Lee Ritenour's 6-String Theory CD

This is an UPDATE of a previous post…

The long awaited CD from Lee Ritenour titled “6-String Theory” has been released and is now available on iTunes and Amazon.com to download.

“Six String Theory” pushes the limits of the guitar by combining superstar guitarists from the worlds of rock, blues, country, jazz/fusion, acoustic, and classical/flamenco genres — all into one massive effort.

I have written in the past that I love (almost) every style of guitar music and what I love about this CD is that it crosses the boundaries of many different genres to provide a refreshing mix of 6-String styles.

By assembling the talents of Lee Ritenour, B.B. King, George Benson, John Scofield, Steve Lukather, Vince Gill, Slash, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Neal Schon, Robert Cray, Keb Mo, Taj Majal, Jonny Lang, Joe Bonamasa, Andy Mckee, Guthrie Govan, Joe Robinson, Tomoyasu Hotei and Shon Boublil (Winner of Yamaha Six String Theory Competition), the album appears destined to be a huge success.

I’m excited to announce that the “Six String Theory” project is finally done! We’ve finished up mastering and are excited to share the music with everyone. We’ve assembled an incredible roster of guest guitarists on the album in many different genres from up and coming Shon Boublil at 16 years old playing classical guitar to blues guitar icon BB King at age 84. This was an amazing album for me to produce and perform on… - From Lee Ritenour’s web site

Watch the Video:

Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto "TAKE YOUR PICK"

Gibson.com is offering a free download from the new album by Larry Carlton and Takahiro “Tak” Matsumoto!

Three-time Grammy winner Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto, the most renowned guitarist in all of Asia, teamed up to compose, record and release “Take Your Pick”, an extraordinary collection of 12 original instrumentals already being hailed as “one of the most significant collaborations of contemporary guitar of all time.”

Larry and Tak invite you to download their new single, “Tokyo Nights.” Click the image above to request your free download.

Note: This offer will not last forever… so get your free download NOW!

[Click the Arrow to play "Tokyo Night" from the CD titled "Take Your Pick"]

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A few weeks ago I wrote a post about “Guitar Artistry” and asked the question: If I can copy (insert your favorite guitar player’s name) licks, does that make me a guitar artist?

That thought jumped back to the front of my mind when I visited the web site of Hamilton Loomis and saw the words: “Innovate, Don’t Imitate”… a phrase coined by the late Bo Diddley and used to inspire Hamilton Loomis to re-define the blues.

Hamilton Loomis - LIVE in England

Loomis is one of the young artists at the forefront of bringing blues based American music into the 21st century and redefining it for a contemporary audience.

Whereas similar aged acts like Black Keys, Robert Randolph and White Stripes play American rock music with heavy blues influences, Loomis plays the inverse.

His is an undeniably blues based artist escalating into what All Music Guide calls “…a mixed bag of modern blues, modern funk, and slick soul.”

Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, Loomis was first hooked on music through his parents’ extensive collection of blues, rock, and soul records.

Loomis honed his multi-instrumental chops early, learning drums, piano, guitar, bass and harmonica by his early teens.  At age sixteen he went backstage to meet Bo Diddley, and before the night was over Loomis was onstage playing alongside the legend.

Since that meeting, Diddley quickly became a friend, mentor, and supporter.

“INNOVATE, DON’T IMITATE”…are Diddley’s words and they continue to inspire Loomis and fuel his desire for creativity and originality.

Hamilton Loomis’ “Live In England” release captures his masterfull blending of his myriad of influences into a live performance.

[Click the Arrow to play a sample of "Get My Blues On" by Hamilton Loomis]

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“Hamilton is the future of the electric blues.”
-Malcolm Walls, Delta Blues Festival

“Contemporary blues revivalist and guitar whiz…”
-Larry Nager, Memphis Commercial Appeal

“More than a triple threat man, he’s a singer, musician, composer. actor, and all-around high-powered entertainer who puts his own personal stamp on blues.”
-Kevin Wildman, Music News, Houston TX

“Hamilton is one bad white boy!”
-Lee Parker, North Alabama Blues Festival

Happy Mothers Day to all of the mothers out there. If you are reading this post and you have not called your mother today then stop reading and give her a call. Thank her for bringing you into this world and giving you an opportunity to be a guitar player…

Ann and Nancy Wilson of HEART

Today is a day to recognize amazing women and I can’t think of a better day to hail the praises of Ann & Nancy Wilson, the sisters of Rock and Roll.

Ann is the lead singer for Heart and the mother of an adopted son and daughter.

Nancy plays lead guitar for Heart and is the mother of twin boys.

While the other band members of Heart changed often, Ann & Nancy remained true to each other, true to the band and true to their dreams.

They have quite a story — one that I hope you will take a few minutes to learn about…

Read more…

The 31st “Blues Music Awards” winners from last night:

1. Acoustic Album – You Got to Move David Maxwell & Louisiana Red
2. Acoustic Artist – Louisiana Red
3. Album of the Year – Between a Rock and the Blues, Joe Louis Walker
4. B.B. King Entertainer – Tommy Castro
5. Band of the Year – Tommy Castro Band
6. Best New Artist Debut – Tiger in Your Tank, Monkey Junk
7. Contemporary Blues Album – Hard Believer, Tommy Castro
8. Contemporary Blues Female Artist – Ruthie Foster
9. Contemporary Blues Male Artist – Tommy Castro
10. DVD – Delmark Records -It Ain’t Over! 55 Years of Blues, Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends
11. Historical Album – Chess – Authorized Bootleg -Muddy Waters Live
12. Bass – Bob Stroger
13. Drums – Cedric Burnside
14. Guitar – Derek Trucks
15. Harmonica – Jason Ricci
16. Horn – Deanna Bogart
17. Instrumentalist-Other – Buckwheat Zydeco (accordion)
18. Pinetop Perkins Piano Player – Eden Brent
19. Rock Blues Album – Already Free Derek Trucks Band
20. Song of the Year – “Pearl River” Cyril Neville & Mike Zito
21. Soul Blues Album – Ace of Spades – Johnny Rawls
22. Soul Blues Female Artist – Irma Thomas
23. Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year – Curtis Salgado
24. Traditional Blues Album – Chikadelic Super Chikan
25. Traditional Blues Female Artist – Debbie Davies
26. Traditional Blues Male Artist – Duke Robillard

Also, Buddy Guy received the “Lifetime Achievement Award”!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

THE BOSS

Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band will release their third official live concert DVD (following 2001′s Live In New York City and 2003′s Live In Barcelona) on June 22, according to a report published today by Backstreets Magazine.

London Calling: Live In Hyde Park was recorded last year at London’s Hard Rock Calling festival during their 2009 Working On A Dream tour. The release will be available in both single-disc Blu-ray and double-disc DVD versions.

From the PRESS RELEASE:

…the 163-minute film documents 26 tracks of live Springsteen that begin in daylight and progress through a gorgeous sunset into night. London Calling: Live In Hyde Park conveys both the experience of being on-stage and the vast crowd experience of the festival environment. Viewers are able to see Springsteen spontaneously directing the E Street Band and shaping the show as it evolves.

The set list spans from Born to Run era to Working on a Dream and includes rare covers such as The Clash’s “London Calling,” Jimmy Cliff’s “Trapped,” The Young Rascals’ “Good Lovin’,” and Eddie Floyd’s “Raise Your Hand.” Springsteen also performs fan favorite “Hard Times (Come Again No More),” written by Stephen Foster in 1854. Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem joins the band as a guest vocalist on Springsteen’s own “No Surrender.”

Peter Frampton - Thank You Mr Churchill

Following his Grammy Award-winning instrumental album, 2006′s Fingerprints, Peter Frampton returns with Thank You Mr. Churchill (A&M/New Door/UMe), his most personal collection to date.

The 11-song set, co-produced and co-engineered by Frampton, features the legendary guitarist at his most incisive lyrically as he tackles the battles that wage within us and the outside forces that rage around us. His searing guitar work flows over every song, setting the mood. “This album is very autobiographical,” Frampton says. “It starts with my birth, which I thank Mr. Churchill for bringing my father back from the Second World War.”

Recorded at his home studio in Cincinnati, Churchill is deeply intimate, weaving tales of loss, love and redemption and the lessons learned along the way. Churchill also includes Frampton’s reflective take on troubling world events, including the Wall Street bailout (“Restraint”) and even the tragic case of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese girl kidnapped more than 30 years ago by North Korea (“Asleep at the Wheel”).

Frampton wrote all tracks on Churchill, penning many with longtime collaborator Gordon Kennedy.
Read more…

A few days ago I wrote how “I’m a Lot Like Jeff Beck…” If you missed that post, CLICK HERE.

That post has turned out to be one of the most popular ones I have written in awhile based on the viral activity and trackback links. In that post I spoke about how I agreed with Jeff about his views on heavy-metal music. I said:

“…while I love Rock-n-Roll, Smooth Jazz, Blues, Latin and New Age…I do not care for loud, screeching, shredding Metal at all. I recognize the talent, but I do not enjoy the music. Guitar music should be sensual, spiritual, uplifting and exciting — not “ear assault”. -GuitarDaddy

Well, I am about to add another genre to my growing list of favorites…and I have Jeff Beck to thank! Would you believe Opera?? Check this out:

Jeff’s new album “Emotion and Commotion” will release on April 13th. Today, NPR.org released the entire album on streaming audio on their web site. No restrictions, 100% free to listen to and I just listened.

Jeff Beck wrote the encyclopedia about bleeding sensual sounds out of a Stratocaster and his latest release is a new master-class chapter.

Track #8 is titled: “Nessun Dorma”, which to an old rock-n-roll-smooth-jazz-blues-latin-new-age music lover means nothing. So I did a little research and learned that Neussen Dorma is an aria (solo) from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot and is one of the best-known tenor solos in all opera. Who knew?

Jeff uses his Strat to give the best interpretation of a Opera-Singing Tenor I have ever heard!

Just listen:

[Click the Arrow to play "Nessun Dorma" by Jeff Beck]

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That is exactly what I meant when I said: “sensual, spiritual, uplifting and exciting…”

Jeff-Beck - Emotion and Commotion

COMPLETE TRACK LIST
1. Corpus Christi Carol
2. Hammerhead
3. Never Alone
4. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
5. I Put A Spell On You featuring Joss Stone
6. Serene
7. Lilac Wine featuring Imelda May
8. Nessun Dorma
9. There s No Other Me featuring Joss Stone
10. Elegy For Dunkirk featuring Olivia Safe

Beck recorded several of the tracks with a 64-piece orchestra. Hardly heavy-metal!

This, GuitarBUZZ readers, is guitar playing at a totally magical level as each and every track blends a new and exciting sound from Beck’s amazing guitar skills.

SLASH Album Cover

Today the ENTIRE CD showed up online on the AOL web site in the “CD Listening Party” section.

I’m not sure how long it will be there so get to the party as quick as you can!!

CLICK HERE to listen…

This is a follow-up to yesterdays post about the new album coming from Slash.

Check out these 2 videos – 12 minutes of studio footage: