Django Reinhardt met Stephane Grapelli
In 1928 gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt met Stephane Grapelli, a violinst with whom he would have a career long relationship. They were both struggling young musicians attempting to make their way in the jazz scene. In 1933, they finally had the luck to play together in the Quintet of the Hot Club of France (which additionally presented Django’s brother Joseph on rhythm guitar}), an incarnation of the Hotel Claridge Orchestra, The Ultraphone Recording Company offered the band a record deal in 1934, and their initial album sent shock waves through the European jazz scene. This spawned a sequence of band recordings that would elevate the band’s popularity and enable them to play concert halls. It was around this time that the first collection book of Django Reinhardt’s jazz guitar tabs and jazz guitar tablatures was compiled. When World War II started, the band was on tour in London. Django and company retreated to Paris, but Grapelli decided to dwell in London. Because of the German invasion of France, Django grew to become a god in the eyes of the French. He was a national hero who represented a distinctive and totally free spirit that stood tall against the repressive, stiffling character of the German invaders. Django Reinhardt’s star continued to rise. He composed the beautiful tune “Nuages” which would become his signature tune, and eventually replaced Grapelli with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing, encouraged by the pairing of jazz guitar performer Charlie Christian and clarinetist Benny Goodman. This new line-up additionally had drums replacing rhythm guitar, and would sell out shows whenever it played. Django’s popularity spread to include America. In 1946, Django Reinhardt reunited with Stephane Grapelli. They went on to record as a quintet with new members, but Django was in bad health and returned to Paris. Later in 1946 he made his first and only trip to the United States. He was invited to New York’s acclaimed Carnegie Hall to be a featured soloist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He was energized to come to America and his tremendous ego gave him extreme delusions of grandeur. He left his Maccaferri guitar at home, anticipating American guitar manufacturers to swarm him with no cost guitars to choose from. This did not happen, and he ended up purchasing a generic American electric guitar that was not very comfortable for him. Django pulled off the initial concert without a hitch and was asked back for six encores. On the 2nd night however, in his natural capricious fashion, he showed up late, arriving just in time to close the show. He blamed his tardiness on the cab driver. This event decreased Django’s marquee value significantly and the tour was considered a major flop. Bebop had become the trendy style of jazz by 1949 and Django’s swing style was passe. His ego was crushed and he stopped performing on guitar for a while. By 1951 however, he was back in action and had assimilated the bebop language. He could bop with the very best and was now performing on an amplified guitar. He recorded with bebop pioneer Dizzy Gillespie in 1953 and had a world tour lined up. In Switzerland, on a small tour, Django developed some health problems. He had extreme headaches, elevated blood pressure and numbness in his fingers. He refused to see a medical doctor and on May 15, 1953, he suffered a deadly stroke while at a cafe with friends. He died at the young age of 43. The legend of Django Reinhardt continues to grow. Notable jazz guitarist Bireli LaGrene devotes himself to carrying the torch Django left behind. Django’s influence is quickly evident in LaGrene’s playing in his use of tremolo picking, speedy chromatic phrases, and slides across the fretboard. In 1999, Woody Allen wrote and directed “Sweet and Lowdown”, a fictional movie in which a person named Emmet Ray claimed to be “the 2nd greatest jazz guitarist in the world” – 2nd only to Django Reinhardt. Ray was threatened and traumatized by Django’s presence and avoided him at all costs. In 2002, a bistro named “Django” inspired by the Manouche guitarist, opened to critical acclaim in New York City’s very competitive bistro scene.
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Ten of the Very Best Blues Guitarists
Ten of the Very Best Blues Guitarists
Blues guitar is the king of genres, having paved the way for successive ax handlers playing everything from jazz to metal. The genre’s main players combine outstanding technique, creative application and raw emotion with semi-mythical lives – the stories of which have seemingly grown greater with every telling.
Of course, as with any ‘top’ list there will be vociferous disagreements about who does and who doesn’t quite make the grade. Some historians suggest the greats of today were but minor figures in the true history of the blues. According to author, Elijah Wald, ‘It is only white audiences who will now sit down and listen to a bluesman just playing his guitar.’ White or not, listening to a ‘bluesman just playing his guitar’ is something that many cherish, especially when the bluesman is a super-inspirational badass.
B.B. King
Riley B. King (born September 16, 1925) is a blues supremo who provided the world with some of the most expressive guitar playing ever heard. His style of soloing – with its fluid vibrato and bends – has been much emulated. Time magazine voted King as one of the world’s greatest electric-guitar players, noting that his guitar (named Lucille) sounded ‘like a real woman singing the blues’.
Robert Johnson
Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911 – August 16, 1938) is one of the most influential musicians of any genre. Rolling Stone ranked him fifth in its list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, while Eric Clapton regarded Johnson as ‘the most important blues singer that ever lived’. Most will know Johnson as the man rumoured to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for some supreme shredding skills. According to authors, Barry Lee Pearson and Bill McCulloch, the legend that Johnson traded his soul at the crossroads dates back to an interview given by his friend, the blues musician Son House, in 1966.
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (30 March 1945 – present) is one of the handful of living greats. Few white men play the blues like Clapton, who is fluent in every style – though he’s most commonly credited with owning the Tulsa Sound. Clapton’s signature melodic playing has won him fans across the board and seen him inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once, but three times.
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was born near Clarksdale, in the backwoods of Mississippi. Hooker is renowned for metrically free music, often described as ‘talking blues’.
Buddy Guy
George “Buddy” Guy (July 30, 1936 – present) is a consummate showman, incorporating drumsticks and the audience while playing solos. Though often labelled as ‘Chicago blues’, Guy’s sound is far broader than that – showing a mastery of choppy rhythm, double-stops and innovative bending.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was notable for his ability to simultaneously incorporate lead and rhythm parts. Grammy Award-winning Vaughan was ranked 12th in Gibson’s greatest guitarists of all time list, which credited him with channelling ‘music from the depths of his soul and through his body and guitar, which were connected as one’.
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James “Jimmy” Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) helped bring blues to mainstream audiences long before the time of Clapton and friends. His memorable guitar patterns, which sound like they’re being played while reclining on a leather sofa bed, are still easily recognizable.
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson “Chuck” Berry (October 18, 1926 – present) is one of the pioneers of rock’n’roll music, a fact reflected in the old cliché – ‘Before Jimi went to the moon, Chuck built the rocket.’
Otis Rush
Otis Rush (April 29, 1935 – present) created a sound known as ‘West Side Chicago’ that was defined by its long bent notes. Rush’s distinctive sound is credited to him playing with the little finger of his pick hand curled under the low E of his upside-down strung guitar.
Albert King
Albert Nelson ‘King’ (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992) was of the less-is-more school of playing and a fan of unorthodox tuning – sometimes dropping to C to enable ever grander bends. Along with B.B. King and Freddie King, Nelson is known as one of the ‘Three Kings of blues guitar.’
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World First Guitar and Singing Super Bundle
This is literally a World first! You may have already heard about this, but I feel like I need to pass it on to as many people as I possibly can - it’s that amazing! Recently I heard of a group of guitar nuts who were trying to get all of the major guitar lesson sites together to make one epic collection of lessons for people to learn to play all their favorite songs and be the life of the party. When I first heard about it, I thought they we’re crazy. But I didn’t realize they might just be crazy enough to do it. Well... I just got their latest email and WOW, have they pulled off something incredible! They’re calling it The Barbecue Hero Bundle, and with lessons from industry giants such as Jamplay, Songsterr, SongPond, Song Surgeon and Singing Success, this is the biggest guitar lessons package deal I’ve ever seen. Jamplay alone has over 2000+ guitar lesson videos from some of the Web’s top tutors, and get this: they have at least 8 hours of real, live, online guitar lessons every day. I mean, this site is just so incredibly comprehensive! But add to that SongPond who arguably have the coolest catalogue of online video song lessons; teaching all the classics from artists like AC/DC, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, Cream, Dire Straits, The Doors, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Guns N' Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, the list goes on... … and Songsterr; the Web’s best audio tab Website by a country mile... with Song Surgeon; the only software to consider when you want to slow songs down making them easier to learn... … and finally, Singing Success; the course taught by one of the World’s most sought after vocal coaches, Brett Manning (just google the guy to see the list of amazing performers he’s coached and you’ll see he’s in a league of his own!)... And you have probably the greatest collection of guitar lessons (learn almost any guitar playing style), song tabs (70,000 interactive printable song tabs), singing lessons (the absolute best in the business) and other tools ever assembled, at a simply astonishing price. The bottom line: Get this bundle and you’ll be strumming and SINGING all your favorite songs in perfect pitch, impressing all your friends and family in a matter of weeks! With everything that’s included in the bundle, you’d end up paying over $500 if you wanted to buy each item individually. But, from today (October 20, 2011) you can get all these products for just $99! (or just $79 if you don't want the singing lessons). Hell. That’s like the price of one product! Here’s the link: http://davreport1.bbqguitar.hop.clickbank.net This is just such an unbelievably good deal. But go fast! Because it’s only available for a limited time.
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Dave Titley , Lost in the blues
Dan Fone & Dave Titley with the Death of Robert Johnnson´s 1938 blues
Dan Fone & Dave Titley with the Death of Robert Johnnson´s 1938 blues
Song about Robert Johnnson written by Dan Fone. Dave and Dan hadn´ seen each other in 25 years, ´till they met up in the South of France to collaborate on Martin Neal´s new Album. Dave played with Dan Fone, Martyn Neal , Alan Appleby and Chris Bradley in a band called Taragon. They toured English folk clubs and festivals in the 1970´s. Unfortunately there was no album. I did speak with Dave this week and he said that there are still some old recordings gathering dust in his studio. So now I need to convince him to remix the old tunes and also to get his new CD´s up on iTunes. Please leave comments, — I´m sure Dave will make work of it if enough people are interested. Talk soon, Marc van der Heyden. PS, Dave gave me permission to upload videos, but asked me to remind every one that a lot of these songs are original compositions, so please ask if you want to record or use any of the songs.—— dave@davetitley.com. —–
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Playing Through The Blues.
Playing Through The Blues – A Guide for the Lead Guitar Player is the most comprehensive, easiest method to learn blues lead guitar. You don’t have to mess with driving back and forth to private lessons, you don’t have to alter your schedule around your teacher, and you don’t have to devote hours out of every day to a tedious practice schedule.
You will learn every amazing lick, scale, technique, and cool trick that you’ll ever need to know … and that’s just the beginning. You’ll learn what guys like Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, SRV, Angus Young, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, Robert Cray, and so many more have amazed audiences around the world with.
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The Recording Guitarist
by: Jon Chappell
publisher: Hal Leonard, published: 2010-09-01
ASIN: 1423488962
EAN: 9781423488965
sales rank: 509607
price: $8.99 (new), $8.95 (used)
The Recording Guitarist explores the world of recording the guitar, covering everything from selecting guitars and amps to employing effects and mastering recording techniques in a variety of recording environments – from the modest home studio to a professional facility outfitted with pro-quality gear and a staff of engineers. Offering valuable insights and tips for the novice or professional, The Recording Guitarist thoroughly examines guitars (electric and acoustic) and amps used in the studio, and explains how to select among them to achieve the desired sound. The signal chain is explained, and signal processors (effects) are analyzed according to type, placement in the signal chain, and contribution to the overall mix. In addition to helping readers create a “total guitar sound” for the studio, the book also tackles recording equipment, techniques, and formats. Also included is advice from recording industry pros such as Carl Verheyen, Al Di Meola, Alex Lifeson, and Phil Ramone. A special feature is a section called Dial a Sound – an illustrated guide to the setups and recording rigs of 14 guitar greats, including Eric Johnson, Dimebag Darrell, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and others. Discusses: * Electric and acoustic guitars and their unique tones * Recording hardware and software * Effects and how to use them * Monitors * Overdubbing * Mixing
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Marshall. Whitesnake´s Doug Aldrich Demos Marshall´s MG Amps at NAMM 2009
Marshall guitar amplifiers have been around since the early nineteen sixties and have rocked the world ever since. From a few inquiries by patrons of Jim Marshall’s music shop in Hanwell, England Jim went forward with the idea to create an affordable, brilliant sounding amplifier. Over forty years later Marshall guitar amplifiers are still blaring out to massive crowds from some of the most famous musicians of our past and present. Blending that original style with today’s modern technology Marshall guitar amplifiers presents the Vintage Modern series to give off the old school appearance mingled with all of the progressions of today.
In the Vintage Modern line comes three models to choose from. The line consists of the 2466, the 2266, and the 2266C, as well as the 425 cabinets. This particular line of Marshall guitar amplifiers consists of the classic British blues rock sound of the nineteen sixties and seventies that came from artists like Clapton, Townshend, and Hendrix, but also with the added capability to switch it over to a modern, let’s go crazy style of today. Switching over to this hot rod mode from the classic sound gives the musician an opportunity to create a sound much harder and more aggressive than that of the original sound that the Marshall guitar amplifiers put out in the sixties and seventies. The wattage varies with each model. The 2466 model is a one hundred Watt Head all-valve single channel amp, while the 2266 is a fifty Head, and the 2266C is a 50 x 2 x 12 combo amplifier.
The 2466 model comes with range and performance one has come to expect from Marshall guitar amplifiers. The model has two frequency-selective pre-amp volumes which assist a boundless freedom of tonal shaping for individual guitars. Also included on the 2466 model is a master volume so one can manage their volume levels in a practical manner in any venue, large or small. Included as well is an FX loop for guitarist that might want to experiment with different ways to hone their sound. The Vintage Modern line represents everything classic and right with the earlier sounds of the past and then gives those earlier tones an adrenaline shot sated with what the Marshall guitar amplifiers team have gathered from the ever progressing technological advances of today. Retro or rocking metal, punk thrashing to emo, the Vintage Modern series of Marshall guitar amplifiers reaches back generations while deeply engaged into the sounds of today.
For more information on Marshall Guitar Amps and where you can purchase them, visit MarshallAmpAuctions.com
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Part 1: Whitesnake´s Doug Aldrich Demos Marshall´s MG Amps at NAMM 2009
Whitesnake´s Doug Aldrich Demos the Marshall´s MG Amps at NAMM 2009. Filmed by Jude Gold for Guitar Player magazine and guitarplayer.com.
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Guitar effects pedals for blues
Guitar effects are an extremely important part of any electric guitarists’ life. Yet, most beginners have very little knowledge about effects. Effects are electronic devices that alter or moderate the sound, tone or pitch of an electric guitar. Effects are used in many popular genres of guitar music like rock, heavy metal, blues etc. They are housed in guitar pedals, amplifiers, simulation software and rack mount processors or pre-amplifiers. There are different types of effects. Here is a brief look at them.
Distortion related effects
Distortion is an effect that is commonly used in rock and heavy metal guitar music. A distortion pedal which is used to create this effect clips the signal and distorts its waveform leading to a distortion in the sound. There are many different types of distortion effects. Each one of them has their own distinct characteristics and features.
• Overdrive distortion: This is one of the most well known distortion effects. Most pedals that provide the distortion effect attempt to create a high grain sound. Some advanced distortion amplifiers like the Marshall, have went past the normal point of tonal break up and created a sound called as saturated grain also called total distortion in some cases. Some of the common distortion pedals are Marshall Guv’Nor, Pro Co Rat, Digi Tech Hot Tech.
• Fuzz: Fuzz pedals were originally created to recreate the classic sound of the 60’s overdrive tube amp combined with torn speaker cones. The original fuzz pedals have now been replaced by extreme designs that have effects like octave, gating etc. Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face is one of the most commonly used Fuzz effect pedals.
• Hi Gain: This effect originated from the high gain amplification used in electric guitars. In ordinary elec guitar terms, high gain is a sound that is produced by overdriven amp tubes or a distortion pedal. The sound produced is extremely thick. The modern hi gain pedals produce a sound that is unmatched and cannot be produced using any other device. The Boss ML2 metal core is a very common hi gain effect pedal.
Filtering related effects
• Equalizer: An equalizer is used to adjust the frequency response in a variety of frequency bands. A graphic equalizer which is a common feature in most music player software provides a slider interface for different frequency regions. In guitars, a rotary control is available in place of these sliders and they change the level of the frequency band.
• Phase shifter: Have you ever heard a sound during a guitar concert that is similar to the sound of a flying jet? That’s what a phase shifter can do for you. The effect is commonly known as phase.
• Wah Pedal: Just like the name, this foot operated pedal can create a sound that is similar to a man saying wah. The sound was most commonly heard in psychedelic rock from the 1960’s and funk music from the 1970’s.
Volume related effects
• Volume Pedal: This is nothing but a foot operated potentiometer that can be tilted forward or backward. A musician can easily adjust the volume of his instrument during performance. The pedal is also used to create a fading effect.
• Tremolo: This is a repetitive variation in gain for the complete duration of a single note. This is based on a very common effect that was built into guitar amps.
• Compressor: This is very much like an auto volume controller. The output level decreases as the incoming signal increases and vice a versa.
These are the most basic but commonly used guitar effects. There are many more advanced ones that you can use during concerts or gigs.
Jeff Carson is the owner of TheReviewMine.Com. His web site offers a diverse selection of ebooks, CD’s, DVDs, and other information that will teach you how to play guitar.
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Landgraff Dynamic Overdrive LDO guitar effects pedal demo with Kingbee Tele & Blues Jr amp
The LDO from Landgraf effects. Super awesome crazy cool over drive goodness! I used my www.kingbeeguitars.com relic telecaster and a Fender Blues Junior amplifier.
TC Electronic
The MojoMojo and Dark Matter Distortion are built around identical controls sets— Drive, Level, Bass, and Treble. At a full counterclockwise rotation, the Drive parameter leaves the signal completely unmodified while a clockwise rotation increases the amount of gain. The Level knob controls the volume output—a full counterclockwise rotation will turn the signal completely off, while the 12 o’clock position is amp level and a full clockwise yields a significant boost. The Bass and Treble knobs work through a range from bass heavy signals to piercing trebles if desired. In addition, both controls have a Voice switch placed between the Drive and Level controls. In the ‘up’ position the output signal takes on a brighter tone, best used to cut through a dense soundscape, while the ‘down’ position yields a heavier voicing for rhythm guitar work and blended textures.
Each effect is encased in a rugged metal case that looks ready for everything from the snow to the arid desert. TC Electronic started using a fantastic single-screw system recently that keeps the back panel in place. To change the 9V (can also be powered on a 9V barrel adaptor), just use a coin or heavy gauge pick to get the screw started and it pops right open to reveal the battery compartment and circuit board.
Both of these effects are true bypass, which ensures an unhindered input signal while unengaged. However, as with most true bypass systems they do suffer from a slight pop when engaging the effect, an issue that can be significant with higher gain amplifiers and exacerbated if you’re using a delay at the end of the line. These pedals could also use better grips on their undercarriage—the glue on the small plastic feet can heat up and fall off, leading to a pretty spectacular tap dance instead of a rock show.
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Resonators
More and more often these days, an instrument originally designed for one purpose or musical genre will be adopted for and adapted to a completely different area. This has been the fate of the resonator guitar, which was originally designed to be louder than a conventional acoustic guitar in order to ensure that the instrument could be heard above the horns and percussion instruments in dance orchestras. The resonator guitar, however, is possessed of a very distinct and original sound, and because of that, it has been adopted and integrated into the musical genres of bluegrass, country and blues music.
How to select a Resonator Guitar and Bottleneck Slide for Blues
Information about selecting a National Guitar (Tricone or Biscuit Bridge Single Cone) or Dobro Guitar (Spider Bridge Single Cone) and finding a Bottleneck Slide .
The resonator guitar, or resophonic guitar as it is occasionally called, is an acoustic guitar that uses one or more metal cones (resonators) instead of the traditional wooden soundboard. These instruments can be divided into two subcategories, these being square-necked guitars and round-necked guitars. The former are designed to be played like a lap steel guitar (with a slide), while the latter can be played as either a conventional classical guitar or as a steel guitar. In addition to this division, there are also three main types of resonator designs: the “tricone,” the single inverted cone, and the spider-less single cone.
The original resonator guitar was developed during the early 20th century and in 1927, the first instruments were manufactured under the brand name National. These guitars were of the tricone variety, which means that they had three conical resonators joined by a T-shaped piece of aluminum called a “spider” that supported the bridge. A year later, one of the founding members of National split and began his own label, Dobro. That company released a competing resonator guitar that featured a single resonator under a distinctive circular perforated metal cover plate. The bridge rested at the center of this plate on an eight-legged aluminum spider. Finally, National countered with its own take on the single resonator model. This instrument used a wooden “biscuit” at the cone apex to support the bridge, rather than the traditional spider.
ADobro Duolian by Gibson 1996 nachoga
Dobro Duolian by Gibson 1996 nachoga on sale on Ebay. See ”Dobro Duolian Gibson 1996 resonator National lap steel. The audio clips were recorded in Protools with a bit reverb added (under The Stormy Mondays band permission).
succession of instrument innovations occurred over the course of about five years. At the end of that time, in 1932, the owners of Dobro gained control of National and formed the National Dobro Corporation. However, with the entry of the United States into World War II in 1941, all production of resonator guitars by the company ceased for a time. Since the end of World War II, the Dobro label has passed through various hands, all of which have used it to produce resonator guitars. Dobro is currently the possession of the Gibson Guitar Company. Today, common terminology uses Dobro to refer to an instrument with an inverted cone, while National generally means an instrument with a non-inverted cone.
As mentioned, bluegrass, country and blues are the usual territory of the resonator guitar. The first generally utilizes square-necked Dobro guitars, while the latter two favor round-necked National instruments. Because both styles of guitar may be played as a lap steel guitar, this is the most common position used by artists. However, round-necked guitars may be played in the traditional guitar position.
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