Classical

Here’s a classic Guitar International magazine interview with Andy Summers (The Police) from Mar 15, 2010.

by: Skip Daly

Andy Summers – photo credit: Craig Betts

It is a daunting and perhaps completely irrelevant task, in the context of a guitar magazine, to attempt to write an introduction to an interview with Andy Summers. The man is an absolute icon for guitarists everywhere, so what can be said that hasn’t been stated thousands of times previously?

With a career that spans being a member of The Animals, selling a young Eric Clapton his ’59 Les Paul, world domination with The Police in the early ’80s, and again in 2007/2008, and the release of twelve solo albums, in addition to multiple collaborations, this man’s ongoing musical journey has been both compelling and long.

And that is only the musical part of his life. There is also “Andy Summers – Photographer” and “Andy Summers – Author”. With the 2006 release of his memoir, One Train Later, he not only succeeded in delivering the absolute definitive story of The Police’s meteoric rise into the stratosphere of rock immortality, but did so in an extremely well-crafted artistic manner, making readers truly feel as though they were in on the ride. The memoir further serves to place The Police within its proper context, as only a part of Summers’ unparalleled life.

In describing the man himself, and his love of literature and film, his Police bandmates would famously dub him “The Art Monster”. Though I doubt anyone can do a more accurate job describing the integrity and genuine artistic hunger that drives Andy Summers than what The Edge wrote in the forward of One Train Later: “That Andy absorbed the success of The Police, as he did all the other ups and downs he experienced along the road, without losing a sense of himself, his passion for, and his belief in the sacred and life-changing qualities of music is a testimony to the purity of his motivation as a musician, songwriter, and artist.”

Check Out The Police Collection at Amazon.com

Andy’s musical prowess was recognized by the Martin Guitar Company when the company paid tribute to his contributions to music with an 000C-28 Andy Summers Signature Edition issued in 2006,  in a limited edition of 87.  And, of course, Fender issued a tribute Telecaster for Mr. Summers in “relic” form that captured all the hard driving wear “adorning”  his original.

Mr. Summers recently sat down with Guitar International Magazine for an interview to discuss his current works-in-progress, as well as the phenomenon of The Police.

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Skip Daly: Let’s start right in with guitars – what’s the lay of the land there? How many guitars do you have lying around these days, and is your famous ’61 Telecaster still your favorite?

Andy Summers: I picked it up yesterday. I’m in the middle of working on an album, and I played a solo for it on the Telecaster yesterday. I still love it, yeah. I’m in the rather unusual position of having six of them. Of course, I’ve got the original, but then Fender released the Signature model at the beginning of the Police reunion tour, so I ended up with a bunch of them.

They’re all great. I keep one of the copies at hand – because I keep the original locked up, for obvious reasons.   I keep one in the studio and I really enjoy it. I don’t know if I really have…well, yeah, I suppose I do have some quote-unquote “favorite guitars”.

The Tele is definitely up there, and I have my Strat, as far as electrics go – also a copy that Fender made of my 1961 Strat, which I used throughout the Police reunion tour. It’s a great guitar, so I particularly like that. My “third” electric guitar, if you will, would be the 335, outside of getting into classical or acoustic guitars. It depends on the music. I go by the music first and pick up the guitar that will fit. I don’t say “well, it’s all going to be on the Tele or the Strat”, because it doesn’t always work that way.

SKIP: Do you play much these days just for fun, as opposed to work? Do you play as much or more than you did when you were younger?

Andy Summers: I play all the time. You know, I’m a guitarist – I practice every day. I think about it. I write a lot of music- mostly on the guitar. I would say it is the main pre-occupation for me. I have a lot going on, but the guitar is completely central for me.

SKIP: I think I phrased that question wrong. I was trying to ask if you still get fulfillment from the simple joy of playing, as opposed to thinking of it as “work”.

Andy Summers: Yes I do, and I’ve never thought of it as work. I still get great pleasure from playing and I enjoy practicing. Sitting down to play for however long I’m going to play…is a pleasure. Rather than work, it’s the opposite – positive feedback maybe. What can you say? You’re talking about someone’s life…and my life is so entwined with the instrument I don’t want to think of my engagement with it as labor. It’s given me everything .

You know, you work on things…sometime you’re working on a discipline, like a certain aspect of technique, or you’re learning pieces of music – there are all sorts of nuance. You go through phases where you’re playing better, and other phases where you feel like you need to practice more. I feel good when I’m playing really well. Usually when you practice with intention you end up playing better, and your sense of self – that is so tied the instrument – improves. The world gets rosier.

SKIP: You were a pioneer in the use of the Echoplex and various other effects. Do you have any new pieces of gear that you’ve been experimenting with?

Andy Summers: I’m always open to an interesting device – some very good stuff is being made these days, but in general it is mostly variations on what has gone before – fuzz echo, chorus looping, etcetera.

I’m not a ‘gear-head’ or a pedal junkie at all. I can talk about gear, but I’m not a guy who buys the guitar magazines and reads about the latest little pedal that’s being made – maybe because I have a studio that’s packed to the rafters with gear!

I have loads and loads of pedals and things. I’ve got the rack that I rebuilt for the Police reunion tour. I’ve got a mini version that I’ve used for many, many smaller trio gigs. I have several amps. Basically, I’ve got my really big gear for stadiums and arenas, and that’s a Bob Bradshaw rig that we rebuilt using Mesa Boogie cabinets. On the Police tour we used two of Bob’s 100 watt heads. The rack was a combination of analog pedals and digitals echoes.

We operated the whole thing from the side of the stage with a remote. I programmed all of the stuff, all of the songs. The guy that works with me is a musician also – it can only be operated by a musician, someone who knows how to count beats, so that the effect is coming in at the head of the chorus, or for the solo, etcetera. We used a three speaker cabinet system, so I split out the echoes and the dry signals side to side. So, that’s the really big rig for the giant gigs.

Then I’ve got a much smaller version with Mesa Boogie cabinets and a few pedals, which is much easier to move around obviously. And then I’ve got amps. Lately, I have just been plugging straight into the amp, and I’ve been getting great sounds with no effects at all.

SKIP: I actually didn’t intend that so much as a straight up “gear” question so much as I was thinking about back when your innovative use of Echoplex really had a profound effect on the actual sound of the music itself.

Andy Summers – Photo credit: Jay Strauss

Andy Summers: ….an important point – in all sincerity – is that music is made by the mind, the heart and the imagination, not gear. But, that being said, let’s open it up to technology for a minute, as it can be viewed as a two-sided thing. I always say the music comes first, and then you just sort of strap the technology on. But, sometimes the technology can create a way of playing, and I too am susceptible to that!

I find if I pick up an acoustic or a classical or a certain kind of electric, my playing falls in with the instrument. The instrument will draw certain responses from me. It promotes that. It’s the same with gear. Obviously, in the early days of the Police we were looking to sound different, and we were asking ourselves “How can we sound bigger?” Or, put another way, how can we expand the sound of a trio?

When the Echoplex turned up, it was great for the band because our trio sound seemed to expand exponentially and we were able to get into that “space jam” stuff. It was significant and eventually Stewart got one and started playing his drums through one as well.

Back in those times, there were a lot less pedals around. I started off very simply with a Phase 90 and a little bit of reverb, but as we became more successful I got the Pete Cornish board, which had envelope filters and wah wahs and different fuzz boxes, and the whole thing got much better as I began to blend the effects together.

In the late ‘80s, it went into this digital period, which I didn’t enjoy very much because I personally felt like I lost control of it. I wasn’t as hands-on. I felt like I was being controlled by the technology, instead of the other way around.

It’s alright for some of the echoes, but generally I like to be able to interact with the gear as I’m playing, which I think a lot of players do. For this past tour, in ‘07/’08, it was a mix of pedals and digital, all computer-controlled. I mean, I set the sounds for every song but because we were playing gigantic shows that were all about choreography, with the lights and everything hitting at exact moments, I didn’t play around with it very much. But, I did have the facility to override anything that was being done by the remote at the side of the stage. If I wanted to, I could get in there and change it in a second.

In the early days of the Police, I had a lot of gear on a little table on the side of the stage, and I could move the Echoplex around at will, and change the sounds. Depending on the acoustics of the hall, or if we wanted to do something crazy…I could adjust it. It was very primitive technology by today’s standards, but in some ways it felt more organic, and I think people have come back to that. ‘Retro’ is back, as it were…

SKIP: One of the things that has always struck me about your guitar playing, aside from the inventive use of effects and tone, is how demanding the material is to play. I mean, the typical “guitar hero”, so to speak, might play fast, flashy solos…but with your guitar work, even the verses are pretty challenging, with your used of stacked fifths, etcetera. “Every Breath You Take”, for example, sounds deceptively simple, and doesn’t even have a guitar solo, but that is not an easy song, technique-wise, to play. How did you develop this style, and was it a deliberate approach to employ such long stretches and tough chord fingerings or was it more organic?

Andy Summers: Well, to some extent it was just that I had the ability to do it. Before I joined the Police I played classical guitar for several years, and my hands were really strong so I could make those stretches naturally. But, I think it really comes down to the kind of music we wanted to play, and how we didn’t want to sound like anyone else…not playing big barre chords with thirds in them. We tried to avoid that sort of thing, and came to the idea of playing with added ninths – three parallel fifths.

So, a lot of it was promoted by those concerns, I suppose. When you talk about a band like The Police, it was a happy confluence. Pure chemistry. It was the three right people together at the right time – there’s no formula . It comes out of years of playing, reacting, and a music sensibility that is influenced by many, many things – not just rock – and bringing these diverse strands into a specific context. And, in my case, I was working with a singer who had the ears for it. All of this translates into the hands in a very instinctive way.

SKIP: You mentioned working on a new solo record…can you talk about that a little bit? What do you have in the works?

Andy Summers: Yeah, after the Police tour I took a break – who wouldn’t – but this year I’ve decided to really get started again and right now I’m making an album with a pretty well-known guitarist named Andy York. He was in the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet for many years. He left a couple years ago. He’s got quite a whole profile on the guitar scene and has made a lot of records. He’s a great player, essentially a classical player, and a very good composer.

Basically, we got together in my studio and both brought music in, but the real task is finding out how to play together beyond any formal compositions that were already in place. After a couple of weeks of playing we started coming up with some really exotic material and that was what I was looking for. Essentially, in a situation like that, you create a ‘third person’ that is born from your creative striving together – like any good band I suppose.

We’re almost finished with it. It’s essentially two guitars – some of the tracks are only two guitars, but some of the tracks have a few overdubs. It varies between two nylon string guitars to a combination of steel and nylon, and then I play a bit of electric here and there. It sounds pretty great right now actually. I’m very pleased with it.

SKIP: So the thrust of the record is more acoustic, as opposed to a full band thing?

Andy Summers: Oh yeah, mostly acoustic – no drums apart from some nifty guitar percussion from Andy York.

SKIP: So, hand-in-hand with that, can you talk a little bit about what the inspirations for this were, in terms of what you’re listening to these days. Or does what you’re currently listening to even tend to influence your current work?

Andy Summers: Well, it’s a good question. My answer would be that I am mostly influenced by a sensibility in music, the feeling that you get from it. That’s what gets me interested more than a flash lick. For instance, I’m mad about the baroque composer Biber right now. I love the feeling from his music. I don’t think I will be recording anything quite like it. Although you never know! I don’t know, I think everyone’s the same in that if you’re listening to something you like, you want to go and do it. I think that’s one of the prime forces, although it’s may be not always practical to literally try to play everything you like. But, the important thing is to have your sensibilities, your imagination shaped in a good way.

When I was beginning on the guitar, I would hear something and immediately think “How do I do that?” But, that was a healthy thing, absolutely fine when you are starting out. After a few years though you may want to be listening to your own voice.

SKIP: I guess I was just wondering if you happened to hear something that might inspire you…

Andy Summers: Yeah, obviously there are people I like. The only musical style that I can think of that might relate slightly to this current recording is that of Ralph Towner. We’re talking about a different kind of music, that’s really about composition and texture and coming together in a way that’s non-generic.

I’m always looking for the non-generic in music. No matter what you do, there’s going to be an influence from somewhere, because art is not created in a vacuum. It has to come out of something. The best way to learn is to start by copying other people. Eventually, if you’ve got innate talent, then you’re going to find your own voice. It doesn’t matter if you’re Miles Davis or John Coltrane, you’ve got to start somewhere. Then – hopefully – you find your thing and you develop it. It’s a process.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Andy Summers: Yeah, well, it’s a pertinent question. I mean, I’ve been working away at this record and it’s a small voice, but it does come up – “Why the hell are you doing this?” I mean, I’ve made records all my life, and I’ve always collected records. We’re now sort of at the point where you give it away or it gets downloaded. We’ve had a lifetime of living with the ‘object’ and revering the object. I basically think it’s terrible actually. I can talk about the negative aspects of the internet…maybe there are some positive ones. I mean, to some extent, it’s destroyed music. Everything’s free.

What do you do if you’re a musician? You spend your life working to become good at something and, like any other craft or trade, you expect to get paid for it. The only way you can do now as a musician is to play live, because the days of earning royalties are over. I don’t know…and also, the advent of You Tube and all of that stuff – any amateur can be on the internet promoting his music to the detriment of the real players, so it’s become a great leveling field. There it is…what are you going to do?

I feel very fortunate to have gone through the time I did, because with The Police in the ‘80s we sort of hit the golden era of the record business and concert promotion. And we certainly did in ‘07/’08, before the recession happened – we were very lucky actually. I don’t know…I don’t know quite where it’s going. You tend to look back on the old days with nostalgia – so many great record stores and book stores – all of it is being taken away by the internet. Obviously, you’ve got a million guitarists on You Tube now, and some of them are phenomenal. Anything you want to know, just go on YouTube and it’s got to be there somewhere. So, maybe that’s a good thing. But everyone, every person gets to be seen now, whether it’s Facebook or Myspace. Privacy is a thing of the past. I d have no desire to be on Facebook or Myspace…it’s too public for me. I’m not interested.

Also, if you’re a musician I find that it’s a tremendous distraction. You’ve got to be ‘in your own head’ to some degree, and not looking at everything that’s going on all the time. You need to build your own musical world. If you’re seeing a million guys on YouTube just shredding all day, how do you get your bearings?

SKIP: Yeah, I guess it’s a question of how it’s used, whether you go there once in a while as a reference for something specific. But, I see your point that it’s something you could easily get sucked into.

Andy Summers: Yeah. You know, when I was a kid starting out and could barely spell the word ‘guitar’, there was none of the phenomenal amount of information that’s around now. Trying to find out how to play a C 9th chord was a major challenge.

SKIP: I know this is a few years old, but I’d love to chat about your book, One Train Later, for a few minutes. I really enjoyed that memoir and found it to be a very interesting read. How did the book come about? Was that a long-time ambition? Is it something that you always wanted to do?

Andy Summers: Yes, it was always there. I’ve always immersed myself in writing, and over the years of traveling I have kept journals. So, it felt like a very natural step for me – one that was long overdue, but I finally got around to it. I certainly felt like I had plenty to say. I felt my story was one that would be interesting to a lot of people, and I also embraced the challenge of writing a literate book, rather than a moronic ‘kiss and tell’ rock band book.It was a challenge. But, it was not unlike making a record – organizing the material, getting cathartic with it, and waiting for the muse to strike. I’ve worked through the process many times. It probably took me a couple years all in all.

SKIP: If I’m not mistaken, the book came out before there were any plans for the Police reunion. What made it feel like it was the right time to do it?

Andy Summers: The book had nothing to do with the tour.  It was just something I had to do. But, possibly – in my egotistical view – I think it was one of the things that helped bring the tour together. It came out in October, 2006 – about two months before we got together and decided to do the reunion tour.

I actually got a very sweet email from Sting, as I remember, praising the book, he was delighted by it, and that kind of warmed up the atmosphere. Then we met a couple of times between then and the decision to do the tour. It was great timing, actually. I had a lot of very lucky timing around that period. The book came out as we were getting ready to go on that tour.

I also had another book come out – a huge Taschen photography book about The Police that I’d finally pulled together. And then the Signature Telecaster came out. Everything came out and none of it was planned. It was an incredible year in that sense, plus the phenomenal thing of the tour as an opportunity to promote all of it.

SKIP: So, you do think it helped provide a bit of a catalyst for the reunion tour?

Andy Summers: Well, I’d like to think so. I mean, it could be a bit fanciful. But, the whole year, I could feel it coming that it probably was going to happen. The three of us had met up at the Sundance film festival in January of 2006, and we were photographed together in a bar, and that photo just went right around the world in about 30 minutes flat. I think that was the seed that sort of started the train of thought…and by the end of the year, we were there.

SKIP: You not only do a great job of telling The Police story, but you’re also pretty frank in there. At one point, when you’re describing your immersion in celebrity status at the height of The Police’s fame, you include a rant about how burned out you were on everything and you conclude that section by writing: “I am a rock-and-roll asshole, an emaciated millionaire prick…”

Andy Summers: Yeah, that’s probably true, things do get distorted.

SKIP: This struck me as fairly confessional stuff. Do you have regrets from those days?

Andy Summers: No, I don’t regret anything. Well, I mean, of course it did break up my marriage, and that was a regret. Luckily we did get back together after four and a half years. That’s all in the book. But, not much else in terms of regrets…I mean, it was an incredible time.

SKIP: Speaking of fame, at this point in your life, on an average day, are you able to, say, go to the supermarket without getting recognized and accosted? Does life feel better these days as compared with the height of the insanity in the early ’80s?

Andy Summers: Well, through 2007 and 2008,  it was insane. It’s always context, you know? This is what I’ve always found: if you’re actually engaged in – let’s say some ‘high profile career activity – people tend to recognize you more often. I live in LA and I can usually do most stuff without getting hassled. It depends.

But, if I go to an event, and – I’m, say, ‘looking the part’ – I get hassled a lot. If I go to New York, I get recognized a lot. I don’t know why, always in New York, more so than L.A.  I guess it’s because LA. is much more spread out – people are very used to celebrity. It’s always context.

Also, I think it depends on if you dress up or dress down…the way you look. There are certain nuances to it. I get quite a lot of it, and it’s not unpleasant. People are usually very nice. They come up and say that they enjoy what you’ve done, and that’s it. And I think a lot of it’s going on that you don’t even notice right away – you know nudging, whispering pointing. That’s always happening in restaurants and movies. But, Paris Hilton I’m not.

SKIP: Another thing I found fascinating in your book were all of the pre-Police stories, including the one about how  you sold Eric Clapton your Gibson Les Paul, which went on to be an iconic guitar for him.

Andy Summers: Yeah, I put that in the book thinking it was going to totally freak everybody out, and it didn’t freak people out as much as I thought. I thought that was a pretty amazing bit of info that had never really been put out there before.

SKIP: Yeah, I was wondering if he pays you royalties?

Andy Summers: I should have kept the bloody guitar. It’s probably worth half a million at this point. I don’t even know if he’s still got it. I should have asked him because he came to see us play at one point in England. I should have asked him for it back at the original price!

SKIP: Joking aside, you’ve lived a pretty amazing musical journey, with a longer back-story than many realize. How do you think your few extra years of age, wisdom, and experience made The Police a different experience for you, as opposed to what it must have been like for Stewart and Sting?

Andy Summers: Well that’s true. I’d been playing a bit longer than them. Stewart was 22…Sting was 23 or so…I’m ten years older than Stewart. So, maybe…I was able to bring a lot of balance to the situation. I was pretty good at arranging everything, and getting it to sound really like a band. I had that ability. I’d been in a lot of bands, so I could really get things to sound right quickly.

I felt really sure of myself, I suppose, at that point about what I was able to do. I’d been in California. I’d gone to college. I’d played classical guitar for many years. Then I came back to playing the electric, and I sort of felt ready for anything. I was blazing at that point. Also, I don’t know if ‘desperate’ is the right word, but I really wanted to get in the right situation, because I didn’t know how much longer I could go on just playing. I felt like I was too smart for it – I didn’t want to just be “some guy in a band”. Oddly enough, it was The Police that was the one that turned the corner for me. I was able to bring a lot to it – not only musical weight, but a drive and push because I really wanted it to succeed, as did the others. We were three very driven guys. That’s what made the group what it was.

SKIP: In terms of outside, non-musical interests, you’re obviously heavily into photography and did some exhibitions last year. Are there any other obsessions that you indulge in during your free time apart from music and photography?

Andy Summers: Well, yes…I don’t know about “obsessions”, although I’m probably an obsessive. Music is the main thing. I’m pretty involved with photography. I did four photography shows last year, 15 the year before, put another book out, and I’m working on another one presently. That’s an on-going situation.

This year, I really want to focus on playing. I’ve got another band thing coming up in the summer that I think is going to be really interesting. I can’t say anything about it just yet, but an announcement will be made. I’m working on this guitar record that I mentioned earlier right now. I really want to make a trio record of some kind this year, and I’m also working on “an evening with electric guitar and orchestra” – I’ve written quite a lot for that already. So, I’ve got a lot of creative projects in the works now.

Outside of guitar, photography, and composing, I’m a travel nut – particularly to exotic locales. I want to go to Tibet this summer, and I’m going to Africa in April. So, traveling would be my other obsession – apart from science, writing, and film of course.

SKIP: You’ve been incredibly prolific obviously with releasing music – correct me if I’m wrong: twelve solo albums and multiple collaborations. What do you consider to be the highlights from your body of work, and why?

Andy Summers: Yeah, outside of The Police – you can put that wherever you want to put it – but yes, I’ve made a lot of records. There’s so much to think about there…it’s a lot of records…I think they’re all pretty great actually…

SKIP: Probably an unfair question…

Andy Summers: Yeah, when you talk about my playing in the Police, you really need to listen to the solo records if you really want to hear what it’s all about. It’s really very different. Solos galore, as it were. I’ve made a lot of records of my own compositions, and they got more complicated as they went on, but the Monk and the Mingus records that I made got a lot of notice…particularly the Mingus record, I really tried to push the envelope on that one.

I played with the Kronos Quartet and had Debbie Harry, Q Tip, and Randy Brecker on it. That was quite a stretch. My last band cd was called Earth & Sky, which I think was pretty great – and I say that in all immodesty. I made a really interesting record about three years ago with Ben Verdery a great and innovative classical guitarist. It was a really sweet cd that was basically improvised in a couple of afternoons called First You Build A Cloud. Check out the version of “Bring On The Night” on that one.

To me, the Police music is, well, different. In that situation, you are dealing with songs and trying to get them over in the most convincing way possible and also reacting and dealing with the sensibilities of two other people – therein lies the challenge. The more harmonically advanced, complex music is all on the solo records. That’s where I am the composer and I try to extend the ideas beyond anything generic – and by that I mean on the guitar and compositionally.

SKIP: Would you say you enjoy the two equally, in different ways?

Andy Summers: Yes, I do, but they both occupy a different headspace. When we did the Police tour, I was able to do that with a 100% enthusiasm, and I enjoyed being in the band. You go back to that and it’s like “oh, I’m in a band again…” – something I’m very familiar with. It’s a little different from leading your own band, which I’ve done for many years, where you’re writing all the music and playing all the solos. But when you’re back in “the rock band”, it’s a different animal. It’s all about playing your parts and trying to play them really well. And you’re communicating about the parts and trying different things as a group. I know how to do that, and I’ve done it most of my life, so I really enjoyed it because you feel that you are being challenged and that your skills and experience are being called upon.

One of the things that goes along with that, with The Police getting back together after a very long break, is that you can’t be soft and just do caricatures of the old hits. We had to come out completely blazing and sort of blow everyone away. That was the attitude – it had to be really, really strong. And, of course I’d never stopped playing. I’d played millions and millions of gigs in between.   So I just brought all of this playing experience and years of making records back into this situation. So, if anything, there was just more strength to bring to it. Plus, on the technical side, the sound was phenomenal. I was able to get the best guitar sounds, I’d ever had.

So, it was a great experience on many levels. The only thing I can say on a slight negative about the Police tour was that it can get a bit boring playing pretty much the same set over and over and over again. Because I’m used to playing shows where I play different sets every night and I improvise all over the place and don’t always know what’s going to happen and I really get into different dialogues with the drummer that we don’t rehearse. Doing the big, expensive rock show, you can’t really do that.

Everything is distilled down to the essence, and everything is really worked out. Although, one of the things about it, and people don’t really understand this, it’s a sort of cliff-hanger in other ways. I mean, for example, I had to listen to eight beats in the in-ear monitors, and I had to make sure I can hear them, and I had come in with “Message In A Bottle” right on time.

If you miss moments like that, everything goes wrong because somebody else is playing something else. So, it was absolute precision timing. As well as trying to play with power and nail the solos and all the rest of it, you’d be listening intently, and trying to keep the crowd happy. It’s not just fingers on the neck of the guitar. You’re listening…hard – and you’ve got a sort of hyper-awareness, because it’s also second-by-second events for an hour and a half with thousands of people listening and watching you…

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SKIP: I once heard a guitarist describe what you’re talking about there as being a bit like surfing, where you’ve got to not think about it too much and just try to stay on top of the wave and ride with it…

Andy Summers: Yeah, well obviously, like anything, if you’re going to do a thing like that you rehearse and rehearse and rehearse until you’ve pretty much got it right. Then after a couple of months on the road, it starts to become second nature, and you really cruise then. And that’s when the band really starts to get good because you’re not thinking about it – it’s imprinted at that point. That takes a while.

SKIP: I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Stewart.  Did you have a chance to read that, and particularly his remarks about you?

Andy Summers: Yes I did. Pretty amusing, and typical Stewart. I suppose I have to respond in kind. Its nice to be called a “motherfucker” on your instrument after all, that being a great compliment from someone you have spent half your life playing with – so thanks to him for that, and likewise I’m sure. As to this stuff about me not being acknowledged by other guitarists – my experience is the reverse.

But, maybe that’s Stewart’s relationship with other guitarists he has hired, as they probably can’t get a word in edgeways – something I think he would admit to. My experience is nothing but accolades and praise from the guitar world, but putting that to one side – ultimately, what compels you is the next idea – the next challenge, not stuff from the past which, sadly, you become a bit blasé about. There is a real danger in bathing in accolades – they will bring you down if you listen too hard – they should be accepted lightly and then you move on…

SKIP: What was your reaction to Stewart’s story about rehearsing with Henry Padovani in attendance?

Andy Summers: Well, yes you have to laugh about something like that. You couldn’t make it up – like something out of a badly written book about a rock band. But, in fact Henry Padovani did turn up. I’m not sure why. I didn’t even recognize him when he walked into the rehearsal room, but I did notice Sting and Stewart had these ridiculous smirks on their faces – like they were really enjoying this moment, probably because they are perverts and bastards.

So there I am for the next three days blazing away in the sessions with poor old Henry sitting in a chair opposite me like an acolyte – I felt very sorry for him actually. Stewart seems to enjoy seeing people in really compromising situations, so he really enjoyed it. It was a weird scene, but then it was Stewart who kicked Henry out of the band.

SKIP: I have to again quote something Stewart said regarding collaborations: “Andy, for all his great talents as a guitarist, IS a guitarist – which means he is allergic to all other guitarists.” Is it true that you prefer to be the sole guitarist in whatever project you’re involved with? What are the criteria, if there are any, by which you might enjoy collaboration with another guitarist?

Andy Summers: And he is a drummer…he was probably joking, but actually no – not in the least. I’m not allergic to guitarists by any stretch. In fact, I’ve enjoyed projects with other guitarists for many years, including the one I am just finishing with the great Andy York.

I also toured in Brazil five times with Victor Biglione, a very accomplished player from Rio, and I will be back there later this year on tour with Roberto Menescal – hardly sounds like an “allergy” does it? I have empathy with guitarists, not antipathy. The guitar is one instrument that really does have a great worldwide community and it is something to enjoy. Do trombonists have the same scene – might one gently ask? So, I’m not allergic to other guitarists.

The thing about the guitar is it’s one of the only instruments you can really play with somebody else. How often do two trumpeters get together and play? I love playing with other guitarists – if they meet certain criteria. As for the criteria, that’s a good question. You find out when you sit down with another person what they can do and how whole they are as a musician.

For me, they’ve got to have a high level of musical language, and they’ve got to be able to really play, and the most important thing – and the thing that I always find is a slight bug bear with most guitarists – is their sense of time and pulse…where they feel the time, and if they can accompany or not. This is the thing where most guitarists fall down.

I’m kind of surprised, but I think most guys work really hard at playing licks and solos, and they don’t learn about time, and how to comp, and have an abstract sense of time. The thing I enjoy most when I’m playing with another guitarist is if he’s got that abstract sense of time as if there’s a pianist accompanying you, then it’s a great thing…that’s really great to play with. And it’s much rarer than you’d think.

I think a lot of guys practice and practice and they study YouTube and they learn how to tap and they do this and they do that, but then when you put them in a real musical situation where you’ve got to be able to do all kinds of things – not just tap out a solo, but play the chords in the right time and accompany somebody else, and really be a musician – and then it becomes another thing and people can’t do it.

They worked so hard at shredding or whatever, but they cant play with a steady rhythmic pulse and you find you can’t really make music after-all. For me, most of the guys that I’ve played with are pretty all-around. They can play solos, but they’ve got the other stuff as well. One of the best that I ever played with, obviously he’s a great guitarist, was Larry Coryell, who accompanied so beautifully…I actually learned something off of him. We did a tour together and we played together quite a bit. The sense of music in the accompaniment…there was the abstraction of the time, but you could feel the pulse underneath. It was really there.

People don’t understand this about music. They say “How do you improvise?” and I always say “Learn the form, have it locked in your head, and then you can play any note you want.” People get so fucked up about playing the right scales over the chords, but in a more advanced sense it doesn’t really matter if you’ve got the time and the form in your head. There’s a whole other side to music that I think a lot of kids just don’t get. It’s also, to some degree, a difference between “rock soloing”, people learning how to tap and all these very corny diatonic scales they play and strict sixteenth notes and all that…but really solos ought to be much more abstract and play outside and inside the time, and bend the time, and always come back at the right moment. A lot of rock soloing doesn’t really allow for that, unless it’s a genius like Eddie Van Halen maybe.

SKIP: You know, your comments here are making me think of your solo in “Driven To Tears” for some reason, where it’s completely outside and takes you to a totally different place and then it comes back and you almost don’t know what hit you…

Andy Summers: Well, it’s appropriate for the song, and it was meant to be a summation of what the emotion was in the lyrics. Hence, the atonality.

SKIP: You talked a little about your Signature guitar models earlier – the Martin and the Fender guitars. I was curious how closely you worked with Fender and Martin on getting those right? You’re obviously pleased with the end results because you’re using them. But what all goes into that process?

Andy Summers: Yeah, it’s an interesting process. It’s a given that they’re the experts – they’re in their factories making millions of guitars every year, so you kind of have to go with the flow. I don’t try to dominate those situations. They were all quite enjoyable experiences.

Andy Summers Signature Fender Telecaster

Fender, for instance, came to me to ask if they could make the Telecaster. They said they were getting calls everyday about “When is Andy’s Telecaster coming out?” and asked me “Do you have it?” and I said “Yes, I do”. So, they came to my studio and they took the guitar apart, which killed me. They took the whole thing to pieces, photographed it, measured it, videoed it, and somehow made a map of all the scratches and the paint that was missing.

It’s kind of incredible what they did. So, they knew everything about it, and then they went off to start putting the basic model together.

The trickiest part about it was actually the electronics, which we took a few shots at in terms of the pickups, particularly getting the back pickup right. Because it’s got a Gibson humbucker on the front, and a Tele pickup on the bridge position, and then it’s got this overdrive built into it.

SKIP: Yeah, it’s a hybrid right?

Andy Summers: Yeah, it’s sort of almost like a Gibson-Fender. When I got it, somebody had played around with the guitar, as people did in those days, to create this sort of hybrid guitar. But it was just a great guitar, and it always played so beautifully. Of course, it was an incredibly lucky guitar for me. It changed my life.

But, so yeah, I had quite a lot of interaction with them. The guitar itself – the neck, the feel of the body, the weight, and everything – that was all exact. So, it was really just a question of getting the electronics right. It was kind of a fun thing to do, talking to them and trying out different things until we really felt that it was as close as we could get it. I ended up having the original and the new one both in the studio and playing them in and out through the amps until you couldn’t tell which one was which, and that’s really how we got to it.

The Martin was a lot of fun because I really enjoyed working with Dick Boak – that was probably the most enjoyable experience, making the steel string. I had them put Buddhist mudra hand gesture markers at the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th and 15th frets for the dot positions on the neck.

It’s very beautiful, and it’s got a Lotus on the headstock, and then the edges of the soundboard were bound ’30s style black and white stripe pattern. It really gives it a look. They should have put it on the back as well.

Unfortunately, they didn’t. But, it’s a great looking guitar and it’s also great to play. And it’s got the pick-up in it and a little microphone in it. That was a really fun collaboration and I’d still like to do another one with them.

The Gibson one was reasonably straightforward. I was playing a 1960 335 with a beautiful, red cherry color. They looked it up and they think it was the only one made that year like that. So, they basically copied it. There was nothing else really done with that one – it was a straight copy.

There’s a part of me that really enjoys being around luthiers and around the wood in the shop and all that. I’ve always liked those guys, and getting involved with the design. I’m actually working at the moment with a very talented luthier named Mike Peters who is based in Los Angeles In fact, he is making me five different guitars as we speak.

Briefly – three of them are nylon string instruments, one a small Parlor size guitar along the lines of an instrument from the 1850’s, one a straight classical with a slightly shorter scale length than usual – about 640, and a nylon string Terz. In other words, a small guitar tuned to G and with a Nashville tuning – that one should be amazing. He is also building me an electric guitar with a classical neck. This was partly inspired after working with Flea [the bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers] and playing a night of Bach in a special concert we did.

I was experimenting with playing Bach on a Strat and putting it through some interesting effects – it ended up sounding very convincing and quite beguiling to the point where I wanted to extend the idea further and maybe record an album of Bach this way or put it in an ensemble or something. But, I needed a hybrid electric that I could really play classical on. And oh…Mike is also building me an electric Terz, because I found that playing Bach on the Terz with the raised G string was so strange that it worked. I am breathlessly waiting for all these babies to see the light of day.

SKIP: When I asked Stewart about the possibility of The Police doing something again, he surprisingly left the door open: “No matter what any of the three of us says about the way we feel now…it’s too powerful”. What are your thoughts on doing something as The Police again?

Andy Summers: I would pretty much go along with Stewart on that. I always think it’s unfinished business. Why does it have to end? People always want to hear the band and want to hear those songs. We haven’t killed each other. We made it through the tour. It was the third biggest tour of all time, only because we decided not to go on forever, otherwise it would have been the biggest. It was just a phenomenal success on all levels.

I don’t know, we’ll see. To me, I don’t think it’s wishful thinking…it is just too powerful to think it’s over. I don’t know. I’m not sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. Just getting on with the next project – so to speak.

SKIP: Do you think the experience of that tour changed your relationship with the other guys relative to the time before, when there was more of this feeling of unfinished business?

Andy Summers: I don’t know. We’ve been through such a life experience together. No matter what, the bond is so strong. It’s kind of like being married to somebody and stabbing them, and yet they still stay with you. It’s kind of crazy, but that’s the way it is. I feel the tension as I speak – it ain’t over…

SKIP: I guess I’m wondering if the tour kind of helped heal old wounds? Did everybody come out of it kind of feeling healthier about the whole thing?

Andy Summers

Andy Summers: That’s a nice idea, but I don’t think so. It was difficult. At the beginning, after the first fight, I thought “We aren’t going to make it, it ain’t going to work, it’s not going to happen.” But, the minute we started playing in front of those gigantic audiences, it was so ridiculously strong…it was hard to moan and feel bad about it when you’ve got that kind of success enveloping you.

I do think we can do it again. Why not go back in the ring with Mike Tyson?

Maybe the excuse is “Hey, we’ve still got a few wounds that need healing – better go on tour again.” We could have gone on. But, certainly, apart from the emotional life and whatever else lies between the three of us, Live Nation would love to get us out there again. We are good for the industry. But, even if the business people put it together- just because we can make a lot of money, there are still the issues of “Can you guys get it together and sort it out?” and I’m speaking about emotion, not just music.

You’d think by now it would be “We’re all grown up now, no problem.” But, it’s still difficult. Because when you do this kind of thing, in this field, you’ve got to be vulnerable. That’s the way it is. You have to wear your emotions on your sleeve to be able to do it really well, so that all the magic can happen. It’s a bit like trying to defuse a bomb.

SKIP: Last question…given your incredibly successful career, what remaining musical ambitions do you have? Is there anybody you’d love to collaborate with, etc?

Andy Summers: Yes the future stretches on replete with possibility. I see no end to playing or writing music. It is very sustaining. As soon as I have wrapped this current cd, I am going back to the orchestral project that I have been nursing for awhile that is a sort of fantasia for electric guitar and orchestra, the guitar almost taking the part of a violin in the traditional sense of a violin concerto, the modern guitar having all the ability to sustain notes in the same way. I imagine I’ll be out with that sometime next year.

Apart from that and apart from one amusing thought about the life of a musician and that is that I seem to spend half of my life feeling fucked up in a bedroom in a foreign hotel – it’s really all about composing music all the time, giving life to the nonstop song in your head. I’m fortunate enough to have a fully working studio and an engineer so that does facilitate it somewhat, although I usually start with a guitar and a sheet of manuscript and a pencil.

I‘m working on another piece for guitar and twelve cellos – tricky notation. What else? I’m going to Dakar, Senegal next month to meet with some great Senegalese players. It will be interesting to see what emerges from that.

I guess the thing is if you really love music, that love doesn’t end just because you have a bit of commercial success – the curiosity and the quest goes on and on and on.

As to other projects, there is the possibility of a really interesting band later this year another book of photography and show to go with that, and I intend to trek into the heart of Tibet this summer.

SKIP: Thanks so much for your time Andy. I really enjoyed speaking with you.

Andy Summers: Thanks very much, it was a pleasure.

******

I asked Andy’s guitar tech, Dennis Smith,  about the rig Andy used both in the studio and on the road and he offered up the following list:

SPEAKERS

4 x Mesa Boogie 2 x 12 Recto cabs

(2 for center dry image – 1 left and 1 right for stereo wet image)

(It’s worth noting that Andy has been using Mesa Boogie cabs for 15 -20 years)

AMPS

Custom Audio Electronics OD-100 Mono Head (by Bob Bradshaw)

Mesa Boogie 2:90 Stereo Power Amp  (for colour)

Crown XTi 1000 Stereo Power Amp (clean)

Carvin DCM-150 Stereo Power Amp (clean)

SWITCHING

Bob Bradshaw switching System

FX

Lexicon PCM-70

Eventide Eclipse Harmonizer

TC  Electronics D TWO Delay

TC Electronics 1210 chorus

PEDALS

Love Pedal by Sean Michaels

Klon Centaur 1

Klon Centaur 2

Maxon OD9 Overdrive (copy of a tube screamer should note that it is better than a tube screamer)

Pigtronix Philosopher’s Tone by David Koltai

Fuzz Factory

CAE V-Compressor

Keeley Compressor

Redwitch Chorus

Redwitch Phasor

Empress Tremolo

Voodoo Labs Analog Chorus

Moog Moogerfooger

Diamond Memory Lane 2

Diamond Halo Chorus

Budda Amplification – Budda Wah wah pedal

Boss FV-500L (1) for continuous control

Boss FV-500L (2) for continuous control

Boss FV-500H Volume

Ernie Ball Volume

ACCESSORIES

Sennheiser wireless system

Voodoo Labs Pedal Power Plus 2

D’Addario Strings

Planet Waves accessories

Grover Allman Straps

Dunlop 2mm Picks

Various sizes REAL ROCK picks

GUITARS

Andy has well over 100 guitars including:

Andy Summers Telecaster

Fender Strat

Andy Summers Signature Gibson 335

Andy Summers Signature Martin Acoustic – See below what Dick Boak, Director, Artist Relations, Martin Guitar Company told us about his collaboration with Andy.

Andy Summers plays his Signature model Martin in the office of Chris Martin – Photo courtesy: Martin Guitar Company

“Andy visited the factory to discuss the project in depth. We spent much of the day together. He identified the basics of his 000 Cutaway performance guitar idea, with Buddhist inspired inlays that I created (with much effort) graphically from a multitude of varied “mudra” hand positions, plus a lotus blossom with root for the headstock. These drawings went through many incantations. The challenge with the inlays was to draw them with correctly sized routed lines that could be filled with black epoxy, then cut to shape. This was an entirely new techniques that enabled the pieces to be cut from a single piece instead of being a jig-saw assembly of many pieces.

Michael Gurian worked with me to create the checkered top binding that Andy has always loved. The resulting guitar was/is stunning and unique. It is what Andy prescribed – an impressive acoustic electric cutaway made for professional stage and studio use.

Lastly, Andy wanted to plug in of course, so we chose the new (at the time) Fishman Ellipse Blend electronics package with a mic/under-saddle pickup combination and on-board soundhole lip controls allows effortless amplification.”  – Dick Boak, Director, Artist Relations, Martin Guitar Company

Press Release

Source: ABC PR

Country and metal music have been flirting for years, but Kentucky hybrid Devil’s Cut just hits differently. On their hugely cathartic and relatable 2026 debut album, ROADKILL, the Louisville band harnesses anthemic metalcore to authentic country imagery and melody to massive effect.

Due out April 24 on MNRK Heavy, ROADKILL is available to pre-order now HERE. The album’s first single and album opener, the fist-pumpin’ “Drink With The Devil,” was released today on all digital outlets, and a video for the song can be seen now on the band’s official YouTube page.

Devil’s Cut’s nuanced country-metal mélange began with a 2018 conversation with their manager Cody Ash (drummer for Jelly Roll). Fellow Kentuckian Ash was convinced that merging the genres was the future and together they set about convincingly marrying their twin musical passions without compromising either.

Devil’s Cut hinted at what was coming with a muscular 2019 cover of Dan + Shay’s country smash, “Tequila” and had really found their lane by the time 2022’s “Insomnia” became a TikTok hit and has over 97k YouTube views. With their sound rapidly evolving and commercial momentum gathering, Devil’s Cut racked up millions of streams while touring with everyone from country/metal chanteuse Royale Lynn to metalcore mainstays Attila, plus adrenalized sets at metal’s flagship mega-fests Aftershock, Welcome To Rockville, and Louder Than Life.

“We grew up on Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks, but we love Metallica and Pantera,” says Devil’s Cut frontman Trey Landrum. “We’re metal with hints of country, but we’re doing it differently; fucking with it and making it our own.”

The resulting “Mossy Oak metal” (a nod to their Louisville, KY hometown) is slickly produced, featuring heavy riffs and aggressive, articulate grooves topped by infectious country-twang vocals. Completed by guitarist Zach McConnell, drummer Trap, and bassist Bailey Jones, Devil’s Cut are Southern boys in Dolly and Dale shirts, camo caps, and NASCAR jackets. Their online content is chocked with chugged beers, muddy trucks and side-by-sides, outdoor ragers, and neon-lit dive bars. This is metal that speaks to rural America and oozes unpretentious regional pride.

Left to right: Zach McConnell (guitar), Trey Landrum (vocals), Bailey Jones (bass), Trap (drums) – Photo credit: Perri Leigh

By: John McEuen

Press Release

Source: Mark Pucci Media

Three of today’s deepest, most decorated acoustic blues masters reunite to summon ancestral spirits with songs both long remembered and newly created on Fight On! True Blues Vol. 2, set for release April 17th on Yellow Dog Records, distributed by MVD Distribution.  Advance music and album pre-orders here: https://yellowdogrecords.com/trueblues.

Even as they step back in time, Guy Davis, Corey Harris and Alvin Youngblood Hart—who won ardent acclaim for their first True Blues project in 2013—prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that African American blues remains as vital and vibrant as ever. These three first met at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1996 and are now coming together nearly 30 years later for a powerful follow-up to their acclaimed first True Blues collaboration. The album features nine tracks blending traditional material (Charley Patton, Rev. Gary Davis, Virginia songsters) with original compositions.

“I have a photograph somewhere of Corey, Guy and myself at the Chicago Blues Festival, 1996,” remembers Alvin Youngblood Hart. “A time when we were being touted by the ‘Blues Establishment’ as ‘The New Saviors Of The Blues.’ So whatever man, it was destiny that we’d end up doing something like True Blues. This new album is a continuation, or reunion of the project we started over a decade ago.”

“The thematic tie of the record lies in the fact that we are three African-American bluesmen who are fighting to maintain our cultural legacy and heritage,” adds Corey Harris. “Each of these nine tracks represents a contemporary image of traditional Black lifeways.”

As for the album’s title, Guy Davis states: “The fight we are waging is to keep this precious music form alive. To us, there is not so much difference between our arrangements of blues classics and our newly created work. It’s all connected to the ancestral spirit.”

Recorded separately in Virginia, Mississippi and New York, these soul-stirring performances include a Jimmy Strother banjo song migrated to Piedmont-style guitar (Harris’s “Fight On”), an inspired reworking of Elizabeth Cotten’s “Shake Sugaree,” reimagined as if Blind Willie McTell were playing the guitar (Davis’s “Everything I Got Is Done In Pawn”), and the first Charley Patton song that Hart ever learned, “Screamin’ and Hollerin’.” Even the original compositions here are steeped in history, albeit personal history. Harris wrote “What’s That I Smell?” with his time spent in New Orleans in mind—specifically, his nights playing in a joint called The Funky Butt. Davis laments the necessity of a life on the road, away from family, in the disarmingly confessional “See Me When You Can.” And Hart drew inspiration from another great bluesman, his friend Henry Townsend (who died in 2006 at the age of 96), to write “If the Blues Was Money,” which he performs here on a Sears Silvertone-branded 1950s Kay flat-top guitar.

Raw, heartfelt and sounding absolutely nothing like a dusty museum piece, Fight On!: True Blues Vol. 2 is a loving celebration of shared music and friendship, a long-dreamed-about project that now, countless tours and conversations later, finally arrives.

True Blues Vol. 2 Album Track Listing and Credits

“We Are Almost Down to the Shore (Fight On)”, “What’s That I Smell”, and “I Belong to the Band”
Performed by Corey Harris; Six-string acoustic parlour guitar by Bob Gernandt; All tracks in standard tuning. Recorded by Chris Whitley, Stable Roots Productions, Virginia.

Corey Harris: “Fight On” is a song by the legendary Virginia songster Jimmy Strother. I chose it because I like the lyrics of the song and the composer lived not far from my home in Virginia. It was written on the banjo, but I adapted it to the guitar, giving it a Piedmont blues vibe. “What’s That I Smell” is an original song I wrote about my time in New Orleans, playing at a local bar called the ‘Funky Butt.’ “I Belong To the Band” is a song I learned from recordings of Rev. Gary Davis, one of my influences in gospel and spiritual music.

“Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues”, “If The Blues Was Money” and “Highway 61”
Performed by Alvin Youngblood Hart; 1950s Kay flat-top guitar (Sears Silvertone-branded), purchased in Tulsa circa 2007; Tuned a whole step down, using standard tuning, Open G, and Open E.
Recorded by Justin Showah, The Voyager’s Rest, Water Valley, Mississippi.

Alvin Youngblood Hart: “Screamin’ & Hollerin’ is the first Charley Patton song I attempted to learn in my late teens, so I’ve been carryin’ it around awhile. “If The Blues Was Money” is a song I wrote in the 20th century. It was inspired by my friend Henry J. Townsend, who made his first records at age 19 in 1929. So much for the ‘old bluesman’ stereotype. Henry was a teenager and rockin’! “Highway 61” I learned from my friend David ‘Honeyboy’ Edwards. It was a great joy to be out with him. We worked together on many festivals, both domestically and abroad. I have lived in Memphis, Natchez, New Orleans… US Highway 61 figures prominently.”

“See Me When You Can”, “Deep Sea Diver” and “Everything I Got is Done in Pawn”
Performed by Guy Davis; Harmony Stella 12-String (1960s) on ‘Everything I Got is Done in Pawn’
Harmony Sovereign (1960s) on ‘Deep Sea Diver’ and ‘See Me When You Can’. Recorded by Longma龙马, Home Field Studios, Bronx, New York. Mixed and Mastered by Jason “JJ Boogie” Reichert, Atlanta, Georgia.

Guy Davis: “See Me When You Can” is a song I wrote for my grandmother many years ago, reflecting the difficulty of being on the road and being where I can help out my family. “Deep Sea Diver” is a song I wrote which extols the virtues of a medicine show huckster named Handsome Jack Lodi. “Everything I Got Is Done in Pawn” is a reworking of Elizabeth Cotten’s song, ‘Shake Sugaree.’ I added more verses and tried to imagine the guitar as if played by Blind Willie McTell.”

Hi-res cover: http://www.markpuccimedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/True-Blues-Vol.-2-Hi-Res-Cover-scaled.jpg

Corey Harris Photo: http://www.markpuccimedia.com/Corey-Harris-PR-1-by-Craig-Grossman-scaled.jpeg

Alvin Youngblood Hart Photo: http://www.markpuccimedia.com/Alvin-Youngblood-Hart-PR-1-by-Matt-White-scaled.jpg

Guy Davis Photo: http://www.markpuccimedia.com/Guy-Davis-PR-1-by-Martial-Davis-scaled.jpg

Websites:

Corey Harris:                      https://coreyharrisonline.com

Alvin Youngblood Hart: https://ayhmusic.com/

Guy Davis:                          http://guydavis.com

Yellow Dog Records:      https://yellowdogrecords.com/trueblues

By:  Rick Landers

Over the years, blues-rock artist, Linwood Taylor, has forged ahead nailing down gigs, improving his game and building a reputation as an A-list musician in the Washington, D.C. area with a deep music history rarely fully appreciated.

The town and its surrounding areas have been the home of gifted musicians as diverse as: Tim Buckley, Danny Gatton, Roberta Flack, Yasmin Williams, Eva Cassidy, Roy Buchanan, Dave Grohl, the Bad Brains, and as historic as Duke Ellington and John Phillips Sousa.

Linwood performs his own eclectic mix of rock, blues, jazz, and more, inspired by disciplined and talented musicians he heard on local radio, as well as in D.C.’s live music hubs, like The Bayou, Blues Alley, The Birchmere, JV’s, The Twist and Shout, The Wax Museum, The Cellar Door and more. And in his quest to achieve not only success, but credibilty, he would reach out to meet musicians he admired. He’d find himself on stage with the likes of Curtis King, Dave Moore, Luther Allison,  Lonnie Mack, the Blues Brothers, and his friend and mentor, Joe Louis Walker.

Albums would follow as he navigated the music business and stamped out recordings of his own, and was featured on those of others. Head to the grindstone, Taylor released: Live At Colonial Seafood, (1991) Take This and Stay Out Of Trouble (1993), Make Room For The Paying Customer (2000), and his more current, Two Sides, while also being featured on GeminiiDRAGON’s latest, Moonlight Movin’ & Groovin’.

“Explosive guitar solos ….  With a classic rock feel that sounds familiar, and plenty of twists and turns to keep things fresh ….” – Scott Paddock, Mobtown Music Guide

“One of Washington’s Leading Blues Guitarists” – Washington Post Magazine

I met Linwood at one of the D.C. areas longest running and most ambitious live venues, JV’s Restaurant, that has attracted the attention of legendary musicians since it opened in 1947, including: The Seldom Scene, the Steve Miller Band, Tony Rice, the Country Gentleman, who’ve stopped by to enjoy the entertainment and-or to entertain. He pulled out his two guitars, a vintage ’54 Les Paul Gold Top and a ’58 Les Paul re-issue, opening up our discussion about guitars and anecdotes about musicians he’s worked alongside. Afterward, he stepped on stage to nail down some riveting licks to the pleasure of JV’s crowd. And my first thought was, “This guy’s the real deal”.

Guitar International is honored to feature Linwood Taylor, Jr., a treasured musician not only in his local D.C. haunts, but one who’s made a name for himself while on tour at the Sanremo Festival in Italy; the Czech Republic; Australia; and the private Mustique Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

******

Rick Landers: Let’s start out from the beginning when you were growing up, what kind of music were you listening to? I know that typically we had the Top 40.  How does that influence you now, as a musician?

Linwood Taylor: Oh, man. No, it just was whatever was around. I mean, I was a kid. My father was a music fan, I still have his albums, as well as mine.  We had  big band jazz, you know, that kind of thing. That was in my house, but we also had rock ‘n roll. We also had jazz, like organ jazz, you know, Brother Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, and all of that. I can remember Chubby Checker and that kind of thing. “The Twist” and “Hound Dog”…Leiber and Stoller wrote that, but Big Mama Thornton had a hit with it first.

And then I read a book about how Lieber and Stoller had their rights stolen by Johnny Otis and “Diamond Jim” Robey (Founder: Peacock Records).

Linwood Taylor

Rick: Well, you know, rock and rock and roll, you know, music, so…

Linwood Taylor: Because they were in high school, they didn’t know about publishing. And FM started and WPGC and WOL would be playing The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, then they played James Brown and The Temptations…that kind of thing. It was all mixed up.

Rick: Yeah, it was the Top 40, and they just sort of threw in everything before the FM underground stations.

Linwood Taylor: I listened to WHFS once. I guess I was 12 or so, and my parents gave me a cassette recorder and, oh man, I had it on all night. A cool song would come on and it would wake me up.

Rick: That’s funny. So, who do you think actually influenced you the most as far as buying your first guitar?

Linwood Taylor: Let’s put it this way, a 7th grade teacher played guitar, and an 8th grade teacher played guitar and sang. Sadly, he just passed away. He put himself through school playing coffee houses.  So, he would play, “House of the Rising Sun,” “Sounds of Silence”. He could play all that stuff and I remember he had a 12-string Martin. The 7th grade teacher was a nun and the 8th grade teacher was Brian Fuller.

There was Top 40, but somehow I would hear about other things, like I heard about Jimi Hendrix when he first came out and that wasn’t Top 40. There was also a Baltimore television show called The Kirby Scott Show, and they had everything, the Count Five, “Psychotic Reaction,” Los Lobos, psychedelic stuff came in. You know, ’67.

Rick:  I’m from the Detroit area, so there were venues to go to, there was also the Ed Sullivan Show. People today don’t realize how prolific he was in pulling in The Beatles, the Stones, the Doors.

Linwood Taylor: Oh, yeah, I’m acutely aware of Mr. Sullivan, everybody watched Ed Sullivan.

Rick:  Today, basically we have music from everywhere.  So, now we’ve got access to not only Mali, but Japan, Brazil, where you get beautiful music.
Do you listen to music from all over the world, or do you explore to see what else is going on?

Linwood Taylor: I listen to a lot of different things, but my time is rather limited, um, especially for me, because I’m having to learn other peoples’ repertoire. So, I gotta invest time in that. Then I gotta play my own stuff.

Rick: So, when you’re learning a new band’s original music…

Linwood Taylor: It’s originals. That’s the whole point, you know? The retention is the most difficult thing at this point. It used to be a lot easier. And the thing is this, I can remember it and the hand memory coordination. Takes a moment, you know?

Rick: I have a new keyboard player and he plays our originals hundreds of times, so they’re embedded, so the muscle memory goes with the mental memory.

Linwood Taylor: Absolutely.

Rick: That’s why I would find it very daunting. I’m not a trained musician. Did you take lessons, or did you learn on your own,?

Linwood Taylor: I’m mainly self-taught. I’ve taken a lesson here and there, just to get some basic theory. I even took a music class. The professor told me, “You did A work, but I’m giving you a B. You shouldn’t be in music. What I’ve learned through my lifetime and I’ve heard the expression from the past, “Those who can play, play. Those who can’t, teach.”

Rick: I think that may be true.

Linwood Taylor: Really and truly.

Rick: We met a short time ago and you had, I think, a vintage ’54 Les Paul and a ’58 reissue.

Linwood Taylor: Yeah, yes, yes I did. That was the maple top.

Rick: How’d you find the ’54?

Linwood Taylor: Oh, that’s another story! I used to work at Wheaton Music.

Rick: I remember it, yeah, yeah.

Linwood Taylor: And a guy came in, December 1990, with this Les Paul. The store owner didn’t want it, because the neck had a wonky repair. The next guy didn’t want it for the same reason. I picked the guitar up, I flexed the neck and went, “This is not going anywhere. This would be great to take out and play it. Sold. So, I bought it. Little did I know, the next day a fellow said, “Did a guy come in here?” And they all went, “Yeah”. I bought it and he was furious. I played it like that for 16 years. And by that time I had a Gibson endorsement.

So, I went to the Gibson factory in Nashville and they restored it to complete original. I have the neck with the wonky repair, but they put a new neck on it. They put on the original serial number, and they refinished the back and sides, because it’s an all-gold Les Paul. But it’s not just a gold top, the back and sides are gold, too.

Rick: Oh, I didn’t notice that. There are very few of those.

Linwood Taylor: Yeah, only 5%. So, that’s a super rare one. I’m fortunate to have it, but it’s not so much of a collectible that I can’t take it out and enjoy it.

Forty one years ago, I bought a ’61 SG Les Paul. Okay? It was somebody’s player. But, for me it was clean. I couldn’t play it. I learned my lesson at that point. It’s too clean.  Don’t buy it, and it probably wasn’t that good, because nobody played it.

Rick: That’s true, too.

Linwood Taylor: Everything I have is a player. More or less, or something’s been done to it to devalue it. I can take it out and feel comfortable with it, but…I’m still not comfortable half the time, you know?

Rick: Yeah, I know how that is. What about acoustics? What are you playing acoustically? Do you play 12-strings, or mostly 6-strings?

Linwood Taylor: Uh, no, I have no 12s. I play a (Gibson) J-160E, that’s a reissue. That’s mainly what I use, but then I also have a resonator. It’s actually a Dobro, it’s wooden, not a metal one. And it’s a round neck, so it’s not like one of those squares that I have to lay it down. I can play normal guitar on it. I tune it to open D, and away I go, Elmore James, for days!

You know, I’m an electric guy, I just started doing acoustic because I was turning down too much work. Thirty years ago, my first acoustic gig was opening for the Brian Setzer Orchestra. It was one of those deals and I hated being alone like that. I prefer to work a duo, because we work off of each other.  You know, as opposed to just me, for lack of a better expression, “Kumbaya!” It’s just not my thing.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rick: Who was the first artist that you were impressed with?

Linwood Taylor: That was Muddy Waters, when I was 18.

Rick: Was Electric Mud around that time, right?

Linwood Taylor: No, Bob Margolin had just joined the band. This is about six months after Bob joined the band, so this is 51 years ago. The Nighthawks were back there backstage, we’re all backstage hanging out.

Rick: How much fun. I never went backstage. It just wasn’t in my mind to think that I could possibly go backstage and meet somebody.

Linwood Taylor: I also had a good friend who sadly is gone, but who also hipped me to a lot of, um, vintage gear. I actually bought that SG Les Paul from him. He was a world famous amplifier technician. He worked with everyone…I mean everyone! Cesar Diaz. I met Stevie Ray Vaughan backstage. And nobody knew who Stevie Ray was except real blues aficionados. And Stevie told us, “Yeah, my album is coming out, and I’m on the new David Bowie album.” He was on the album, but he quit right before the tour.

He did Let’s Dance. He did that whole album, Let’s Dance.

Rick: I did have a chance to meet him when I was working , but I didn’t go…he was playing at D.C.’s Wax Museum.

Linwood Taylor: Yeah. That’s where I met him, like the first time he played there, before he played at, I wanna say Desperados right on M Street. Gradually, I met a lot of guys, blues guys. I met all the way up to, like Roger Daltry, Paul Rogers. David Bowie I met several years later, because I was doing a deal with Peter Frampton and Peter was David’s guitar player. I met Robert Plant twice. I was there there the night of the famous fight at The Bayou with Robert Plant. And then, about eight-years ago in Australia in the green room. I meet a lot of guys, and then last year I met Mick Jagger.

Rick: Have you met anyBeatles?

Linwood Taylor: No, no.

Rick: I’ve never met any of them.I met Les Paul a couple times, and a few others.

Linwood Taylor: I met Les. In fact, Cesar Diaz and I, and one of his friends, we went to see Les at the Iridium. And then, the December before my friend passed, Cesar passed, I walked into his hospital room, and Les is in the hospital room.

Rick: Oh, how nice of him to show up. So how’d you find Les? I thought he was funny.

Linwood Taylor: Oh, yeah, he was a riot! He was a total cut-up. If you didn’t know he was a cut-up, you might be offended. But, I’d been a musician for so long, it’s like, “Okay, buddy, your funny,” you know?

Rick: So, have you been on tour often?

Linwood Taylor: Enough to know that it can be a grind. But not enough to discourage me.

Rick: What was the good, the bad, and the ugly of touring?

Linwood Taylor: Well, the only bad thing…to me, was that I got trapped in Hong Kong, behind 9-11. I had to stay an extra ten days.  To me, it was that I got trapped in Hong Kong. I couldn’t get home, but I was able to reach my mother, and I was able to reach my girlfriend, who’s now my wife. The club was like, the act can’t come in, so the room was booked and I stayed, because I had no place to go. But, I had to buy my own meals, which was fine.

Rick: Well, I imagine you had fun.

Linwood Taylor: Well, you know, yeah. I mean, I made friends and whatever, people would show me around, and I really got to explore the city. All I can say is Hong Kong was like New York on steroids. And the thing is, the Chinese had not cracked down at that point. It had just changed over and they realized there was a lot of money there. I mean a lot of money. I mean, in Italy, I had never seen a Lamborghini dealership. But in Hong Kong, I saw a Lamborghini dealership with five different colored Lamborghinis in the showroom. That was like “Wow!” The bass player was driving a big Mercedes. If you ever see that movie, Die Another Day, a James Bond film with Halle Berry in it, where Moore gets out of the water at the Hong Kong Yacht Club, that’s where I played.

Rick: What a great experience. So, it really opens up your mind when you travel around the world. You get a different perspective about our country.

Linwood Taylor: Oh, yeah, absolutely. You know there are some things that are really cool and you know that we could do better.

Rick: How does it differ now than when you first went into a studio to record?

Linwood Taylor: Well, I had a friend that had a home studio back in the ’70s, so I did that, but the first time I was in the studio I was in a band. And we were submitting, recording original music to DC 101 for the home tapes contest. We were actually runners up. We wound up going to a big-time studio in Philly, The Warehouse. But to me, it was just one of those things. I just play, you know? Since that time, I played on the H.R. solo album, he was the lead singer for the Bad Brains.

Yeah, I’ve got a consent by them somewhere. I guess they had broken up by this point. This is 1990 and the album came out called, Charge. I recorded in, like, 89, and the album came out in 1990. They misspelled my name, but I’m still there. I’m on Joe Louis Walker’s live album, Blues Conspiracies: Live On The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.

I’m actually on a cut (“It’s A Shame”) with Johnny Winter, so technically, I recorded with Johnny Winter. Joe Louis (Walker) introduced me to Johnny. I met Joe in 1989 at the Twist and Shout. I opened for them at the 8×10. Joe got me in as his guest for the Kennedy Center Honors for B.B. King!

Rick: Cool.

Linwood Taylor: So, I’m hanging out in the green room with everybody,. It was one of those things. I wanted to take pictures, and I realized, “No, you can’t take pictures.” And, I left my camera in the car. I just said, “You can’t take pictures because, if you take pictures, you don’t belong there.” By this time, I’d met Bonnie Raitt, Steve Martin, Steve Cropper. In fact, I was hanging with Steve Cropper because this was the second time I’d met him. Ed Bradley, Walter Cronkite, Lou Gossett, Jr., Bill Clinton. It was all there, man, it was a total happening.

Rick: I interviewed Cropper a while ago and saw him with Booker T. and The MG’s decades ago.

Linwood Taylor: Which was my favorite band until the Jimi Hendrix Experience came out. They actually had a lot of hits, “Time is Tight,” “Hip Hugger,” “Soul Limbo”. I’m sure a lot of people don’t know that. On Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” that was Booker T. and The MG’S backing him up.

Rick: I didn’t know that. Cool.

Linwood Taylor: Oh yeah, Booker T and almost everybody at Stax, Booker T. and the MGs backed them up.

Rick: They were kind of the session players for Stax, right?

Linwood Taylor: Yeah. They were the house band, pretty much.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rick: What projects are you working on now?

Linwood Taylor: I’m getting ready, preparing to do some touring next year with the woman, Geminii Dragon, and her husband. They just released an album, Midnight Movin’ and Groovin’, Featuring Linwood Taylor. They have some physical copies, but mostly it’s gonna be on Bandcamp. It’s better than Spotify. People are pulling their stuff off Spotify. Between the guy being kind of right wing and the pay rate. If you want to support an artist, buy the physical copy of the album. Two or three purchases of the physical copy get more than you’ll get for 20,000 streams of a particular song.

Rick: That’s right. They pay about, I think it’s, like.003 cents.

Linwood Taylor: Yeah. This is ridiculous.

Rick: Incredible. And the songwriters don’t get hardly anything.

Linwood Taylor: The technology got ahead of their business. And unfortunately now it’s gonna be next to impossible to get ahead of the laws with the advent of artificial intelligence, that’s even making things worse. People are being recreated, and it’s not even them.

Rick: Yeah, and that may occur in some other countries, so you don’t have much access to sue anybody.

Linwood Taylor: Exactly. I mean, it’s always been kind of a rip-off, and everyone got ripped off. And you just kind of tough it out. You kept working, and hopefully you retained your fame so that down the road, when you had the money to hire a good attorney and sue them to get some back royalties.

Rick: Follow the money.

Linwood Taylor: Well, look, you know Sly Stone? He got, like, $5 million, like, 20 years ago. For all the music that they were making in the late ’60s and so forth, you know? Sly, partially it was his own fault. But at the same time he got ripped off badly, and I think that hurt him too.

Rick: Oh, yeah, yeah, he had some hard times. I think at some time… at one point, he was sleeping in his car.

Linwood Taylor:  Joe Louis and his original bass player, they’re all from the Bay Area. They knew Sly. I spoke to Henry, he said, “Yeah, man, I passed him walking on the street, said, “Hey, man, what’s up? He says, ‘Hey, Sylvester, what’s up, man?’ And he said, “Sly kept on walking.” And then he turned… Sly turned around and said, “Hey, man, I’m sorry, I can’t do you that way, you know?” But it was like, they know.

Rick: Yeah, yeah, what a shame, what a shame. Tell me about some of your most favorite times that you’ve had on stage, like stand-up performances, or when something funny happened, uh, or something you weren’t expecting.

Linwood Taylor: For me to hit all the right notes. With one of them, when I played in the Blues Brothers for the Capitol’s 4th, so it was on national TV, right down on the Mall; that was pretty cool. I got to play, “Soul Man,” with Sam Moore. He was cool.

So, this is on national TV, right down here in the mall, and that was pretty cool. There’s a video of me where I’m playing with Ronnie Earle, he comes to sit with us up in Massachusetts. Joe is playing harmonica and Ronnie’s playing guitar through Joe’s amp and Ronnie’s on my guitar. The next day Joe comes to see me and goes, “Why did you cut Ronnie Earle?”

I’m like, “What are you talking about?” And he said,” Man, you totally cut him!”

I said, “No I didn’t!” And in my mind, I’m not cutting anyone, I’m just playing. And it’s like, “Okay, he did that. I have to do something different!” So I did something different. I mean, appropriate, but…you know, I don’t think like that; cut throat in a competitive way. I think in a creative way. And it’s like, “Okay, he’s done that, I need to do this.”

Rick: Well, and you’re playing for the audience.

Linwood Taylor: Right.

Rick: You know, you gotta get away from the competition idea; we should be collaborating with each other, and I think that what you did was fine, so…and appropriate, you want to give the audience your best.

Linwood Taylor: Well, but the thing is this, Joe said that to me. And I showed my buddy a while later, and he goes, “Yeah, dude, you totally cut him.” I mean, everyone I’ve showed that video to on YouTube, it’s like, “eah, you totally cut him, man.” He said, “When he turns around and starts fiddling with his amp, when you start playing, that’s like you cut him.”  I said, “Really?” And I said, “Oops, sorry!”

Rick: What are you most proud of? You’re looking over your music career, what are you most proud of, how you’ve handled the changes in music, new technologies, experiences? Maybe how you’ve handled, like most of us, dry spells. You’ve reached a plateau, and you’ve got to kind of reinvent yourself somehow.

Linwood Taylor

Linwood Taylor: I will say this, I have been fortunate that whenever I’ve reached the plateau, something out of the blue came my way and elevated me, is the only way I could say it. I keep plugging along, and I keep trying to get better, and sometimes it’s a matter of playing with some different people, or playing with some people who think in a different way than some of the people you play with.

Sometimes I have to readjust my thinking, and I’m saying this as it’s coming out of my mouth, and what I’m thinking it’s like you have to go for and recognize an opportunity that comes your way. You know, like all of us, we’re human. Set in our ways, this and that, but then I realized, you gotta open yourself up to something when it comes your way, because if you’re out there and you’re good, and you’re open enough, things will come your way.

And when you’re unique enough sometimes things will come your way because this is a copycat business, and when you’re are really unique you’re gonna be turned down a bazillion times, until where somebody gets it,. And all of the greats have been turned down. I mean, you think about The Beatles, they got turned down by five different record companies, including the one that signed them, they got turned down twice by them, Decca Records turned him down, then Capitol picked them up, and they just…

Rick: Took off at that point.

Linwood Taylor: Yeah. Well, a lot of people got turned down, multiple times. For whatever reason. Even Prince got turned down, but then he managed to get Warner Brothers to let him produce his own thing at first. Right from the jump, as a teenager.

Rick: That’s amazing. So, what else do you play besides guitar and dobro?

Linwood Taylor: The radio.

Rick: We’ll leave it at that. So, let’s say you’re with a band and you like each other, you mentioned opportunities. When you’re offered an opportunity to go somewhere else, how do you manage the loyalty aspect of leaving friends and going off to some project where you have the dynamic of where you feel, “I’ll stick with these guys. I won’t go for the opportunity, even though it might be better?”

Linwood Taylor: I’m getting more money on this gig.

Rick: Well, I guess we all understand that, so…

Linwood Taylor: If they don’t, too bad. You’re in the wrong business. Everyone I know who has been elevated at some point, if they’re able, they sometimes you just gotta realize you might just be better.

Rick: Yeah, well, that’s true too.

Linwood Taylor: And that’s why you’re being elevated. You know, or maybe you put yourself out there. Which is, frankly, something I have done for my entire career, if you will. If some blues guy was coming to town and I wasn’t working, I would go see them. I’d meet them and say, “Hello.” And I was always very polite and respectful. And eventually, I wound up playing with 80% of them. That’s how… and I would learn something. That’s how I elevate. Bait myself. Even to this day, I still play that game. That’s how Ron Holloway (saxophone) and I met. And I said, “Man, so how’d you get that gig with Dizzy (Gillespie)?” Well, it turns out his plan was my plan.

That’s how I played with Joe Louis Walker, that’s how I played with Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, Johnny Rawls. It’s just… I just go and see them and say, “Hey, how’s it going, man?”

Rick: At what point in your career did you decide or did you always want to be a guitar player, a musician, or was there some other alternative path that you could have, where you vectored off to become a musician rather than being a doctor or something.

Linwood Taylor: Basically, I always wanted to be a musician. I always wanted to be a guitarist. But, I went to school for business and accounting. I transferred to a different school and was told bad information. My credits wouldn’t transfer, so I went fro being one class away from being a junior to starting all over again. It took the wind out of my academic sails. And even doing that, I made a couple of friends, and I played down in North Carolina. I worked at that profession that I studied for a friend of mine’s parents’ company. But then, when corporate took over. I went over to Coca-Cola for 9 months and said, “This sucks. I can’t… I can’t see myself…I don’t want to be an old man and go, I wish I tried.” This is right before I turned 28. I just I quit and never looked back.

Rick: Was that a hard decision?

Linwood Taylor: I come from a pretty conservative family, they really didn’t understand me. But fortunately, they let me be. You know, my neighbor, who is a world-class, keyboard player, he said, “I used to hear you practicing your stuff out the window.” And I was being an obnoxious kid. I had a 100-watt Marshall, and I’m blasting with the windows open.

Rick: That’ll shatter windows.

Linwood Taylor: Oh, and of course, I’m blasting stuff that was not typically heard in this neighborhood. It wasn’t James Brown, it was Jimi Hendrix. My neighbor,  Herb of Peaches and Herb. I knew him when he was a singer the first time, and then when he became a police officer. And then, he had the resurgence when they reunited with the the shake and groove thing and all that. And then we opened for Funkadelic for homecoming and this is before Parliament had their big hit, Mothership Connection (1975). They had one, get off your ass and jam.

Rick: Yeah, do you ever regret not going to places that you wish you’d gone to when you were younger?

Linwood Taylor: No, I don’t have that issue. I went everywhere that I could. Basically, I’ve went to clubs in D.C. since I was 16 years old with a fake ID.

Rick: What are you looking forward to in 2026?

Linwood Taylor: Hopefully, hopefully making it out alive! Making it make it to my next birthday!

Linwood Taylor

Rick: How about any shout outs to people who’ve helped you, pushed your career along, or motivated you, or inspired you to move forward with your career and your life, I guess?

Linwood Taylor: Well, I mean, Joe Louis Walker, for one, he really got me out of D.C..  I really started traveling with him. I got introduced. He was always the big bit of a prankster. In that, when he introduced me to famous people, this is Bob Dylan’s favorite guitar player.

Rick: That’s great.

Linwood Taylor: Because he knew I met Bob. My friend Cesar Diaz and I both met Bob together at the old Twist and Shout.

Rick: Was Bob playing?

Linwood Taylor: No, ee all were there to see the Sun Rhythm section. Paul Burleson, who was from the Johnny Burnette’s rock and roll trio, DJ Fontana, you know, all the guys who backed up Elvis during the sun sessions, we were there to see them and Bob was in town playing at RFK Stadium, he was doing a split bill with the Grateful Dead. But at the time, Bob Dylan’s backup band, get this…Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Rick: Really? I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool. Was Scotty Moore there with the Sun group?

Linwood Taylor: No, he wasn’t there, but I met Scotty Moore at the Gibson factory in Nashville.

Rick: Okay, I met him just outside of Nashville at his house. He had his own home studio.

Linwood Taylor: And Scotty played on one of Joe Louis’s albums, and in fact, Joe had The Jordanaires singing backup on his album, and that was the second time I met Scotty, because I’d met Scotty about six years earlier in Memphis. We had dinner together. Basically, we were backstage at a theater in Memphis. I was sitting at a table. He and his wife came and sat down with me, so that was pretty cool.

Rick: Yeah, talk about a legend.

Linwood Taylor: Oh, absolutely!

Rick: When I… when I talk to him he said when he first saw Elvis come into the studio, he said, he thought to himself. “That’s the prettiest man I’ve ever seen.”

Linwood Taylor: Oh, jeez!

Rick: Do you have anything coming out, like an album or anything that you’d like to talk about?

Linwood Taylor: I’m still talking about Two Sides, I’m still pushing that one. As I say, I have some things noodling…noodling around in my head as to what I want to play coming up and how I’m going to approach it.

Right now, I’m gonna concentrate on the GeminiiDragon thing. They want me to do another album. I’m more than game. I’m just working on some things, trying to come up with some different song ideas that I’m gonna use.

BONUS VIDEO!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Press Release

Source: Jensen Communications

World-renowned ‘ukulele artist Jake Shimabukuro is set to release his highly anticipated new album, Calm Seas, on January 30, 2026. Blending masterful technique with emotional depth, the acoustic ambient album marks a reflective new chapter in Shimabukuro’s creative journey, one rooted in simplicity, peace, and the quiet strength of connecting nature to the human spirit. 

Calm Seas features a collection of 13 original compositions, with 12 additional versions for the digital album. Each track is crafted to evoke cinematic landscapes and meditative soundscapes. The project showcases Shimabukuro’s unmistakable ability to push the ‘ukulele beyond convention, delivering performances that are both technically breathtaking and deeply personal.

“Calm Seas was an eye-opening and healing project for me. It rekindled my connection and relationship with nature. As a kid, I spent a lot of time outdoors, swimming in the ocean, camping in the mountains. Some of my favorite memories include sleeping on the beach to the sound of the waves, and waking up to the light of the rising sun,” says Shimabukuro. 

Recorded in Hawai‘i, Calm Seas features warm acoustic textures, and minimalist arrangements that highlight the raw expressiveness of Shimabukuro’s playing. The record invites listeners to slow down, reflect, and immerse themselves in an expansive musical world.

Shimabukuro added, “Usually, when I think of adding the sounds of the ocean, waterfalls, or the sound of native birds to any music score, I write the music first, and later add the background sounds. However, for this project, we recorded nature first and created the music around it. The sound of the birds and the ocean waves served as the leading melodic content for each piece.” 

Songs like “Sounds of Hakalau” was Shimabukuro’s serene tribute to one of Hawai‘i’s most treasured landscapes, the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Blending his signature ‘ukulele artistry with the calls of critically endangered native Hawaiian bird species found nowhere else in the world, Jake creates an immersive, ambient soundscape that transports listeners to the lush rainforest. 

In “The Passing Storm,” Shimabukuro crafts an immersive sonic journey that rises from quiet unease to cathartic release. What begins as a sparse landscape of resonant ‘ukulele tones slowly gathers force, layers of texture rolling in like thunder on the horizon. Yet beneath the storm’s power lies reflection; every note feels deliberate, and by the time calm finally returns, you are left with the lingering clarity that follows after the storm. 

“This project taught me that sometimes we need to let nature lead the pacing of our lives,” says Shimabukuro. “When we are able to align ourselves with nature’s key center and rhythmic tempo, we can live more harmoniously with everything around us. I hope listeners feel a sense of peace and connection when they hear this album.” 

Shimabukuro will be back on the road in March 2026, promoting his recent projects. Dates and ticket information can be found at https://jakeshimabukuro.com/.  

Calm Seas will be available on all major streaming platforms, with physical copies offered through select retailers and JakeShimabukuro.com. Pre-saves and pre-orders are available now http://jakeshimabukuro.lnk.to/calmseas.  

Listen Now:

The Breath Of Life: https://jakeshimabukuro.lnk.to/thebreathoflife 

The Passing Storm: https://jakeshimabukuro.lnk.to/thepassingstorm

Sounds of Hakalau: https://jakeshimabukuro.lnk.to/hakalau

Beneath The Waves: https://jakeshimabukuro.lnk.to/beneaththewaves

CD Tracklist:

1. Early Morning 
2. Makapu’u Sunrise 
3. Wailau 
4. After The Rain 
5. Waterfall
6. The Stars Are Out 
7. Let’s Go Home 
8. Beneath The Waves (With Nature) 
9. Sounds Of Hakalau (With Nature) 
10. Calm Seas (With Nature) 
11. The Breath Of Life (With Nature) 
12. The Passing Storm (With Nature) 
13. Beneath The Waves (Part 2 With Nature) 

Digital Tracklist:

1. Early Morning
2. Makapu’u Sunrise
3. Wailau
4. After The Rain
5. Waterfall
6. The Stars Are Out
7. Let’s Go Home
8. Beneath The Waves Part 1 (with nature)
9. Sounds of Hakalau (with nature)
10. Calm Seas (with nature)
11. The Breath Of Life (with nature)
12. The Passing Storm (with nature)
13. Beneath The Waves Part 2 (with nature)
14. Sounds of Hakaiau (short version with nature)
15. Calm Seas (short version with nature)
16. The Passing Storm (short version with nature)
17. Beneath The Waves Part 1
18. Beneath The Waves Part 2
19. The Breath Of Life
20. Sounds of Hakalau
21. Sounds of Hakalau (short version)
22. Calm Seas (short version)
23. Calm Seas
24. The Passing Storm (short version)
25. The Passing Storm

Jake Shimabukuro | Photo by: Kurt Stevens

2026 Tour Dates:

Feb. 11, 2026 – Honolulu, HI – Blue Note Hawaii 

Feb. 12, 2026 – Honolulu, HI – Blue Note Hawaii

Mar. 3, 2026 – Clearwater, FL – Bilheimer Capitol Theatre

Mar. 7, 2026 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

Apr. 2, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley

Apr. 3, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley

Apr. 4, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley

Apr. 5, 2026 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley

Apr. 17, 2026 – Brownfield, ME – Stone Mountain Arts Center

Apr. 24 – 25, 2026 – Wilkesboro, NC – MerleFest 2026

About Jake Shimabukuro:

Jake Shimabukuro is a world-renowned ‘ukulele virtuoso whose groundbreaking artistry has redefined the instrument for the 21st century. Hailed as the “Jimi Hendrix of the ‘ukulele,” Shimabukuro has captivated audiences across the globe with his masterful technique, innovative spirit, and deeply expressive performances that seamlessly blend elements of jazz, rock, classical, blues, folk, and traditional Hawaiian music. 

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Jake began playing the ‘ukulele at age four, quickly developing a unique style that pushed the instrument far beyond its traditional boundaries. He first gained international recognition after his jaw-dropping rendition of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral, introducing millions to the ‘ukulele’s untapped potential. 

Over the course of his career, Shimabukuro has released numerous acclaimed albums, collaborated with an array of legendary artists including Bette Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Ziggy Marley, and Mick Fleetwood, and performed everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to the Hollywood Bowl and the Kennedy Center. His most recent projects include the Blues Experience album with Mick Fleetwood, a soul-stirring journey through masterful musicianship, capturing the timeless grit and storytelling at the core of blues tradition. And Tis The Season, Shimabukuro’s first ever holiday album of festive classics to capture the magic of the season.

Beyond the stage, Jake is a passionate advocate for music education and community outreach, frequently performing at schools and benefit concerts to inspire the next generation of musicians. Whether playing an intimate solo show or headlining with a full band, Shimabukuro continues to prove that the ‘ukulele is an instrument of infinite possibilities, one that speaks a universal language of joy, connection, and hope. 

CONNECT WITH JAKE SHIMABUKURO

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE

Press Release

Source: Prime Group PR

Gibson, the iconic global instrument brand that has shaped the sound of generations, returns to the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, this week with a powerful statement of innovation, craftsmanship, and artist-driven purpose. For more than a century, Gibson has been among the most played and beloved brands worldwide, inspiring legendary musicians and empowering new players across every genre.

With innovation, quality, and renowned craftsmanship at the forefront, Gibson kicks off the year by unveiling an all-new 2026 product range. On Wednesday, January 21, during NAMM Media Day, Gibson will showcase its 2026 lineup and present a special live performance by singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy. Gibson’s presence at NAMM emphasizes a strong commercial focus and curated experiences for both media and the general public.

From Thursday, January 22, to Saturday, January 24, NAMM attendees can explore highlights across Gibson, Epiphone, MESA/Boogie, KRK, and more. In front of Room #208A, Gibson will present vignettes spotlighting the year’s biggest stories with multiple first-look acoustic and electric reveals. Upstairs in the Creator Lounge Room #303B, media will find hands-on access to instruments and products, podcast studios, and robust content creation opportunities, alongside Gibson Generation Group (G3) performances, product demos, and panels featuring Gibson and Epiphone partners, artists, and creators. In the Pro Audio Hall, in Booth #14112, KRK will debut new monitoring solutions and studio innovations. Interviews and video tours of the Gibson vignette areas are by appointment only; media may request in advance here.

For the public NAMM experience at Room #208A, Gibson Custom Master Artisan Rickie Hinrichsen will demonstrate his handcarving craft, while the Gibson Guitar Throne and an oversized Gibson guitar provide immersive, social-ready photo moments for fans and creators.

“Gibson and NAMM share in our missions to better lives through music and to strengthen the music instruments industry at large,” says Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer at Gibson. “At NAMM, the MI community connects with industry leaders, retailers, influencers, and artists to learn about new products and trends while supporting professional development and nonprofits through the arts.”

The Gibson team will also deliver daily panels during NAMM at the following locations:

Wednesday, January 21:

• NAMM Media Day
• 3:00 PM Hilton Pacific Ballroom — Mat Koehler, Gibson, Vice President of Product, will present Gibson 100 Years of Flat‑Tops, and other key stories for 2026. Mat will be joined onstage by singer-songwriter and Gibson artist Margaret Glaspy for a special guest performance.

Thursday, January 22:

• 12:00 PM at TEC Tracks/Hilton California B — From Studio to Standard: Hit-Boy on Craft, Culture, and Longevity — 3x GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and rapper Hit-Boy and Deston Bennett of KRK Audio Relations join TEC Tracks for a candid fireside chat on staying creative and relevant in a constantly evolving music landscape. He breaks down his process—from beat‑making and collaboration to shaping culturally lasting albums—while reflecting on how new technology, trusted tools, and intentional artistry are guiding his upcoming 2026 project.
• 12:00 PM at Creator’s Lounge 303 B — Jim DeCola, Gibson’s Master Luthier,will take the stage to share how every Gibson electric guitar is meticulously handcrafted in Nashville, TN. His talk will spotlight the company’s time‑honored traditions, the skilled artisans behind the instruments, and the legacy craftsmanship that continues to define Gibson today.
• 12:30 PM at Creator’s Lounge 303 B — Mat Koehler of Gibson will take the Creator stage to present 100 Years of Flat-Tops, exploring the rich history and enduring legacy of Gibson’s acoustic instruments. His talk will highlight the evolution of our flat‑top designs, the craftsmanship behind them, the milestones that shaped a century of acoustic innovation, and the new collections on the way.

Friday, January 23

• 11:00 AM–3:00 PM Creator’s Lounge 303 B — Gibson Generation Group (G3)emerging global artists perform, including Sawyer Lee, Russell Watson, Jayden English, and Zach Krys.
• 6:00 PM Hilton Hotel Pacific Ballroom — She Rocks Awards — Critically acclaimed Gibson artist Margaret Glaspy will be honored with the “Innovator Award” at the 14th Annual She Rocks Awards.

Saturday, January 24:

• 10:30 AM Hilton Laguna AB Ballroom — Solutions for House of Worship — Andrew Ladner, Marketing Manager, Mesa/Boogie, Gibson Amplifiers, Maestro, and KRK. This session explores why Gibson, Epiphone, and MESA/Boogie remain top choices for worship musicians on Sunday mornings and beyond. Covering Gibson’s iconic, time‑tested tones, Epiphone’s exceptional value without compromise, and MESA/Boogie’s versatility from studio to stage, this talk highlights real‑world player experience, the role of modelers and studio monitors in modern worship setups, and practical tools like CabClone IR for shaping consistent, reliable tone.
• 11:00 AM Creator’s Lounge 303 B — Melinda Colaizzi, founder of Women Who Rock, will speak, sharing practical insights on advancing women in music, her experience building and promoting the major annual Women Who Rock benefit concert, creating safe communities for expression, and empowering emerging artists—with actionable takeaways for creators, brands, and industry leaders. Rising alternative artist Black Polish (Jayden “Jay” Binnix)—a Gibson Spotlight Artistfor 2026, will be performing a handful of songs acoustic at the event.

Below is a snapshot of some of the key highlights for Gibson at NAMM, with more to be revealed throughout 2026:

Gibson Acoustics:

Gibson Century Collection

It’s a sound you can feel in your bones. For 100 years, Gibson flat-top acoustic guitars have dominated the airwaves, flowing through our hearts and into our homes. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the very first Gibson flat-top, we present the Century Collection, a beautiful assortment of 12-fret instruments channeling the minimalist elegance of early 20th century design, offering an easier and more intimate playing experience and rich, warm toes perfect for fingerpicking and vocal accompaniment. Available Spring, 2026, on www.gibson.com.

Gibson L-1 Anniversary Limited Edition 

First introduced in 1902 and reinvented as a flat-top in 1926, the Gibson L-1 has an indelible link to the blues. This one-time-only run comprises 100 instruments, each featuring a beautiful Cremona Burst lacquer finish, a thermally aged red spruce top paired with mahogany back and sides, historic 12-fret construction with a 25-inch scale length, a bound ebony fingerboard, and a script headstock logo in mother of pearl. Available next month, on www.gibson.com.

Gibson Custom:

Gibson Custom ES-330 Reissues

The legendary ES-330 is back in the Gibson Custom lineup after an eight-year hiatus, and with more and more of today’s players using direct rigs at home or on silent stages, there’s never been a better time to enjoy the expressive dynamic range and beautiful P-90 tones of a fully hollow Gibson ES model, handcrafted in Nashville, TN, by the artisans at the Gibson Custom Shop. 1959 and 1962 ES-330 Reissue models offer two distinct flavors in vintage-inspired colorways. Available Summer 2026, on www.gibson.com.

Gibson:

Gibson ES-335 ’50s & ’60s

Introduced in 1958, the Gibson ES-335 is the most versatile electric guitar of all time. For 2026, the ES-335 is elevated in our core Gibson lineup with a choice of 50s and 60s-inspired models in vintage-inspired colorways. Handcrafted in Nashville, TN, using the same ES laminate press that was used to build the guitars played by the most iconic artists in music, our new ES-335 50s and 60s models feature era-specific plastics, neck shapes, pickups, and more. Available Summer 2026, on www.gibson.com.

Gibson Les Paul Studio Double Trouble 

Hot on the heels of the hugely successful Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s & 60s Double Trouble models comes an even more accessible route to the Double Classic White aesthetic beloved by so many players. Based on the smash-hit Les Paul Studio platform and handcrafted in Nashville, TN, these guitars are as versatile as they are head-turning, with gloss nitrocellulose finishes and Double Classic White Burstbucker Pro pickups with coil tapping for a wide range of tones. Available Spring 2026, onwww.gibson.com.

Also premiering at NAMM are a soulful new Gary Clark Jr. ES‑355 from Gibson Custom, the meticulously recreated Mick Ronson 1968 Les Paul Custom, and the Michael Schenker 1971 Flying V. Add in the Les Paul Custom Long Scale and the refined ’57 L‑5 CES VS Humbuckers GH Prototype, and the range runs deep. Gibson USA counters with the new Victory Floyd Rose®, refreshed Victory Figured models, and the new Mark Morton Les Paul Modern Quilt—each delivering bold style and modern attitude.

Epiphone:

Epiphone Inspired by Gibson

The all-new 2026 Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Collection brings premium feel, refined performance, and iconic design within reach—no matter where you’re starting or where you’re headed. From reimagined icons like the 1959 Les Paul Standard to exciting new platforms like the Les Paul Special Double Cut Figured and “if you know, you know” models like the Explorer 80s EMG, there’s something here for every stage. Available Winter 2026, on www.epiphone.com.

Epiphone Futura Series

Bold by design, the new-for-2026 Futura Series from Epiphone takes the most iconic Gibson body shapes and remixes them with modern, professional-grade features at a price point for every player. Chromashift finishes change color in real time, while stainless steel frets, compound radius fretboards, and ProBucker Ignite pickups deliver the feel and fire to match. Don’t just play. Show up. Available Spring 2026, onwww.epiphone.com.

MESA/Boogie:

MESA/Boogie Custom Configured

MESA/Boogie brings its legendary custom‑built craftsmanship to NAMM with new additions to the Custom Configured collection, honoring a tradition that began with Randall Smith’s hand‑built amps in 1971. Still crafted from scratch in Petaluma with fully personalized options—from premium finishes and exotic hardwoods to custom grilles and hardware—each MESA amplifier is a true reflection of the player behind it. With 19 models already in the lineup, 2026 introduces a standout limited‑edition 90s Dual Rectifier featuring a Rosso Scuderia Red chassis and matching Split Back 4×12, continuing the brand’s legacy of building dream rigs for artists and individualists alike. Available at,www.mesaboogie.com.

KRK:

V Series Five

At NAMM, KRK debuts the first look at the all-new V Series Five—the latest evolution in Gibson’s professional audio portfolio and a milestone in KRK’s nearly four-decade legacy of precision studio monitoring. Since 1986, KRK has set the standard for accurate translation through hallmark technologies such as woven Kevlar® aramid fiber woofers and a scientifically tuned front bass reflex port, and the V Series Five advances that heritage with refined clarity, control, and reliability trusted across music, film, and content creation. Designed for musicians, producers, and engineers who demand every nuance, the V Series Five empowers creators to craft chart-topping mixes, score to picture, or elevate personal projects with confidence. Available Summer 2026, atwww.krkmusic.com.

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By Carlos Martin Schwab

Fishman recently released 3 acoustic guitar pickups featuring Fluence technology (multiple voices and no copper wire winding): Rock Icon, Nashville Legend, and Spotlight. The Fluence technology gives them unprecedented sound flexibility. Let’s take a closer look.

Common features

By replacing copper wire winding with electronic circuits, it has been possible to design these pickups with a curved shape, making them less visually invasive (their dark colors and matte finish also contribute to this) and less obstructive to the guitar’s soundboard and natural resonance.

These pickups are magnetic (not compatible with nylon strings), active (9V battery, up to 70 hs battery life), with very low self-noise and no hum, can operate in mono (TS cable) or stereo (dual output, TRS cable) simply by choosing the appropriate cable, and have 2 different sound profiles (voices) each. On the housing, they have a connector for a cable with a 1/4″ stereo output endpin jack, a Main Volume rotary control, and 2 switches: Voice 1/Voice 2, and Voice 2 boost On/Off (up to 8dB).

They can be installed permanently or temporarily in minutes, without causing any harm to the surface of your instrument. The included installation kit contains a Velcro pouch for the 9V battery and 3 sets of self-adhesive shims of varying thicknesses for the left and right sides, allowing the pickup to be placed as close as possible to the strings and ensuring the pickup volume of the strings can be balanced.

Rock Icon – For performing with a band or in noisy venues

Designed for increased dynamism and presence, with a voice that cuts through dense mixes and responds well when amplified or played alongside other instruments. Ideal for powerful strumming, band, or amplified performances.

Voice 1 is more dynamic, direct, and suited for solo lines or more defined picking. It offers a tone with clear attack and enough presence so that notes can be heard distinctly, even in environments with other instruments. This makes it useful for parts where you want each note to be projected individually. Compared to other traditional acoustic pickups, Voice 1’s response emphasizes clarity and definition over traditional warmth or body, making it especially valuable for guitarists seeking a more “forward” sound in the mix. Suitable for clarity and solo expressiveness.

Voice 2 has a tonal character more inspired by vintage acoustic rock sounds, prioritizing rhythms and riffs over clean solo lines. It’s fuller and richer in body, with a vintage profile that adds a certain “weight” and energy to chords, helping the guitar blend in with electric rhythm guitars or full bands. Its boost enhance presence and projection of the sound in mixes or live performances without sacrificing definition. Ideal for rhythmic settings.

Nashville Legend – For a variety of styles or mixing with other instruments

This the most versatile pickup in the series, suitable for both acoustic performances and recordings with other instruments. It provides a good balance between clarity and overall presence and is perfect if you switch between styles.

Voice 1 delivers a well-balanced, clear, and articulate tone that is natural and musical, especially suited to styles such as flatpicking and fingerstyle, where each note is heard with definition. It tends to produce a forward, detailed sound that captures the acoustic character of the instrument without overly coloring the signal. In live or recording settings, this voice keeps the guitar prominent in the mix without overpowering other instruments, maintaining an organic sound. Ideal for natural acoustic clarity.

Voice 2 adds more presence and percussive quality to the sound. It offers a more rounded profile with attack, helping the guitar cut through a denser mix. It’s more energetic and modern, with a response that highlights transients and makes rhythmic chords or more dynamic parts stand out without losing clarity. Plus, the boost control for this voice lets you adjust the projection based on the style or performance setting, providing a more pronounced rhythmic presence.

Spotlight – For fingerstyle and intimate accompanied performances

This pickup is versatile and well-suited for different styles of acoustic playing, from vocal accompaniment to defined solo parts. It delivers a very “authentic acoustic” tone even when moving across the fretboard. Ideal for singer-songwriters and solo or small group sets, where natural tonal balance is key. It provides acoustic comfort and dynamic expressiveness.

Voice 1 is sweeter, smoother, and more natural, especially suited for accompanying vocals or playing in intimate settings. With acoustic amplification, it offers a full response with rich bass and rounded highs, maintaining tonal consistency as you move up the fretboard, something other pickups lose in higher positions. This voice is perceived as more “acoustic” and organic, with a smooth attack that doesn’t feel artificially colored, ideal for fingerpicking or soft accompaniments.

Voice 2 is more articulate and clear, with more defined highs and additional presence, which helps melodic phrases or solos cut through a mix better. It offers more punch and projection, useful when you need the guitar to stand out from other instruments or for more dynamic parts. The volume control and boost dedicated to this voice allow you to adjust that crisp character according to the intensity of the performance.

Price: $ 319.95 (retail price each)

More info: www.fishman.com

Carlos Martin Schwab thanks Nate Cambra from Fishman for his help in writing this article.

By: Rick Landers

PART 1

PART 2

Guitar International and the masterful singer-songwriter, producer, author and music historian-presenter, Rod MacDonald, continue our conversation about Rod’s music career, including challenges, lessons learned, and reinventing or re-strategizing his approach to changes in the music business and life.

If you missed the beginning of our conversation, please go to PART 1 HERE!

“Politics, passion, and a sense of humor” The Village Voice

“A poet with a lot on his mind who has never allowed himself to make points at the expense of making music.” Boston Globe

“MacDonald’s songs combine poetic vision and journalistic insight.” Dirty Linen

CHECK OUT ROD’S 2026 CALENDAR! 

******

Rod MacDonald

Rod MacDonald: I’m the president of the Greenwich Village Folk Festival, LLC, but I think that the music that I actually compose and record is much more contemporary and diverse than folk music. As folk music is seen by most people, it’s a very finite kind of thing, even the folk music world. So within the folk music world, for example, I see the playlists of folk DJs. There’s a bulletin board where the folk DJs all publish what they play.

I look at it, I subscribe to it, I’m interested. Part of my job with booking the Greenwich Village Folk Festival is to pay attention to who’s getting hurt around the country. And it’s mostly limited to a very finite kind of sound. Sparse, acoustic rural in a way. And very little of what I actually do would fit that playlist. But because I’m not on a corporate record label, most of the other outlets aren’t available on a certain level.

Things like Spotify is actually a godsend to someone like me. Even if you’re not marketed or promoted by any big corporation, people can still stumble on your music and hear it. So I guess that I feel that a part of me is involved with folk music, but it certainly doesn’t describe all of what I do.

But, I do like folk music as a vehicle for song. And I think that some of the best songs that I hear come from people who are somewhat similar to myself, folk singers that love contemporary music as well.

Rick: I was reading about folk music and a term that I had not seen before for that genre is Folk Adjacent. Have you heard of that before?

Rod MacDonald: Folk adjacent?

Rick: Yeah.

Rod MacDonald: No, I haven’t, but it’s not a bad idea.

Starting in about April of 2020, I played every Sunday night for a year and a half. And after I’d been doing it for a little while, I started thinking, well, I really should play some new songs. So, I started trying to write a song each week. And some of them stuck. Some of ’em were pretty good, I thought timely, and that gave me a lot of new material for the cd. And then when we started working by May of 2022, when we started the actual recording process, I had, I don’t know, 10 or 15 songs to work from.

I teach a music history course in a big lifelong learning program here in Florida, for seniors. It’s the biggest lifelong learning program in the United States. It’s kind of the very first big one. And I’ve been the music Americana instructor since 2006, and I do lectures on famous musicians.

And it’s almost a given that almost every artist who’s been hugely successful runs into a situation where they want to expand their palette and the people that are their financial apparatus, the record labels, the managers, all tell them, “Oh, you can’t do it.” Even their audience, I mean, Dylan is a famous example of somebody who actually had to endure a couple of years of boos from his own audience to get where he wanted to go.

But, it’s not really unusual at all. Ray Charles started out doing R&B for Atlantic Records, and then they didn’t want him to do what he wanted to do, which was to do country music his way. He loved country music, but he wanted to play it his way. So, he changed record labels and had the biggest hits of his career. The music history is full of examples of artists who wanted to be more than they were pigeonholed as.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And I’m sure that’s true of many of the singer songwriters in folk music; that folk is kind of an umbrella term. And yet, Mark Moss, the editor of Sing Out magazine, who is a good friend of mine, once said that the one thing he wasn’t interested in for Sing Out was singer songwriters who couldn’t afford a band. He said, “Just because you’re playing solo doesn’t make it folk music. “And I think he was totally right, that that’s true.

But at the same time, it also means, “Where are you going? Where are you going to go if you’re going to play this music?” Because if you’re not on a commercial record label that’s going to support your musical aspirations, you’re going to have to figure it out yourself.

And then you have to find your audience. And so what you often have is people like myself who record with a full band, but when we go out on tour, we pretty much play solo. Or I go out a lot with Mark Dan playing bass, and we’re pretty good. We’re a pretty good act. But you don’t get to hear, we don’t present my albums’ (songs) the way they sound, when you play them.

Rick: And I don’t think people should expect you to sound like your albums when you’re out playing solo.

Rod MacDonald’s Newest Book, Election Night (2025)

Rod MacDonald: Well, it’s a good thing if they don’t, because for the most part, they’re not going to get it.

Rick: And you also have to split the pie with four or five other people, so you end up with hardly anything. So, how do you survive with the band? Pretty different type of thing.

Rod MacDonald: Yeah, and I played with a band in the late 1970s. I played regularly with a band from about 1976 to the late Eighties around New York City. I played with a band, and at one point we would go up and play weekends in Hartford in this big club for hundreds of people about once a month. And those are really fun times. But, as you get a little older traveling around in a van, everybody’s got their lives, people get married, have kids.

The idea of driving around the country, sleeping in the back of a van with the amps and speakers all around me, no, I’m not going to do that at this point in my life. So, I record the way I aspire to record the versions of the songs that I would really love to hear and then take them out and play them, what I jokingly refer to as the Lonesome Rod Show.

Sometimes, I just go out and sing the songs with my guitar. I think for the most part, the audiences that come to see me are okay with that. Every once in a while when I get to play with other musicians, people kind of go like, “Whoa, that’s a whole other side of you!”  Sometimes they’ll say, “We didn’t even know that that existed.”

I’ll say, “Geeze, I’ve been playing and listening to rock and roll and band music all my life. It’s not really that big a stretch.  You have to have a group of people that are willing to work to get the music together, to rehearse it, to learn it.

I do concerts here in South Florida for the Lifelong Learning Program a couple times a year, and we’ll take an artist’s entire catalog and boil it and teach it, learn it, learn it in three rehearsals, and then play it in front of hundreds of people a couple of times. We’ve done a huge array of music doing that. We’ve done The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Dylan, Paul Simon, and Art Garfunkel. We did a concert of Eric Clapton and Jimmy Buffett and Van Morrison Tunes.

Last year, this past year. We did Gordon Lightfoot and Jimmy Buffett with a full band, five piece band, and it’s really fun. It’s kind of like… almost a fantasy. You’ve loved this music all your life. We’re going to pay you enough to learn it and play it a couple times. But, I wouldn’t want to go on the road and do it necessarily. even I got offered. We did a Leonard Cohen show and it was really wonderful. I love Leonard Cohen’s songs, and also a lot of the musical arrangements to his songs are really beautiful.

At this point in my life, it’s not what I want to do, but I enjoyed doing that concert

Rick: And you’ve got plenty of songs at this point to go on the road and play for two or three hours without a problem, I would think.

Rod MacDonald: Yeah, but the problem is,  can’t you draw enough people to pay a band?

Rick: True. That’s true.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rod MacDonald: I’m not a young guy hustling into the music business. I’m not signed to a label. I don’t have promotion people and the “Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man”, follow me around and any of that kind of stuff anymore. I  kind of gave that up years ago and have been on my own.

So, the idea that I’d go to Detroit and Chicago and Omaha and Seattle and draw a big enough crowd to be able to pay a band to do all that, it would take a real businessman to organize that and I’m not that guy.

Rick: And to get a label, from what I understand it, you’re a lawyer, so you’d probably be able to understand the lingo in the contracts. I think having a label, I’m not sure is such a great thing. I interviewed a guy who was picked up in a new RV and I knew he hadn’t had a great paying job and he ended up owing his label a ton of money.

Rod MacDonald: I’ve talked to some guys that have ended up in that position of owing their record company a lot of money. I never ended up in that position, fortunately, and I have done okay. I have a fairly modest career, but I think it’s okay.

Somebody asked me recently on a radio interview, how I feel about that and I said, “Well, I’ve never had to go to rehab. I’m not divorced. There’s some benefits to staying within yourself. On the other hand, you always dream of your music reaching more people than are available on a person to person basis. And hopefully some people who read this interview will say, “Hey, I’d like to check this guy out.”  That’s a good thing.

Rod MacDonald

Rick: Yeah. Well what about synching? Have you had any songs that have been in movies or commercials? There seems to be some bucks there.

Rod MacDonald: I suppose there are. The fact is that I don’t really spend a lot of time on the business end of this stuff. If there’s a fault in my career, that’s probably it, that I’m not a very aggressive business person. I don’t go out and look for those opportunities. I just don’t, don’t have time. I don’t want to spend my time doing that. So I guess either you can call it laziness or lack of engagement. I mean, I get emails every day, on how to navigate the new digital wilderness, “Sign up for this service and we’ll do this for you, sign up for that, blah, blah, blah.”

But basically, every once in a while I’ve tried one or two of those on a trial basis and they don’t really do any of those things. What they do is tell you a lot of things that you should do, which I just don’t have the time and ability to navigate my way through 550 Spotify playlists on an individual basis, trying to get my music heard.

If I could send it to 550 playlists in one blast, I would, or I have maybe, and that’s probably where I am getting air played, but I just don’t want to sit there and spend my day writing emails to 550 people or anything like that.

Rick: But what you do with your time has to be, since you’re a singer songwriter, you’ve written at least one book that I know of and you put on a presentations, workshops, whatever. So I would say you do have the discipline, but your discipline is really sort of vectored into actually having several revenue streams.

Rod MacDonald: My dad was an older dad and had started to decline health-wise and I wanted to help my mom take care of him. My dad did not want to leave home and go into a facility just because of his health.

Still very cognizant and he didn’t want to leave my mom, but she couldn’t take care of him physically. And I had been living with my wife, Nicole. We weren’t married yet, but we had been together for almost a year and we decided to move to Florida together and take care of my dad. But, then that meant getting off the road.

I’d been on the road for about 10 years by that time, driving around the country in a rental car, playing concerts. I had an agent. I was on Shaky records. I kind of gave all that up. I was on an upward trajectory probably career wise, but I gave all that up and I don’t regret it. I think it was a good thing to do. It’s given me a more normal life and probably less visibility as an artist, but it’s been a good thing to do.

Rod MacDonald

And so I had to figure out how to make a living without being on the road, because you can only play your own songs in the town you live in so many times a year, you really can’t do that. So I learned. So I started doing a bunch of different things and at Lifelong Learning, being an instructor there came to me from playing this one club I was playing. I played with an Irish trio sometimes part-time here in South Florida.

I still do actually. I’ve been working with this same woman for 30 years and we were at that time playing like 40 weekends a year at this one Irish club, which was a pretty good gig and paid well. And they never objected if I sang one of my songs, any of my songs. So it was an okay situation. Then this woman came in and I didn’t even know there was a Lifelong Learning program. She said that there was, and she would like to introduce me to the director of it.

I went and met that person and then the next thing I knew they were asking me to teach a class. And that’s turned into very steady work and really interesting work, a lot of research and a lot of video editing. But I have learned a tremendous amount from it about artists that I’ve admired and music that I’ve always loved.

And one of the things that was really cool about it was the director of the program said, “We don’t want you just to teach what you already know. What we like our instructors to do is to take a general field that they’re well versed in. Then pick specific topics that they’d like, to know more about themselves.

Rick: Good idea.

Rod MacDonald: And go out and do the research and you’ll still be enthusiastic. So, you’ll bring that enthusiasm to your classes. Interesting. And so I do that and I’ve gone out and done lectures on probably a couple hundred different artists, including People that I always kind of loved but never really had the chance to learn that much about. And it’s really great.

And it’s also led to a lot of other situations where private communities will call me up and say, “Can you come do a lecture for us?” And I’ll say, “Okay, what do you want me to do a lecture about?” And they’ll look at the list of the lectures that I’ve already prepared and they’ll pick a couple topics and I’ll go talk to them and show ’em the videos that I’ve prepared. I’ll go talk to ’em for an hour and a half. And that’s led to another kind of income stream. So, I’ve been able to support my family by doing these diverse things. And then I still do, I don’t know, 50 nights a year of my own songs probably, which is fun too.

BONUS VIDEO “HEAL THE WORLD”

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you missed the beginning of our conversation, please go to PART 1 HERE!

Press Release

Source: Chipster PR & Consulting, Inc.

Veteran metal guitarist/bassist David K. Starr (WildeStarr, Vicious Rumors, Chastain) returns with a slamming new track and video

“Not Dead Yet” is Dave’s own testimony of life’s twists and turns after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020.

Dave says… “I originally started writing the song about what I have gone through, but then I realized it’s bigger than me, this song is for anyone out there dealing with life changing events, be it their health, death of a loved one, a broken heart, or whatever comes your way”. Dave continues.. “I never mention my health problems in the song, that would be too corny, so I broadened my scope and made it for anyone out there who’s going through pain”…”It’s basically about standing tall and fighting for yourself, fighting to stay alive, no matter what kind of hell life throws at you”

“Not Dead Yet” was directed by London Wilde, and features Dave singing lead vocals for the first time, as well as playing all the guitars. Backing up Dave on this new track & video are Rich Gray on bass (Annihilator, Aeon Zen) and drummer Fabio Alessandrini (Annihilator, Bonfire).

Click here to view the embedded video.

David K. Starr was the bassist with Vicious Rumors from 1984 – 1993, and again from 2005 – 2007. He is featured on the albums; Soldiers Of The Night (1985), Digital Dictator (1988), Vicious Rumors (1990), Welcome To The Ball (1991), Live In Tokyo (1992), and WARBALL (2006)

David played bass for CHASTAIN from 2001 – 2005 and recorded the 2004 album, In An Outrage.

More recently, David K. Starr released 3 albums with WildeStarr: Arrival (2010), A Tell Tale Heart (2012), Beyond The Rain (2017) with David K. Starr on guitars and bass,  London Wilde on vocals, and Josh Foster on drums.

Press Release

Source:  Hello Wendy PR

John McCjutcheon & Tom Paxton – photo credit: Michael G. Stewart

In early August 2021, John McCutcheon reached out to his longtime friend Tom Paxton with a simple idea: why not use Zoom—a newly essential tool in those pandemic days—to connect, ease the isolation of COVID, and maybe write a few songs together?  That following Monday at 2:00 PM Eastern, they logged in. One Monday led to the next, and soon the weekly sessions became a ritual. More than four years later, they’re still at it.

“I think we have enough for another album,” Tom Paxton remarked during one of our regular Mondays-at-Two Zoom writing sessions.

McCutcheon responded to his friend “Tom, as keeper of the demos, I can tell you that we have enough for ten more albums.”  According to John, It’s been that kind of partnership.  It was born out of loneliness and cabin fever during the pandemic and continued well past its limits.  Today, it’s just a habit of two old pals who have new jokes to tell, sage sports observations to dispense, hungry for news about our fellow musicians to share, and the never-ending wonder of creating a new song in the course of an hour.  Tom is one of the greatest American songwriters to ever lift a quill.  Me?  I was a fourteen-year-old kid learning Woody Guthrie songs from a library songbook.  We met in the ’80s and we ain’t done yet.

Billy Collins once said, “Your pen can be a dictation device or it can be a flashlight.”  It’s been that kind of abandon and curiosity that has fueled Tom for going on ninety years.  He’s leaving wide and generous footprints for the rest of us and I’m proud to walk beside him these days.  Sure, there are nine other albums-worth of songs, but we’ll leave most of those to others.  In the meantime, thanks for joining us here.  Welcome along for the ride.

Neither man, with already monumental catalogs that tower over much of modern folk music, could have predicted the creative flood that began that summer afternoon. Their first collaboration, Together (2023), gathered fourteen songs from those early sessions. The album topped the folk charts and earned glowing reviews across multiple genres. Yet those fourteen tracks represented only a fraction of nearly two hundred songs born from their virtual meetings.

Now comes Together Again (Appalsongs, 2026)—another fourteen songs from two of the most revered songwriters in acoustic music.

This time, things look a little different: at 88, Paxton has retired from the road, and McCutcheon, a spry 73, has scaled back his touring schedule. But both remain at the height of their creative powers.

The album opens with “The Future”, inspired by McCutcheon’s many appearances at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas—a launching ground for countless folk and bluegrass careers. He recalls seeing Alison Krauss as a teenager and Molly Tuttle in her early twenties, recognizing in both the promise of a bright future. For Paxton and McCutcheon—artists whose careers span over half a century—the song feels like a joyful passing of the torch.  There are songs of reflection and remembrance (Old Dog, Artie’s Last Stand, Rebel Gal), a heartfelt tribute to their friend and mentor Pete Seeger (Pathfinder), playful humor (Cheatin’ While I’m Eatin’), the stirring Stop at Nothing, and, of course, a baseball story—Famous for a Day.

With wide-ranging insight, impeccable craftsmanship, and luminous performances, Together Again stands as proof of the deep well these two songwriters continue to draw from. These are songs only decades of life, love, and music can produce.

It’s a rare and welcome thing to find them—Together Again.

For a full list of John McCutcheon tour dates, please visit this link.  The California tour routing is as follows:

1/9/2026            Sofia Center for the Arts                                            Sacramento, CA

1/10/2026         Center for the Arts                                                        Grass Valley, CA

1/11/2026         Sebastiani Theatre                                                         Sonoma, CA

1/12/2026         Church of the Bretheren                                             Modesto, CA 

1/14/2026         Unitarian Universalist Church of Fresno             Fresno, CA

1/15/2026          Freight and Salvage                                                      Berkeley, CA

1/16/2026         Felton Music Hall                                                           Felton, CA

1/17/2026         Devil Mountain Coffeehouse                                     Walnut Creek, CA

Press Release

Source: LPC Media

Interscope-Capitol Records announces the next installment inits acclaimed Definitive Sound Series (DSS): R.E.M.’s Chronic Town and Murmur, two landmark albums that introduced one of America’s most influential bands and reshaped the sound of modern rock.

Praised by NME as “full of immediacy and action and healthy impatience,” ˆthe five-song EP Chronic Town(1982), co-produced by Mitch Easter, helped define ‘80s college rock, introducing the band’s jangling guitars, enigmatic lyrics, and Southern post-punk spark.

Its follow up, Murmur (1983), produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, crystalized that sound into a richly textured, atmospheric debut album of lasting influence, earning widespread acclaim, including Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s, and its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes with direct involvement from Easter and Dixon, the 2LP, 180-gram high-definition vinyl set ($124.98) was mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Record Technology, Inc.

Presented in a top-quality heavyweight tip-on single pocket jacket, the set is, housed inside a uniquely designed slipcase. Download hi-res packshot and artwork here, and pre-order here. Product available at remhq.com while supplies last.

Created for collectors and audiophiles, the DSSeditions are limited to 3,000 numbered copies per title,each album includes a certificate of authenticity detailing its mastering, plating, and pressing.

Using the state-of-the-art One Step process, which eliminates multiple stamper stages to achieve unmatched depth and clarity, the  series represents “the pinnacle of vinyl craftsmanship,” says Xavier Ramos, EVP D2C and eCommerce Strategy at Interscope/Capitol. “We’re proud to invest in these collectible pieces that reflect our respect for these iconic artists, their groundbreaking music, and the fans whose passion continues to keep these albums as relevant today as when they were first released.”

Previous DSS titles include Dr Dre’s The Chronic, A Perfect Circle’s Mer de Noms, and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song. All DSS releases will be initially exclusive to Interscope.com and shop.capitolmusic.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Press Release

Source: SKH Music

LYNYRD SKYNYRD and Foreigner have announced 19 co-headline appearances across North America confirmed for Summer, 2026. Produced by Live Nation, the Double Trouble Double Vision Tour begins on July 23 in Atlanta at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre with a final performance planned on August 29 in Rogers, AR at the Walmart AMP.

The artist pre-sale begins on Tuesday, November 18 at Noon local time.  The general on-sale goes live on Friday, November 21 at 10AM local time. For tickets visit foreigneronline.com or lynyrdskynyrd.com.

The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, access to an intimate behind the scenes backstage tour, photo op with members of the band, exclusive merch pack & more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.

Just prior to the co-headline tour with Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd will make two appearances in Florida. On July 17 in West Palm Beach at the iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre and on July 18 in Tampa at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre. Tickets will be available simultaneously with the on-sale for the nineteen co-headline events. Six Gun Sally will open all appearances across all dates. Very Special Guest Loverboy will appear as direct support for Lynyrd Skynyrd in West Palm Beach, Tampa and Tinley Park. Additionally, on August 11, Lynyrd Skynyrd returns to the Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip for the annual rally and on July 17 in Elk Grove Village, IL, Foreigner will appear at the Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series.

Foreigner’s Jeff Pilson shares, “The energy the band has felt knowing we’ll be touring with Skynyrd this coming summer has been electric! Two bands with plenty of iconic songs, dueling guitars, double trouble and double vision are gonna set each and every stage on fire! No question this will be THE go-to event of the summer!”

Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant states, “I’m excited to share the stage with Foreigner and hear all their amazing hits! I’ve always been a fan, and I believe the audience will love this tour. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner together — it doesn’t get much better than that. See y’all in 2026!”

LYNYRD SKYNRD & FOREIGNER: DOUBLE TROUBLE DOUBLE VISION DATES:

7/23     Atlanta, GA                                                   Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

7/24     Charlotte, NC                                                PNC Music Pavilion

7/25     Bristow, VA                                                    Jiffy Lube Live

7/26     Holmdel, NJ                                                  PNC Bank Arts Center

7/30     Toronto, ON                                                   RBC Amphitheatre

7/31     Clarkston, MI                                                 Pine Knob Music Theatre

8/01     Grand Rapids, MI                                         Acrisure Amphitheater

8/06     Saint Louis, MO                                            Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

8/07     Noblesville, IN                                               Ruoff Music Center

8/08     Cincinnati, OH                                               Riverbend Music Center

8/14     Kansas City, MO                                            Morton Amphitheater

8/16     Shakopee, MN                                                Mystic Lake Amphitheater

8/20     Camden, NJ                                                    Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

8/21     Wantagh, NY                                                  Northwell at Jones Beach Theater

8/22     Mansfield, MA                                               Xfinity Center

8/23     Saratoga Springs, NY                                   Saratoga Performing Arts Center

8/27     Houston, TX                                                   Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion

8/28     Dallas, TX                                                      Dos Equis Pavilion

8/29     Rogers, AR                                                     Walmart AMP

LYNYRD SKYNYRD HEADLINE APPEARANCES WITHOUT FOREIGNER:

7/17     West Palm Beach, FL                                     iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

7/18     Tampa, FL                                                              MIDFLORIDA CU Amphitheatre

8/11     Sturgis, SD                                                      The Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip

8/15     Tinley Park, IL                                               Credit 1 Union Amphitheatre

FOREIGNER HEADLINE APPEARANCE WITHOUT LYNYRD SKYNYRD:

7/17     Elk Grove Village, IL                                     Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series

ABOUT FOREIGNER

With more Top 10 hits than Journey, and as many as Fleetwood Mac, FOREIGNER features strongly in every category in Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time” listing. At times, the band’s weekly catalog sales have eclipsed those of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Aerosmith and most of their Classic Rock peers (Source: Nielsen SoundScan). With 10 multi-platinum albums and 16 Top 30 hits, FOREIGNER is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including “Juke Box Hero,” “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Urgent,” “Head Games,” “Say You Will,” “Dirty White Boy,” “Long, Long Way From Home” and the worldwide #1 hit and member of Spotify’s exclusive Billions Club, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” Rock & Roll Hall of Famers FOREIGNER still rock the charts almost 50 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard album chart success. Audio and video streams of FOREIGNER’s hits are approaching 20 million per week. FOREIGNER‘s catalog sales were recently celebrated in Business Insider as hitting the Top 40 among the Best Selling Music Artists of All Time.

ABOUT LYNYRD SKYNYRD

More than a half century after the release of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd,’ they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973.  Few ensembles have had the deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all whom have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, and Leon Wilkeson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history. Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Damon Johnson, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Robbie Harrington, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Plunk.

The rock and roll powerhouse continually tours, and as Van Zant shares, “It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.”

With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, tens of millions of records sold, and the introduction of Hell House whiskey, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remain a cultural icon that appeal to all generations.

By: Rick Landers

Rod MacDonald

A masterful and prolific singer-songwriter, author, workshop lecturer, and noted music history presenter, Rod MacDonald, is one of the most creative, hard working and entertaining entrepreneur you’re likely to meet.  His songs are catchy, whether they are light-hearted or heartfelt with sincere intent, informing us and melodically nudging us to be better, choose smarter and contribute more to society.

As he pursued a career in the U.S. Navy, he honored and reflected his core values, becoming a conscious objector to become a creator and singer of folk music.

In our interview we covered his songwriting, collaborations with others, and his perspectives on what it means to be a musician. With several fine albums in his quiver, he offered up how he pulled together his most recent release, Rants and Romance (2023), with Rod on both acoustic and electric guitars, harmonica, mandolin and vocals. And, from his early days performing and recording, he’s made his mark with a song that decades later still resonates and captures us still, “American Jerusalem”

When asked about his life decisions, Rod replied:

“Well, I suppose the biggest ones were to follow my dream and move to Greenwich Village and try to find a place in the arena of the music that I had loved, that I loved so much. And that paid off in a lot of ways. One of which was that in Greenwich Village, you weren’t asked to play cover music. You were asked to play your own songs.”

Rod’s decision followed his vision as he eventually served as a co-producer of the Greenwich. Village Folk Festival (1987 – 1994), with Ray Micek, Jay Rosen and Gerry Hinson. And today, the festival has gone virtual, featuring the best of folk musicians, as well as  paying tribute to past generations of traditional music. In 2025, the festival paid tribute to the legendary folkie, Phil Ochs.

MacDonald’s been performing since the 1970’s and has 14 albums to his name, as well as 21 of his songs honored by being accepted into the Smithsonian museum’s Folkways Collection. Since 2006, Rod has served a Music Americana lecturer with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) – Florida Atlantic University. In 2012, Rod was named Distinguished Faculty Member.

McDonald’s music career has taken him around the world and on stage with such icons as: Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Odetta, Tom Paxton, the Violent Femmes, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Dave Van Ronk, Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, Ani DiFranco, Tom Chapin, Jack Hardy, David Massengill, Joe Jencks and more.

Rod honed his skills early, writing for Fast Folk Musical Magazine, and publishing 21 songs. And steadily gained solid performance experience at major festivals, including: Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, Summerfest Port Fairy (Australia) and Friulh (Italy).and more.

And in 2025, he scheduled three lectures, Music Americana: Protest Songs; Bob Dylan: The First Ten Years; and The Sound of Her Voice: Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.

And in keeping with his penchant for storytelling, Rod’s authored two books, The American Guerrillas and Open Mic.

Along with being one of the top musicians in today’s Americana scene, Rod’s music has been covered by others, including: Dave Van Ronk, Jonathan Edwards, Shawn Colvin, Garnet Rogers, Joe Jencks, 4 Bitchin’ Babes and Renaissance Fair artists. He also penned and presented, Songwriting for Self-Expression, at the New York Center and Common Ground on the Hill.

Guitar International is honored to include Rod MacDonald’s interview in our magazine for our valued readers and we’re certain they’ll look forward to Part 2 of our conversation with him.

******

Rick: Let’s start with your latest album release, Rants and Romance. Are the tracks new songs that you’ve written, or are some of them songs that you wrote sometime ago and you just got around to putting on this album?

Rod MacDonald: I’ve got to think for a second about a question like that, because the weird part of it is you record 15 songs for a cd, but you probably only play four or five or six of them live very often, after 14 CDs. So, I think they’re all pretty new.

Several of ’em I wrote during the Pandemic, and it was my first CD of new songs since 2018, when it came out in 2023. So it had been, and we recorded most of it in 2022. It had been four years. I had a lot of the songs I wrote during the Pandemic. A few of them had been things that I’d worked on over time.

My work process in writing songs isn’t always that immediate. I mean, sometimes it is. Sometimes you wake up in the morning, write something down, grab your guitar and go, “Yep, this goes just like this.” But it’s not always that way. Sometimes I write words on a piece of paper or even type ’em into the computer, and then I go back and look at ’em weeks, months later. But, I think most of the songs, I think there are three covers on Ran and Romance by other people. 

I think all of the songs that are my own, were pretty new at the time. Off the top of my head I’m not recalling anything that was laying around for a long time or anything like that. 

Rick: I was a bit surprised to hear and I wasn’t expecting it, that you have some songs where you’re not singing, but you’re speaking. I think it’s only two tracks. I didn’t get a chance to hear the whole thing, “Cry Freedom’. That was great. I’m going, oh, that’s pretty cool. So did you find that more challenging than writing songs for singing, trying to get the cadence right, or the way you presented the words? 

Rod MacDonald: I’m not sure I think that consciously about it. It’s something I also did on my 1996 cd, Then He Woke Up. There’s a couple spoken word pieces on that, two or three. I think every once in a while it just feels like the right way to go. I don’t suppose it’s that formal  of a process. It’s more like, this just feels like the way to do this song. A melody would almost be worse than whatever it is.

In the case of “Cry Freedom”.it started out as a guitar piece. It was a guitar piece for a long time during the Pandemic. I’ve got my wife, Nicole, in, and at the time, two teenagers living here, and we have a small two bedroom condo. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

So we kind of took shifts in a way. The kids were going to school online, virtually on the computer. They both had laptops. One would be upstairs and one downstairs. But one of my kids and I started staying up very late at night, and the other started going to bed very early, at the same time as my wife. And I guess we did this, not so deliberately, but we found that doing this made it easier for me to get my work done. Otherwise we’d all four be in the same room at the same time, and you can’t see it where we are.

But in our house, my office setup, where I’m sitting right now, is actually part of the living room. And so if we were all sitting around together, I don’t like to work on music when everybody’s hanging around me. I like to have some solitude. 

I started sitting on the couch late at night with a cheap electric guitar that I have that I love to play with my fingers and just not plugging it in. And I started playing that piece of music. And then I had that whole guitar arrangement. I had the whole piece of music all worked out musically before I ever wrote any words to it.

And then I started thinking, “Well, what is this? What am I doing with this?” It was just a kind of guitar doodle for a long time. But then at some point, I wrote the poem of “Cry Freedom” without even thinking about music, really, just as a poem.

I do occasionally do that. And then at some point I just had the words in front of me and the guitar doodle going on at the same time, and I started thinking, “Can I do this?”And it fit, it worked out, and then I had to learn. The difficult part of it was learning the spacing of the words.

Despite being a spoken word piece, it’s very precise in terms of timing, how you phrase it, at least it seems to me that way. And so I had to learn it that way. And then once I got it, the next time I was up in Woodstock at Mark Dann’s place, I recorded the song with him, and it was the first thing we released from Rants and Romance. We put it out as a single several months beforehand.

I don’t know, I guess that’s sort of the process. I don’t have a formal process for writing all that much. I kind of do whatever works and that worked for that song.

Rod MacDonald

Rick: So, if you find that normal, you would come up with a melody, play with some chords, then you come up with the words afterwards? 

Rod MacDonald: I almost have to say there is no normally, I kind of do whatever. That’s one way that I like to work. If I have a piece of music, I’ll just work on the music until it feels right. 

I have several of those even now laying around with no words. And then I have words that have no music sometimes. And then sometimes when I write something, it just all feels I can hear the melody of the words when I’m writing it, and then that becomes more simple to execute, in a way. I’m trying to think if there’s a good example of that on Rant and Romance.

In the latter half of the cd, there’s a song called, “The King of Tomorrow”. When I wrote it I very much had the music in my head as I was writing the words, and then I just kind of had to learn to play it. I probably even had the guitar in my hands a lot of times. So that would be a case of where the words in the music were more, I dunno, unitary or more simultaneous in a way. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rick: When you do that, do you come up with some words, and I know that Sting called some of his initial lyrics, “rubbish lyrics,” and I’ve called them trash lyrics. 

Rod MacDonald: Dummy lyrics is a phrase that I’ve heard used. 

Rick: Yeah, that’s kinder. And so do you come up with those and hen you fit in the right words and come up with a theme, and that sort of drives you to the end of this, basically a story?

Rod MacDonald: I don’t really work much with dummy lyrics. I will occasionally write music to an entire lyric and then use the music for something else, that’s not that unusual. But I don’t generally sit with my guitar and write out a melody while singing banana pancakes or anything like that. I just really work on the music first. But if I’m writing music to a lyric, then usually it’s because I already like the lyric and want to keep it. 

Rick:. Paul McCartney started out “Yesterday” with the title “Scrambled Eggs”. 

Rod MacDonald: Yeah. That’s a famous example of a dummy lyric. I don’t really know, but I think that part of their process was collaborative, and I believe that he brought that into the studio and played it for the other guys, and they all said, “Great piece of music, but the word’s got to get better than that”.

I saw an interview with McCartney one time. I thought it was very interesting. I think it was Conan (O’Brien) He asked him what he thought of himself as a lyricist or something like that, because McCartney among guys that are, I suppose, on my end of the songwriting spectrum, where we tend to write long and evolved songs, sometimes McCartney’s reputation as a lyric writer is middling and he looked at Conan and he said, “I’m not a great lyricist”, or something like that.

He said, I think, “if you and I were to sit here and each have an idea for a song and go out into another room and write it and then come back and meet, you would go out and write words, and I would go out and write music.” And then he said, “I think I’ve written some good words, but I’m really, I’m not a lyricist instinctively. I’m much more a musician.”

Which makes total sense to me. He’s a brilliant composer of music.  He presented some great songs and some great riffing of the melody to some others, something totally different. And then he comes back to the melody and “Band on the Run” and a few other songs like, “Live and Let Die”, an awesome recording. But it’s got what, three lines of lyrics. It’s really great music, a great piece of music. 

Rick: Yeah, A great legend I suppose. I love the title of Rant and Romance. wonder if you recall when and how you pulled that phrase together? I haven’t heard the phrase before, but it does sound great.

Rod MacDonald:  I don’t remember, but I remember joking around probably with Mark Dann, who’s kind of my collaborator in the studio end of a lot of this kind of stuff. 

And I think there was originally a different title for the album, and I ran it by him and he said, “Nah, that doesn’t really say it.” And then I started and he said, “How would you describe this record?”

And I said, “Oh, it’s a bunch of rants, and then there’s some romance.” And then we both left and kind of went, “Well, I think that might be it.”

It’s clever at some point, I think it was during the early Pandemic, I started describing in a sort of off-hand funny manner, some of my songs as rants, and they are. “Cry Freedom” is really a rant. 

But I mean, you can do a rant artistically, and I try to do that. I’m always conscious when writing a song like “Cry Freedom”, that it has to make sense in and of itself. It has to hold together as a piece of writing. You just can’t vent and expect anybody to make any sense of it for you. You have to make it clear

Rick: Artful. You make it artful to some degree, I suppose, 

Rod MacDonald: To some degree. Yeah. I sometimes teach songwriting. I teach songwriting workshops. 

Rick: Yeah, I took two of yours. 

Rod MacDonald: That’s right, I remember. Yes. Sometimes guys write political rants, and it’s largely just two lines at a time that rhyme. And a lot of the things that they say are kind of clinched lines, like “The Emperor has no Clothes” is one of that kind of stuff. And those are almost like dummy lyrics in a way to say, “The emperor has no clothes”. Yes, of course, everybody knows what you mean, but it’s kind of a cliche and almost like a dummy lyric. You have to sort of, I think, be more artful, as you said, 

Rick: Or unpredictable. 

Rod MacDonald: Or unpredictable. Yeah. Yeah. That’s a little bit of that. You want to explore it. Writing a rant is Dave Van Ronk. Do you know who Dave Van Rink was? 

Rick: I’ve heard of him. I don’t know much. 

Rod MacDonald: Dave Van Ronk was a big influence on a lot of us in Greenwich Village for a couple generations. Dylan, Phil Ochs, on down through guys like me, and quite a few younger guys that I know now that are in their forties that started playing guitar by learning with Dave. And Dave used to say, “It’s really hard to write a good political song, but it’s really easy to write a bad one.”

And I totally get that. I believe that’s true. And so you have to make a point of, somehow at the end of the day, you got to feel like, this is really what I want to say. That you’re willing to stand there and perform it for people for however many people are out in that room.

And they may have different political persuasions than yourself or among themselves, and it has to hold together. You’ve got to be able to stand there and say, “Well, I don’t care what you say. This is how I see it.”

Rick: Yeah. Are you familiar, you mentioned Phil Ochs, and I saw him at the, I dunno if you’re familiar with the John Sinclair concert at the University of Michigan. 

Rod MacDonald: You were at that?

Rick: Yeah, I was there.

Rod MacDonald

Rod MacDonald: I was in Ann Arbor this summer. 

Rick: Were you? What a great town.!

Rod MacDonald: Yeah, it is a great town. A good friend of mine from my childhood, actually one of my best pals of my life lives there. And we visited him, him, and it was really fun. We walked by the spot where they did that concert, and he mentioned it to me. No, I didn’t get to go to that, but I was aware of it when it happened,

Rick: It was great. John Lennon was there with Yoko and Bob Seger, who I’d actually seen before at a small club called The Club, for like a buck, in Monroe, Michigan.

Rod MacDonald: Phil was an ideal performer for that concert. 

Rick: Yeah, he was really good. And there were other people there. Alan Ginsberg was there. He did “Howl” and Black Panthers were there, was pretty interesting. 

Rod MacDonald: What year was that? 

Rick: 1971.

Rod MacDonald: There were three of ’em, Phil, Sonny, and Michael. Michael just passed away, I think. I’m not sure who was older between Michael and Phil, but Sonny, who’s still alive, is a good friend of mine, and she’s the oldest of them.

Rick: I saw the list with some of the other folks that are on the album and was wondering how did you decide that they were the right fit for this particular album? Was there a process? Were they buddies, or how did you actually come up with them? As far as for, Rants and Romance? 

Rod MacDonald: Well, I guess there are people that I’ve worked with or are friends with, mostly for some of my CDs. Most of my work has been recorded in Woodstock, New York. 

And I work with Mark Dann at his studio there. And so sometimes some of the musicians are local Woodstock guys. They’re not even necessarily people that I know very well, but I know of ’em. A couple drummers I’ve worked with were like that. Sometimes they’re guys that Mark has worked with on other sessions and thinks would be a good fit. And sometimes they’re friends on Rants and Romance…Robin Batteau,  so we were hanging around and playing music for each other a lot. And I’ve always loved his playing. He’s a wonderful violinist and a really good guy.

He was going in and out of Woodstock himself, working at Mark Dann’s studio on another project. So he was around. We did a lengthy session; four or five of the songs with the violin live.

And then the drummer, Bill Meredith, I work with here in South Florida in a band called Big Brass Bed. We do mostly Bob Dylan songs. We’re kind of a sort of a side project. We’ve been working together for almost 25 years, and Mark played bass. I also used a fiddler for the two Celtic songs. I used a local fiddler player down here named Ian Wilkinson, a very, very good fiddler because I didn’t want a violinist who was going to jam through the songs. I wanted somebody who was going to play very specific parts. 

Rick: Yeah. What do you use to record?

Rod MacDonald: Pro Tools. A regular Pro Tools interface. I’m not using a lot of outboard gear, trying to hype up the sound or anything. I’m leaving that to the mixing process. I pretty much record people clean. I recorded some of Bill and Meredith’s drum parts here too in my living room. 

And then we fixed them up. So those are the principle guys, the electric guitar parts on “Cry Freedom”, I played myself. 

We didn’t really hire a lot of outside musicians for that cd. Sometimes I’ve used more, sometimes less. I guess that’s pretty much it. 

Rick: So you decided on those fellas just because not so much of proximity to you locally, but because you knew ’em. And how did that work? 

Rod MacDonald: I played with Robin Batteau, the violinist in certain other contexts, like past folk shows or all-star things where there’s tons of folkies on stage, kind of stuff like that. And very memorably, back in the 1970s, we had done a live broadcast on WBAI together, and a bunch of people had been in that one, and I had always remembered how much I loved his playing. 

When he was hanging out on the couch here, I used every excuse I could to get him to play with me. And I had a couple gigs and a festival appearance. He was up for it. He just said, “Sure, I’ll come with you and play whatever you want.” So we got to making some music together. And then we did a couple of shows together too.

We learned some of each other’s songs that way, and that was fun. But yeah, I tend to hire people for specific things. Sometimes I’ll hire them because I really just like they’re playing and I trust that they’re pretty good at working with me on fairly fast basis.

I mean, in working with musicians in the recording process, what you need to have is, unless you’ve yourself written out a part for them, you want somebody that can hear your song and add something to it that really gives it something interesting, add it to it, not just playing along in the background. I don’t really need that all that much. And with drummers, you want somebody who has really good time and kind of a creative approach to drumming. So I’ve used several different drummers. 

And I’ve also used some keyboard players that were really seriously good players. Professor Louis plays on one of my CDs; he produced the band, and he played organ and piano on one of ’em. And I love Louis. He’s great to work with. He’s a good guy. And Pete Levin, who’s not that well known to the general public, but he’s played keyboards with people like Miles Davis and Paul Simon. 

He’s a really good piano player. And he played piano on my 2018 CD, Beginning Again. And I just loved working with him.

Sometimes you want to just turn people loose and let ’em do what they do. That’s really the best thing. If you can get somebody involved on one of your songs or even all of your songs that brings his own level of creativity to the project, then you’ve really got something going on.

Rick: So, Rant and Romance is one of several that you’ve produced. How did the recording engineering and the production, how did that differ than say, your first album? And I know there’s a lot of changes in technology, but was it that much different? 

Rod MacDonald: My first album was back in 1983. I’d never really had much studio experience. I used the studio in New York City. It’s the only one I didn’t do with Mark Dan. 

Though he was involved in it as a bass player, but I didn’t have much studio experience, and I just kind of went in there and we didn’t have a producer, although I did get some help from a longtime friend of mine who was executive for Capital Records out in L.A. at the time, Steven Powers, and he was in New York visiting and staying at my place.

So he came into the studio and helped me out on one session, but I had to produce it myself, which really, I was not especially qualified for that. But what I wanted to do was try to record everything, live as much as possible.

I think we did 17 takes of one song and still didn’t get it, but every once in a while we’d really nail something. And then it was just a question of mixing it, but we played live as a band for almost everything in that recording. And White Buffalo, the one after that we played live as a band. Then we’d touch it up, add an instrument here and there.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Then you are in a vocal booth, so your vocals not bleeding onto everything else anyway. So, then if you get a really good band recording, but you didn’t sing it that well, you put the headphones on and you sing it with the band track. And really, if you close your eyes, it’s the same experience. It’s not really that different.

The only thing that’s slightly different is that the way you sing it might slightly impact the way the band plays it. You lose that if you’re singing to a track. Of course, you have to sing it to the way they played it. 

Rick: Yeah. I found that when I was in the studio, what worked best for me is I’d go in, I’d play my guitar and I’d sing the song, and then all the others would come in and they’d do their instrumentation.

Rod MacDonald: A lot of guys work that way. When we recorded later that night back in 2014, Mark and I came back from a gig and we just started playing in the studio late at night for our own enjoyment. And he said, “Got any new songs?” And I said, “Yeah, well, here’s one.” And then he says, “We should record this.”

And he set up a couple of mics and we discovered a different working method that really has worked fairly well since that time, which was to record the songs mostly because they were new songs that we hadn’t been playing in front of audiences. They weren’t totally formulated in a way musically. And we would sit across from each other and we’d record them, bass, guitar, and voice, and we’d do two, three, four, takes until I could say, “Okay, that’s the exact arrangement.” And then we would do one more take doing the same tempo and the same arrangement, but not singing.

Rod MacDonald

We’d have a guitar and bass track, and then sometimes we’d even just not use the bass track, use the guitar track, and then we’d bring in the other musicians and then I would sing it again. And the reason I liked doing it, I found that to be very productive way to work for two good reasons, particularly the drummer and keyboard players. If you work with a fixed track, they can really hone in on it, and by the second or third take, they’ve really got it down. 

Whereas if you’re doing it live from scratch each time, each track has a slightly different feel and they’re still kind of trying to find it. So if you have a fixed guitar track that you think is good, that’s just the way you want to play it and that it’s comfortable to sing it to, then you can bring in the other instruments and play to it. And they can play to that same track and each time they’ll get it more precisely until finally, usually around the third or fourth take, because these guys are pros. We wouldn’t use my original vocal, but I would sing it with them live each time so that I was instinctively in tune with what was going on live and that 

We’d kind of get a bit of that live chemistry that way. And I found that to be a good way to work.

Rick: As a songwriter, have you ever felt that you ran out of steam with ideas or do you, do they just sort of percolate along as you’re living your life? 

Rod MacDonald: It’s funny. I sometimes feel like, “Wow, I’m supposed to be this big deal songwriter and I haven’t written anything in months. And then I’ll go to Woodstock and I’ll be having dinner with Mark Dann, and he’s kind of been my musical partner behind the scenes for 50 years. 

And he’ll say to me, “So what’s your problem? Anyway? All this stuff’s going on in the world in your life, and you’re living your life and you haven’t written anything. What’s your problem? Are you just like falling asleep at the wheel here?”

And then I’ll go, “Okay, and I’ll say, well, I’ll tell you what, I got some stuff in my laptop. Why don’t you turn me loose in the studio? And I’ll see what I can do.” And then once or twice I’ve gone into the studio, I dunno, midnight, and he’ll set me up and he’ll say, “Good, I’m going to bed after at one o’clock, and I’ll just go through my computer and start making up music to the words that are in there, and I’ll end up with seven or eight songs and then we’ll start working on a new cd. And then while we’re working on it, I’ll write a few more. I don’t know what started, I think Rants and Romance really, by the time we started recording I had pretty much written most of the songs. 

BONUS VIDEO!

Click here to view the embedded video.

PART TWO SOON!

Press Release

Source:  PRPR 

Album Single Duet of Rojas and “Last of Us” composer Gustavo Santaolalla 

Rojas Named to Latin Grammy Board of Directors

Berta Rojkas – photo credit: Paula Lucer

The fulfillment of a dream for Latin Grammy winning classical guitarist, Berta Rojas, “The Journey of Strings” weaves a fascinating tale fo musical transformation. Presented across various formats – vinyl, streaming, videos, and book with innovative augmented reality – it traces the intriguing story of how the guitars and vihuelas brought to Latin Amerixa by the conquistadors influenced the continent’s cultures and traditions and in turn was itself transformed, giving rise to unique instruments that voice the soul of the region’s people and their identities.

Released on October 31, the album marks the first time anyone has brought together the guitar and the incredibly rich array of Latin America’s stringed instruments for a vibrant collection of musical conversations.

A Latin Grammy winner in 2022 and a four-time Latin Grammy nominee, Berta Rojas is one of the few women in the top echelon of classical guitar, renowned for her virtuosity and electrifying performances. She was recently appointed to the Latin Grammy Board of Directors, a reflection of her deep commitment to championing Latin music and culture. 

For this ambitious project, more than two years in the making, Rojas performed with over 17 guest artists, traveling more than 8,000 miles to 10_+ countries and working closely with researchers and musicologists. Each of the 11 tracks, all accompanied by a performance video, is a collaborative dialog between the guitar and these expressive string instruments, from the sonorous bass of the giant 25-string Chilean guitarrón to the twang of the more mandolin-like Puerto Rican cuatro. 

Fans of the series “The Last of Us” —HBO’s cultural phenomenon with 32 million viewers per episode—might already be familiar with the ronroco. This Andean variant, once made from the back of an armadillo, is responsible for the haunting sound of the TV show’s theme composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, the winner of 2 Oscars, 17 Latin Grammys and 2 Grammys.  On the album’s lead single, Rojas plays a duet with Santaolalla on a specially arranged version of the song for guitar and ronroco.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The performance videos –  “The Journey of Strings” on YouTube and streaming platforms—include notes that reveal the stories of the instruments, their impact on local culture and behind-the-recordings interviews. Accompanying the vinyl album available on Amazon will be a large-format book written by Argentine music critic Santiago Giordano intertwining narratives, photographs of the instruments, and portraits of the artists. Within its pages, augmented reality will allow readers not only to visualize the instruments in three dimensions using a QR code but also hear what they sound like by strumming a finger across the virtual strings. 

While string instruments can be traced as far back as 3200 BC, this journey begins with the 15th century arrival in Latin America of the double-stringed, flat-backed Spanish vihuela. “Smaller than today’s guitar, the vihuela provides the foundational DNA for so many of the instruments we’re spotlighting in the album,” says the Paraguayan-born Rojas. “They may be in their own niche, but they are still very much present in the culture and the traditions of Latin America.” 

Berta Rojas – photo credit: Julio Zarate

“Their evolution reflects the interplay of the different inhabitants of the Americas at the time, the Spaniards and Portuguese, the Indigenous peoples and enslaved Africans forcibly transported to bolster labor in the colonies,” she explains. “Interestingly, we see many instruments developing in those areas where Jesuit missions were established to interact with and convert local populations. From these contacts arise the stories of great joy—and great sadness—hidden inside these instruments.” 

The album’s first track “La Huella del Códice,” recorded in Italy, brings together the sounds of the vihuela, the Baroque guitar (both played by Evangelina Mascardi), and Rojas’s antique 12-string guitar crafted in Havana in 1820. The work draws from the tablatures or musical notations of four pieces from the Saldivar Codex discovered in 1948 at an antiques shop in Mexico and written in the 18th century by Spanish composer Santiago de Murcia. “In this material we hear the unmistakable dance rhythms so typical of Latin America, like the samba and the chacarera, within pieces composed in 1738 by someone who never traveled to the New World,” Rojas says. “It was his music that sailed across the Atlantic.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

In Colombia, Rojas introduces us to a family of stringed instruments with Andean origins—the bandola llanera and the tiple—and performs with a family of instrumentalists, the Saboya Brothers. “Bambuco Pa’ Billy” is a new composition by Daniel Saboya based on a traditional form that blends Spanish melodies with indigenous and African rhythms.

Rojas also commissioned gifted composer and guitarist Elodie Bouny to write a three-movement work for chamber orchestra and guitar, resulting in a series of dialogs highlighting the charango, the Venezuelan cuatro, and the Brazilian mandolin. The pieces are a musical travelogue that takes us to the mountains of the Andes, the vast grassland plains of Venezuela and Colombia and the seaside of Brazil.

Berta Rojas – photo credit: Rodrigo De Silva

“From the moment I suggested this to my producers Sebastian Henríquez and Popi Spatocco, doors opened and everything was aligned,” Rojas says. “We hope this work reflects and enhances the musical richness of our people and culture. Our continent is a dream turned into a path and on that path, we want to leave a footprint.”

“The Journey of Strings” is now available on Many Major Platforms!