really grabbed the audi-ence in any certain songs?
EJ: Well, the majority of
the audience seemed to like “GEM”. We are doing a piece by John Coltrane which fea-tures Chris, and Wayne, the new drummer, and is one of the highlights of the show. The drum solo everybody seems to love, and we play a song off of Venus Isle at the end of the night and that seems to be enjoyed as one of the higher moments of the show. We are just doing a variety of other peoples’ songs that are just reworked and rearranged.
TS: Since we just talked about
some of the musicians on the re-cord, can you tell us who produced it, and anybody else on the record?
EJ: Malford Milligan sang on
“Brilliant Room”, and Jason Es-kridge played and did some vocals on part of the record. Andy Johns,
that has worked with a mul-titude of people- he came in and helped mix stuff. And what he did was he kind of took it in a different place. He also did something different to the guitar that I wouldn’t typically do, and in some ways
that is good because I just didn’t do the same old thing.
TS: You worked with
Son-ny Landreth on “Your Book”. How did you meet Sonny?
EJ: Well, I met Sonny
Lan-dreth years ago, and there have been times where Sonny use to sit in with our band if we were in the same town to-gether, and we hung out a little bit. He asked me if I would play on one of his records (if the opportunity came up) where he was actually having guest artists on it - Bill, and Eric Clap-ton, and maybe a few others and myself as well. It was fun to play with Sonny on that song called “Milky Way”. And he said, “Man, maybe you can come play on one of my own records at some point” and I said “yeah, that would be great.” “Your Book” is a song that I wrote for my dad when he passed away, and Sonny’s dad had been recently passed away as well, and we kind of blended with the lyrics of what the lyrics meant on that.
TS: (to Sonny Landreth)
Working on the song “Your Book” with Eric, Sonny, could you tell us a little bit about this song and how you met Eric?
Sonny Landreth: Well,
I first met Eric when he was playing in a small town outside of Lafayette and it was really brief. It was a long time ago. Eric and myself didn’t actually get to know each other until
many years later. We played here in Lafayette, and also at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads and the first one he did outside of Fort Worth. And we became friends over the years. I sat in with him and he would come and sit in with me. I have of course been an admirer of Eric’s for many years. When he called about the song and sent me a copy of it, I was deeply moved because I had lost my father recently, in fact, not too long before he sent it to me. It resonated with me, and that’s a profound thing to have the opportunity to be a part of; that was really touch-ing for me. I found it an honor to work with Eric on a personal
level; we had a common thing that we both shared, and it was very meaningful for me.
TS: Eric, the song “Vortexan”
has a real great feel. Tell us about this song, where the idea of the name came from, and the story about writing this song?
EJ: This song is kind of like
a blues shuffle that I kind of kicked along like “Cat’s Squir-rel”, an old blues standard. In fact, it’s a lot like “Cat’s Squir-rel”, but it’s like a cross be-tween “Cat’s Squirrel” and me ripping myself off the rights to my song called “Righteous.” It’s kind of right between those two blues songs. I was in Arizona visiting some friends and was
introduced as “yeah, he’s a Texan in Arizona”, and every-body was talking about vor-texes. They were like “yeah, you’re kind of like a Vortex-an!” and I was like “Great!”
TS: Can you tell us about
how the tour is going, and any plans to go overseas?
EJ: We got off to a late
start in late December, but we just finished three weeks in the west part of the U.S. and then we are going out to the Midwest and the East Coast. And then we are going to pick up some more dates I think in early October. We are going to do some double bills with Sonny Landreth
in Texas, and also Louisiana. And yeah, it’s going fine- we are planning a definitive com-prehensive tour of Europe for next summer, to go over there and do a whole full tour.
TS: Recently you have opened
your own recording studio. Tell us about the new studio.
EJ: Yeah, it’s a place that I
started years ago and I built it
from the ground up, so it’s all rooms inside rooms where it’s done right and is isolated and everything. I just wanted a real legit state-of-the-art recording studio, so I just spent years and years building it, whatever the royalties would allow for me to do it. I would work on the stu-dio, and after a while I was like “wow, I have the whole thing built!”, and I did the whole
re-cord there from start to finish.
TS: On the topic of Jimi
Hen-drix, there is an obvious influ-ence and appreciation of Jimi Hendrix in your music. To what do you attribute Jimi Hen-drix’s music being so popular 40-plus years after his pass-ing? Did you ever see him per-form, and if Jimi were around today and you had the
op-©2010 M
portunity to play with him on stage, what song would you like to play with him?
EJ: Oh man that’s a good
question, what song would I like to play with Jimi... all of his songs (laughter)! Actually I would like to jam with him on something new, which would be fun to play on something new he was creating. I did see him perform twice and it was really wonderful. First time was in late 1968, and then in May 1970. I think the reason why he is so popular is because he was such a great songwriter, and his guitar playing is what catapults him to that status of guitar god, but I think more im-portantly he was a incredible musician who wrote wonderful songs, and that’s what
make his music so timeless.
TS: Staying with influences,
I read that as a teenager you travelled throughout Africa with your family. Do you think travel is one of the best forms of education, especially as a teenager, also what part of Af-rica did you travel through, and did you acquire any musical influences from your travels?
EJ: I think traveling can really
open kids, well anybody’s eyes if they get the opportunity. It’s like looking through the world with a telescope, and realizing the world is a lot bigger than our immediate problems, I think it can give kids a more tempered perspective. I went through Zambia and South Africa, and visited a lot of the game parks
there. I did get to hear some Zulu and other various tribal music. I brought back some kalimbas, various bass instru-ments made out of twine. I also brought back some drums; unfortunately they didn›t sur-vive the trip back. I didn›t get exposed to African music as you can now, but there is so much of it now. I think there is a lot of great stuff that is be-yond your perimeter that can make you more open minded.
TS: Are you doing any
produc-ing with other artists as well?
EJ: Not right now; I am doing
some session work with other people on certain records, but mostly concentrating on this new band, writing, and doing gigs and stuff. I’m trying to get back in the studio and work on a solo acoustic record as well as a new electric record.
TS: How long have you been
with this particular band?
EJ: I have played off and on
with Chris (Maresh) the bass player. We haven’t played to-gether for a few years, but we’re kind of back to that again. The drummer, Wayne Salzmann- I have only played with him for a few weeks, and never played with him before. He is a new addition and he is wonderful! We are having a great time.
TS: Any new plans for a tab
book, or any new instruc-tional DVDs, or doing live
performances or teaching?
EJ: Well, we have a new
in-structional thing coming out on iPad and should be com-ing out pretty soon. And yes, there will be some tab books coming out from Up Close.
TS: Could you describe how you
typically go about practicing?
EJ: I try to put in a few
hours a day practicing.
TS: Is there a favorite song
of yours to play live, and do you perform any covers?
EJ: As far as covers, I am
en-joying doing “Mr. P.C.” by John Coltrane at the moment. And right now I am just enjoying playing pieces I don’t normally (play). Of my tunes, I am en-joying playing “Fatdaddy” right now, probably because I haven’t ran it into the ground yet.
TS: Is there any other
proj-ect you are involved in other then the new CD and tour?
EJ: No, not really. I’m just
going to try and do some more acoustic guitar stuff.
TS: Is there anyone you’d
especially like to play or col-laborate with someday?
EJ: I’d love to work
with Stevie Wonder.
TS: Do you have any
as-piring thoughts for the fu-ture guitarists of today?
EJ: Just try to find that niche
and to find some mu-sic and playing that really inspires you and gives you joy. And don’t settle for just playing what you think you should. Because whatever you do, you want to get enough joy and passion re-invested out of it to where you want it to feed you, so that the world can practice art. It can be laborious as much as it can be fun. You need to find that unique voice that turns you on, you know?
TS: Do you have any
thoughts on the mu-sic business today?
EJ: I just think that
pop music as we know it, has been going on
since the 50’s and 60’s. So much of pop has been done, that some of us do the same thing over and over and just try to reinvent the wheel. But you cannot reinvent the wheel. There is some beauti-ful stuff that comes out, and some unique, and we run the risk of not really having any saying just revolutionizing the difference, so consequently there is so much music that it is hard to turn people’s head or have them go “Oh my God, what is this?” Just because of the sheer volume. When I was just (a kid) there was only
a history of 15 years of guitar-based pop music, so you didn’t have as much history for this music to be over-saturated. Like when Jimi Hendrix came out I cannot even describe what it was like there wasn’t even anybody close to what he was doing. Jimi’s music was so whole, new, and different that his music created a whole new way. Today, it is hard to create a whole new wave.
TS: I understand that you had
a great friendship and working relationship with Chet Atkins, could you share a favorite expe-rience with Chet to our readers?
EJ: I recorded on one of Chet’s
records and one of the songs went fine, when I sent him the track I did, and the other one I did I was so enamoured with the fact that I was record-ing with Chet that it was me copying Chet Atkins. He called me back on the phone and said: What is that you are do-ing, you don’t sound like your-self, and you need to redo that and sound like yourself. So he kinda of busted me on that. He always encouraging and will-ing to give me advice or a tip, which was very nice, he was a perfect example of a great guitar player who was open-minded to all styles of music. TS: Can you share one more of Chet Atkins mo-ments with us?
EJ: I
remem-ber one moment where I played on one of his records. I did the track, and he called me on his record and he said “well, I want to send you your payment for playing on my record.” And I was like “Are you kidding? I ain’t tak-ing any money for music- you are my hero, you already paid me, you did enough by let-ting me play on your record!” I didn’t want anything, so a few weeks later I get a pack-age in the mail, and he had given me one his personal
gui-tars! And I still have that guitar.
TS: Another fallen guitar
hero of ours- Jerry Reed… any special Jerry Reed moments?
EJ: I only have one and it’s
kind of funny. I only met Jerry one time, over the phone. My friend Steve Wariner, a guitar player in Nashville, he was good friends with Jerry. Anyways, he called me one day and he said “Hey, there is somebody here that you’d like to meet.” And I was like “Really? Who?”, and he put Jerry on the phone and I was like “oh my God!” And Jerry said to me “Eric, I just have to tell you one thing.”
to enjoy the mysteries in life.
TS: Have any moments
with Johnny Hiland?
EJ: I only played with
John-ny on one show and I re-ally enjoyed that. It was great. And he sounded great, it was wonderful.
TS: I know you play a couple of
acoustic songs on this tour; but have you ever done an acous-tic tour and does it present different challenges for you?
EJ: Oh yeah; you’ve got to
make the song work with just one guitar and you are out there
by yourself. I try and do more fin-gerpicking on those gigs, which helps bring out the melody and bass more.
TS: You are
“Eric, I just have to tell
you one thing....Don’t ever
step in front of my car!”
And I replied “Jerry, what’s that?” And he said “don’t ever step in front of my car!” So, I thought that was kind of funny.
TS: Do you
especial-ly have any hobbies out-side of guitar and music?
EJ: Just philosophy and
spiri-tuality, just trying to get myself together as a person. That in itself to me is more important than music. I like going water-skiing, and being at the lake. I like hiking, and hanging out with my girlfriend, and just try
known for being a remarkable guitar player; how-ever it seems that your vocals are overlooked. What was it like to do vocals on Steve Morse›s 2nd album STAND UP, on the song ‹Distant Star› and could we look forward to you and Steve working together again?
EJ: I would love to work with
Steve again, he is great! I love his acoustic playing as well.
TS: Jimmy Page, Brian May,
and Trevor Rabin all have done soundtracks for motion pic-tures. Would you ever like to
score a motion picture, and is there a particular director you would like to work with?
EJ: Oh yeah, I would love to
do a soundtrack, and it could be any kind of movie, as long as I could add to it and make it better. As far as a particular director, gees that’s a good question... I would love to work on a Spielberg movie. I wouldn’t turn that down, but I guess I would have to wait till John Williams retires (laughs).
TS: Is there a rising star out
there that most of us haven’t heard of, and is off the ra-dar, but you think is special?
EJ: Yeah there is a
phenome-nal guitarist from Austin by the name of Carson Brock; I think he is going to turn a lot of heads.
TS: What can your fans
look forward to from you in the next 2-3 years?
EJ: I want to do a solo acoustic
record and I also have some new electric songs I am work-ing on and I want to get in the studio to record them as well.
TS: What personal
fa-vorites do you like to lis-ten to at home or when you are driving in your car?
EJ: I like The Tallest Man On
Earth, he is a folk singer. I en-joy listening to Stevie Won-der. When I’m driving I lis-ten to Wes Montgomery.
TS: Who are the non guitar
oriented artists you listen to?
EJ: I really enjoy Keith
Jar-rett, Bill Evans, John Col-trane, Miles Davis, Claude De-bussy, Aaron Copeland, and Igor Stravinsky; ‘The Rights of Spring’ is something I re-ally enjoy listening to because it is so much out of my ele-ment. All of the above helps me keep my focus on music.
TS: What advice you could
you give to an aspiring guitarist who wants to make a career in music, or to one who just wants to improve their craft?
EJ: I think the first steps you
can do is pick out the people you admire and try to emulate what they do, not to stop there, but that would be a step. The reason I think that is good is that you can break down all the qualities and techniques they have that make them sound like they do and play like they do. And if you do that you will automatically learn all their styles and techniques that you like anyhow, you will have a lot of fun doing it, and you won’t get bored. It’s a process in keeping discipline and get-ting those sounds together to where it›s proficient and you are playing clean and you have a good sound, and then it has to be real musical and melodic, and you have to be very discriminating with your-self, it helps to record yourself and listen back. You would want to emulate 4 or 5
peo-ple of who you really like then you start picking and choosing those pieces you want to keep and then do you own thing.
TS: Any finalizing
inter-view comments or words?
EJ: Thank you so much for
the opportunity.
Aug-16 Tue
Carrboro, NC
ArtsCenter
Aug-17 Wed
Charlotte, NC
McGlohon Theatre
Aug-18 Thu
Atlanta, GA
Variety Playhouse
Aug-19 Fri
Jackson, Mississippi
Fire Club
Aug-20 Sat
New Orleans, LA
HOB
TOURING ITINERARY
Extreme Processors • morpheusEFX.com
• Proprietary polyphonic pitch Shifter
• Pitch up a 2nd, 5th 1 octave or 2 full octaves
• Pitch down a 2nd, 4th, 5th 1 octave or 2 full octaves
• Features a 3 octave foot controlled Dive Bomb!
• Bright backlit indicators
• IN, OUT and power supply jacks (power supply included)
• Rugged cast-metal chassis
• Two-year limited warranty
©2010 XP Audio Inc. All Rights Reserved Morpheus CAPO DropTune and BomberPedal are trademarks of XP Audio Inc. Specifications are subject to change.
Bomber
The
pedal
Salt Lake City, USA • A division of XP Audio Inc. • ph. 801.265.0917
Dynamic foot controlled tremolo allows for smooth pitch shifting striking a perfect balance between control and ease of use
Foot controlled bypass allows instant effect toggle on/off
USB plug allows for software updates
Foot controlled select button controls the increment and decre-ment of the pitch.
A founding member of the seminal thrash metal icons, Dave Ellefson is back and bigger than ever! The Sound sits down with the man who puts the `Mega` in Megadeth!
The Sound: After some time away, you’re back with the legendary MEGADETH. How’s the new record coming along, and what can we expect from it?
Dave Ellefson: The record is almost done now and will be mixed in July while we are on tour.
TS: What is it like playing with
some newer blood, namely Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick?
DE: It’s been really good. Chris is such a guitar freak that he can literally play anything. Shawn has a great back beat feel and that creates a really tight and punchy rhythm section.
Mega-Bass!
Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth
Mega-Chops!
TS: How does the creative
process happen in Megadeth?
DE: It always starts with a riff.
We compile the riffs to create a song and then
we work on vocal melodies and lyrics after that.
TS: There’s
also a deluxe 25th anniversary “Peace Sells...But Who’s Buying?” box set coming out. What can you tell us about that?
DE: It’s a
celebration release for all of us, band and fans alike. It has some various mixes and a show that was recorded live from back in 1986 in Cleveland, OH with that recording’s lineup. It’s pretty cool to hear what the band sounded like back then, very raw and live!
our career down there because we went there so early on. There is a real synergy between us and those audiences that can’t be duplicated anywhere else on the planet. That’s what’s cool about playing metal music is that it is popular
everywhere
but each culture
responds to it in their own unique way that is really spectacular. South America is one of those continents who do their own special thing with the music and the live shows.
TS: In that touring
schedule, who are you looking forward to most in terms of the hang?
DE: The Big 4 is a
great hang, for sure. Likewise, MAYHEM will be cool because of the variety of bands
on the bill.
TS: Do you have
a special favorite place to play?
Every place has its own unique vibe.
TS: Can you tell
us if there are any talks to get any more Big 4 show dates in the US?
DE: There is nothing planned
after Yankee Stadium but then again, that show was
announced only a few days after the Indio, California show, which was intended to
DE: The Big 4 shows are really
special and we go up and give it our all for the hour we have to play. Obviously, Yankee Stadium is just cool to play there, period! MAYHEM will be cool because we are the veteran band on that bill. In some ways to go up there lean and mean and just knock a 60 minute set out of the park without a bunch of frills is a throwback to our style of yesteryear. As for South America, that has been one of the most special audiences of
TS: You’ve got some huge
tours happening this year, with The Big 4 in Europe and also Yankee Stadium, as well as the Rockstar Mayhem Festival and some South America dates. What will you have up your sleeve for these shows?
be the only USA date. So, we just roll with it because there is no deadline or end in sight with that lineup.
TS: What’s the scoop on the
Dave Ellefson signature bass from Jackson?
DE: We rolled out the first
version through the Custom Shop, which are the exact same professional level basses I play on tour. We are now working on releasing a less expensive version so everyone can afford a David Ellefson signature bass from Jackson, which I’m sure will make my fans quite happy. Stay tuned to www.
jacksonguitars.com for more info on that in the coming weeks.
TS: Also, SIT is
making a signature string set for you. Could you tell us about it?
DE: I tried their
strings a couple years ago and they really knocked me out. They have a great feel, fantastic
tone and they really do stay in tune as they promise. My strings are a custom guage of .45, .65, .80, .105 and .128 for the five string sets. I definitely recommend them!
TS: Are you playing both 4
and 5 string basses on the new record?
DE: I do play songs in both four
and five string tunings but most of it is five string. I’ve become accustomed now to the five
string because of the low, lows that really create a heaviness to the overall sound of the band. That is one good thing about tuning to standard A-440 tunings is that the instruments really respond the way they were intended to when they were invented. Modern music with lower tunings really creates intonation problems, as well as being able to properly capture that low bass guitar punch in those registers.
TS: How have you been getting
your tones in the studio?
DE: I do a DI and on this record
used two microphones on a Hartke Hy Drive 810 cabinet. One created a low frequency
warm-ness while the other more growl and punch. Together, all three signal inputs gave us a tight, punchy but thrash tone.
TS: What about your live bass
rig?
DE: Live I rut the Jackson
Concert basses through a Shure wireless into a Radial DI for FOH and splits into my onstage amp rack. That consists of a Peterson rack mount Strobo-Rack tuner into a Hartke LH-1000 head that
powers two Hartke HyDrive 810 cabs. My tone settings are pretty much straight up at 12 o clock flat with the ‘bright’ switch in. Those heads are so powerful we run the volume on ‘2’. The only effect is a Digitech stereo chorus. It’s pretty simple and straight forward because I want the tone to come from my hands, not an amp rig telling me how to play.
TS: What was the one moment
in your life where you knew that your direction would be music?
DE: It was at age 11. I started
hearing rock n roll on the radio as a kid so I asked my mom to buy me a bass, which I got the summer of 1976. That year I got a BTO album “Not Fragile” and
KISS “Destroyer” and those albums inspired me to get going on the bass guitar. Another pinnacle age was at 16 I had a powerful instinct that hit me at rehearsal that I NEEDED to get out to Los Angeles ASAP. Obviously when I went in the house and told my parents I was going to quit school and move immediately they had other plans! But, I followed that instinct and planned the remaining two years of my high school days accordingly by practicing, gigging, recording and doing every musical activity I could find. Then, five days after I graduated high school I moved to LA with three friends. Less than a week after I arrived there I met Dave Mustaine and we started Megadeth that month,
“I think it is vital to follow your gut, your
heart and your dreams because when we are
young those are the times to really pursue
those things. We have the rest of our lives to
‘have something to fall back on’ or go get a
‘real job’.”
June 1983.
For that reason, I think it is vital to follow your gut, your heart and your dreams because when we are young those are the times to really pursue those things. We have the rest of our lives to ‘have something to fall back on’ or go get a ‘real job’.
TS: The music industry has
changed quite a bit since your book, “Making Music Your Business: A Guide For Young Musicians” was first published. What additional advice would you give up-and-comers in the current climate?
DE: Interestingly enough, the
final chapter of that book was about the Internet, which was a brand new tool at that time in the mid 1990’s when the book was published. I think a volume two to follow up my book could be based almost entirely on the Internet and how it has changed the music business, its opportunities and really our lives in general. I think now musicians have to be entrepreneurial more than ever. The Internet now puts that power in every musician’s hands like never before.
TS: As an artist who plays in a
band that focuses on albums as a whole, what do you feel about iTunes downloads of one song at a time?
DE: Historically, in the 1950s
and 60s the culture was much more based on singles, like iTunes so we’ve actually kind of returned back to that. That’s why those themed 50’s type diners have juke boxes that feature a
single with a b-side.
Then, in the later 1960s and 70s it turned into an LP, or AOR (album oriented rock) format. That was the generation I was introduced to music in and it changed how the industry sold music, programmed radio and even promoted the concert tour business as we know it today. I remember bands I liked only got FM radio play but sold half a million albums and would sell out 10,000 seat arenas! Today, bands can sell a million albums, be played all over FM radio and barely sell 500 tickets to their shows.
Again, the Internet has let the public have a much bigger say in how they want their music rather than the industry dictating that to us anymore. So, if we only want to buy one song we can and most newer bands have to join that mind set in order to survive. Some of us long time legacy bands still get to make full length albums but even still we may only play a few of them live and then we revert back to the classics so many of our fans want to hear. The whole thing may even change for us at some point, too.
TS: How do you view social
media in the role of a band’s marketing?
DE: With record sales down
for record companies their marketing budgets are smaller, too. So, social media has once again put the power/obligation in the hands of artists to promote their activities. I’m really active with it so I enjoy it. I think younger, newer bands today
embrace it because computers and the Internet have been in their hands practically since birth, so they are used to it.
TS: What is the new business
model for up-and-coming touring bands?
DE: I think the days of a
record company handing you a huge check and tour support are definitely over. Once you make an album, you really have to get out and perform live. Fortunately, there are other outlets like energy drink companies and sponsorships that aid bands with this and I think that is definitely part of the touring model now.
TS: What about the recording industry?
DE: Labels get absorbed every
week in our industry and now there are alcohol/energy drink companies who are offering up record deals for bands. I think the idea of a ‘label’ is changing and those names are becoming Red Bull, Jagermeister, etc. rather than just Warner Bros. and Sony.
TS: Will album-oriented rock
music ever make a strong comeback in the mainstream versus the pop stars?
DE: Some genres endear their
fans to album-oriented releases but more and more it is about singles or at least EPs now, which for the artist may mean less songs per release but it also cuts down dramatically on album production costs, too. So many start up bands make a lot of their money by selling ©2010, T
merchandise and even CD’s at their shows that the traditional channels of record stores is becoming the smaller piece of the pie now. Again, it comes down to artists being creative in carving out their unique business models and taking control of their destinies instead of leaving everything in the hands of the old record business model that is going the way of the dinosaur anyway.
TS: On to some lighter topics
- the bonus lightning question round! What are your top 5 personal most influential albums?
DE: Kiss-Alive BTO- Not Fragile Iron Maiden- Killers Yes- 90125
Rush- All The World’s A Stage TS: Do you have a “Number
One” instrument?
DE: I have many instruments for many uses. Right now my Jackson Concert basses are really doing it well for me live. Who would be in your dream-team rock supergroup?
I don’t like super groups because its all based on marketing rather than creating great music. I’d much rather work with people who are creative together first and foremost rather than trying to fit a bunch of famous people in a room based on their names so someone can go out and ‘sell it’. At the end of the day, we were all unknown at some point and then got famous because we created
something special with other unknown musicians. Fame is a byproduct, not THE product. TS: If you could jam with
anyone that you haven’t already played with, who would it be?
DE: I’ve jammed with quite a few people but I think Al Dimeola would be pretty rippin’.
TS: What current band would
you most like to hear cover a Megadeth song, and what song would it be?
DE: How about if Adele did “A Tout Le Monde”?!
TS: Are there any newer bands
that are just blowing your doors off right now?
DE: There are some great metal releases coming out this year. Everything from 3 Inches of Blood and Arch Enemy and I’m looking forward to hearing new Godsmack and other release from bands on the MAYHEM tour this summer.
TS: What interests do you
have away from music and your family?
DE: We do a lot of sports together. We do everything from basketball to baseball, soccer, football, etc. The latest sport is now ping pong, which completely rules!
TS: Do you have anything else
you’d like to share? You’ve got the last word...
DE: New Megadeth album out shortly. Until then, see you on tour!
Return of
The King
The King
As half of Quid Pro Quo, Brett Garsed was on the vanguard of shred fusion playing. He`s worked with everyone from pop sensations to guitar`s most acclaimed players. After enjoying life and music in his native Australia, Garsed is back, and ready to talk chops, chums, and his latest offering, Dark Matter.
The Sound: Growing up in Australia, do you have a particular moment you knew music, guitar, and songwriting would be a really big part of your life?
Brett Garsed: My brother
was the original owner of a cheap Maton semi-acoustic but as he was 10 years older than me and entrusted to
a gig in the nearest city of running the family
farm after my father passed away he had no more time to
play it. I used to get it out from under the bed when I was about 10 and look at it while listening to his Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin albums. My brother in law showed me how to read chord diagrams and then I just experimented from there. Mind you, AC/DC did
huge effect on me as well and is one of the most original musicians to emerge in a long time.
TS: For those that aren’t
as familiar with your work, can you tell us about your background and what projects you’ve been involved with, prior to Nelson, and then with Nelson and beyond?
BG: My first professional gig was with John Farnham who is still Australia’s most popular artist, most definitely in terms of concert sales anyway. I was offered a gig with him after sending out many demo tapes in late 1985 and then in 1986 I was the only guitarist on his “Whispering Jack” album which went on to become the highest selling album in Australian history. I toured and recorded with him until 1990 when I moved to America to join Nelson. I pretty much worked with John exclusively all that time as he was such a huge phenomenon that we were always busy. It was one of the most exciting times of my life.
TS: The new record is “Dark
Matter” - can you tell us the story behind it, and how long it took to write?
BG: The writing happened surprisingly quickly to be honest. I had 2 songs that had been kicking around for a while and “Avoid The Void” was already written Castlemaine, Victoria in 1974
which I attended (I was 11) and that was the thing that sealed my fate so I blame Angus and Malcolm! TS: Who are your earliest
influences on guitar, and what got you into jazz and fusion?
BG: Ritchie Blackmore was my earliest influence followed by David Gilmour, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton etc. It was all classic rock that my older brother listened to. Jeff Beck’s “Blow By Blow” and “Wired” albums pretty much introduced to fusion and it was Larry Carlton that really sealed it. I was fascinated by how Larry could weave through the chords with the most beautiful melodies but was playing with a rock sound. Then I heard Allan Holdsworth and considering it was already natural for me to be a legato style player I really loved his sound but I also loved his compositions. I still don’t have a hope of understanding any of it at any kind of
technical level which to me proves that music far beyond the analytical mind of the listener can still reach them at an emotional level which is absolutely where Allan’s music reaches me. He’s as heartfelt and emotional as any blues musician in my opinion. Scott Henderson was the next profound influence and he’s my favourite musician to this day. Frank Gambale had a
but everything else was from a blank canvas and I was really glad to find out that it was very different from the material on “Big Sky”. I wanted to explore some heavier textures as I’d had a 7 string for a while and after recording “Quantum” with Planet X I wanted to use that sound more. I definitely don’t listen to other people or guitarists when I’m writing as my main focus in music is originality so I just dig into my own creativity and keep going until I’m happy with the results regardless of style or whatever I think other people’s reaction to it may be. TS: Where was the “Dark
Matter” disc produced, recorded, and mastered at?
BG: Everyone recorded at home in their own studios or rehearsal spaces and Ric Fierabracci and I mixed and mastered it by sending Logic files back and forth to each other from LA to Australia. Ric is the genius behind the sound, I just added some production tweaks here and there but it certainly wouldn’t sound the way it does without him!
TS: I think the song “James
Bong (License to Chill)” has to be my favourite title of the album - what’s the story behind it?
BG: Well, that’s the danger of working titles that stick!
I just thought it’d be funny to see James Bond as a stoner as he’s pretty much a hard drinker. Perhaps Dave Chappelle could play him? :) TS: Can you tell us a
background with “Be Here Now”, “If Only”, and “Poison Dwarf”, my personal favourite cuts from the record?
BG: “Be Here Now” is
actually my favourite song as it’s my purely melodic side and is also predominantly a slide guitar song. I love playing melody
and to be honest, I think I screwed myself over by getting caught up in the whole “chops” thing. I believe my main strength as a musician is in writing and improvising strong
melodies but I’ve already type cast myself as a “shredder” and I’ll probably never shake it. All the melodies and solos on “Be Here Now” are first take improvisations which why I love that song as it’s very honest. “If Only” was the first new song I wrote and just happened to be a ballad although I like the twist it takes in the mid-section where I attempt a David Gilmour impersonation. I used my Gibson 336 for the main melodies and solos, then switched to the ESP Horizon for the rock solo. “Poison Dwarf” had been around for a while in a general state of disrepair so I decided to finish
it for this album. It’s just a good fun blow but it seems to be one of the more popular tracks.
TS: Can you tell our readers
who you played with on this album?
BG: Virgil Donati guests on the title track “Dark Matter”. I really wanted to write a song specifically for Virgil, especially after working with him on so many of his own
tunes. He’s such a unique and original artist so it was an honour to have him play on my song. Gerry Pantazis and Phil Turcio have been working with me in our fusion group “Damage” for about 3 years so it was an obvious choice to have them on the album. They’re just incredible, world class musicians who should be more well-known than they are. Ric has always been the man for my solo stuff but I also wanted to have Craig Newman on a track so he played the main bass track on “Enigma” and Ric took the solo. I just happen to know 2 of the best bassists in the world and I wanted to have them both on the album. TS: Tell us about the gear
you used in the studio when recording this album...
BG: My Bogner Ecstasy was the main amp although I used my THD BiValve for some of the clean, ambient sounds. Native Instruments “Guitar Rig” was heavily used for ambient and effect sounds as well and it’s an amazing program. The blue ESP Horizon was the main guitar for solos but I also used my Steinberger GS which has the Fernandez Sustainer pickup built into it. The Gibson ES 336 was used extensively and as I said, an LTD 7 string was used for heavier textures. The Bogner ran into a Hughes & Kettner 4x12 cab which was close miced with a Shure SM
57. I built a large box to put the cab in so it would cut down noise. I’d prefer to use a room sound but I guess I’ll need a room before I can do that!
TS: Are there any upcoming
shows in the next couple of months with you and your band?
BG: We’ll be doing some gigs during July here in Melbourne but other than that, it’s
impossible financially to tour independently as it’s just too cost prohibitive so there won’t be any more shows. I can barely raise the money to make the albums let alone take a band on the road so it’s just not going to happen unless a promoter puts their hand up.
TS: How did you get into
playing such a unique legato style with hybrid picking, and also what got you into playing slide guitar?
BG: As I said, my focus my entire life has been
originality instead of copying people. I did that out of
respect for the musicians that moved me and it’s the main thing I recognized that I loved about their playing. David Lindley is my favourite slide player but it was Rick Formosa of The Little River Band and Joe Walsh that got me started. I tried standard tuning at first which was dreadful and a friend suggested I tune my
© F ab io P iti sci , 2008
guitar to open E so I bought a cheap Les Paul copy and that allowed me to develop control over the muting to the point that I could go back to standard after a while. Because of Joe Walsh, I wear the slide on my second finger so when I had the idea to angle it to achieve major third intervals it worked. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I found an old YouTube clip of Jeff Beck doing it back in the early 70’s so he really is every bit the innovator we’ve come to know and love. I really must mention Sonny Landreth as a big influence as well. I’ve adopted his approach of using my fingers in front of and behind the slide and it’s a great technique. Once again, a true innovator.
TS: What advice would you
give an advanced player to playing over fusion changes?
BG: Just take it slowly and even approach 2 or 3 changes at a time to develop a flow and see how they link together. There’s always a way to make even the most angular changes work and I’m definitely saying this from the perspective of a listener and in no way as a master improviser! Listen to Scott Henderson, Allan Holdsworth, Michael Brecker or any of the true geniuses and let them lead the way.
TS: How did you and Ric
Fierabracci first meet and jam together?
BG: Back in 1995 TJ Helmerich was running a live sound class at Musicians Institute and he had to keep bringing in different configurations of bands for the students to mix. One of them was TJ and I, Virgil and Ric. To say I was blown away by Ric’s playing is still an understatement. He is a true master of his instrument, a consummate professional and it’s a crime that he’s not a household name amongst all musicians, least of all bassists. We’ve been like family ever since and I’m still trying to talk him out of working with me because he deserves much better!
TS: Do you have any plans to
make another record with TJ Helmerich in the future?
BG: No plans unfortunately but I’d love to do it. It’d be tough as TJ and I like to write together but seeing as I live in Australia and he’s in LA one of us would have to pay for a plane ticket and there’s no budget for that I’m afraid. Never say never, though. TS: Could you share a story
from the making of the Quid Pro Quo or Exempt albums?
BG: Making those albums was probably the most positive experience of my musical life, especially Quid
Pro Quo. I’d just finished a year of touring with Nelson and of course ended up making no money from it, at least no money considering we’d had a national #1 single
and the album had sold 3 million copies. Ripped off by record and management companies again! TJ and I had been trying to figure out how to make individual solo albums for Mark Varney but his budgets were so small it was almost impossible until we came up with the idea of combining our efforts and budgets to make one album so Mark agreed to that. TJ was working at Cherokee studios in LA at the time to so the Robbs who were the owners were very supportive and gave us a lot of down time. We did the basic tracks there with Bobby Rock on drums, Gary Willis on bass and Paul Mirkovich on keys. TJ then had the idea to put smpte code (time code) on one track of his Fostex 8 track reel to reel (this was LONG before ADATs) and put a stereo mix of the basic tracks on 2 more tracks, leaving us 5 tracks to do solos and melodies at his apartment. We weren’t sure if it’d work and we’d be able to fly the tracks back to the original 24 track tape but we decided to go for it and it did indeed work which only proves what a visionary TJ really is, not only as a musician but as a recording engineer. Definitely ahead of his time! We wrote everything in a week and it was the most free-flowing and enjoyable time I’ve ever
had as a musician. We were both broke off our asses and ended up calling the first song “Subway” because that’s all
we could afford to eat every day, Subway sandwiches. I’ve never had so many first take solos as on that album, mainly because you could punch in but if you tried to punch out in the middle of a take it would leave a huge gap so it was better to just go for full takes. None of those solos have any edits and we used the same process for “Exempt” as well. Every time I hear the songs from “Quid Pro Quo” I feel great as they hold very special memories for me and represent everything that I consider to be wonderful about music and being a musician.
TS: One last question about
the old days - what was it like working on Centrifugal Funk with Frank Gambale, Jimmy Earl, and the late, great Shawn Lane?
BG: I did my solos first
which was just as well as if I’d heard what Frank and Shawn were going to play I probably would have run away in fear! I had just finished doing my tracks at Fast Forward studios in Orange County when Frank arrived and I got to meet him for the first time. He’s been such a huge influence on me and it was an incredible honour to meet him, let alone appear on an album with him. He is one of the greatest musicians of our time that’s for sure. I got to meet Shawn a few years later, just before
he released “Powers Of Ten” and it was an experience I’ll never forget. He was a true genius and one of the most humble people so it was in itself a humbling experience to meet him. Such a powerful gift and so tragic that he’s not still with us. Speaking of Shawn, I was touring with Bobby Rock and Carl Carter in early ‘92 I think and we were playing in Memphis so we met Shawn and I think Barry Bays at Shawn’s mother’s house. I’m hoping this is correct so forgive me if I’m a bit foggy on the details. He played us some of “Powers Of Ten” and I listened in total disbelief as he explained to me that he tracked the drums live and un-quantized by playing them on individual keys on the piano in real time. He then jammed with us later that night. We were playing one of Bobby’s tunes which had a very
involved melody and I showed it to Shawn and of course it represented absolutely no problem to him whatsoever. The drum clinic was at least 2 hours long and this was the last song and to my absolute amazement, he got up on stage and remembered every note of what I’d showed him so he really did have a photographic memory for music and probably everything else. Like I said, a true genius in an age when that word gets thrown around like confetti.
TS: Do you have any
plans for any more books or instructional DVDs in the future?
BG: No, I can’t really think of anything to offer that hasn’t already been covered by people much more qualified than me. I like my latest DVD as it covers my unique approach to hybrid picking and slide. I don’t recall anyone using the pick and remaining 3 fingers until I did it and no one had ever discussed angling the slide the way I do it, at least in an instructional setting. My first video on REH was released back in 1994 and as I said, I’d seen most of the videos and no one had ever talked much about hybrid picking, let alone incorporating the 4th finger of the right hand so I feel that makes those instructional releases relevant in that the things I’m discussing seem to be unique to myself.
TS: Have you still been
teaching Skype lessons?
BG: I’ve done a couple but it’s a question of time as I’m all the way over in Australia so the time zones can be a bit confusing. Also, if I have other work I have to prioritize that. I’m not sure how much people are prepared to pay for a fuzzy image of a guy on their computer screen so I have no idea what to charge.
TS: Are you still doing master
classes and teaching at Musicians Institute?
BG: Seeing as I’m living in Australia, no, but if I’m ever back in LA I’d be honoured if they’d let me back in the door. It’s an amazing school and anyone that has the opportunity to study there is very fortunate.
TS: Do you have any advice
for up-and-coming players about practice routines or what to study?
BG: My best piece of advice is to keep it varied as it will ensure you’re a well-rounded musician and will also prevent burnout. You can only practise your favourite things for so long before they become boring so rotate the subject and keep the sessions short so that it keeps motivation up. Instead of practising picking of whatever for 3 hours straight, break the 3 hours up into shorter sessions that are interspersed with other techniques and also a bit of reading etc.
TS: Are you involved in any
other projects you want us to know about at this current time?
BG: Nothing at the moment... I have some
touring coming up at the end of the year with John Farnham so I’ll probably wait till next year before I figure out what I’m going to do next.
TS: Do you have a favourite
career highlight with you and your guitar?
BG: The highlight to be
perfectly honest is that I’m still alive and making somewhat of a living as a musician. This is a really tough industry and I consider myself very, very fortunate for everything I’ve been able to experience and am still experiencing so I’m an extremely grateful person. TS: What’s the best place for
our readers to pick up “Dark Matter”?
BG: If they’d like a personally autographed copy they can order it directly from me at
www.brettgarsed.com or they can get it from www. abstractlogix.com or iTunes. It’s easy to find.
TS: Ok, great! You’ve got
the last word.
BG: I’ll quote Jimi. “Make love, not war”.
