Guitar International

Press Release

Source: Chummy Press

The Mountain Music Festival, a three-day classic rock n’ roll music experience, is set to return August 21st-23rd to the Gatlinburg Convention Center, located in Tennessee’s beautiful Great Smoky Mountains.

The three-day, all-ages, immersive fan and artist celebration will feature over twenty-five artists (including fan favorites and emerging acts) performing on three stages, plus an array of interactive events and activities (including photo opportunities with select bands, and access to the Rock N’ Roll Marketplace, Rock N’ Roll Art Gallery, and Outdoor Patio Experience), with more to be announced.

Three-day General Admission passes ($449.00 per person, plus taxes and fees) and two-day General Admission passes ($349.00 per person, plus taxes and fees) are available now, with single-day General Admission passes set to be released this Spring/Summer (date and pricing TBA). VIP Top of the Mountain passes sold out during the festival’s alumni pre-sale. Fans have until March 31st to take advantage of a discount being offered: $50 off on three-day General Admission passes and $40 off on two-day General Admission passes. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit TheMountainUSA.com, and follow on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

New to the festival in 2026 will be Guitar Clinics, hosted by three rock legends: Joel Hoesktra, Reb Beach, and George Lynch. Featuring exclusive and intimate sessions that go beyond the stage, the Guitar Clinics promise to offer fans rare insight, hands-on guidance, and stories straight from the pros. For access to the Guitar Clinics, fans must purchase the three-day General Admission pass + Guitar Clinics package ($519.00per person, plus taxes and fees). More details will be announced leading up to the festival

Daily lineup for The Mountain Music Festival 2026

Friday, August 21st

Pearcy and DeMartini (performing the music of RATT)

Sebastian Bach (the voice of Skid Row)

Lynch Mob

Tuk Smith and The Restless Hearts

Reb Beach

Tora Tora

The Cruel Intentions

Ted Poley

Wildstreet

Soto & Bieler

No Love Lost

Saturday, August 22nd

Bret Michaels

Night Ranger

Jackyl

Lita Ford

White Lion

Vandenberg

Dangerous Toys

Crazy Lixx

Bad Marriage

Wildstreet

Hoekstra & Gibbs

Saturday Late Night Show

Faster Pussycat

Sunday, August 23rd

Rick Springfield

38 Special

Warrant

Vixen

John Waite

Steelheart

The Cruel Intentions

Bad Marriage

Luke Robert

Returning as official festival hosts are Eddie Trunk (VH1, SiriusXM), comedians Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson (former hosts of VH1 Classic’s hit TV show “That Metal Show”), and Bay Area pioneer radio DJ Nikki Blakk.

An inviting and quaint mountain town in eastern Tennessee, Gatlinburg is a fabulous tourist destination featuring great dining options, outdoor attractions, shops, and a plethora of lodging options all nestled under the backdrop of the breath-taking Smoky Mountains. Located in the heart of the town, the Gatlinburg Convention Center (234 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738) is easily accessible with many hotels, restaurants, and shops within walking distance.

With a myriad of events, activities, and music to keep fans entertained day and night, this Smoky Mountain Rock N’ Roll hoedown promises to be one of the biggest events of the year for music fans.

About The Mountain Music Festival:

The Mountain Music Festival, which successfully debuted October 2021 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is a three-day classic and hard rock n’ roll music experience brought to you by the creators of the pioneering On the Blue Cruises. For more info, visit TheMountainUSA.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Press Release

Source: SKH Media

Six-string-wizard Paul Gilbert reveals his latest music video for Keep Your Feet Firm and Even, on the day he releases his brand-new album WROC, on Music Theories Recordings / Artone. You can order and stream the album HERE

WROC is his highly ambitious new conceptual album. WROC, which stands for “Washington’s Rules of Civility,” could very well be the guitar superstar’s most outlandish offering to date. Using George Washington’s Rules of Civility as a conceptual homing beacon, Gilbert has dared himself to think outside the box and use an etiquette guide dating back to the late 1500s as his main source of inspiration.

Keep Your Feet Firm and Even is inspired by Washington’s Rules: 10 and 19: “When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them” and “Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.”

Talking about the song, Gilbert says; “Decades ago, when I first came across the Washington Rules of Civility on my bookshelf, I read the introduction and thought, “I am a civil person. I bet I can follow all these rules easily!” As I read further, I realized that some of the rules might be more challenging than I had anticipated. As I am typing this now, I am in fact “putting one foot on the other and crossing them while I sit.” (breaking a Washington rule.)”

This follows the previous singles taken from the album; Go Not Thither,  If You Soak Bread In The Sauce, Show Not Yourself Glad (At The Misfortune of Another) and Conscience is the Most Certain Judge.

 For Gilbert, there was a palpable excitement in resurrecting these 16th Century guidelines for the hyper advanced social order of today’s world. “I’ve never in my life had such a good time writing songs,” he admits. “I would look through the rules, sing them out loud and see which ones worked. Sometimes I’d have to flip something around or grab another rule for a bridge, but a lot of these songs are word for word.”

He goes on to say, “WROC is my first vocal album since 2016. The lyrics were inspired by the etiquette book, “George Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.” I truly enjoyed turning Washington’s Rules of Civility (WROC) into ROCK songs! I hope my vocal and guitar melodies will stir your heart and improve your table manners. Spit Not in the Fire!”

Paul Gilbert knows a thing or two about which rules to follow — and when to break them. In Mr. Big, he was responsible for pioneering pop rock anthems. In Racer X, he pushed the electric guitar to its furthest limits, in a more metallic direction, and as a solo artist, he’s traversed both instrumental and vocal-led sonic landscapes that have crossed over from blues, classical and jazz to straight-up rock.

Other than the lead vocals, the album was recorded live in four days at The Hallowed Halls in Portland with Nick D’Virgilio on drums, Doug Rappoport on guitar and Timmer Blakely on bass. Given how Gilbert has managed to not only exist but thrive in all kinds of musical situations for the best part of four decades, it shouldn’t be surprising how many different styles and sounds are intelligently encased within its 13 breathtaking tracks.

“Maybe I just get bored easily, both rhythmically and harmonically,” he ponders. “With that first song, I took my initial vocal melody and later added some spooky chords, shapes I’d learned from Burt Bacharach songs, as well as Todd Rundgren and The Beatles. It completely changed the emotion and experience, even though the melody was the same. There are AC/DC-style riffs and another that came from The Pusher by Steppenwolf, twisted into 7/8 and other time signatures. The trick was to make it flow. The masters of that are Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Sprinkle in some Burt Bacharach and Todd Rundgren and you’ve got WROC.”

 Mascot Label Group is a 100% independent record company specialized in guitar-oriented music with a focus on rock, metal and (Blues) guitar. The company has offices in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Cologne, Stockholm and Rotterdam (headquarters).

Artists on the roster and in the catalogue include: George Benson, Black Stone Cherry, Joe Bonamassa, Bootsy Collins, Crobot, Eric Gales, Gov’t Mule, Beth Hart, Steve Lukather, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jake Shimabukuro, Robin Trower, VOLA, Volbeat,  and more.

Owned and operated labels include: Provogue – Music Theories Recordings – Cool Green Recordings – The Players Club – Funk Garage.

Paul Gilbert Online:
http://www.paulgilbert.com/
tiktok.com/@paulgilbert_official

instagram.com/paulgilbert_official facebook.com/paulgilbertmusic/

youtube.com/user/paulvsgodzilla

https://x.com/PaulGilbertRock

Press Release

Source: National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum announced that Ritchie Blackmore, the esteemed guitar legend whose vast career spans more than 60 years, has received its annual “Lifetime Achievement” Award. Blackmore is the sixteenth recipient of the award.

Ritchie Blackmore joins previous award winners including Honeyboy Edwards, Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt, Liona Boyd, Jose Feliciano, and B.B. King. Recipients are recognized for a lifetime of contributing to the legacy of the guitar and having a singular historical importance to the development and historical appreciation of the instrument.

Lifetime Achievement Award (photo courtesy of The National GUITAR Museum)

According to HP Newquist, NGM executive director “Most people know Ritchie from being the driving creative force behind two of the defining hard rock bands of all time—Deep Purple and Rainbow. But before starting those bands, he had a long career as a London session musician, performing on records by numerous artists, including The Outlaws. And then—after helping to define hard rock guitar in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s—he formed Blackmore’s Night, incorporating medieval and Renaissance acoustic music into his immense repertoire.”

Said Blackmore, “I’m rather thrown by the magnitude of this honorable award. I am grateful to accept this award and this recognition.”

Blackmore’s guitar playing has inspired countless numbers of musicians to follow in his wake, and very few guitarists can match his lifetime of achievements. His influence is pervasive amongst players in a wide variety of genres, from blues-rock and heavy metal on to neoclassical and pop rock. It is conceivable that every electric guitarist on the planet has learned how to play the riff Blackmore came up with for “Smoke On The Water.”

Added Newquist, “It’s difficult to find any modern guitarist who has incorporated so many diverse styles into their playing—and then fused them all into something recognizably their own over their entire career. Ritchie was one of the first electric guitarists to add classical melodicism to his playing, along with classical speed and finesse. I think that most of the early ’80s guitarists who played lightning fast riffs and claimed to be learning from Bach and Mozart were, in fact, borrowing from Ritchie.”

Ritchie Blackmore joins previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients:

2010: David Honeyboy Edwards

2011: Roger McGuinn

2012: B.B. King

2013: Vic Flick

2014: Buddy Guy

2015: Tony Iommi

2016: Glen Campbell

2017: Bonnie Raitt

2018: Liona Boyd

2019: Jose Feliciano

2020: Eddie Van Halen (in memoriam)

2021: Al Di Meola

2022: Jeff Beck

2023: Tommy Emmanuel

2024: Alex Lifeson

2025: Ritchie Blackmore

• More on Ritchie Blackmore

https://www.blackmoresnight.com/

• About The National GUITAR Museum

The National GUITAR Museum is the only museum in the world dedicated to the history, evolution, and cultural impact of the guitar. Its touring exhibitions have been featured in more than 60 museums worldwide.

In the coming year, those exhibitions will become the basis of The National GUITAR Museum and its permanent home.

For more information, contact The National GUITAR Museum at director@nationalguitarmuseum.com

Press Release

Source: Mark Pucce Media

Northern California’s blues scene is buzzing as the Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen prepares to release their highly anticipated second studio album, Come to Me, on May 8th. The announcement follows the band’s recent signing with MoMojo Records, marking a major milestone in their fast-rising career and signaling their arrival on a broader national and international stage.

Formed in 2018, the Carmen Ratti Band quickly built a reputation for high-energy performances and a distinctive sound blending blues and roots influences.

Their 2021 debut, The Road Back, introduced audiences to their powerful chemistry and earned praise for its authenticity and musicianship. Now, with Come to Me, the group deepens that artistic vision. Recorded once again at Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California with acclaimed producer Kid Andersen, the album captures a band at full creative stride.

“Variety is central to our library,” says Carmen Ratti. “This record mirrors the roots of blues while incorporating soul, gospel, rock blues and funk. These textures honor our influences and show up in many different ways throughout the album.” He points to the gospel-inspired track, “Blessing in the Blues,” co-written with Jill Dineen, as a standout: “It perfectly showcases Jill’s vocal strength, and the final version came across beautifully in Kid’s hands.”

Jill Dineen describes the recording process as deeply collaborative and emotionally resonant. “Carmen and I continue to challenge each other in our songwriting and complement each other in our performance. In the studio, the songs seemed to just flow, with each musician adding new depth and layers to their meaning. This album carries a lot of heart, and I hope it helps create a bit of connection in the world.” Joining Carmen and Jill are Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano (keyboards/backing vocals), Randy Hayes (drums), and Steve Hazlewood (bass).

Since winning recognition from the Golden Gate Blues Society and performing extensively at clubs, festivals, and venues, the band has cultivated a loyal fan base drawn to their authenticity, virtuosity, and emotional intensity. The May release of Come to Me coincides with a summer tour to promote it.

With Come to Me, the Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen stands poised to break beyond regional acclaim and establish themselves as one of today’s most exciting modern blues acts.

About the Carmen Ratti Band Featuring Jill Dineen

The Carmen Ratti Band featuring Jill Dineen is a rising force in contemporary blues, earning recognition for electrifying performances, dynamic musicianship, and commanding, emotive vocals. Under guitarist Carmen Ratti’s vision, the group has steadily built a devoted following across Northern California with a sound that fuses traditional blues roots and a fresh modern edge. Their momentum accelerated after winning honors from the Golden Gate Blues Society, confirming their place among the region’s most compelling live acts.

Their debut album, The Road Back, was recorded at the renowned Greaseland Studios with producer Kid Andersen capturing the group’s signature blend of searing guitar work, soulful grooves, and powerhouse vocals. They returned to the same studio in 2025 to record their new album, Come to Me, an original collection showcasing both their musical growth and deep artistic chemistry.

Having performed throughout the Bay Area alongside many of its finest blues artists, Carmen Ratti brings a rich depth of experience to his craft, shaping his signature sound: smoldering guitar work and a diverse repertoire of original songs that keep audiences captivated.

Jill Dineen is a powerhouse vocalist celebrated for her rich tone, soulful vocal delivery, and gripping stage presence, blending contemporary and traditional blues and roots with striking depth and fire.

Raised on her DJ dad’s vast record collection and her mother’s inspirational grit, she was immersed early in sounds spanning big band, soul, jazz, Motown, rock, R&B, and blues—drawing from legends like Otis Redding, Bessie Smith, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Nina Simone, and Janis Joplin to shape a voice that is both well developed and raw. With decades of stage and songwriting experience, Jill delivers an emotive, dynamic sound marked by authenticity, passion, and unmistakable power in every performance. Before joining the band in 2019, she fronted acclaimed projects across the U.S. and shared stages with leading blues artists nationwide.

The band is rounded out by some of the Bay Area’s finest musicians, Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano, Randy Hayes, and Steve Hazlewood. Together, the ensemble delivers performances that are passionate, authentic, and deeply engaging music that moves the body and stirs the soul.

Come to Me Track Listing and Credits – Catalog Number: MMJ-405

Jill Dineen – Vocals
Carmen Ratti – Guitar / Vocals
Steve Hazlewood – Bass
Randy Hayes – Drums
Tony “Macaroni” Lufrano – Organ / Piano / Backing Vocal
Lisa Leuschner Andersen: Background Vocals – Come to Me

Recorded/Mixed/Mastered & Produced by: Christoffer Lund Andersen, Greaseland Studios, San Jose, CA

1. No Delusion – 3:59 (Jill Dineen)
2. Get In Line – 4:29 (David Fulford & Jill Dineen)
3. Come to Me – 4:49 (Carmen Ratti & Jill Dineen)
4. I Can See – 3:52 (Jill Dineen)
5. Riley – 5:54 (Carmen Ratti)
6. Blessing in the Blues – 4:50 (Carmen Ratti & Jill Dineen)
7. Coming Down – 5:50 (Carmen Ratti)
8. About You – 4:54 (Carmen Ratti)
9. Uncle Joe – 4:03 (Carmen Ratti)
10. Pretty Good Man – 4:06 (Jill Dineen)
11. Come to Me – Extended Version – 6:58 (Carmen Ratti & Jill Dineen)

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.

******

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.

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