Sixteenth Plectrum Podcast - Erik Wollo

Erik Wøllo is a Norwegian guitarist. He might not be known as much as his Anglo-Saxon counterparts such as Tommy Emmanuel or Earl Klugh but his music is still very interesting. In his official website it is stated that his music covers a wide range including Jazz and Rock but I would say that his music is mostly meditative or atmospheric. If you want something to help you meditate or relax you can certainly find many of his tracks that will suit this purpose. Some critics also categorise his music as World Music or even New Age. Nevertheless he composes for Films, Ballets and the theatre and has even played in the USA and Canada.

Podcast description:

TRACK 1: Blue Mountain - From Guitar Nova. This track borders on the classic. It is not one of his most orignal compositions but it is a really good piece. The style also reminds me much or Acoustic Alchemy.

TRACK 2: Hjallepallo - From Guitar Nova. I hope trying to read the track name didn't make your tongue go into a knot! ... and don't ask me what it means neither. Its in a very different style from the previous track, this time bordering on the jazzy style though not quite jazzy.

TRACK 3: Sedona - From Blue Sky Red Guitars. This is a very quiet and meditative track and it sounds quite celtic to me though it has some elements of Carlos Vamos as well. Strange combination.

Enjoy the music.



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Fifteenth Plectrum Podcast - Fusion by Larry Carlton

Larry Carlton is a jazz guitarist dividing his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with more popular bands. Over his career Carlton has won three Grammys for his performances and compositions. His influences are the likes of Barney Kessel and BB.King (that's a pure jazz guitarist and a pure Blues guitarist) - which explains his versatility. He also replaced Lee Ritenour when he left the band Fourplay. For me Carlton is in the same league as Larry Coryell and Lee Ritenour though maybe a little less known than the former. Nonetheless he is a really good guitarist as you will see from this podcast.

Podcast description:

TRACK 1: Remembering J.P. - From Larry and Lee (1995). This is a collaboration album, already mentioned in a previous podcast dedicated to Lee Ritenour. One can hardly tell who is playing when on this typically fusion piece, as both Larry and Lee adopt such a very similar style here.

TRACK 2: Last Night. - From Last Night (Live 1986). A winning combination - Larry Carlton with the Yellojackets! I was lucky to see the Yellowjackets (minus Larry Carlton) play in Malta at the Malta Jazz Festival and was really impressed. This is a really nice track - smooth easy-listening fusion at its best. Enjoy.

TRACK 3: Layla. - From On Solid Ground (1989). Just to demonstrate Larry's versatility and influences I opted to include this track - Layla, orginally a Derek and the Dominoes song with Eric Clapton on lead guitar! As you might imagine it is a rock song and it is intended to have vocals but Larry Carlton manages to play it so well and without any vocals - a really great rendition.

Enjoy



Check out Larry Carlton with Lee Ritenour in action:


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Fourteenth Plectrum Podcast - Pat Metheny

Do you remember the film The Falcon and The Snowman? There was a song from its soundtrack - This is not America - sung by David Bowie accompanied by none other than this jazz guitarist - and he even co-composed the song [actually he composed the rest of the soundtrack all on his own].
Sometimes you won't even know that its a guitar you are listening to when he plays. In fact Metheny is fond of using what's known as a guitar synthesiser with his guitar. It's a gadget that makes the guitar sound more like a synth than an actual guitar! So you might be listening to the sound of a trumpet for instance - but it would be a guitar playing! Therefore be warned...any trumpet sounds in the tracks I have chosen for you [from the 13 or so CD's I have of this guitarist] are actually created by a guitar connected to this synth gadget. Metheny also plays special guitars like the electric Sitar - which really sounds like an Indian Sitar and even a strange guitar with 3 necks called the Pikasso guitar.

Podcast description:

TRACK 1: Are you going with me - From Travels. This is probably the first Metheny track I have ever listened to because Travels is the first Pat Metheny album I have ever bought way back in the early 80's. Obviously it was on vinyl but now I have it on CD too. This is a great track from a great album. Note the unusual sound his guitar makes.

TRACK 2: Here to Stay - From We Live Here. Compared to the previous track this is a very "normal" piece of music by Metheny's standards. The tempo is quite upbeat and rather commercial and the guitar actually sounds like a guitar. This does not diminish at all Metheny's greatness in no way mind you - I just wanted to include this one for those of you with more conservative tastes.

TRACK 3: Red Sky - From We Live Here. The tempo on this one is rather latin though still jazzy, and one can appreciate the nice sound of the elctric sitar Metheny likes to use so often...and later on the trumpet sound so charateristic.

TRACK 4: Last Train Home - From Still Life (Talking). A really cool and relaxing piece. My favourite from this selection. On this track Metheny uses again both the electric sitar and the synth effect that makes the guitar sound like a very high pitched trumpet (you would need to have compressors for lungs in order to play a real trumpet like that!)


BONUS: Interview with the Toronto luthier who created Pat Metheny's Pikasso guitar.

(Once again excuse the quality of the sound which is far from being pristine but I had to compress this podcast quite a lot in order to make it of an acceptable size for download - and its still 22mb!)

Enjoy the music.



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Thirteenth Plectrum Podcast - Passion Grace and Fire

Paco de Lucia is that great musician/composer from Spain who pioneered the New Flamenco style. He is featured in one of my first podcasts. Add to him Al Di Meola, the American of Italian descent, who plays the guitar so masterly, and to these two add again the great John McLaughlin, for whom I shall dedicate a podcast soon....and what have you got?...A super guitar trio who can produce music that's out of this world! My best guitar heroes all playing together - what can one want more! This is what I am bringing to you in today's podcast. Greatness x3! And you can judge by yourselves from these tracks I am offering you from three separate albums. It was actually so difficult to choose which to include because all are of the same quality and beauty.
Most of the tracks are rather long, some even as long as 8 minutes, so this time round unfortunately I had to augment the MP3 compression. Consequently I offer my apologies for an inferior sound quality in this podcast. I cannot make you download a file of more than 20mb can I? This said, the sound is not that bad and one can still appreciate the great music as it is.

Podcast description:

TRACK ONE: Le Monastere dans le Montagne - From Guitar Trio. This is a John McLaughlin composition and one mainly hears him and Al Di Meola as protagonists on this track (Paco is somewhere in the background). It is a soft piece compared to the fiery ones that follow.

TRACK TWO: Fantasia Suite - From Friday Night in San Francisco live - 1981. This is a typical Al Di Meola composition on which all three collaborate in this interpretation. They take turns to show off their virtuosity actually and you can note the different styles in fact while they are blasting away at breathtaking speeds on their guitars! Its like a guitar duel between titans. When I finish listening to it I always end up saying "WOW"! Well, by now you should have got the message that I like this one....or not?

TRACK THREE: Passion, Grace and Fire - From Passion Grace and Fire. This is another show of brilliance, though taken from a studio album. Notice how the three blend together like its just one guitar playing! And then, for a touch of humour, they change the tempo to reggae! You have to be great to be able to do that.

TRACK FOUR: Short Tales from the Black Forest - From Friday Night in San Francisco live - 1981. How I wish I could see them play this one. I would be happy even to see them play it on video or CD! Note how they play in unison near the beginning. Note also how they start conversing with each other as if in a dialogue! Note also how they start improvising near the middle of the track and end up making funny noises and even change to the Pink Panter theme and so on. The crowd goes wild. I go wild too!

Check out this video of these three great guitarist:


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