SCOTT ABEYTA: LAYING THE TRACK THAT MOTOR-VATES THE BLUES EXPRESS by ED HUERTA

First off, it’s great to be back here on Jackaboutguitars.com. This post will reside in the “Art N Soul” Section of the blog. This is where I will be uncovering the lesser known personalities out there plying their craft. It’s not about Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck(the guys who became successful long ago), though I will listen if their people want to set up an interview.

This column will try to get some talented people out there to you, the guitar fan, that will hopefully appreciate these collective talents. Enough yakkin’ and on to the story…

SCOTT ABEYTA – GUITARIST FOR WHITEBOY JAMES AND THE BLUES EXPRESS

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A SAUCERFUL OF STRATS by PETE PROWN

Note: Jackaboutguitars would like to thank Pete Prown for providing this cool article to the site.

Pete Prown is a “noted American guitaraist and music journalist” who has written many guitar books including ‘Legends of Rock Guitar’ which he co-wrote with author and guitarist HP Newquist and ‘Shred!: The Ultimate Guide to Warp-Speed Guitar’ which he co-wrote with Rich Maloof. Pete is the GEAR EDITOR at VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE and is also the leader of the “progressive rock” band Guitar Garden. Pete’s guitar music can be found at www.cdbaby.com/Artist/GuitarGarden. For more of Pete’s guitar work see EAR CANDY.

PINK FLOYD’S CD CATALOG GETS A MASSIVE REISSUE

By any standard, Pink Floyd has one of the mightiest catalogs in rock ‘n’ roll, a 14-album pantheon from 1967 to 1994 that has few rivals. Every so often, EMI remasters the batch with fresh sonics and, no question, this latest round gives Floydheads serious reason to rejoice. Let’s take a peek and check out the new goodies.

The big news is what’s being called the “Immersion” and “Experience” editions of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall (this last one coming out in a 7-CD/DVD set). The Immersion sets are expensive, multi-disc sets with CDs, books, new artwork, and swag, but cooler are the Experience sets, which are expanded 2-CD editions. Every other disc in the Floyd catalog is being reissued as single “Discovery” discs that are simply remastered.

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JIM MARSHALL – A BIT ABOUT ‘THE FATHER OF LOUD’ by RICH MALOOF

JIM MARSHALL – ‘THE FATHER OF LOUD’

The title of this post says quite a bit about the man responsible for the sound that Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and even Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins, to name just a few, came to make their own. Jim Marshall, R.I.P.

I’m usually not one who deals very well with even the mention of the word de@+#. Concerning it, I’ve never had sadder times in my life. I’m hoping, Lord willing, that I still have a bit of time left on this Earth, upon this treadmill I call life, to get various things accomplished that I would like to do. Only time will tell. I haven’t made any mention of all the guitarists and musicians of late who have stepped away from the planet as that’s just not my gig (see 1st sentence above).

However, if you’re into keeping up on thoses types of things, have I got a link for you! Also, this is where I’m making a special exception to the rule about any stories concerning the d-word. An important contributor to Jackaboutguitars, Author & Noteworthy Guitarist Rich Maloof, who wrote a biography of Jim Marshall called “The Father of Loud,” was just recently interviewed by Anchor Marco Werman of BBC/PRI’s ‘The World’.

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BRING IT ON HOME – JIMMY PAGE WALKS INTO A NEW FUTURE WITH AN OLD FRIEND by H P NEWQUIST

It’s time to take a few steps back in time and pick up a little bit of rock and roll history about one of the guitar greats of our day. He was a member of The Yardbirds and the theremin playing guitarist of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page.

H P NEWQUIST is a gifted writer and guitarist whose works have made there way across the planet more times than anyone can even begin to guess at. He has received numerous awards and citations for his works. A former Editor in Chief at Guitar Magazine, HP Newquist is the man responsible for The National GUITAR Museum and serves as the Executive Director. He has also written many guitar books including Legends of Rock Guitar which he co-wrote with author and guitarist Pete Prown as well as articles for Billboard, Guitar Shop, and Guitar Player Magazine. He has conducted interviews with many of the “greats” in the guitar world. He is also responsible for The Way They Play books, which teach “guitarists how to play and sound like their favorite artists“. His co-writer on the series is RichMaloof, author, guitarist, and editor. Jackaboutguitars is proud to be able to reprint another of HP Newquist’s fine works, an interview he did a while back with Jimmy Page. Newquist’s works are truly a pleasure to read! Many thanks HP for all of your contributions to this fine instrument which we all treasure. Enjoy. – Jack

JIMMY PAGE IS THE ONLY ROCK GUITAR ICON FROM THE BLUES-BASED BRITISH INVASION WHO STILL MATTERS. THINK ABOUT IT.

As the blues-rock of the late ’60s hurtled towards the hard rock of the ’70s, four men were pushing the limits: Jimi Hendrix, and the Yardbird triumvirate of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Page. Jimi Hendrix is gone. This apparently doesn’t affect his legacy, but it does affect his ability to create new music that still matters, regardless of how many “lost” recordings are posthumously released.

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GUITARS FOR VETS – THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC IN THE HANDS OF HEROES

NOW THERE’S A WAY WE ALL CAN GIVE BACK TO THOSE WHO GAVE IT ALL

At Jackaboutguitars, we’re all about anything guitar – as the tagline says, “just a fun little guitar site“. Anytime that anything guitar can bring about an awareness of something worthwhile, cool, or plain old fun that someone else is doing with guitars, we just have to include it on the website.

If you have been reading Jackaboutguitars, you’ll probably remember the story “ED VAN HALEN’S BIG GUITAR SECRET REVEALED…” If you didn’t get a chance to read it, it’s a story about Ed Van Halen’s donation of 75 EVH electric guitars to the Los Angeles School District. “Music education and families are dealing with the economic times,” Ed said in a statement, “and I wanted to help them. Playing music has provided a good life for me”, said Van Halen. “Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.” What a cool, generous move on Ed’s part. Here’s another story that everyone out there can be a part of. This story is just too good.

THE STORY OF GUITARS FOR VETS

Did you ever think that you could help someone else in such an epic way as this just by donating a guitar? Guitars for Vets is a really great program which helps Vets who suffer with the effects of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

THE GUITARS FOR VETS VISION:

“Our primary focus is using the healing power of music to help our veterans. Whether we agree or disagree with the decision to go to war, one thing is for certain: there are men and women who bravely fight for and honorably represent our country. As a consequence of war, many of our soldiers come home with physical and emotional injuries. They need our help.”

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CORY DAVIS: THE BEST GUITARIST YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF… by Ed Huerta

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUTHOR

World renowned artist and writer Ed Huerta, is making his 2nd appearance at Jackaboutguitars. ”The Prince of Primitive” was born in Los Angeles and currently resides in Long Beach, California. A longtime musician, Ed has played in several L.A./O.C. bands, including The Jack Brewer Band, The Lazy Cowgirls, The Final Tourguides, Moist and Meaty, Mind Over 4, The Silly Millions, & Eddie & The Trays. He has also toured the U.S. and Europe as a drummer. Huerta started painting in 2007 as a way to relieve stress and to forget about everyday problems.

Many of his paintings involve fictional situations comprised of famous iconic people i.e. Elvis Presley, John F. Kennedy, Paul Lynde, Groucho Marx, Brian Wilson, & the likes of Charles Manson. Several musicians, from jazz and blues icons/legends, to hard-working local musicians, are highlighted in his paintings. Many of these paintings hang in the homes of famous artists and musicians and local Long Beach and Orange County establishments have Huerta’s work hanging on their walls and garden areas.

“Someone once told me that it looks like I’m grasping at that line between bad taste and achieving utter genius. Many of my paintings reflect the battle of Good vs. Evil, or the battle within oneself. My upbringing seems to permeate a lot of my work…the heaven and the hell along with the humor that one has to have to deal with every day life, whether it’s the fire one has to endure or brings upon himself, or the goodness one strives to accomplish.”

“I started painting with acrylic on canvas, hardboard and wood surfaces. I like to recreate on round wood tabletops, old 78 rpm record labels. I like the look that old 78 labels had.” Ed has more recently experimented with oils in a lot of his portrait of jazz icon series work. “The oils are warmer, breathe better…have a more life-like feel to them…but an obvious disadvantage for a left-hander!” Ed continues to play music (currently drumming in Lord Ransom and his Ranch Hands) and paint while his wife and two English Bulldogs and 3 cats lounge around and cheer him on. The following article on Cory Davis: THE BEST GUITARIST YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF is Ed Huerta’s second contribution to Jackaboutguitars. Enjoy. – Jack

A note from Author Ed Huerta : I would like to clarify one thing about this and future articles I will be doing for Jackaboutguitars. If you come to this column and expect to read about Eric Clapton, James Hetfield, or even John Mayer, then please, move on. In this column, I’ll be writing about lesser known guitarists and musicians.

I am hoping to spread the word about and open your eyes to other genres or talented players that are out there entertaining nightly in bars and clubs. This doesn’t mean that these people have lesser talent or abilities. As a past and current part-time musician, fame is basically a crapshoot, with the music industry churning out and chewing up artists, as they deem necessary, anointing certain people with “Starpower” while others spend years honing their craft on stages and barroom concrete floors.

I would like to use this column for people to get a glimpse behind the scenes of what these musicians’ deal with and the spirit and influences that drive them forward. As Jack from jackaboutguitars shows on this website, the guitar and music are powerful tools that drive people to push limits, and if the spirit really gets inside of you, it’s a lifelong commitment. Thank you Dear Readers for understanding my reasons and now please read on. I hope you enjoy these brief moments inside the world of guitar players and their journeys… – Ed Huerta

CORY DAVIS: THE BEST GUITARIST YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF…

Before I get into Cory’s story and history, let me take a few minutes and explain to some casual readers or fans of music how this interview opened up my eyes to the true musician’s world. Upon writing this article, I stumbled upon certain truths that musicians hold dear. Now I’m not talking about your pre-fabricated, record company, spoon fed, you know whos; not talking about the people that have never played a nightclub or a bar; or if they did show up onstage in a seedy area of town, would get their @*%^# kicked immediately by patron reaction to their soulless crap. I’m talking about gut-busting blues, about music from the soul, about paying ones dues, about accepting your gift and taking it as far as the world will let you take it, regardless of consequences or fame.

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SKILL SWEETENERS

WELCOME TO SKILL SWEETENERS

Who doesn’t enjoy the chance to sweeten one’s skills? No matter what you’re into, what you enjoy working, or playing at, what you do for a living, whatever. Whenever one has the opportunity to sweeten his or her skills in that endeavor, it’s usually a pretty cool happening thing to do. It’s always been a fun thing to have a little bit of an edge going with something that you like to pride yourself on.

This section of Jackaboutguitars is the place to find information that is aimed at helping take YOU to the next level, regardless of where you presently are with your guitar related skills. In other words, the opportunity to have your Skills Sweetened will hopefully be found right here for you. Whether you’re a beginner, an all around player, or even the guy who’s been around the block so many times that he’s dizzy and miles ahead of everyone else, resources will be provided here that should hopefully help stir up the BEAST WITHIN by showing some of the cool things out there that are available to YOU.

iPerform 3D - IMAGINE A GUITAR INSTRUCTOR THAT IS AVAILABLE 24/7 FOR YOU AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE. HOW COOL IS THAT?

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BRAIN FOOD

THIS is the BIRTH of BRAIN FOOD.

I will continue to add titles to the BRAIN FOOD section of the blog as time permits. Some of the resources might help you to play even better than you do now and others will help you to even want to play better, no matter how skillful you may be at your craft. I hope that you’ll take advantage of some of these fabulous reads. - Jack

HERE ARE SOME RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR YOUR READING AND VIEWING PLEASURE

Brain Food will be offering a selection of guitar delicacies from time to time which will be most gratifying to your cerebral palette. You’ll be pointed in directions that will soothe your consciousness, indoctrinate your faculties, and perhaps even assist you in embracing this excellent instrument even more than you do now. In JackTalk that means you’re gonna love it…

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DAN WEBER IS THE REAL DEAL…

DAN WEBER – SONGWRITER & STORYTELLER

That’s right. Dan Weber is the real deal. ”Dangerous Dan”, a name bestowed upon him on a cold, wintry night in Toronto by legendary songwriter Tom Russell, is a multi award winning songwriter who tells stories in the same tradition of the great cowboy singer songwriters. I just have to list some of the awards that Dan has won during his short time being out there as it’s not just amazing, but totally mind blowing:

2008 Best Lyrics, Portland Songwriter’s Association

”Truth or Consequences”

2008 Best Singer-Songwriter Finalist

Portland Songwriter’s Association

2009 Pacific Northwest Winner

West Coast Songwriter’s Performing Songwriter Competition

2010 Americana Honorable Mention:

“Take the Central Georgia Home”

2010 Portland West Coast Songwriters Best Song:

”Lost and Found”, Portland WCS

2010 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest, Sisters Folk Festival

(1 of 5 National Finalists)

2011 Dan Howell Song of the Year:

”Goodbye to Dad”

2011 Pacific Northwest Winner

West Coast Songwriter’s Performing Songwriter Competition

2011 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest

Semi-Finalist “Goodbye to Dad”

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ADAM FULARA PLAYS BACH FOR THE MASSES

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH ON GUITAR! (not really, but Adam Fulara makes it happen that way)

Mandolin Matt has done it again. He sent some special gems through the airways which landed right here at Jackaboutguitars. In fact, my good friend Justin also sent some of these diamonds my way just a short while after Matt. The way that everyone and everything these days, is and are, flying about through space, cyberspace, your airspace, my airspace, and the crazy space between some folks’ ears that I’m certainly not going to get into right now (as I make it a point to stay away from Senate and House related matters), it’s a wonder this fine footage landed here at Jackaboutguitars without being too heavily taxed.

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FEATURED CREATURE ROCK OCK

Here’s the one I have been waiting to share since I found out about it several months back. The FEATURED CREATURE hands down goes to ROCK OCK. That’s right, ROCK OCK. One might just think, what is this Rock Ock? It sounds like Doc Ock on steroids. Truth of the matter is, for a GUITAR, it IS the closest thing to DOC OCK ON STEROIDS. Rock Ock was created “as an over-the-top center piece for the National GUITAR Museum’s Traveling Exhibit”, “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World“.

Rock Ock is the only playable guitar that has EIGHT necks. This is no typo. Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is one guitarist that comes to mind who might be one who truly would want this guitar in his collection as he is known for playing multi neck guitars. Rock Ock comes complete with a Mandolin, Tenor Uke, 6-String Guitar, Fretless Bass, Fretted Bass, 12-String Guitar, Baritone Guitar, and even a 7-String Guitar. My son in law, metal guitarist and shredder, Brent Kuzmanich would love Rock Ock alone for that 7 string neck.

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GUITAR SHORTY: TEXAS BLUES LEGEND by ED HUERTA

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUTHOR

World renowned artist and writer Ed Huerta, “The Prince of Primitive”, was born in Los Angeles and currently resides in Long Beach, California. A longtime musician, Ed has played in several L.A./O.C. bands, including The Jack Brewer Band, The Lazy Cowgirls, The Final Tourguides, Moist and Meaty, Mind Over 4, The Silly Millions, & Eddie & The Trays. Huerta started painting in 2007 as a way to relieve stress and to forget about everyday problems.

“I started painting with acrylic on canvas, hardboard and wood surfaces. I like to recreate on round wood tabletops, old 78 rpm record labels. I like the look that old 78 labels had.” Ed has more recently experimented with oils in a lot of his portrait of jazz icon series work. “The oils are warmer, breathe better…have a more life-like feel to them…but an obvious disadvantage for a left-hander!” Ed continues to play music (currently drumming in Lord Ransom and his Ranch Hands) and paint while his wife and two English Bulldogs and 3 cats lounge around and cheer him on. The following article on Texas Blues Legend Guitar Shorty is Ed’s first contribution to Jackaboutguitars. Enjoy. – Jack

GUITAR SHORTY: TEXAS BLUES LEGEND

Guitar Shorty is not your common household variety name, though he should be, and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. He is known to have influenced both Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix.

In the world of blues guitarists, Guitar Shorty’s name rings as true as Muhammad Ali’s does to the sport of boxing. Surprisingly enough, Guitar Shorty was not born into this world with this moniker. He was born David William Kearney on September 8, 1939 in Houston, Texas.

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NEEDING/GETTING BY THE BAND OK GO…280 GRETSCH GUITARS @ 2:28

GUITARS BLAZING @ 2:28

This is quite different but very cool. It’s a video by the band OK GO of their song NEEDING/GETTING. Oh yes, and that’s the band in the car playing the music. A different way of playing music while in your car, or should I say with your car?

You may wonder at about 2 minutes in, what the heck is this doing here? What guitars? I see it starts out with a ukelele. I thought that this was jackaboutguitars.com? Am I gettin’ jaked?

This was sent to me by Zak Huerta, guitarist, lover of cars, & drummer like you wouldn’t believe. At about 2:28 in, you will see guitars played like you probably have never seen them played ever before, and with as much speed as I have ever witnessed any shredder play, except with more strings moving air faster than you can imagine. I didn’t count them, but word is that 280 Gretsch guitars are being played! Thanks Zak. Enjoy. – ~~Jake~~ Jack

ED VAN HALEN’S BIG GUITAR SECRET REVEALED…

Ed Van Halen is already making his second appearance at Jackaboutguitars in just two weeks time. That’s quite an accomplishment for anyone.

The Scoop

I can really appreciate it when someone has the ability and just goes for it – goes that extra mile because that’s what he’s all about. That’s the case with Ed Van Halen. My hat is off to him.

I’m not speaking of his incredible ability as a lead guitar player. Anyone who has heard the name Van Halen knows what Ed is all about on guitar. That’s a given. What I’m referring to is the selfless act of generosity which he put forward a few short weeks ago.

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WHAT’S UP DOC? YEP… DOC WATSON & MERLEFEST 2012

A LITTLE ABOUT DOC…

Doc Watson (Arthel Lane Watson at birth) is considered to be one of the BIG talents in music and just by watching and listening to him, the reasons are very apparent why. His flat picking style is the envy of many guitarists, both young and old. At 88 years of age, he does not show any evidence of slowing down any time soon. He has wowed and entertained audiences around the world for over forty years.

An eye infection left Doc blind before his first birthday, but somehow that never seems to have gotten in his way. He got his first guitar from Sears & Roebuck (hey that’s where I got my first real one – see A LITTLE BIT ABOUT…how the guitar bug bit me BIG TIME) which happened to be a $10 Stella, made by the Oscar Schmidt Company. His next guitar was a Martin D-18.

Here’s Doc doing Black Mountain Rag back in 1991.

I can’t even begin to fill you in on who this great man called Doc Watson is and what he is all about, but there is some wonderful reading about him on the Merlefest 2012 website.

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