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Showing posts with label Joe Satriani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Satriani. Show all posts

Thursday, September 7, 2017

A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood coming 9/8

A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood
coming to DVD on September 8th

A live concert tribute to the "godfather of the electric guitar" Les Paul, 
featuring the world's best guitarists.




With a legendary career as a hit-making musician, solid-body electric guitar trailblazer, and an inventor of unprecedented recording techniques, he has impacted and influenced the many facets of the music industry like none other. Filmed live at what was then the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on February 8, 2006, A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood gives viewers a front row seat for an unforgettable night of powerhouse performances, as some of music's biggest names come together to honor the ultimate icon. The night is headlined by show-stopping numbers from an all-star slate of Paul disciples, that includes Slash and Edgar Winter teaming up on the Stevie Wonder staple "Superstition;" Toto axeman Steve Lukather's rendition of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing;" and Joe Perry and Buddy Guy closing the night with a soulful blues set. Other highlights include spirited performances by Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Neal Schon, and more.
As part of the night's festivities, A Tribute To Les Paul: Live From Universal Studios Hollywood also features rare commentary taken from several of Paul's final interviews recorded at New York's landmark Iridium Jazz Club, as well as at Paul's home in Mahwah, New Jersey. The special event was held to raise funds and awareness for the South Central charity A Place Called Home, designed to give at-risk youth a safe and secure environment they can thrive in.
The program is produced by Icon Television Music, Inc., HD Net (now AXSTV), and In Touch Entertainment and distributed by MVD Entertainment Group. The award-winning production team includes Charles Carlini ("Les Paul's 90th Birthday Concert at Carnegie Hall"), Bob Cutarella ("Les Paul & Friends"), Howard Lipp ("Les Paul 90th Birthday Concert at Gibson Amphitheater"), and Glenn Aveni ("Les Paul Chasing Sound").
Michael Braunstein, Executive Director of the Les Paul Foundation stated, "It is without a doubt that Les Paul is the 'Father of Modern Music' and that musicians from every corner of the globe and in every genre of the music industry stand upon his shoulders. He was an inventor, an award-winning musician, an innovator and most importantly a very special man I also had the privilege of calling my friend. The artists and producers who have made this tribute program possible give us every reason to remember that Les Paul was a man who influenced our music industry profoundly. I am thrilled that viewers everywhere will have the chance to witness his greatest through the performances and storytelling of this wonderful program."
To pre-order the DVD go HERE.

# # #


C L I N T   W E I L E R
Director of Publicity, Marketing, & Merch Development
MVD Entertainment Group
610.665.2012          




Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Joe Satriani unveils track listing and artwork for new album





UK RELEASE: MONDAY 6th MAY 2013
Features Vinnie Colauita, Chris Chaney & Mike Keneally
World Tour Starts in Europe in May - US Tour Starts in August
Legendary performer and the hardest working guitarist in the business, Joe Satriani confirms the release of his 14th studio album, “Unstoppable Momentum” in the UK on Monday May 6 (U.S. release is Tuesday May 7) through Epic Records/Sony Music UK. The album was recorded at Skywalker Sound in San Francisco and was produced by Satriani and Mike Fraser (AC/DC).
The new album features an amazing array of talented players including Vinnie Colauita (Sting, Jeff Beck) on drums, Chris Chaney (Janes Addiction) on bass and on keyboards, Mike Keneally (Dethklok).

Photo Credit: © Chapman Baehler
The album dovetails Satriani’s UK Tour which starts a month later on Saturday 8 June at the Manchester Apollo. Joe’s touring band for the upcoming UK dates includes Mike Keneally (keyboards), Marco Minnemann (drums) and Bryan Beller (bass).
At www.satriani.com, fans will receive an exclusive, never before seen art book featuring drawings, doodles and sketches that Satriani has done over the years. "Some of my drawings have made their way on to guitars, straps and picks, LP and CD booklets, t-shirts, hats, keychains, and even my live stage productions," explains Satriani. "This book represents my first effort to finally compile my oddly drawn friends into one place, a wildly colorful portfolio of sorts. A collection of drawings meant to inspire and entertain."
Photo Credit: © Christie Goodwin
After returning from the South American G3 Tour in October 2012, Satriani got down to writing new music over the next two months. As he recalls, “A very prolific and cathartic two months followed resulting in a bundle of new music I was very excited to get recorded!”
Eleven songs were selected to record, all “heading in different directions and touching on a variety of musical influences.”  With that in mind, Satriani decided to assemble a new studio band. “The idea was to crank up the energy level of the sessions, and allow for more individual expression of the material from each player. The chemistry with Mike, Chris and Vinnie was fantastic and we blazed through all of the tracks with everyone laying down amazing performances.”

For two decades, Satriani has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star “G3” guitar extravaganza.  His studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. 
His side project, Chickenfoot, featuring former Van Halen front man Sammy Hagar, former bassist Michael Anthony, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9.  In 2009, Chickenfoot won voted “Best New Band” at the UK’s prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards. They toured Europe twice to packed venues. In January 2012 they performed a sold out concert at London’s Brixton Academy which attracted the like of Queen’s Brian May.
In late 2010, music sensation Nicki Minaj sampled the classic Satriani song, “Always With Me Always With You” in her song, “Right Through Me” from her multi-platinum debut album. In 2011, Satriani recreated his National Anthem performance for the Opening Day of the Oakland A’s historic 2002 season in the Brad Pitt movie Moneyball.

National Credit Card Hotline: 0844 888 9991
Book Online: www.ticketline.co.uk
MANCHESTER O2 APOLLO
Saturday 8th June

Box Office: 08444 777 677
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.02apollomanchester.co.uk
Stockport Road, Higher Ardwick
Manchester, M12 6AP
GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL
Sunday 9th June

Box Office: 0141 353 8000
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
2 Sauciehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3NY
NEWCASTLE CITY HALL
Monday 10th June

Box Office: 0191 277 8030
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.newcastlecityhall.org
Northumberland Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8SF
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL
Tuesday 11th June

Box Office: 0151 709 3789
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.liverpoolphil.com
36 Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 9BP
BRISTOL COLSTON HALL
Wednesday 12th June

Box Office: 0117 922 3686
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.colstonhall.org
Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR
WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC HALL
Thursday 13th June

Box Office: 0870 320 7000
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.wolvescivic.co.uk
North Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RQ
SHEFFIELD CITY HALL
Saturday 15th June

Box Office: 01142 789 789
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
Barkers Pool, Sheffield, S1 2JA
PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL
Sunday 16th June

Box Office: 02392 824 355
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.portsmouthguildhall.org.uk
Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AB
O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
Monday 17th June

Box Office: 0844 477 2000
Tickets: £40.00
www.o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk
Shepherds Bush Green, London, W12 8TT
LONDON INDIGO2
Tuesday 18th June

Box Office: 0844 844 0002
Tickets: £50 (Kings Row) and £37.50
www.theindigo2.co.uk
The O2, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0AX
JOE SATRIANI ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS
Joe Satriani - Official Website
www.satriani.com
Joe Satriani - Facebook
www.facebook.com/joesatriani
Joe Satriani - Twitter
https://twitter.com/chickenfootjoe
Joe Satriani - YouTube
www.youtube.com/websatch

 
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Monday, October 29, 2012

Joe Satriani announces June 2013 UK tour and confirms new studio album

Kennedy Street Enterprises
Presents
Tickets on sale from Friday November 2nd at 9am
National Credit Card Hotline: 0844 888 9991
Book Online: www.ticketline.co.uk

Agency and credit card bookings subject to a fee

Joe Satriani, one of rock music’s most respected and celebrated electric guitar players, will undertake a 10-date UK tour starting Saturday 8th June at the Manchester Apollo. This will be Satriani’s first UK tour since the Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards Tour 2010.
Tickets go on sale from Friday 2nd November and can be booked online from www.ticketline.co.uk or call 0844 888 9991 or the venue direct.
Very special guest is blues guitarist Matt Schofield.
The tour coincides with the news that Satriani will record a new solo album later this year for a worldwide release via Sony in May 2013. 
The enterprising guitarist is also in the planning stages of releasing a career retrospective box set for spring 2013.
                                                    
Earlier this year, Satriani performed a sold out concert with Chickenfoot at the London Brixton Academy in support of the band’s second album III
He also embarked on multiple G3 tours in Australia, Europe and South America, had his music sampled in Nicki Minaj’ hit single Right Thru Me, and made a cameo appearance as himself in Brad Pitt’s Oscar-nominated baseball movie Moneyball.
Joe Satriani has been a worldwide guitar hero since his 1987 breakthrough album, Surfing with the Alien
Over 10-million albums and CD’s later, in addition to 14 Grammy nominations and numerous accolades Satriani continues to push the envelope of modern rock guitar playing.
Although he originally started his career by teaching some of the top rock guitar players of the '80s and '90s like Metallica’s Kirk Hammet and virtuoso Steve Vai, Joe Satriani is universally hailed as one of the most technically accomplished and respected guitar players in rock.
Satriani, who cites Jimi Hendrix as a major influence, quickly established himself as one of rock’s most influential guitarists.
Since the release of Surfing with the Alien in 1987, Satriani has continually been voted the best guitarist in leading guitar magazine readers’ polls. Chosen by Mick Jagger to perform worldwide on Mick’s first solo tour, and by Deep Purple to tour Japan and Europe, Satriani cemented his reputation as a true guitar hero.
After releasing several critically acclaimed solo albums, in 1996, Satriani embarked on the first G3 showcase tour, which became an instant success. G3 have performed sold out tours in North America, Europe, South America, Japan and Australia, and have released three live G3 DVDs.


In 2009 Joe teamed up with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen plus Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers to form Chickenfoot. The band’s debut album was an international success, receiving gold awards in the US, Canada and Europe, plus recognition from Classic Rock Magazine as The Best New Band of 2009.
Joe released his 11th studio album Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards in October 2010 and followed this with extensive North American and European tours. The following year, Chickenfoot’s second album, III, was released to critical acclaim on 27th September. 
In January 2012, Satriani embarked on a European tour with Chickenfoot.  By April 2012, he released the DVD/Blu-Ray of his much talked about 3D concert film Satchurated: Live In Montreal. During the same year, he embarked on G3 tours of Europe and Australia with Steve Vai and Steve Lukather. 
On 22nd September 2012 Satriani performed at the 50 Years of Marshall tribute concert in honour of the late Jim Marshall, at London’s Wembley Arena which also included Paul Gilbert, Zakk Wylde, Glenn Hughes, Yngwie Malmsteen, Doug Aldrich, Billy Duffy, Nicko McBrain, Corey Taylor, Brian Tichy, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, Mike Portnoy, Andy Fraser and Kerry King.

National Credit Card Hotline: 0844 888 9991
Book Online: www.ticketline.co.uk
All concerts start at 7:30pm
MANCHESTER O2 APOLLO
Saturday 8th June

Box Office: 08444 777 677
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.02apollomanchester.co.uk
Stockport Road, Higher Ardwick
Manchester, M12 6AP
GLASGOW ROYAL CONCERT HALL
Sunday 9th June

Box Office: 0141 353 8000
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.glasgowconcerthalls.com
2 Sauciehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3NY
NEWCASTLE CITY HALL
Monday 10th June

Box Office: 0191 277 8030
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.newcastlecityhall.org
Northumberland Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 8SF
LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC HALL
Tuesday 11th June

Box Office: 0151 709 3789
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.liverpoolphil.com
36 Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 9BP
BRISTOL COLSTON HALL
Wednesday 12th June

Box Office: 0117 922 3686
Tickets: £37.50 / £33.50
www.colstonhall.org
Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR
WOLVERHAMPTON CIVIC HALL
Thursday 13th June

Box Office: 0870 320 7000
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.wolvescivic.co.uk
North Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RQ
SHEFFIELD CITY HALL
Saturday 15th June

Box Office: 01142 789 789
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk
Barkers Pool, Sheffield, S1 2JA
PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL
Sunday 16th June

Box Office: 02392 824 355
Tickets: £36 / £33
www.portsmouthguildhall.org.uk
Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2AB
O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
Monday 17th June

Box Office: 0844 477 2000
Tickets: £40.00
www.o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk
Shepherds Bush Green, London, W12 8TT
LONDON INDIGO2
Tuesday 18th June

Box Office: 0844 844 0002
Tickets: £50 (Kings Row) and £37.50
www.theindigo2.co.uk
The O2, Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0AX
JOE SATRIANI - BIOGRAPHY
By Greg Prato / Allmusic.com
Along with teaching some of the top rock guitar players of the '80s and '90s, Joe Satriani is one of the most technically accomplished and widely respected guitarists to emerge in recent times. Born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury, NY, and raised in the nearby town of Carle Place, Satriani — inspired by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix — picked up the guitar at the age of 14 (although he was initially more interested in the drums).
Quickly learning the instrument, Satriani began teaching guitar to others and found a kindred spirit in one of his students, Steve Vai. By the late '70s, however, Satriani had relocated to Berkeley, CA. With his sights set on his own musical career, "Satch" kept teaching others, including such future rock notables as Kirk Hammett Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), David Bryson (Counting Crows), and jazz fusion player Charlie Hunter.
In the early '80s, Satriani got a gig playing guitar with power popster Greg Kihn, doing some session work and touring with the group (an archival release recorded around this time, King Biscuit Flower Hour, was later issued in 1996), and issuing his own solo self-titled EP in 1984, financing and releasing the project entirely on his own. But when Vai hit the big time as the guitarist of David Lee Roth's solo band in 1986, he offered praise for his good friend and former teacher in several major guitar publications, leading to widespread interest in Satriani's playing. The timing couldn't have been more perfect for Satch, as he'd just issued his first full-length solo album, Not of This Earth, which automatically made ripples in the rock guitar community.

The best was still to come, in the form of his sophomore release, 1987's Surfing With The Alien. Almost overnight, Satriani was widely regarded as one of rock's top guitarists, as the album earned gold certification and the guitarist would finish at the top of guitar magazine polls for years afterward. He was even handpicked by Mick Jagger to accompany the famous singer on a tour of Australia and Japan around this time. A stopgap EP, Dreaming #11, combed both studio and live tracks and was issued a year later, and in 1989, Satriani issued his third solo full-length, Flying in a Blue Dream. Another sizeable hit, the album also marked Satch's debut as a vocalist on several tracks. His career received another big push the same year when his song "One Big Rush" was included on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's hit movie Say Anything.

The '90s began with Satriani creating his own line of guitars for the Ibanez company (the JS Joe Satriani model), but it wasn't until 1992 that he would issue his next solo release, The Extremist. The double-disc set Time Machine followed a year later (a combination of new tracks, live material, and the long out-of-print Joe Satriani EP from 1984), and in 1994, Satch filled in on tour for the departed Ritchie Blackmore for heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple. Although he was asked to become a full-time member, Satriani turned down the offer to return to his solo career.
Satriani issued two more solo albums during the '90s — 1995's self-titled release and 1998's Crystal Planet — and also started the G3 guitar showcase tour with Vai in 1996, becoming an annual event and issuing a live document of the tour's initial run, G3: Live in Concert, a year later. 2000 saw Satriani issue his most musically daring release yet, the electronic-based Engines of Creation, and a year later, Live in San Francisco. Engines was nominated for a Grammy the next year, and after a successful tour he stepped back into the studio.
The result, Strange Beautiful Music, was released in 2002. Electric Joe Satriani: An Anthology arrived in 2003, followed by Is There Love in Space? in 2004, Super Colossal in 2005, and Satriani Live! in 2006. In addition to his own albums, Satriani has guested on several other artists' albums over the years, including Blue Öyster Cult's Imaginos, Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid, Stuart Hamm's Radio Free Albemuth, Pat Martino's All Sides Now, and Spinal Tap's Break Like the Wind.

Matt Schofield - Biography
British guitar virtuoso Matt Schofield explodes onto the scene with a guitar style of playing that channels the British soul of Stevie Winwood and Eric Clapton, the blues of Albert Collins and BB King, the musical excursions of Hendrix, and the New Orleans funk of the Meters. He takes these influences to create a uniquely personal sound that makes a direct connection with his audience.
The subject of major coverage in Guitar Player, Premier Guitar, Vintage Guitar and Guitarist magazines at 34 years old, Schofield’s unique sound is built on an amazing blues pedigree. Guitarist magazine cites Schofield as “The UK’s most exciting blues guitar player.”
click for hi res
Along with Peter Green and Eric Clapton, Schofield was voted by Guitar & Bass magazine as one of the “Top 10 British Blues Guitarists of All Time”.  He was also voted 2012 British Blues Awards “Guitarist of the Year”. What’s more, he has headlined some of the world’s most prestigious Blues festivals.

With his 2011 release of the album Anything But Time, produced by 9-time Grammy winner John Porter, Schofield moved boldly forward to a unique fusion of rock, funk and blues that’s original, new and now. The album is powered by his innovative compositions, uplifting vocals and transcendent guitar tone.

JOE SATRIANI ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS
Joe Satriani - Official Website
www.satriani.com
Joe Satriani - Facebook
www.facebook.com/joesatriani
Joe Satriani - Twitter
https://twitter.com/chickenfootjoe
Joe Satriani - YouTube
www.youtube.com/websatch
 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Landfall Records:Elemental Journey - Sonny Landreth - New Release Review


I have been listening to the newest recording by Sonny Landreth, Elemental Journey to be released on May 22. This is a really different recording for Sonny Landreth in that not only is the music somewhat unstructured (more orchestrated) or hyper structured dependent upon your perception and also that it has no vocals. What I mean regarding the structure is that most of the music that I review has a very basic structure and much of it a formula. A very simple formula. Any experienced listener can listen to the average song, say here's the singing, this is where the guitar solo will be...there will be singing after that and this is the end. This recording is much more complex than that and really quite heady. Landreth has enlisted guitar wiz Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson to assist in the implementation as well as members of the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra to pull off this masterpiece of fluid music. The recording, made up of 11 tracks is really put together as a sonic story pulling components of many types of music into the fabric with different instruments leading you in every path and weaving a auditory picture of the journey that you're taking, creating space and sonic dynamics to accentuate the milestones. I find it really interesting to see musicians experiment outside of the box that they are typically confined to and applaud Landreth on this very successful project.
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Sonny Landreth's first-ever all-instrumental album features Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani

SONNY LANDRETH’S 11th ALBUM ELEMENTAL JOURNEY
IS FIRST ALL-INSTRUMENTAL OUTING
May 22 release features Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Robert Greenidge
and Steve Conn.
BREAUX BRIDGE, La. — Sonny Landreth’s 11th album, bearing the fittingly evocative title Elemental Journey, is something very different from the Louisiana slide wizard. Released on his own Landfall label on May 22, 2012, the new CD is Landreth’s first all-instrumental effort and his most adventurous work to date.
“From day one on the guitar, many genres of music have had an impact on me” says Landreth. “For these recordings, I drew from some of those influences that I hadn’t gone to on previous albums with my vocals. Trading off the lyrics this time, I focused solely on the instrumental side and all this music poured out. Then I asked some extraordinary musicians to help me layer the tracks in hopes of inspiring a lot of imagery for the listeners.”
Like its predecessor, From the Reach (2008), Elemental Journey features guest stars, in this case handpicked by Landreth for what each could bring to a particular aural canvas. Joe Satriani delivers an astonishing, ferocious solo on the audacious opener “Gaia Tribe,” the returning virtuoso Eric Johnson casts his seductive spell on the dusky dreamscape “Passionola” and steel drum master Robert Greenidge brings his magical overtones to the balmy, swaying “Forgotten Story.”
Drummers Brian Brignac, Doug Belote and Mike Burch, each of whom Landreth has worked with in the past, lend their particular feels to various tracks, working with Sonny’s longtime band members, bass player Dave Ranson and keyboardist Steve Conn. Tony Daigle, another key member of Sonny’s team, engineered and mixed the album, while Landreth produced.
“One of the things I’ve always loved about a good instrumental song is that it can be more impressionistic and abstract,” Landreth notes. “Though melody is always important, it’s even more significant with an instrumental. So what I wanted to achieve was something more thematic with lots of melodies and with a chordal chemistry that was harmonically rich. That’s when I got the idea to treat the arrangements with more layering and to have the melodies interweave like conversations. I also wanted it to be more diverse, to not adhere to any categories. I wanted to leave it wide open to possibility.”
The album blossoms forth with unexpected yet seamless juxtapositions. For example, Spanish moss atmospherics enwrap visceral bursts of rock and jazz on “Gaia Tribe,” and Sonny’s slide swoops and soars over a Jamaican-inspired groove with Greenidge’s Trinidadian pans on “Forgotten Story,” while “Wonderide” finds zydeco romancing classical.
“On ‘Wonderide,’ you can hear some of Clifton Chenier’s Creole influences and then it morphs into a classical motif with the strings playing more complex changes,” Sonny points out. “When I started experimenting with it, I realized that the tempo for a good zydeco groove could easily transition into the fingerpicking style of phrasing found in classical guitar music. Then it was a matter of adding the strings to give it more depth with tension and release, expanding the overall sound.”
Strings play a featured role on five of the pieces. The string arrangements by Sam Broussard — moonlighting from his gig as guitarist in Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys — are played by members of Lafayette’s own Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, conducted by its music director, Mariusz Smolij, a world-renowned maestro. The strings are employed in a particularly inventive way wherever they appear on Elemental Journey, frequently embellishing the tunings that Landreth uses for slide guitar — “sometimes in unison like a horn section, sometimes as a legitimate quartet or full blown orchestra,” Sonny explains.
The concept occurred to him after Smolij invited him to perform with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra for a 2005 Christmas show for which he played Bach’s Cantata 140. “It was something I’d always wanted to do,” says Sonny. “I’d played the trumpet in school band and orchestra from grade school through college, so I was exposed to classical music and jazz, but I’d never played anything like that on slide guitar! So that really fired me up, and it became the backdrop for some of the classical influences on this album.”
There’s a particularly thrilling moment in the first track, “Gaia Tribe”, that occurs when two seemingly antithetical elements lock in an embrace. “When I first heard Joe’s solo,” Sonny recalls, “I went, ‘This is incredible! I love it but it just comes up out of nowhere — how am I gonna make it fit?’ After talking to Joe, I realized this was a great opportunity to raise the bar creatively. That’s when I got the idea to double the surprise factor and have the strings make their first appearance for the album in the middle of his solo. The next thing I know, a song that had started out as kind of a simple surf thing had become this wild ride of an epic piece and one of my favorite productions.”
Landreth’s music has always been evocative, a vibrant mixture of indigenous sounds and images informed by Delta blues and Faulkner alike. But here, by eschewing lyrics and vocals, he’s located something especially pure and unfettered. “What I’d hoped to end up creating was sonic stories without words,” he says. “And because there are no lyrics, it’s really important to connect on an emotional level. All of the titles for these songs have meaning for me — some of them are impressions from post-Katrina, Rita, the Gulf Spill, friends of mine and their experiences — so that’s part of it too. Still, I want listeners to feel something that resonates with them personally. I’ve always tried to make music that engages you on a deeper level that way.”
Prepare to be engaged . . . and transported.