The Guitar BUZZ...

...Totally Random 6-String Discussion...

Doyle Bramhall II – Playing Upside Down Sounds GREAT!

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Doyle Bramhall II is the son of the late singer, songwriter and drummer, Doyle Bramhall, who grew up as a close friend of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan. At age 16, Doyle Bramhall II toured with Jimmie Vaughan’s band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, as second guitarist.

Some of Doyle’s influences include, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Donny Hathaway, Freddie King, Albert King, Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Sly & the Family Stone, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Curtis Mayfield.

In 1992 Doyle formed Arc Angels with Charlie Sexton and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton (also known as Double Trouble).

Eric Clapton took an interest in Bramhall’s music and they have often toured and recorder together. Doyle co-wrote “Superman Inside” and played guitar on Eric’s 2001 solo album, Reptile. He occasionally joined Eric on stage.

Doyle became Clapton’s second guitarist after Andy Fairweather-Low backed out of the tour in 2004. He also toured with Eric Clapton as part of his 2006/2007 world tour along with slide guitarist Derek Trucks and he performed at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival at Chicago’s Toyota Park.

While all of that is very interesting, the most amazing fact about Doyle is that he is left-handed and usually plays the right-handed model of a guitar upside-down! When he does play a left-handed model, the guitar is strung as if to be played by a right-handed player (as was the case with Albert King.)

In other words:

  • The low E string is at the bottom of his guitar
  • The high string at the top of his guitar.
  • The pick-guard is on the top.
  • Strings are bent DOWN, not UP.
  • The most common pick motion is an “Up-Pick”.

Check out this video to see his most unusual style in action and up close.

Of course, a Flying V almost looks the same either way…Enjoy the VIDEO.

(Note: at :40, Clapton looks away from Doyle’s sharply as if to say “I can’t watch that!)

Never Heard of Michael Landau? I Bet You Have…

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Michael Landau

I was talking guitars with a buddy last week and I brought up the name of Michael Landau. He said “Michael who?” What followed was a long discussion about one of the greatest guitar players he had never heard of.

Musician and composer Michael Landau was born and raised in Los Angeles. He grew up with the music of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream and The Band.

In his early teens, Michael quickly became very interested in jazz and electric jazz music. Weather Report, Pat Martino and Jaco Pastorius were some of his early obsessions. From this diverse blend of influence, his sound and path began to take shape. His current group focuses on the improvisation and spontaneity of live shows. “I live for those live moments when the sound and emotion becomes this monstrous force bigger than the individual musicians, it becomes a unique creation and feel, exciting and calming at the same time, difficult to describe but I’m addicted to it.”

Michael starting playing guitar at age 11, at age 16 he began playing the L.A. club scene with an R&B band and shortly after he toured the west coast with Robben Ford which
included band members Jimmy Haslip and Russell Ferrante. At age 19 he joined Boz Scaggs for a world tour and by the age of 20 he started to do session work on the recommendation of long time friend Steve Lukather.

Some session highlights over the coming years would include Pink Floyd, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, BB King, James Taylor, Ray Charles and Rod Stewart. There is a complete session discography at allmusic.com with over 700 records and soundtracks listed!

His most recent album, “The Michael Landau Group Live” was released in October ’06 on Tone Center Records. Here’s a quote from a review by John Kelman:

“The Real Question, when a studio ace comes out of hiding and releases two hours of visceral material, is this: who is Michael Landau when he’s in total control of the situation? While his stylistic breadth elsewhere would suggest that this is only one part of the answer, “Live” posits him, amongst other things, as a powerful torchbearer for Jimi Hendrix, While the late Stevie Ray Vaughan was most often saddled with that accolade, Landau’s broader language more accurately represents where Hendrix might be today, since the late guitar icon was clearly moving towards his own view of jazz in the final days before his tragic passing in 1970.”

Michael currently tours and performs with his own group and a new band with Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip and Gary Novak called “Renegade Creation”.

Maybe you haven’t heard of Michael Landau by name…
…but you certainly have heard him play.

CREDIT: Michael Landau’s Official Site

Interview With Brian Oaks

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The internet is amazing. Blogs are even more amazing.  The internet and this blog have allowed me to “re-connect and communicate” with many people.

Fourteen years ago, I lived in Seattle, WA and worked for a well-known technology company. I was in sales management and had a team of sales professionals who worked for me.

I have always believed that success is directly tied to the quality of the people you associate and work with on a daily basis.  It’s hard to succeed totally on your own. The truth is… any success I realized in the corporate world was more a factor of my ability to identify talented salespeople and encourage them to work for me than any personal achievements of my own.

(By the way, that same axiom holds true today — surround yourself with as many successful people in the music world as you can. You will learn from them and they will inspire you to grow as a guitar player.)

OK… Back to Seattle… No one called me “GuitarDaddy” then. I did not even play the guitar! But the seeds of my six-string love affair were being planted…

One of the talented salespeople who worked for me was a young man by the name of Brian Oaks.

While I will always remember Brian for his drive, determination and professional sales skills, I will NEVER forget how he often spoke of his love for the guitar.  I will admit that at that time, I did not understand how ANYBODY could be passionate about a guitar… but time sure has opened my eyes.

A few years ago, the internet allowed me to re-connect with Brian and that re-connection evolved into this blog post as Brian allowed me to interview him about his life and the guitar.

Brian’s passion for the guitar and music drove him to leave corporate sales and the security of a weekly paycheck to pursue his dream of playing guitar professionally.

I believe Brian’s story is one worth sharing with the readers of TheGuitarBUZZ. Enjoy!

GD) How long have you been playing guitar?

BO) About 25 years…I remember getting my first rental guitar in 5th grade (Gibson Sonex 150)…. I started taking lessons and really getting into it pretty fast. My grandparents bought me my first guitar in 6th grade from Kennelly Keys Music in Burien, WA. It was a 1983 Sienna Sunburst Fender Strat. I still have it today and it is 9/10 as far as condition goes and remains safely tucked away. Having a great first guitar really helped me learn.

I will say that there were some years during and after college that I did not play much. I wanted to be a doctor in college and then ended up in sales. During those years, I played but did not practice much. About 10 years ago I met someone that moved up to Seattle from Nashville. We became great friends and that is when I really started back at it.

GD) Who are your major influences?

BO) I always dug the session guys more than anything growing up. Dann Huff, Jerry McPherson, Mike Landau, and Gordon Kennedy were big when I was young. I loved how these guys could come up with the perfect part, solo, and sound for a song. That was inspiring to me. Still is…Today All the above still inspire me but also guys like Gerry Leonard, Michael Lockwood, Tom Bukovac, Kenny Greenberg, Shawn Tubbs, Brad Paisley and many others. Each of these players approaches the instrument in a different way. GREAT learning opportunity to learn from diverse people!

When it comes down to it I love guys with confidence. This is rock and roll to me. Seeing Tom Bukovac, Mike Landau or Kenny Greenberg live is pretty stupid cool. Listening to Jerry McPherson come up with some amazing part is too. Confidence is a major influence to me as I am trying to get better at it.

GD) How would you describe your playing style today?

BO) Well I hope I sound like me! I am definitely a pop/rock guy heavily influenced by country and roots rock. I love the sound a cool vibey & guitar into a great amp with a memory man delay. I love making chunky rhythm and the fun ambient/washy stuff too. I love simple lines that make a part and love a solo you can sing to…. Since being in Nashville I have totally been digging into the great country players and using my fingers a lot along with the pick. I have always used a “hybrid picking” style (Mark Knopfler ) but even more so now. I sound like Brian Oaks with a little of my influences mixed I hope.

GD) Tell me about the move from Seattle to Nashville:

BO) Well I loved working for Dennis Jones but I think I loved guitar more (chuckle). I think there is a time in all our lives where if we are really honest with ourselves we know what God created us to be. I believe for me that this is music. I just had to make the jump. I knew I was good enough (to an extent as the talent here is scary!). I just did not want to come to the end of my life and say I wish I would have… It has been the best thing I have ever done less marry my wife Stephanie and have my 2 kids Tyler and Abigail. Dreams are powerful when you have a talent. If those two things are there, you have to run with reckless abandon in that direction. I moved down here in my mid 30’s. That is late to an extent but it was the best decision for me. I do not regret a second of it. I have the best job in the world.

GD) What are you working on right now?

BO) I play for country artist Mallary Hope. AMAZING artist on MCA Records. I have also been on tour with Point of Grace and Mark Schultz on the Come Alive tour. That has been a ton of fun. Will be continuing that tour this winter on the West Coast. I play for a lot of artists not on “tour” as it is expensive to get a band on a tour bus so we do fly dates or short runs. I played this summer for Warner Bros. artist Whitney Duncan when she was doing band shows. That was a lot of fun.

I am also producing a live record for a church up in Chicago with Brent King in May. He is an old friend and is Ricky Scaggs engineer. Great learning experience there. There is also session work too, but I am enjoying playing live right now so that is what is taking up the most of my time.

GD) Describe your live rig: guitars, amps, effects, …

BO) It depends on the gig, but I have been using my Matchless HC-30 and a matching Matchless 1×12 cab. That amp just seems to get most of what I need with my pedalboard. That amp at 9 is magic. I have to use in-ears, which I am not real fond of. I know the amp sounds good in the house even if it is not great in my ears. I also have a Divided by 13 FTR 27 I love too.

On the winter run for the Come Alive tour I am taking a 1966 Fender Bassman head and a Naylor Superdrive 60 on the road. The Bassman is amazing sounding and has lots of vibe. The Naylor is the best amp I have ever played for solos and big Rhythm.

As far as effects I have a big Trailer Trash board that has basic food group stuff on it that I use for dates when I need a lot of options. I run 2 Line 6 delays, as I need more than 3 presets. I love the Memory Man but the Line 6 works great when I need presets. I have an old Nobles ODR-1 for overdrive and a Xotic Effects RC Booster if I need to add a little dirt to the clean. I also use an Fulltone OCD on the board too for a little extra muscle. I have an Arion Stereo Chorus (old one) for that Leslie thing, a AYA R-Comp compressor when I need it, a Sweet Sound Mojovibe for univibe stuff and a Fulltone Supa-Trem for Tremolo. With this board many are run through a true bypass looper to keep my signal chain clean.

Less is more and I usually keep it pretty simple as the more distortion you use does not translate very well out front sometimes. I run delays a little hotter live too as they can get lost out front. I love the tape delay settings as each repeat gets more nasally and translates well. Also for really vibe stuff the multi-head setting on the Line 6 is stellar to me.

For guitars that depends on the gig again. For instance on the Come Alive tour I took my Duesenberg Outlaw TV. This guitar pretty much goes with me everywhere. I also have my Jeff Senn Tele that is a staple now too. For the vibey stuff I took my Gretsch Tennessean with flat wounds. Jerry McPherson told me to do this 10 years ago and I never went back.

I bought Fender Aerodyne Tele from Mike Britt of Lonestar that is pretty cool too. This next run I will probably bring out my Gibson SG Heritage too. Great guitar and the Humbuckers sound great through the Bassman.

I aIso play Eastman mandolins (Amazing) that I take on tour as well as a Deering 6 String Banjo.

For acoustics it is my McPherson for sure. I have to capo quite a bit and it intonates no matter where I capo. They make amazing instruments. I would not leave the house without it. It is just one of those guitars that is effortless to play.

I also use Tone Freak effects on my smaller board and Elixir strings. They are the only strings I can play because of my sweaty hands. The sound great and last WAY longer than a normal string. I use them on everything. I am also putting Lollar pickups in everything I can. I have them in my Senn Tele, my Les Paul Goldtop and now in my Les Paul Jr. Love em’.

GD) What is your guitar-playing highlight?

BO) I was playing for James Otto last year when his single “Just Got Started Loving You” was at #2 on the country charts. When we did it live I played the opening riff with just me and the high hat to start the song. On the last show I did with him we opened for Lynyrd Sknyrd in front of about 9,000 people. Was a real rush when the crowd went nuts for the song when it was me at the front of the stage.

GD) Any new recordings / CDs in the works?

BO) I have always been more interested in making other people sound good. I love writing so I hope you will hear some of my songs on the radio!

GD) And the Duesenberg???

BO) Where to start… The owner of the US side of the company is my dear friend Nathan Fawley. He supported me when I first moved to town. My first Doozey was the Outlaw TV. He had me do demo clips for them on their website along with Chris Rodriguez (Keith Urban), Rod Janzen (Dierks Bentley) and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty). No pressure there! That was a great help to me early on.

It is the one electric that covers SO much ground to me. It can do the strat thing, the rock thing and the big neck sound jazzy thing. The TV also has an alligator skin covering that just looks sweet too. The craftsmanship is great and it is really easy to play.

I also have a multi-bender that allows me to do pedal steel licks. If you have not played one, you have to. It is a great tool.

[ END ]

I love to hear about people who follow their dreams.

Like Brian said, talent and dreams can be very dangerous!

Congratulations Brian, on all of your achievements!

Visit Brian’s MySpace site by CLICKING HERE.

You can also follow Brian on Twitter by CLICKING HERE.

Finally, Brian wanted share a few of his favorite guitar links… Please check out:

www.elixirstrings.com
www.mcphersonguitars.com
www.duesenbergusa.com
www.eastmanmandolins.com
www.lollarguitars.com

Dave Grohl’s Acceptance Speech at the Grammy’s

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Dave Grohl - 2012 Grammy Acceptance Speech

Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters took home 5 Grammy awards last Sunday night, including Best Rock Album.

But the most impressive memory of the night may have been Dave Grohl’s acceptance speech for Best Rock Performance.

“Dave Grohl Grammy Speech” is the second subject that comes up when you type his name into Google.

Rightfully so (in my opinion).

I heard this LIVE last Sunday night…and when I did, I thought to myself: “wow…never a more profound statement about music”.

“This is a great honor, because this record was a special record for our band. Rather than go to the best studio in the world down the street in Hollywood and rather than use all of the fanciest computers that money can buy, we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape machine…

“For me this award means alot because it shows that the human element of making music is the most important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning your craft is the most important thing for people to do. It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about sounding correct. It’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here (points to heart) and what goes on in here (points to head.)”

-Dave Grohl, 2012 Grammy Award Acceptance Speech

The Grammy’s have taken down most of the video postings due to copyright violation – but I did find one version on YouTube. Check it out while it lasts:

So what do you think? The internet has been a BUZZ for 3 days about this. Without being overly philosophical or broaching the “record-label-bashing” position, my take was really very simple.

As guitarists, many of us (guilty) strive to own (purchase) the next great guitar or the next great amp or the next great effects rack. I suppose we think (as I often do) that it will make us better musicians. But according to Dave Grohl, that’s not where music really comes from. Music is born in your head and music is born in your heart.

As guitarists, it works it’s way down to our hands.

I have always said that a great player can make a $200.00 guitar sound exceptional and an average player can make a $4,000.00 guitar sound…average.

So learn your craft. Practice your guitar. Spend money on lessons, not gear. Then go out into your garage and play! I believe that is what Dave Grohl was saying.

At least that’s what I heard. -GuitarDaddy.

One Year Ago Today… RIP Gary Moore

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One year ago today the guitar world lost the legendary Gary Moore when he passed away suddenly from a heart attack while on holiday.

He was only 58 years old.

He had an amazing talent and influenced for so many players.

Including me.

Here is one of my favorite Gary Moore videos:

Why I Write So Many Posts About Joe Bonamassa

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I knew this was coming. I really did.

Honestly, I thought it would come earlier than it has, perhaps even a year or more ago. But there is no reason to delay it further… now is the time… so here goes….

I receive about a dozen emails a week from GuitarBUZZ readers. Most are very complimentary and thank me for posting a story or review that they had not read anywhere else.

But in the course of an average week, I can expect one of them to read something like this:

“Hey GuitarDaddy, I really enjoy following your blog but I have to ask: “Why do you write so much about Joe Bonamassa”? I mean, the guy’s good, but he’s just a blues player!”
Sincerely,
Regular Reader.

Well, this post is my answer to that question.

Dear RR,

Thanks for your email. I truly appreciate it. I often wonder if anyone reads this crazy passion of mine. The fact is, even if nobody read it at all, I’d still do it!

To accurately answer your question, I need to share something with you.

I need to take you back to the very first post on TheGuitarBuzz.com. I wrote it on December 31, 2008, a little over 3 years ago.

It was New Year’s Eve and after 3 months of research, planning and teaching myself how to use WordPress, I was launching TheGuitarBuzz blog with the first post. It marked the end of the 3 month “development period” that began just a few days after attending my first Joe Bonamassa concert… and here is my ticket to prove I was there:

My first Joe Bonamassa concert was the inspiration for "TheGuitarBuzz.com"

The concert was 2 hours away and it was well after 1:00am when I finally got back home. But even after a 10 hour work day, a 4 hour round-trip drive between Phoenix-Flagstaff and a 2+hour concert, I wanted to play my guitar as soon as I walked in the door.

Why did I want to play my guitar when I should have collapsed into bed? It’s simple. I left that concert inspired because that night, I found my GUITAR HERO!

The truth is, Joe Bonamassa inspires me to play and he also inspired me to create this blog.

I fell in love with the guitar all over again that night and when I finally did lay down in bed, the inspiration to create TheGuitarBuzz came to me. I did not sleep much…for several days.

So I pay tribute to that inspiration by following his career and posting (often) about his guitar playing. My “tribute posts” started with the very first blog post. I titled it: “Here’s To The Guitar Hero!“.  Allow me to re-post a few portions of the “Genesis Post” on TheGuitarBuzz.com:

…[I’m not talking about] the “video game” Guitar Hero… but the REAL Guitar Heroes.  You know… the guys like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Larry Carlton, Brian May, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Sonny Landreth, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Ronnie Earl, Eric Johnson, Jeff Golub, Norman Brown, Robben Ford, Carlos Santata, Robert Cray and so many other six-stringer’s that authored licks more memorable than the songs they’re a part of…

Guitar Heroes have tones you can identify from the first note you hear.  From jazz to classical and from punkers to shredders, these are the guys that rock my world, your world and the world of countless other guitar lovers everywhere. When I listen to my Hero’s play, I am reminded why I play.

There is no other instrument like the guitar. In the hands of a new player, it represents the ability to be expressive, inventive and artistic.  In the hands of an accomplished player, the guitar is the centerpiece of musical creation…

Is the Guitar Hero a dying breed?  I don’t think so.  There are plenty of young guns out there like Derek Trucks, Guthrie Govan and Joe Bonamassa that inspire the next generation to keep the flames alive and burning.  They motivate us to keep practicing, keep learning and keep playing…

Oh by the way, in case you think Joe Bonamassa is the only guitar player I listen to…get this: I have over 12,000 songs on my iPod. Only 169 tracks are by Joe Bonamassa (yes, that’s his entire library of recorded songs plus a few rips from YouTube!)… but Joe is still my GUITAR HERO!

I think he’s a Guitar Hero to a lot of other players as well.

In the past few weeks, his latest album “Dust Bowl” was nominated for “Best Rock Blues Album” and the album “Don’t Explain”, a compilation album Joe did with Beth Hart was nominated for “Best Contemporary Blues Album”.

Classic Rock Magazine - Joe Bonamassa Cover

But don’t think that Joe Bonamassa is “just a blues player”. No RR, not anymore…not at all.

It has taken a while for the media to catch up but finally, this month, Joe Bonamassa was plastered on the cover of “Classic Rock Magazine”!

What’s that title again? “Classic Rock”!

Any why not? Alongside his brilliant solo career, Joe is a founding member of Black Country Communion, the band who has released 2 scorching rock albums, a live DVD and was named “Breakthrough Act of the Year” at the most recent Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.

Listen RR, I will admit that Joe gets a lot of press on TheGuitarBuzz. Consider me guilty as charged. But a quick glance at my Tag Cloud will reveal the dozens of players and bands who have been referenced in the over 400+ blog posts that have followed that New Year’s Eve 2008 launch.

So where to from here? Well, rather than post yet another Joe Bonamassa post later this week, I will merge it into this one. That way the overall count won’t be as skewed! My plan was to post this video later in the week, but after further thought I believe it fits perfectly right here as the video begins with Joe and his personal reflection on how his career got to where it is today.

The video is a first-class production from Jim Dunlop, introducing Joe’s “Signature Pedals” — the Cry Baby and the Fuzz Face.

“Dunlop is very proud to present two signature pedals that were developed in collaboration with Joe Bonamassa, an artist who is famed for not only being one of the most talented guitarists working today but who also owns one of the most discerning ears when it comes to guitar tone and gear. Joe talks to us about the passion and dedication he has for his craft, the story behind the creation of his signature pedals working alongside Dunlop’s product designer Jeorge Tripps, and gives an intimate solo performance where he features his use of these electronics.”

The truth is, RR, there’s a lot to write about Joe…and I doubt I will stop anytime soon.

Would you stop writing about your hero? Of course not. And neither will I.

Top 100 Guitarist Lists

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The Undisputed Top 100 Guitar Players of All Time...

Do “Top 100” lists really matter?

Are they measurably accurate?

Or, to look at it a different way…does it depend on who wrote the list?

Lets be honest. Would your personal list of the “Top 100 Guitar Players of All Time” be the same as mine? Of course not!  (And of course, my list would be better than your list!)

Rolling Stone Magazine recently published their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists” and it has stirred up an emotional debate amongst readers who’s favorite player was snubbed from the list.

Joe Bonamassa (who was not on Rolling Stone’s list) published his own list…and while the majority of his forum readers agree with him, some followers chime in with even more omitted names.

A quick Google search uncovers more lists, like TruFire.com’s list of “100 Gifted Guitarists You Should Know“. Gifted guitarists?

So where do you start and who do you believe?

Unless the list is confined to truly measurable criteria like: “The Top 100 Solo-Guitar Players Ranked by Album Sales From 2001-2009”, then the author has listed who they believe are the best players — which makes the list truly subjective and based on the opinion of the writer.

Recently,the 2012 Grammy Nominees were announced.  That’s another list that has proven to be very subjective. Case in point, a certain well-known blues guitar player with 12 albums, 9 of them #1 selling, who sells out 200+ concerts worldwide year after year did not make the list.  He was not nominated. In fact, he never has been!

As for me, all I have to do is look at my iPod and sort by artist to see my personal who’s-who of guitar playing! With 12,000+ songs, I assure you every influential player in MY LIFE is there…

Happy Birthday Jimi Hendrix!

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James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix was born November 27, 1942.

Jimi Hendrix To say that Jimi Hendrix was a guitarist, singer and songwriter is like saying Michael Jordon was a basketball player. 

To many people, Jimi is considered to be the greatest electric guitar player in the history of rock-n-roll music… and don’t expect GuitarDaddy to dispute that!

Certainly he was one of the most important and influential musicians of his era across a wide variety of genres.

He said often that his playing style was influenced by blues artists such as B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Albert King and Elmore James.

After his initial success playing in Europe, he achieved “rock-star” fame in the United States with his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. He went on to headline the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.

Hendrix favored raw overdrive and amplifiers with high gain and treble. It was that combination that helped him fine-tune the previously undesirable technique of guitar amplifier feedback. Simple stated, Hendrix turned the undesireable into the desirable.

One of my favorite Hendrix quotes was: ““Sometimes you want to give up the guitar, you’ll hate the guitar. But if you stick with it, you’re gonna be rewarded.”

He was rewarded, and so were we — every time we heard him play.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Gone 21 Years but Music Lives on Forever

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21 years ago today, August 27th, 1990, the guitar world lost Stevie Ray Vaughan and the entire world lost a musical legend.

Stevie’s memories and his music still penetrate our spirits and will do so…forever.

I never had the chance to see Stevie play live. It’s something I will eternally regret and if not for the huge “video vault” know as YouTube would be something left only to my imagination. Once again, Thank You YouTube!

Earlier this month, three videos were posted by YouTube user: “gstarvids” that have been hidden away for years.

Sit back and watch in succession – as an observer of an SRV soundcheck. Soak in 18 minutes of musical genius.

This Video is song #1 of 3 from the sound check at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, PA 1-24-86. Video Photographer Greg Savage has captured SRV doing the sound check, and these videos have never been public until now.

This Video is song #2 of 3 from the sound check at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, PA 1-24-86.

This Video is song #3 of 3 from the sound check at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, PA 1-24-86. The audio is the monitor mix to the camera since a board patch was not available.

Haley McClean: Where Did She Come From?

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The quintessential chick-with-guitar, Hayley throws a stark and dramatic silhouette on stage, cross-referencing Bonnie Raitt rootsiness with Keith Urban virtuosity and everywhere she plays, right after they pick their jaws off the floor, people turn to each other and ask:

“Where did she come from?”… Watch the video to see what I mean…

She came from a seriously unconventional family long on throttling everything they can out of life. When she was six years old, Hayley’s parents refitted a 45-foot Hawaiian charter sloop and together with her two older sisters, the five took off sailing for two years down the Pacific Coast to Mexico. “It makes or breaks you as a family” says Hayley, “and it certainly set the tone for me. Family is the most important thing for me and we’ve always been really close.” On top of home schooling, everybody had chores from standing night watch to swabbing decks but there was still a lot of down time and with dad’s old Fender acoustic on board, there was a lot of music. The girls soon figured out harmonies to Beatles tunes and nursery rhymes and even on their return to Vancouver, summer sailing jaunts always meant music.

Read Haley’s full bio and hear more of her music on The Official Haley Mclean Website.

Special thanks to one of my favorite blogs, StratoBlogster, for introducing me to Haley!

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