Influences and Inspirations: Jeff Beck

June 24 - Happy birthday, Jeff Beck!

 

Jeff Beck has been very active in recent times, reminding me of the enduring impact he has had on me as a guitarist. It started in the 70's with his classic instrumental albums Blow By Blow and Wired. Thus began my love affair with instrumental jazz-rock fusion that has evolved over the years but still endures. And those albums are still amazing, brilliant works that rightfully earned Beck the status of guitar legend.



Since they came out, he has re-emerged from time to time to give us another taste of his powerful, unique style. How can the guitar be played so roughly, yet so beautifully, all at once? How do hard rock, jazz, pop standards, rockabilly and funk all merge together into one utterly unique style? How can all that be done with nothing more than fingers on strings, guitar plugged into amp, usually with no effects at all? Jeff answers the question every time he walks on stage. He is just being himself, and he couldn't possibly do it any other way. The raw honesty of his playing is what sets him apart from many others who possess technical virtuosity but little else. By keeping it so truly real, his creative channel stays wide open, and it is a marvel to witness the passion he pours into every note.

I have been thrilled and inspired by JB for most of my life, and have been fortunate enough to have had opportunities to play some of his songs with some groups I've been in over the years. One such group, XYZ, eventually became the core of my first all instrumental CD, First Light. You can read all about that in my blog post, "The Road To First Light." After that CD I formed another group, Sherman-Resto-Young, and we did another all instrumental CD, One Mind. I will be telling the full story of that band soon. You can be sure that the influence of Jeff Beck loomed large over all of the music we created.

The concert video, Live At Ronnie Scott's is essential viewing. Released in 2008, it shows that Jeff, now in his 60's, is mature and accomplished but has lost none of his grit and fiery passion. As usual, he surrounds himself with world-class musicians, but this time, the line-up which includes Tal Wilkenfeld on bass, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, and Jason Rebello on keyboards, has a chemistry that borders on magical. Check out this burning rendition of "Scatterbrain":




Here's some of my essential Jeff Beck listening:
Blow By Blow
Wired
Guitar Shop
Emotion & Commotion
A Day In The Life


Finally, a rare treat: Jeff Beck, live, performing a jaw dropping rendition of "Over The Rainbow":




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Windshield or Bug?

art by Crystal

Sometimes you're the windshield...

I was playing a gig with Elena, at a local venue we're well established in. We love playing there - the acoustics are great, management is nice, and we have a lot of friends and fans that come out when we play there. But this particular gig was near Christmas and we weren't seeing our usual crowd. The place was packed with company parties and lots of college age people. Both of those kinds of groups are not usually there for the music, and indeed there was a din of noisy chatter but very little attention being paid to us. Eventually the crowd started thinning out and we figured the last set would be slow.

A group of young people emerged from the back of the bar and grabbed a table right in front of us. Then, a miracle occurred. They did not ignore us, did not talk loudly to each other or obsessively tap on their phones. They did not get up every five minutes to make a call or go out and smoke. They did not take pictures of each other making gangsta faces. No, these college kids actually listened to us. Even more amazing, they knew every song we played and were ecstatic about our mostly classic rock songlist. They sang. They cheered for every darned song. They raised their lighters.  And - bonus - they tipped. And when it was over, they demanded an encore.

Wow, what can I say. My faith in the younger generation was renewed!

art by Crystal

Sometimes you're the bug...

Whenever I have a great gig and feel a little excessive self-esteem creeping in, I know it must be about time for an ego smackdown in the form of a gig I regularly do at another Baltimore area venue. I can be fairly sure of what will happen when I do this gig, and the very next night after the previously described miracle, I was not disappointed. I was presented with a young college and professional crowd, all quite dedicated to ignoring me, talking loudly, texting on their phones, taking pictures of each other and constantly hopping up to go out and talk on the phone and smoke.

But then, someone did notice I was there, and came up to make a request. "Hmm," I thought, "I wonder what it will be?" but I could already feel it coming, and yes, there it was: "can you play Sweet Caroline?"

It's not that they wanted to enjoy my superb rendition of the song. They just wanted to join in on the chorus and go "dut, dut, dah!" and "so good, so good," at the top of their lungs, carrying out a bar ritual that they have surely participated in dozens if not hundreds of times already. I know I have. And even then, they were only good for two choruses. By the third chorus, the moment was gone and before the song is over they had already resumed their talking/drinking/picture-taking/texting/smoking routine. There was no applause. There was no tip. There were no more requests. In less than three minutes I have faded from their awareness, for the rest of the night.

The whole episode is like a pre-ordained moment of musical involvement, imprinted in the minds of young bar-goers after the song was revived in a scene from a movie in which - surprise - a bunch of drunk young people at a bar are singing the song. My audience seems programmed to re-live the scene and then go back to what they were doing.



I have written about this sort of thing before; it is part of the game if you want to be a working musician. Sometimes you love what you do; sometimes you are just earning the money. It's nice if you are enjoying yourself and getting paid, but it doesn't always happen. Would I rather be driving a truck, or working at a bank? Not in a million years. I feel lucky that I do love my work more often than I don't, and blessed that I get to play guitar and sing for a living. So I take the not-so-much fun ones as learning experiences, and try not to take it too seriously. It's counter-productive to have an over-inflated sense of self-importance on a gig, especially the less than ideal ones. You have to be able to laugh at the situation, and at yourself.  Besides, if only three people are there to see me, I have learned that it's always a good idea to play my best for those three people.

And I try to keep smiling.




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Influences and Inspirations: Pat Travers

April 12: Happy birthday Pat Travers.

Wow, what a big influence in my early guitar playing years, the late 1970's-early 80's. This was quintessential hard rock of the day but with a healthy dose of of funk; unique and ballsy guitar tones; great songs; a powerful voice; and top notch musicianship. But beyond that, Pat put forth a remarkable combination of musical qualities that was rare for that "hard rock" genre. He could do gorgeous multi-tracked guitar harmonies like few others (outside of Brian May) would dare attempt. He was one of the only guys besides Rush who could write songs in odd time signatures that still kicked ass. And I didn't mind one bit that his songs would have extensive instrumental sections. All the above are in evidence in this great tune, "Heat in the Street," from the superb album of the same name:



Pat always fills his band with incredible musicians and generously gives them plenty of room to stretch out and flex their musical muscles. The classic live album Go For What You Know is a powerful example of that.



And of course I have a soft spot for instrumental rock; Pat produced a great one on his classic Puttin' It Straight album, called "Off Beat Ride."



Puttin' It Straight is a personal favorite. This whole album has a great vibe, with a magical combination of great songs, musicians and production. I first heard of Pat through this album, shortly after it came out in 1977. Once I discovered it, I just couldn't stop listening to it, and I still do.

Pat is still around, playing shows and kicking ass; check him out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pattraversband. He keeps his schedule updated there, and regularly posts about his influences and inspirations!


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Influences and Inspirations: Brian Setzer

April 10: Happy birthday Brian Setzer.



I always liked the Stray Cats vibe. And I truly admired Brian Setzer, after the Cats broke up, for committing to a huge big band that enables him to go deep into the all the branches that intertwine with the rockabilly that he started out on: country, swing jazz, rock and roll. A great bandleader and entertainer, he has never stopped becoming an even better guitar player, as this rendition of Sleepwalk surely shows.



I never get tired of his ability to seamlessly blend all his influences into a hugely entertaining package that is raucous fun and high energy, while never skimping on musicianship and marvelous sophisticated band arrangements.

http://www.briansetzer.com/


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Influences and Inspirations: Steve Gadd

April 9 - Happy birthday Steve Gadd.



What, I'm reviewing a drummer? Yes, well, the fact is, great drummers have always excited and inspired me. And all of them respect and admire Steve Gadd. He is, of course, most often heard doing the famous drum riff on Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, " and the brilliant drum solo on Steely Dan's "Aja."

I heard and absorbed Steve's utterly unique style back in the late 70's from a number of albums by Chick Corea and Al Dimeola that Steve was on.

The song "Nite Sprite," from Chick Corea's Leprechaun album shows that Chick knew what kind of mega-talent he was working with, and gave him some very demanding music to play. Listen to the clip below to hear how Steve rose to the challenge. Awesome, musical and beautiful drumming. http://www.drstevegadd.com/




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Influences and Inspirations: Carl Perkins

April 9 - Happy birthday Carl Perkins.



Perkins was one of the earliest, best and most successful in the style known as rockabilly. That makes him one of rock's founding fathers, people. He hung with dudes like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. He scored a massive hit with his song "Blue Suede Shoes," selling more and charting higher than Elvis's later version. I know it might sound quaint and tame today, but you have to listen and imagine, in the bland pop culture of the 1950's, how electrifying it was to hear something like this for the first time. Elvis may have been the superstar celebrity, but Perkins was a genuine musician who influenced and inspired the likes of The Beatles, Eric Clapton and need I say, Brian Setzer. So give some props to an essential early rock icon.

Here's a cool 3-minute mini-documentary on Carl Perkins, with some discussion of his classic song, "Honey Don't."



Blue Suede Shoes, Rock Around The Clock, Roll Over Beethoven - these and other early rock and roll classics had a huge influence on those who followed, and opened the floodgates for generations to express their creativity, their rebellion, the sheer power of youth. Musicians I love, like Clapton, Hendrix and the Beatles, were not shy about paying tribute to their early rock and roll heroes, while at the same time boldly pushing the music forward in new and unexpected directions. For example:

Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart, "Jailhouse Rock," 1969:



and Jimi Hendrix's incendiary live version of "Johnny B. Goode," 1970:



Rock and roll, everybody.

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Influences and Inspirations: Steve Howe

April 8 - Happy birthday Steve Howe.


It's hard to know where to start when discussing a guitarist whose influence on me has been as huge, and whose best work still inspires me as much as Steve Howe.

Steve Howe was the first guitarist who firmly implanted the idea in my mind that being stuck in one genre was neither interesting or even necessary, but also, that whatever you decide to play, you must do it the best you can and with as much feeling and commitment as you can. Steve played in a rock band with symphonic inclinations, but his big influences were jazz guitarists like Barney Kessel, and country legend Chet Atkins. And he allowed those influences, and others, to show as much as he wanted. Add in some classical, flamenco and ragtime, a penchant for unusual instruments, and a flair for pedal steel guitar, and you have a guitarist with amazing creative energy that was always turning in unexpected directions. This led to him being voted Best Overall Guitarist in the Guitar Player magazine's reader's poll, five years in a row. The only others to accomplish that happened to be two other genre-defying guitar giants, who I also rank among my biggest influences: Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.

For me, as a classical guitar student all the way back to high school, "Mood For A Day" and "Roundabout" were ingrained in my fingers very early on. But I have equally admired his genre-busting creative energy always flowing in so many directions; and his early performances, with their high intensity just-go-for-it vibe, are still riveting.

The song below, "Sound Chaser," from the Relayer album, captures all that for me in one stunning song.

UltimateClassicRock.com has a pretty good "top 10 solos" list for Steve Howe, with some very well written commentary. Click here to read and listen. I concur with most of their choices but would have to add a few others. How about you?

I have happily labored over a great number of Steve's guitar parts for many years, and been blessed with the chance to play a number of Yes songs with my band Hectic Red over the years; most recently we unveiled a Yes medley. I definitely play them in tribute to Steve. http://www.stevehowe.com/




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Influences and Inspirations: Eric Clapton

March 30: Happy birthday Eric Clapton!

It was this live version of Cream playing "Crossroads" that really drew my attention to EC.  Being a teenager into hard rock, I was blown away by that performance, and consequently mystified as to why he would ever choose to leave that sound and that hard driving style behind.  But really, when you are Eric Clapton, and by 1970 your résumé already includes the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, a guest shot with the Beatles on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and Derek and the Dominos, well...how can you top that? And with your reputation already firmly in place as a guitar legend, what have you got to prove?

Perhaps that's what he was thinking, and perhaps he concluded he no longer needed to prove anything, at least not to guitar players. So he became, as Rolling Stone put it, "a dependable hit maker" with an "easy-going commercial style," and achieved massive mainstream success. No arguing with that. But as years go by I have come to appreciate his diversity, and accepted his right to be radio-friendly when he chooses to; and I have come to treasure the blues roots that are always audible.

We should all be grateful to EC for starting up what has become one of the greatest music festivals around, the Crossroads Guitar Festival, in which he generously gives the limelight to other guitar players. I look forward every time a new one is announced, to another amazing lineup of some of the greatest guitarists in the world, some known and some unknown, delivering some of the most exciting yet relaxed performances, spontaneous musical collaborations, and obviously having enormous amounts of fun.

Here's one of my favorites from Clapton's more recent output. Wonderful song, superb production. EC's voice in fine form, and busting out some choice blues licks on his acoustic. Life is good.  http://www.ericclapton.com/




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Influences and Inspirations: Wes Montgomery

March 6 - Happy birthday, Wes Montgomery.



I came late to  Wes Montgomery. I was influenced by those who followed him long before I ever actually got into the man himself. I  have loved jazz all my life, but only in the last decade have I truly tried to play it and feel it. To do that, I realized that an appreciation for Wes is essential. He directly influenced such greats as George Benson, Grant Green, Pat Martino, Allan Holdsworth and Lee Ritenour. Pat Metheny has said "I learned to play listening to Wes Montgomery's Smokin at the Half Note." Even amongst his contemporaries, which included such talented guitarists as Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney,Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell, Wes was recognized as something special. Fellow guitarist Joe Pass referred to him as one of only three real innovators on the guitar, the others being Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt.

If these names are new to you, consider this an invitation to explore the amazing world of jazz guitar. Go and start listening to some music by every one of these greats. But start and end with Wes. Why?



Why do guitarists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Eric Johnson feel such a strong influence from him? Why did Frank Zappa say, "If you want to learn how to play guitar, listen to Wes Montgomery."

The year 1960 was when he first came to public attention, but he was no newcomer. Indeed he was almost 40 years old and had been playing for years before he hit the big time. After a brief run with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940's Wes had been toiling in obscurity in Indianapolis, working a day job, raising a family, and gigging three or four nights a week at local clubs. It takes passionate commitment to voluntarily stay out until 2 in the morning playing club dates, night after night, knowing you will go home, get four hours sleep and then get up and go to your day job. But Wes was not just surviving during this time, he was thriving, growing, maturing. He was developing an amazing technique and a style all his own. Clearly Wes loved what he was doing and was utterly devoted to his music. Watch the short clip below for some great insight into how, in spite of the indignities of segregation, Indianapolis provided a nurturing environment for Wes, a safe haven for him to allow his talent to grow and blossom.





So put on "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" and listen. Get past the relatively primitive recording quality and picture the scene. Wes shows up at the studio with a group of musicians, they set up their gear, the producer puts some microphones around, and a few hours later, the record is done. This is the sound of jazz records of the time. You get a sense of being there, hearing exactly what happened on that day: the sound of real people playing music. The tape recorder was just like the fly on the wall, eavesdropping on the moment. There was no studio trickery or post-production magic to sweeten the sound; what they played that day was what went on the record. And what went down that day was so good, it is still considered one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.

Every time I return to Wes, I still marvel at his command of jazz vocabulary, his impeccable rhythmic precision, and his endless melodic inventiveness. On top of all that, there is his tremendous sense of swing, and a laid back, relaxed feeling that underlies everything. He infuses his playing with his unique character - a gentle, fun, relaxed quality that balances out the thoughtful, intense nature that overtakes a lot of jazz.

Then there's the thumb. Watch some video and try to get your mind around how he accomplishes all that with only the thumb of his right hand ever striking the strings.



Wes had the whole package: technical mastery and musical depth, all wrapped up in a warm inviting package that jazz critic Stanley Crouch referred to as "the true welcome." Music has never been more true, or more welcoming, than it was with Wes.


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Influences and Inspirations: David Gilmour

March 6 - Happy birthday, David Gilmour.



During his years in Pink Floyd, David Gilmour delivered a string of epic, powerful, brilliant performances that established him as an all-time guitar great, indeed coming in at #14 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists.

"Wish You Were Here," "Comfortably Numb," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Another Brick in the Wall," "Run Like Hell"...and that doesn't even include anything from Dark Side of the Moon.

I consider several of his solos essential for all my students who aspire to play lead guitar, because of their phrasing, bending, vibrato, and his ability to mix from-the-gut blues riffs with well thought out note choices over the chords. I rarely have to suggest it - the songs are usually requested!

Gilmour's diversity is often obscured behind the massive guitar heroics of those songs. His creative use of effects, his tasteful fingerstyle work, the ease with which he integrated funk and blues into the music of what would seem a most un-funky, un-bluesy band. And just for good measure, he was quite proficient at lap steel guitar, which permitted him to add some wonderful parts that contributed immensely to the tracks on which they appear (for example, "Breathe," heard in the clip above). All give evidence of a powerful creative force who took every opportunity to push the boundaries of what was possible within the confines of Pink Floyd.

Here's one of my favorites, "Poles Apart" from The Division Bell. It features a gorgeous finger-picked acoustic guitar part, a graceful and gently building song structure, culminating at 5:17 in a classic Gilmour solo. 



Over-arching it all is his tone. Gilmour's approach to his sound has always been in a state of evolution and development, but every step of the way, he has produced guitar tones that are always clear, beautiful, powerful and distinctive.

Gilmour has re-emerged in the last ten years with a superb solo album, On An Island, and a series of tours, documented on two terrific DVDs, Remember That Night and Live in Gdansk. The live performances, especially, exemplify the maturing Gilmour: less notes, deep feeling, huge sound. His tone has become gigantic, and every note is well considered and given space to express its deepest feeling. Case in point: "On An Island." Bonus: Graham Nash and David Crosby on backup vocals!



Gilmour is a great guitarist not content to rest on his laurels - still evolving, still creative and vibrant; a powerful presence we are lucky to have. http://www.davidgilmour.com/


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Influences and Inspirations: George Harrison

Feb. 25 - Happy birthday, George Harrison.



George Harrison's career has so many high points, I have two playlists on my iPod for him: Beatles and post-Beatles. Great guitar work abounds at every point. When I was a young guitarist, it was hard rock and intense technique that captured my attention, but as years have gone by, I have developed a much greater appreciation for George's skills, stylistic diversity, his sheer professionalism. I have always admired his ability to express, through music, his honest and humble pursuit of higher meaning and purpose in life. And most of all, I love his dedication to making great songs, and always placing the guitar in service to making every song the best possible piece of music it can be.

Here's a trailer for the fantastic documentary, "Living In The Material World," essential for understanding this deep and complex man:



I always come back to "Something." It is a magnificent song, and the performance and production as heard on the Abbey Road album show the level of absolute mastery the Beatles had achieved at this point, their final album together. The solo epitomizes George's best qualities. Every guitarist who has tried to play it knows that it is tricky, because it is completely devoid of cliches or typical guitar tricks. George's confidence and skill on the guitar allowed him to go past technique to create a gorgeous solo melody of timeless, haunting beauty. A true classic.



His solo catalog is full of songs that are enriched by such great guitar riffs and solos, including some masterful slide work. For example, check out some of my personal favorites: "Here Comes The Moon," Give Me Love," "Blow Away," "My Sweet Lord," and the wonderful "I'd Have You Any Time:"



And that's just from the "post-Beatles" playlist. This is music to return to over and over, because it comes from the heart, and touches the heart.  http://georgeharrison.com/


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Influences and Inspirations: Terry Kath

 

From Wikipedia:
"Terry Alan Kath (January 31, 1946 – January 23, 1978), born in Chicago, Illinois, was the original guitarist and founding member of the rock band Chicago.  He died in early 1978, eight days before his 32nd birthday, from an unintentional self-inflicted gunshot wound."
 
Terry Kath was an amazing guitarist and singer in what was once an amazing band. He died tragically, much too young. His praises have never been sung enough and he deserves far more tribute than he's ever got. Kath was a huge inspiration for me in my formative guitar playing years. Like the band itself at the time, he was so full of creative energy, musicianship and soul that it still takes my breath away.

Kath is well known for the blazing guitars that permeate the early Chicago hit, "25 or 6 to 4."  

 

That performance left no doubt that he could hang with the best guitarists of the time, and considering the competition in the late 60's-early 70's, that is saying quite a lot. And he did so while retaining a very personal and unique approach that made him unmistakable. Even more to his credit, he did so without acquiring the "guitar hero" ego, preferring instead to make brilliant and heartfelt contributions to the powerful group he was a part of.

Here is my favorite live version of one of my all-time favorite Chicago songs, "Introduction," written and sung by Terry, which encapsulates everything I've tried to describe about him into one awesome performance:



"In The Country" is another Chicago tune I always loved; surprise, it's written by Terry Kath. As usual, Chicago packed more musical content into one song than most groups today have in a whole album. And they did it with style, fire and soul. Here's a great live version:



And here's an excellent 20 minute documentary about the band, from 1970:



His daughter Michelle has created a wonderful website tribute, http://www.terrykath.com/ ,
and is producing a full documentary about Terry. Hopefully it will raise awareness of his talents and contribution, and give him the wider recognition he truly deserves.


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Skype Guitar Lessons - the Video

As you might have read in my previous post, I am using my webcam to expand my teaching business online, through the magic of the Skype video calling program.  The idea is to reach people who can't get to Coffey Music to study with me in person.  It has the potential to connect me with guitar students all over the world!

 Even if you're not interested in lessons, you can be a tremendous help by simply watching the 4-minute video I have created to promote my teaching business.  Please click on the video title to open up the clip on YouTube's site:



The more people that watch it, the more likely it is that other people will find Ben Sherman when they search for this topic.  This will help me to reach lots more people who want to take lessons via Skype.

If you are really motivated and want to do a little more, here's what you can do:

1.  Watch the video all the way through.
2.  Click the thumbs up icon to give it a Like.
3.  Leave a nice comment.
4.  Add the video to your YouTube favorites.
5.  Share it with your friends by email or on your Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
6.  Put up a link to the video or embed it, if you have any place it would be practical to do so.  Please let me know if you do this, so I can be sure to return the favor!

Here's the direct link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgx3V4CZRCo  

If you need any help with any of that, just get in touch with me.  And thanks so much for your support!

Skype Guitar Lessons with Ben Sherman

If you have wanted guitar lessons with Ben Sherman but couldn't get to Coffey Music in Westminster MD, there's good news: I am open for business again with live one-on-one guitar lessons via Skype!  Any level, any style.  30-minute or 60-minute sessions available.  No long term commitment required.

SKYPE 
Skype is a free, live webcam communication service.  To use it, you will need:
1.  A good internet connection
2.  A webcam, a computer and an e-mail address.
3.  Skype (free internet video calling software).  Go to http://www.skype.com/ and click on "Downloads."
4.  A credit card or PayPal account.

If you need help with any of the technical issues, contact me, I'll help.

Here's what to do:

1.  Contact me (see below) - we'll work out all the details: day and time, lesson plan, etc.
2.  I'll send you an invoice and you can pay for your lesson - via credit card or PayPal.
3.  Be ready at the scheduled time.
4.  Have fun!

GUITAR LESSONS 
I offer lessons for beginners to advanced, age 10 and up, providing instruction in:
acoustic, electric, rock, jazz, classical, advanced techniques, improvisation,
and specializing in teaching music theory in a practical, easy to understand way.

With Skype and me, there's nothing stopping you from accomplishing what you always wanted to do with the guitar.  Contact me to get started!

Email: ben@benshermanguitar.com
Message me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-Sherman-Guitar/76856808647
Or use the contact form on my website: http://www.benshermanguitar.com/classical/contact.html

Thanks for your support and your interest in the guitar!  - Ben