While (what's left of) his former band is wrapping things up with one last tour of the world's arenas, the ex-Genesis guitarist is also embarking a nostalgia trek of sorts. But where his erstwhile bandmates concentrate on the hits of their post-Gabriel (and post-Hackett) career, pleasing aging yuppies and soccer grandmas, Steve Hackett is here presenting a veritable prog extravaganza consisting of the very best of his Genesis days as well as a couple of solo pieces.
Opening for Ayron Jones on his first European concert at the legendary New Morning jazz club was Rozedale, a local duo comprised of a singer and a guitarist.
Friday's
Hard to believe it's been twenty years since George Harrison passed away. I don't know if he was my favorite Beatle (my ranking changes several times a day) but he released my favorite solo Beatle album. No, I'm not talking about Wonderwall Music...
Are you busy right now, or do you have a little time on your hand? And by a little time, I mean THIRTEEN F*CKING HOURS! Because that's how long this playlist lasts.
That's right, it's a behemoth of a playlist. Over seventy tracks. Several hundred musicians. Fifty billion time signatures. Massive, we tell you. Excessive in every way. In that regard, it's coherent with the subject: Progressive Rock.
Two and a half years ago we gave you a sprawling playlist the wonderful atrocities committed by Hair bands. Well, consider this part two. It's all there: schmaltzy lyrics, syrupy melodies, ham-fisted power chords, cheesy synthesizers...
Happy Friday! You know, sometimes you just have forego subtlety completely. Restraint is for the timid. This playlist is ostentatious. It's flash. It's loud. This playlist is about that over-the-top style of guitar playing that was pioneered by Eddie Van Halen: lightning-fast, brash and unapologetic. The players in this playlist don't believe that less is more. They believe that more is not enough.
Journeyman guitarist Gary Lucas is celebrating forty years of a multifaceted career at one of Paris' premier jazz clubs. It is quite a privilege to hear him play and regale us with stories in such a setting. Accompanied by five high-caliber musicians hailing from extremely diverse musical and geographical horizons, the evening was an exquisite blend of jazz, blues, classical and contemporary avant garde.
Happy Friday! Almost five months ago we debuted the new Awesome Bass Solos series in our Friday playlists, and finally here is the second episode that is all about that low end.
Right off the bat, a little caveat: these are not necessarily solos exactly. Sometimes it's just a fill, sometimes it's a chorus, sometimes it's an intro, sometimes an interlude. It just means a certain section of the song prominently features the electric bass. So don't get on my case over semantics, ok?
