Jack of the Blues!

Last night's local Guitar Center King of the Blues contest was a real blast! The guy that won was REALLY good. He gave a performance that you'd expect from a high-end artist. You can read more about King of the Blues here:http://www.guitarcenter.com/kingoftheblues/.

I've published several of the pictures from King Of The Blues at my flick'r page, starting approximately here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ursabear/441511990/.
I must say that I played better than any previous public attempt at a contest. I actually had the crowd cheering at the end! Kewl. I guess I've graduated from Jester of the Blues (last year) to Jack of the Blues!



Kennon (the son-cub) played his heart out and was absolutely phenomenal. He was just like a young Carlos Santana up there with his Vee. I'm very proud of him - and I know he'll be a headliner not so long from now.

Speaking of amateurs, another thing to think about: If you see folks who are getting started out with music, encourage them to go to local contests like The King Of The Blues. Give them backing, help them get there, do whatever you can to make things easier for them to try out. We need future Claptons and Langs... YOU can make a difference, even if you don't know anything about guitars or other gear... get involved... help music grow!

Indie musicians are grass-roots and more

Independent musicians are at the beginnings of so much music. It isn't that all music extends from indie/independent musical beginnings... it is just that even U2 (or the Beatles, or ) was independent at one point.

Give indies a chance, help out at a tour date or a bar-room gig. Buy indie un-labeled stuff once in a while. Talk up new folks or folks that haven't "made it" yet.

King of the Blues Tuesday!

My son and I are going to compete in the Guitar Center's / Gibson's King of the Blues improv contest. We'll both do much better than we did last year.

We've both got our little routines going forward pretty well. I'm playing my Epi Les Paul (Gibson P94 Bridge, GFS Dream 90 neck) through a AnalogMan SD-1...

Awesome. Read more about it here: The Guitar Center's King of the Blues.

Jethro Tull catalog now on iTunes!

I'm thrilled. I'm a big Tull fan - I first listened to them back in the late 60s, I guess.

I heard today that iTunes now carries the Jethro Tull music catalog. I think it is a great thing. I hope (sincerely) that the folks who made the music get to see plenty from the proceeds of the iTunes sales.

(If you have iTunes installed, you can click here to see the Jethro Tull iTunes home.

Jimmy Page's Double-Neck Guitar Replicated For Collectors

I was reading about the Jimmy Page Gibson VOS and Aged Double-Neck guitars today. Wow. A replica of a piece of history – one you can hold in your hand for $8000 to $30,000. (Where are a new crop of gals and guys like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix now? That's another subject for another day.)

Problem is this: All those fabulous double-necks will be in cases, in framed-shrine-glass-door cabinets, in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms, in safes and lockups. They'll most likely be away from hands, picks, amplifiers, sweat, careless hands, and EARS.

I'm not against collecting guitars – quite the contrary. Collectors provide a valuable service – in preservation of musical artifacts… no doubt an expensive and unsung task. Collectors are vital, particularly when the collected instrument is the original, working person's guitar. What I'm getting at is this: Instruments have a voice. One that is only heard when played or recorded.

Zakk Wylde has his "Rebel" Les Paul. Malmsteen has his "#1" Strat. Frank Zappa had his (not really a Gibson, but labeled as a Gibson) SG "Baby Snakes." Clapton had his "Blackie" Strat… the list goes on for days (not in order of importance). These particular instruments have been played to death – they've been covered in sweat, (probably beer and smoke), palms, picks, and countless knocks from roadies, techs, and the players themselves. They weren't museum pieces, although they have become museum pieces. Their sounds are in our ears when we think of them, and they're imprinted in recordings for future generations. The originals should be collected, cared for, and preserved – no doubt about that.

I just think that the common Jane and Joe player should be able to afford a meticulously-built instrument like those originals – decent replicas. And they should be played.

Maybe "Amber" (my modified, re-wired, tinkered-with, and tone-monster Epi quilt-top Les Paul) won't be "replicated" by Gibson or Epiphone off in the distant years (one actually has to do something memorable and remembered for that to happen – not likely in my future, methinks). Perhaps there won't be a ceremony in which the replicas will be hand-signed by the old doddering Bear for collectors to snap up… maybe not - that's OK with me. But, the greatest compliment would be to see replicas of Amber made in quantities where people could actually afford to play and enjoy them. They have a voice. I like to listen. Guitars want to be played.

P.S. Jimmy Page - thanks for the sounds, man! An influence to me and mine, always.

Much ado about nothing, or is it everything?

Recent times have been hard on some truly talented individuals.

Britney Spears' meltdown - for once, I think some folks should try to put themselves in her shoes for just a minute.
Pop quiz:
Did you not have a "childhood?"
Have you had cameras in your face (almost every waking moment) for the vast majority of your life?
Do major tabloid rags have 5- and six-figure bounties out for shots of you doing something unexpected?
Are you often surrounded by people who are typically molding your finances, life, schedule, and whereabouts to fit their own interests (rather than yours)?
If you can answer "no" to any of the above, you don't know what Britney (or for that matter, a great many bright stars) is going through. Give it a rest.


Read this very slowly:
If Roger Waters and David Gilmour can get on the same stage for a few minutes and play a tune, Eddie Van Halen and the rest of the Van Halen alumni can go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards.


I don't know what it is like to play as well as Yngwie Malmsteen - and I'm sure I don't have enough talent to ever play 1000th as well... but be that as it may... It's interesting that John and Jane Q. Public don't know of his work or his sound. There's a reason for it, methinks. Mr. Malmsteen should stop worrying about being compared to other guitar virtuosos.
Yngwie: teach kids (and novices of any age) technique, heart, and passion. Pass on your knowledge to others: make it about the student, not the teacher - and do it with equal passion and time to your playing. Team up with different unknowns, make some great tunes that aren't about a SOLO. Then, you WILL be greater than Eddie Van Halen and many like him. And, you'll be in the public's awareness - where your talent deserves to be.

Beliefs, Faith, and Perseverance

Believe in yourself.

Don't listen to zealots on any side of an argument - just to the folks who are reasonable.

Be neither sheep nor wolf, just be yourself.

Respect your own opinion - but don't shove it on others.

Listen to the music you like.

Try new things.

Work hard, play hard, and share often.