Reunion Blues Backstage Banter

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We Want Moore…

Gary MooreBut unfortunately due to the tragic death of Irish Superstar Guitar legend Gary Moore over the weekend we wont’ be getting any.  This is not going to be an obituary.  You can get all the pertinents elsewhere if you wish. Rather this is a personal recollection of what the man meant to me and how much he’ll be missed. For my money Gary was the best rock guitarist that the Emerald Isle ever produced along with Rory Gallagher (solo artist, Taste)  and Vivian Campbell (Dio, Def Leppard), apologies to The Edge but the whole looping, delay thing never really did it for me. Coincidentally enough all three of these world-class guitar slingers hailed from the same small six county territory of Northern Ireland! I mean what are the odds?

Gary was probably best known for his work with 70′s rock legends Thin Lizzy, in particular the Black Rose album from the late 70′s, and for his more recent blues endeavors, particularly the blockbuster Still Got The Blues album from the early 90′s. But it was his solo 80′s rock records that first captured my imagination.   Particularly the Corridors of Power (1982), Victims of the Future (1984) and Wild Frontier (1987) releases.  Gary’s playing style combined a ferocious attack with power, fluidity, speed,  melody and feeling unmatched by most in the genre except for perhaps, another long time favorite of mine, Herr Michael Schenker (Scorpions, UFO, MSG) .

Unfortunately for us fans of heavy rock guitar playing Gary pretty much stuck with the blues thing for the last 20 years or so and hadn’t shown much interest in getting back to the Hard Rock style (similar to the way Vivian has disowned his Dio years) until just recently.  Rumor has it that he had been working on a Celtic Rock album in the vein of Wild Frontiers but now, sadly, we’ll likely never hear the results of that.  I must admit that Gary had fallen off of my radar a bit lately until a couple of years ago when my wife gave me the Gary Moore One Night Live In Dublin Tribute to Phil Lynott DVD (video) .  This thing knocked me on my ear! Talk about a master class of Gibson/Marshall tone. Not to mention playing that will have knock your block off. If you’re a fan of heavy rock guitar playing and have never seen this DVD it’s a must have.  Miraculously this man hadn’t lost a thing over the years and if possible was even getting better.  Who does that?? Except for Jeff Beck of course.  Anyway this is my favorite song off of the DVD. It was filmed at the Point Theatre in Dublin Ireland on the same night they raised the Phil Lynott statue on Grafton Street.  I can’t imagine what it must have felt like to be Irish and in the crowd on this night as just watching the DVD made the hair on this Yanks neck stand on end!!  So enjoy and say a small silent thanks and goodbye to a true giant the likes of which may never be seen again  Gary Moore/Scott Goram Black Rose RIP Gary you were a BAD MAN!

And so it begins…

Wish you could have been there to witness this 1/4 million dollar Bentley Continental GT rolling into the Reunion Blues booth last night. – This video was shot at about 4:45 this morning, right after they turned on the house lights. – Good times!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPB2zHFKmD4

Sticker: $248,600.00… But who’s counting?

Besides being the finest in their field, there is a very real connection between this Continental GT and the RB Continental case.

It’s the exhilarating attitude, the rewarding experience of stepping up to undisputed quality… and the prestige that comes with it.

That exhilaration is shared by both the buyer and the seller.

Reunion Blues booth #5968, Hall B.

Bentley and Reunion Blues
Bentley and Reunion Blues

Thanks to Newport Auto Center!

RB Continental Sax Case Demo Video

FEATURES:

• Ballistic Quadraweave™ exterior

• 1″ thick shock-absorbing Flexoskeleton™ with reinforced impact panels

• Unique bell area suspension system

• Velvet Neck Sock

• Zero-G palm-contoured handle with weight distributing foam core

• Quilted “Double Helix” Velvet interior

• Rubberized foam “subway” grip on back

• Interior key guard protection pad

• Knurled Abrasion Grid on bottom resists scuffing

• Large Front panel pocket with additional interior mesh pockets for accessories, including easy access cell phone pocket.

• Large zippered “quick-stash” pocket

• Adjustable shoulder strap

• High-strength corded edges and seams

• Double stitched with high tensile thread and reinforced at tested stress points

I Like Jeff Beck.

 

The one and only Guv'nor in total control

 

Quite a bit actually. Most around here would probably say that’s a major understatement. You could call me a nutswinging fanboi. I participate quite often in guitar message board chat forums and whenever I comes across a Jeff Beck thread it seems that most criticism of him falls primarily into two categories; lack of quality original compositions and whammy abuse. Well even though I don’t necessarily agree I’m not going to address the songwriting issue at this time but I think that those who say they can’t stand his hyperactivity with the tremolo bar are simply misunderstanding or misinterpreting what he’s trying to accomplish. It’s a well known fact that the Guv’nor is fascinated with Eastern melodies and scales which are quite different and contain more “steps” than our traditional Western scales. Some call these micro-tones. And the most efficient way to replicate these types of melodies on guitar is with a whammy bar. Most people’s ears aren’t accustomed to hearing non-Western music and at first it does just sound like random whamsturbation. It takes time for the ear and brain to recalibrate themselves to comprehend micro-tones. So check out this live performance of Nadia from his 2001 relase You Had It Coming and let me know what you think… Jeff Beck – Nadia Live at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

 

Technology in Music

Technology has always seemed to make music much easier to create, and or produce. But is that always the case?

As an audio engineer, I have worked in many studios have acquired a deep passion for technology over the years. Having spent countless hours using everything from vintage compressors and Microphone pre amps, to digital mixers and Pro tools, most times I’ve found, the best albums have come from littlest processing.

If you listen, you can actually hear the technology in today’s recordings. Perhaps you’ve turned on the radio lately to hear “a computer” singing a whole song to you through Auto-Tune. Or heard a hip hop song that uses the looping chorus of an old seventies tune as its hook. Or maybe your buddy gave you a copy of his CD that he wrote, produced, and mastered all himself.

With the advent of the home studio, the everyday musician now has access to more tools than the average studio had their hands on 30 years ago. Well then I beg the question, how come those old songs still are said to be some of the best songs of all time.

Technology can be a double edged sword. With Technology, Comes options, and perhaps too many options at that. (Reverbs, Room calibrations, Near-field monitors, Comb Phasing, Acoustics, ect..) In the past Musicians and engineers were completely separate. (“right brain v.s. left brain”) You see today’s musician now wears many hats; a recording engineer, a promoter, a song writer, a manager, and oh yeah, a composer. With all those responsibilities it’s no wonder why the quality of a “song” has diminished.

Talking to fellow engineers and song writers, there is a collective understanding amongst the community; the least amount of technology in the recording process, the better. “My eight track, My guitar, My song”.