Fargen Amps and The John Lennon Series - A Sound Success at NAMM 2013

I came a skeptic and left a friend.

I had the opportunity to spend some time with amp wizard Ben Fargen and his business partner, Marc Reiser at NAMM 2013, and I came away mightily impressed. The amps looked great, their tale was more than convincing, and maybe most importantly - the amps not only looked fantastic, they sounded exactly as they should.

I'll be the first to admit that a John Lennon Series of guitar amplifiers had made me approach cautiously to say the least. We love and defend our heroes, it turns out, perhaps even more in death than in life - I'm certain I'm not alone in admitting that John Lennon's stock went up tremendously on the day he was gunned down. The former Beatle had alienated most music fans by retreating from fame and adulation, and the myth making of it all. However, the hope of him returning to the spotlight was forever dashed on that cold December evening, and Beatle John was again elevated to his rightful place in the annals of history.

Marc Reiser, Conley, Lennon, and Ben Fargen

Ben Fargen is no johnny-come-lately. He's been building great amps for over fifteen years, and he's considered the 'go to' guy for repairs and mods by no less than the two Kings of High Tech Shred, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. He co-designed the Carvin Legacy 2 alongs side Vai, who had this to say to Guitar Player Magazine back in '07:

"The most interesting thing gear-wise, is my Carvin Legacy 2 amp. I got with Benjamin Fargen - who is this fantastic, brilliant amp designer in Northern California and he lent his expertise to what the Carvin engineers had done."

I also happened to bring Fargen's name up with noted tube amp guru Myles Rose, and here's what Myles had to say:

"Ben Fargen? Oh I love Ben, and he does fantastic work. I've been following Ben for years and everything he does, you can count on it being done right."

Getting back to my experience, I had set up an appointment to talk with Ben and his partner Marc at their booth on Sunday morning - I figured, that's the ritualistic time for Breakfast With The Beatles worldwide, right? I had done as much homework as I could via the internet, and while everything seemed positive - from celebrity endorsements to great reviews on earlier products from the most prestigious guitar magazines, I still had great feelings of trepidation. Let's call it natural. Lennon was certainly no gear head, and I'm not at all alone in my feelings, certainly.

Ben Fargen demos the JL-15

Ben Fargen makes the musical magic happen, and he's wisely partnered up with Marc Reiser, a fellow with no notable music business background, but an amazing career path that includes stints with Solomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and almost a dozen years at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. If you aren't familiar with DT&CC, you may be impressed by the fact that in 2011, they settled the vast majority of securities transactions in the United States, close to $1.7 quadrillion value (yeah, what the heck is a quadrillion right?). Marc also recently served as CEO of the National Notary Association, whose membership constitutes over 4.8 million notaries. In common parlance, the man is a heavy hitter in the world of business.

Mind you, none of this came up that Sunday morning, we were here to talk amps, John Lennon, and the love of music. I was immediately impressed by the fact that we didn't talk business at first, we instantly went into The Beatles - what they had meant to us all, how the memory and legacy was a living shrine, and most importantly for the purpose of our meeting, the sounds.

Ben Fargen and I spent most of our time together comparing notes on Beatles/Lennon guitar and amp lore - how the tones were captured, what gear was used, the importance of recording technology to those tones (one cannot take the mixing board out of the distorted tones of Revolution, for instance). Ben impressed me with both his passion and his depth of knowledge. We spent a great deal of time discussing how to dissect early Beatle records and to figure out which Beatle was playing where, and how their individual tones comprised such a huge chunk of rock and roll history - that's a book of its own, believe me. Suffice to say, young Ben knows his history, and loves it dearly.

Then it was on to the amps themselves.

There are two models currently in the John Lennon Signature Series - there is the JL-15 production model, which will be made as a regular, on-going model, and the Artist Series, which will be extremely limited and unique unto themselves - there will be five editions, and they will be limited to eleven amps each for a total of 55. The first eleven feature the iconic Lennon self portrait. They look fantastic - every detail has been tended to with the greatest care, the acoustically transparent grill cloth has been treated for UV protection, and even the cabinets themselves are made in-house by Ben's brother. This is the first time Bag One Enterprises and Live Nation Merchandise has licensed Lennon's art for use on a musical instrument, and you can be assured that they do not take this lightly - if anything about this was not absolutely top shelf, it just wouldn't be. They are not making enough of the Artist Series to convince me that this is in any way a money grab, or insincere tribute.

Yeah, but how do they sound?

Let me put it this way - I got goosebumps. When Ben plugged into the JL-15, I was greeted by a few chords and fills that garnered from myself a visceral reaction - the chime and bloom of the chords and notes instantly effected my being. Since I was first inundated with the joy of great guitar tone as a young man, I have had the experience of being physically effected by pleasing guitar tones - I will involuntarily smile, and quite often goosebumps will appear. It's a great litmus test that I have absolutely no control over, so I trust it.

Ben started in the '60s Liverpool side of the amp's unique Decade Switch, and we were greeted by a variety of tones that captured the vibe of Lennon's sounds superbly. He wisely demoed some early Beatles tunes, and they each sounded just right. It howls and has a bit more hair than the '70s Plastic Ono Band tones which are bit more transparent, clean and crisp. Fargen has done an amazing job of capturing a host of tones in both modes that cover a tremendous amount of ground - we can credit that to his boutique mindset and dedication to superb guitar sounds. These amps are great by any measure - it's almost a shame that they must be looked at so cynically by so many, but it is all a part of legends and myths.

Both amps are sonically satisfying - no one will complain about the sounds, of this I assure you. There will always be those who still childishly blame Yoko for busting up The Beatles, and that's OK. They have their place in the world, and there is still plenty of room for Ono's many great works, and the remembrance that Lennon loved her more than anything else.

Fargen's goal at the NAMM show was to expand upon their new dealer network, and to unveil these amps upon the world, and they did so with great success, and charm. Seen at the booth were a couple of sets of eyes that are the pinnacle of Beatles historians - Fab Gear's Andy Babiuk, who wrote the definitive Beatles gear book, Beatle Gear, and author Brian Kehew, who co-wrote the incredible tome, Recording The Beatles, has been seen filling in for keyboardist Rabbit Bundrick on various Who tours, and productions, is a member of The Moog Cookbook, and he also serves as Archives Historian for the Robert Moog Foundation. These gentlemen are amongst the finest examples of Beatle documenters, and reportedly received the amp most favorably. Fargen and Reiser were both notably excited to discuss the positive reactions of everyone who has experienced the amps, from the world's greatest experts to skeptical Beatles buffs.

I've heard many statements from many detractors, and my contention is that they have either not done proper, if any, research, or they are predisposed to dislike the idea, let alone the product.

Prototype Fargen John Lennon pedals

I gladly admit, that I walked into the situation with some trepidation, but my questions were all answered and my initial doubts were nullified. Ben Fargen and Marc Reiser are doing these amps for all the right reasons, and it thrills me that they have been given the opportunity to pursue this project. The cool question is what comes next - I was told that this is merely the beginning, and if all goes as well as it looks like it will, the pair will be delving deeper into the history of rock for some time to come. I can't wait to see what's next.

As soon as you get an opportunity, get to a dealer that is lucky enough to have a Fargen John Lennon Series amp in stock, and put it through the paces - don't take my word for it, see for yourself.

The proof is in the listening.

Robin Trower - Roots and Branches - On Being The Blues

Robin Trower was the first act I ever saw on a large stage. It was 1974, and he had just released the astounding Bridge of Sighs (it reached #7 on the Billboard charts), and he was touring with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, who also had an album in the top 10 - that's why they call them the good old days. It still blows my mind that these two acts could draw a crowd of 6,000 longhairs into a midwestern hockey arena on a Wednesday night, but they could, and did.

Trower had a three piece band that sounded like the roar of the jungle, and the mighty winds. Cranking up his sunburst Fender Strat through his mighty stacks of Marshall amps by way of various pedals which most likely included a Uni-Vibe, a Tychobrahe wah way pedal, and a Fender Blender fuzz/Octave pedal, Trower's tone was massive and sultry. A hungry black panther still comes to mind when I remember the sound. To say it changed my life would most likely be understating the case. From that moment on, I was a devotee of the electric guitar.

Almost forty years on, and he's gone and done it again.

What shocks me is not that he's done it again, as Trower has been on his game pretty consistently for the last decade, and every time a friend reports back from a show you'd think they'd seen the man himself - no, not Him, I mean Hendrix. No guitarist I know of gets such reverential treatment from fellow players. What shocks me is that he's managed to do it with a record comprised of a great many cover tunes, and not just cover tunes, but the ultimate weekend warriors list of blues covers - Little Red Rooster, The Thrill Is Gone, Hound Dog, Born Under A Bad Sign....

When I saw the song list, I shuddered. Oh, I of little faith, yes, I shuddered.

Hound Dog shuffles out of the gate, and it's instantly obvious that Trower and company have tossed the Presley records, and have went their own way - soulful B-3 and stabbing harp fills do the heavy lifting as Trower plays some fat rhythm fills, but come solo time time here come the goosebumps - Trower is one of the few players left that still makes his living with the soul that emerges from his vibrato. In league with Clapton, Leslie West, and the late Paul Kossoff, when Robin bends a string you can hear the metal of the strings making love with the frets - there's no other way to describe it.

The ghost of Eric Clapton circa Cream encodes the sonic DNA of Trower's cover of B.B. King's The Thrill Is Gone - the haunting lady tone is exemplified and again, it's Trower's ability to sound like no other blues player in his phrasing and fell that makes this so very special. Before I heard this, I would not have ever hoped to hear this chestnut reopened, but I could listen to this for hours.

I often carp about the proclivities of young blues players, and now I understand why more than ever - Trower is as identifiable in his way as Nina Simone was in her's - they have a voice that can belong to no other. I would recommend that any Stevie Ray aping youngster first take some lessons at the feet of the master, and that master is Robin Trower.

When I Heard Your Name puts me in mind of Robbie Robertson's solo material, but with mind bending guitar work. Every phrase is sung, not played, but sung by Trower. The vocal is answered throughout by the Englishman's taut phrasing - I find myself anticipating every lick and fill, and not once am I gone wanting.

Not since the records of the early to mid 60s have I heard the blues excite me so, and Trower's take on Little Red Rooster is animal in its rawness. Howlin' Wolf is smiling, I promise you - Robin sounds like a barn yard prowler, and he's got his sights set on the finish line. This tone needs to have it's cholesterol checked - it's as fat as you want it to be. And the phrasing again - it's maybe the best I've heard since Peter Green - I kid you not.

The organ driven I Believe To My Soul is in league with the sultry soul of Robert Cray, whose last album ended up on my year end tops list. The guitar work is gentler here, and it's almost like a whisper in that it makes you lean in to get next to it, and then it's got you. This is the first song on the album that gets you off of the guitars, if only for a minute, as Trower unleashes a studied testimony that makes the case and closes out the tune.

Shapes of Things to Come is a Hendrixian piece of walking guitar line bliss, and unison bends that sustain wonderfully and don't release until Trower lets them. Again, Trower is just ridiculous - how dare he have the audacity to play like every song may be his last, and he has to deliver, or pay the price. You're going to think I'm crazy until you throw this record on - then you'll say, "Damn, he's right."

That's Alright Mama is another tune on which team Trower has thrown out the template, and refit the tune to serve their mood - drummer Chris Taggart takes this one down to New Orleans, and the swing is fierce. Mama's got a red dress on, and she's shaking it. If you walked into a bar and heard this, you would again instantly be in love with the blues - I know they've been beat up pretty good, and you'll realize just how much when you hear this record. I am reminded of the day in 1990 when I saw Gary Moore electrify Los Angeles - all the imitators and wannabes melt, and the truth is revealed.

Trower is loving his tone these days - it's evident in every lick, in every bend, and in every phrase. Save Your Love is a fairly run of the mill slow blues, but Robin's guitar carries the day, and keeps me listening throughout. The glassy solo is presented in extreme high definition, and again you can hear every nuance, every intention in his playing.

The ghost of Cream emerges again on Born Under A Bad Sign, and Trower owns it. The notes almost sound as if they are flying out on their own, and he's just controlling the trajectory. This record is engineered so well - every time he starts playing, it's as if the guitar has taken over all frequencies - the band plays great, everything is right, but Trower is so on top of it, that it's musical omniscience.

Sheltered Moon is the first tune that's taken me back to the memory of the late Jimmy Dewar in many decades - this would fit perfectly on any of the early Trower masterpieces - Robin breaks out the wah and the swirls, and were are sent back in time, and The Dreamer has returned. This takes me right back to Hara Arena, 1974 and I'm fifteen again, and that's never a bad thing - thanks, Robin, it's tremendously appreciated. Sometime you forget how it felt, and it's great to be reminded in such a wonderful way.

Keeping the way cocked and the big cat tone intact, the album closes with See My Life, a soul filled funk that takes me back to Trower's days playing the Fillmores to thousands. This is just a great way to end up he record - maybe this sets the stage for what's next - Robin Trower just keeps getting better, and if someone can make my jaded self dig the blues again, I am again converted.

This is a fabulous guitar record - it is a tremendous testament to the artistry of one of our truly great guitar heroes, and for that I am extremely grateful.

Release date: February 19, 2013 on V-12 Records in the US and Manhaton Records in the UK/Europe

NAMM 2013 - Vol. I - 65amps, Myles Rose, Hahn Guitars, Andy Elliott, and More!

I recently took a trip out to Los Angeles to catch the 2013 NAMM show - for those of you unfamiliar with NAMM, it is the National Association of Musical Merchants (I know, terrible name). In common parlance, it is a gathering of instrument makers selling their wares to retailers and distributors - showing off their new toys for the new year. This year it was attended by over 90,000 attendees and I believe upwards of 2,500 vendors.

If you've never been, it is the greatest guitar show on earth. From big corporate icons like Fender to the guy who has a glimmer in his eye and a dream of becoming the next Leo Fender, they're all here. There is also the crowd. I'm guessing that 60,000 of the attendees had little to do with buying, or selling musical gear, but rather are what is generally referred to as the general public. And while they sure make the halls more crowded, and contribute tremendously to the ambient noise level of 90 dBs, they are a huge part of what makes a circus a circus - every era of rock fashion is represented, from fifty's greasers to nu-metal monsters in full sci-fi regalia. Mostly, it's Los Angeles, so the remnants of the big hair '80s reign - their era brought in gear madness, and they still number thousands.

Guitar great Earl Slick describes it like this, "Four days at NAMM is like being on tour for four months."

Earl Slick at 65amps

I went for something in between the Fenders and the crowd - I went to see the amazing array of small to medium sized builders who are considered boutique. These are, in my mind, the guys who are really at the forefront of their profession - they are builders who may struggle to meet budgets and payrolls, but think nothing of losing endless hours of sleep and resources in pursuing their dream of building the perfect beast. Builders like Chicoe Hahn of Hahn Guitars, who left behind an Ivy league education to build T-type guitars that redefine the Tele mystique, Andy Elliott of Elliott Guitars, who builds an amazing 70 instruments a year by himself, or my friends Dan Boul and Peter Stroud of 65amps, who after working for a decade building their dream amps have emerged with a new factory, and finally achieved firm financial footing after nearly seeing their ship capsize due to unavoidable delays in the supply line in the last year. It's not easy to be innovators with dreams, but these guys make it look easy.

Andy Elliott and 65amps' Mike Franceschini

I also went to see the players - NAMM is unquestionably the largest gathering of world class musicians in the world in any given year. I spend much more time writing about the music than the instruments, but I've always been fully immersed in both, and amongst the greatest collection of guitars, amps, and effects I've ever seen (yeah, drums, keys, horns, and every possible musical product there is, too - but hey, I'm a guitar guy), there was to be found an amazing array of world class musicians.

I had a chance to catch up with many of the fellows I've written about in the last year, and many I'll be talking with this year - Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Albert Lee, Lance Lopez, Eric Gales, Earl Slick, Carmine Appice (who is mixing some new live Cactus material), Orianthi, Glenn Hughes, Soren Anderson, Steve Stevens, Marco Mendoza, Neal Schon, and many others that I'm still too tired to remember. Recovering from the pace of NAMM takes a while, but suffice to say, there was no shortage of stars.

I spent a good deal of my time hanging out at the booth of 65amps - I've been following this bunch closely since I first met Peter Stroud (longtime musical director for Sheryl Crow) at a show back in 2007, and he excitedly showed me his amps that he and his partner Dan Boul were dreaming up and building out in Los Angeles. Since then I've seen 65amps show up in use by such notables as Cheap Trick's Rick Neilsen (Legendary producer Ken Scott personally selected 65s for use in Cheap Trick's stunning reproduction of The Beatles's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club album in 2009), Peter Frampton, SNL's Jerod Scharff, Mike Campbell, Elvis Costello, Richie Sambora, Joe Walsh, and many, many others. They are truly the state of the art amplifiers that are not imitations of the past - they are bold new innovations that not only sound amazing, but they are also built like tanks, and can easily take the rigours of the road and studio.

In addition to hanging out at the 65amps booth at the show and seeing Dan Boul and Stroud spinning the plates as they entertained dealers, distributors, the aforementioned legend that is Earl Slick, Canadian sensation Frankie Whyte (if you haven't caught up to Frankie Whyte & The Dead Idols your missing some great rock and roll - again, done right), guitar builder extraordinaire Andy Elliott of Elliott Guitars, and again many more great folks than my feeble mind can currently recall, I also had the wonderful opportunity of being given a tour of 65amps's new factory by arguably the world's most respected tube amplifier expert, Myles Rose.

If you don't know of Myles Rose, perhaps the best introduction may come from his self description, found on the front page of his blog, http://la-economy.blogspot.com :

"The two main activities in my life: Helping the hungry in the late hours of the night and helping guitar players sound better, one amp at a time."

Myles and Bruce Egnator discussing power cords.

In addition to at times being a consultant to amp companies like 65amps, Dr. Z, Matchless and many others, Myles also moderates a thread on the Guitar Player Magazine Forum entitled, Feel Free To Ask Myles, which to date has been running for over eleven years and almost two million views. He also finds time to provide tour support for dozens of acts (Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Zakk Wylde, Brooks & Dunn, amongst others), and is a regular studio consultant for studio owners, artists and producers across the expanse of Los Angeles. His company, Guitar Amplifier Blueprinting - http://guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/index.html is the umbrella under which he currently operates.

A link to Myles's GP Forum Thread:

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/1351234/177

Mind you, this is what Myles does in semi-retirement. Before his move to 'part-time' service, Rose spent close to a decade at Groove Tubes, where he headed up their technical support group, GT's Special Applications Group, developed a host of GT exclusive tubes (6L6GE, EL34M, 12AX7M, 5881C) that became some of GT's best. He also served as contributing author, and technical editor of the Groove Tubes Tube Amp Book, which has sold over 100,000 copies.

To say that Myles Rose is a heavy hitter in the world of guitar amplifiers is a very accurate statement - so when I got the opportunity to tour what may be the home of the some of the best amps being built on the planet, it was worth staying an extra day in Los Angeles.

After operating from a shop located in North Hollywood, California for many years, 65amps has just relocated to a new facility in the seriously industrial side of Los Angeles. Dan Boul finally partnered up with an investor who sees the wisdom of 65's ways, and this expansion will finally allow the company to focus on designing, building, and actually getting amps into the hands of dealers and players. Suddenly there is the luxury of volume discounts on parts, a dedicated office to manage physical resources, and support staff to handle ancillary logistics. That the factory resides in what I call Fred and Lamont Sanford's old neighborhood is the price one pays for being a manufacturer in some of the most expensive real estate in America.

I've been spending my 3 p.m. hour every Wednesday for over the last year, whenever possible, watching Dan Bouls's '65amps Lunch with Dan Boul' podcasts (available for viewing on YouTube, where you'll learn as much about tube amps in a hour or so of most every episodes as you thought you ever could, and it's a fun watch), and to get to see where the magic is made was a treat. Myles first explained to me that much of what I would be seeing was subject to non-disclosure, and then proceeded to spend the next hour and a half regaling me with tube amp education, a full tour of their new facility, an unexpected meeting with Bruce Egnator of Egnator Amps (it seems everyone wants the counsel of Mr. Rose), and some hilarious tales from the road which I promised to take to the grave.

Meeting Mike Franceschini was our first stop along the parade route - Mike is, in Myles's words, "One of the two best amp builders on the planet, and the best west of the Mississippi." He adds, "if I were to have anyone in the world build a guitar amplifier for me today, it would be either Mike, or my friend David Hayes." 

One of the great things about the boutique builder world is that it allows for creative genius - there's no collision in Myles's comments because the customer for either of the mentioned builders is not the same guy in most cases. Much in the same way that the guy looking for the best gas mileage and the fellow looking for the fastest ride aren't shopping for the same car. Both Hayes and 65amps respect one another mightily, and live comfortably in their own worlds.

Franceschini is the guy Myles Rose calls, "The best amp tech on the planet."

He's worked for Groove Tubes, VHT, Rivera, Bogner, Diezel, CAE (Custom Audio Electronics), and is the head tech brain trust at 65. His repair work has been utilized by SIR, The Amp Shop, Vintage Gear in Hollywood, Lon Cohen, History For Hire (Mike was very involved in the technical aspects for their definitive book, "Vox Amplifiers - The JMI Years"), and he is considered THE SVT master.

So, of course it makes sense that upon our introduction, Mike was beating the chassis of a new build nearly senseless with a large piece of wood. He looked up smiling, and calmly explained that nothing reveals bad solder joints and weak connections better than a sound thrashing, even though sitting beside him is a self designed rack of technology that looks like it belongs on a nuclear submarine. Mind you, his rack gets great use, and it's one of four that he has designed - the one he uses is the rack he built first, and while he says that perhaps the other three were more refined, the original is the one that sits in his rack.

As Mike says, "I can say with a humble conviction that I have worked on more amps than anyone you will ever meet."

Dan Boul and Peter Stroud have assembled a fantastic team to aid and assist them in the designing and building of their dream amps. As we walked into the NAMM show, Dan said, "At the end of the day, we're making amps for two guys - me, and Peter Stroud. It's all that we can do, really. We just hope that everyone likes what we make." Judging from the crowds he entertained at his booth, it's pretty obvious that they're doing a great job.

An added bonus of hanging out with the crew from 65 was getting to know guitar builder Andy Elliott of Elliott Guitars, and his associate, photographer Jason Barr of Revival Photography. Andy builds the Peter Stroud Signature Model, and many other - he's currently building around 70 pieces a year, amazing when you consider he builds nearly everything on the guitar, including winding the pickups. I'll soon do a full feature and interview with Andy, but you can check out his website, http://www.elliottguitarsnc.com, and get an idea of his work. Several of his axes were on display at 65, and they were amazing. Andy doesn't just build guitars, either - he's also a wonderful story teller and a fine observer of regional sociology! That's an inside joke that I'll save for my soon to be written feature on this fine, fine builder, who is also a very cool guy.

Hahn Guitars are the brainchild of Chihoe Hahn - his guitars have been consistently lauded by Premier Guitar and Guitar Player Magazine, and have been seen in the hands of such players as Elliott Easton, Redd Volkaert, Duke Robillard, Arlen Roth, Doyle Bramhall II, and Jim Campilongo. Our introduction came in a funny way - a movie producer friend, Joseph White said he wanted me to check out a friend's guitars at their booth, as he wanted my honest opinion on them. Now, that always gets me - if at this point, your pals guitars turn out to be something I'm not fond of for one reason or another, I'm up the creek. I was terribly pleased to see that he was taking me to meet Chihoe Hahn and his fabulous T-types.

These guitars must be seen, felt, and heard to be believed - at first glance, they could be any run of the mill classic 50s repro. However, the minute you play a note, feel the neck, experience the balance of the instrument, and hear it's tone, it will all but take a very large gorilla to extract it from your hands. I had the pleasure of playing a chambered mahogany piece that featured a couple of TV Jones pickups, and it instantly made me a stone cold convert. It's not at all surprising that Chihoe sold out his entire booth.

Chihoe Hahn, "Great material, true processes, and lots of attention to detail: that's the formula I use to make Hahn Guitars. They are not new under the sun, but they play and sound really good. I put my heart into each one, and I play it, tweak it, and tweak it and play it some more, until it's done."

The humble nature of this comment is something I find almost every time I engage a boutique guitar, or amp builder. It's fascinating to see that the nicest, most down to earth people are making some of the best products on the planet. I consider it a great privilege to occasionally rub shoulders with such giants.

More soon, on Mr. Hahn and his amazing instruments. In the meantime, check out his website at: http://www.hahnguitars.com/index.html

I'm still recovering from my time in Los Angeles, what was it the guy said? Oh yeah, "LA - that's where things happen."

It's always been where America has gone to see their dreams come true, and I hope to return soon, and for much longer....

This is but the first of several stories coming from NAMM 2013 - recuperation takes time, and memories are still being sorted.

Lifesigns - Prog Done Proud

Lifesigns is what I like about the new music business. There's much to carp and moan about, I'm all too aware, but I try to find the positives, and this is a most wonderful exhibit of why. I received this message on my Facebook page on New Years Eve:

Hi Tony, 

Just wondering, with your love of prog if I could point you to something new
for January 2013 - http://youtu.be/c3cL2VMA1k 

Hope you like it! 

Have a great year, and
best wishes,
JY

The sender, JY, is John Young, the musical mastermind who's put together an incredible lineup, and together with engineer Steve Rispin (Asia, Uriah Heep, Dave Kilminster, Snakecharmer) has succeeded in producing a modern prog rock classic. Gathering up talent such as drummer Frosty Beedle, and the legendary Nick Beggs on bass & vocals would be impressive enough, but he's also brought along Steve Hackett, Thijs Van Leer, Jakko Jakszyk, and Robin Boult for assistance.

Now, I'm guessing that John Young spent a good deal of time and money over the last few years putting this all together, and that the participants may not be vacationing in any exotic locale with their session fees, but the beauty is that with no record company standing in the way, the record did get made - there are no contractual headaches for the participants, and no A/R man to not hear a single. I also love and greatly appreciate that John Young has enough passion to have seen this through, and then the determination to seek out ears he suspects may be friendly - and boy, was he right.

Lifesigns is a tremendous listening experience - it reminds me of all the reasons that, yes, I do love prog rock. It's extremely well written, the playing is superbly engaging, tones are tweaked to perfection, and the vocals are just amazing - Young's voice is a tenor in the tradition of the angels Wetton and Gabriel, and Beggs's roof raising harmonies are magical. Each song sounds like a hit single in mini-album length - got it?

Esoteric Antenna, a division of the dependable Cherry Red Records had the moxy to realize and release this record, and it seems to be breaking out nicely, with great first reviews - include this in the raves.

Lighthouse sets things in motion, and it's complex, flavorful, and chewy - Young provides melody galore with both his vocals and his keyboard work is endlessly engaging. Beggs and Beedle frolic rather wildly underneath to create a delicious stew. The intro is enthralling - a lovely soundscape that prepares the ear for what's to come. Into the first verse, and it's clear that the trip is a good trip. Classically British prog with healthy amounts of pop melody - everyone on board has long, long resumes filled with a proper roadmap to this new location, and the sound is very new, but familiar. Like meeting a long lost friend for the first time. Guitars throughout the body of the song are provided by the one and only Steve Hackett, and I say that with great specificity - Hackett is not only the guy making the most regularly engaging music currently coming out of England, he's also amazingly busy, and that he took the time to participate here speaks grand volumes. Robin Boult signs on to unleash a guitar solo towards the end of the tune that fits like a glove, and provides a lovely trail into the sunset. Friends of classic prog will find heaps to love here.

Substrata bass and some nicely reverberated jungle drums plough a deep furrow into which John Young lays down more melodic wonderment on Telephone. Beggs and Beedle are a fantastic rhythm section - their inventive jousting is the perfect terrain for Young's melodic soundscapes. The harmonies here make me miss classic Yes tremendously, and session wiz and occasional Fripp bandmate Jakko Jakszyk puts down some tasty guitar harmonies and fills. Young's vocals fit his songs perfectly - he employs some deft phrasing, and his dynamics show that all that time spent around great singers has paid off. Ten minutes have never slipped by so pleasantly, and again, this record is so captivating that my attention span is never taxed. These tunes build like orchestral masterworks, ever spiraling upwards.

Fridge Full of Stars is a cinematic number - Young seems to possess an endless supply of melodic invention, and the production and backing is amazingly simpatico - Hackett throws down a fabulous but too brief acoustic guitar solo, but I'm let down only for seconds until Beggs gets busy under the next verse with a virtuosic bass performance that almost but not quite overtakes the song - then the harmonies and sophisticated song craft again take center stage. Focus mainman Thijs Van Leer stops by to provide a soulful flute interlude as Young and band delicately weave a hypnotic underpinning. After the ethereal instrumental section, the band takes things even higher and the layering of voices, instruments, and atmosphere sends the song into another orbit completely. This album should come with an oxygen mask.

At just over eight minutes, At The End of the World is the album's shortest number, and I find myself wishing it were longer - this is all about the art of songwriting, and musicianship. At the risk of sounding repetitive the melodies and harmonies are lovely, the accompaniment picture perfect.The tones captured across the whole of the record are fantastic, and it is revealed that grown up rock is a good, good thing. Everything here indicates proper dosages of skills, experience, and true inspiration - nobody here is mailing it in, this is being performed for keeps.

Carousel enters the world with the hottest guitar solo on the record, but it's not - it's Nick Beggs letting fly on the Chapman Stick, and I've just got to say that the appearance of the man's name is enough to get me to buy any record on which he appears. The prog rock hallmark of good taste. The set close features the most sophisticated musical interplay on the album, and John Young's keyboard wizardry is astounding. It's so brilliant that it has a way of disarming the listener - he's so melodic and musical that you seldom feel the tension that can exist when a keyboardist sets off into his imagination. You can hear the care taken to make certain that the notes serve the song and not the opposite.

Lifesigns is one of the coolest gifts to cross my desk yet this year - I hope John Young and company are able to parlay this into a spate of touring, shows, and a follow up record. This record is an hour of excellent listening. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy, set back and enjoy the trip.

Glenn Hughes & Deep Purple - A Brief Look Back In The Meantime

Glenn Hughes and Deep Purple are two names that intertwine many times in the history of rock, and whilst we anxiously await new material from both camps (Hughes is said to be working on a very exciting secret project as we speak, and Deep Purple's new, as yet untitled album will see light of day April 30), fans of both should be quite satisfied with two new re-released, remastered live sets - Deep Purple - Live In Paris 1975, and Glenn Hughes - Live In Wolverhampton.

Glenn Hughes never lets grass grow under his feet - his globetrotting makes it difficult to track at times, and 2013 seems like no exception. He made the end of 2012 exciting with both the release of Black Country Communion's Afterglow, and the subsequent brouhaha concerning the lack of a follow up tour - not to fear, it would appear, according to a few comments overheard this past weekend in Los Angeles that implied that we have not yet heard the end of that particular rock and roll juggernaut. Perhaps cooler heads have prevailed, and maybe for a change the music, and subsequently the fans will win. For reasons I'm still not sure of, I got way too involved in that bit of controversy, and I'll say it again - I love all the guys involved, the band is the best hard rock entity of this century, and I sincerely hope they find a way to happily make music together for many years.

Hughes is also said to be involved in a new project that is being kept under tighter wraps than Los Alamos in the 1940s. He's said little of it, but when he has spoken it has been with a wide grin and a gleam in his eyes. I'll leave it to the man to let things develop in his time - he's certainly earned that right. But first, let's go back a few years.

Deep Purple has a new record in the waiting, and after speaking briefly with Steve Morse this past week in Los Angeles at the NAMM show, I'm guessing it will be very special - Steve is a very laid back fellow, but again, the grin on his face was palpable, and the excitement in his voice unmistakeable - he's now been in the band much longer than any other guitarist, and I really can't wait to hear the new album, but in the meantime, lets look briefly towards their past.

Deep Purple - Live In Paris 1975, captures the entirety of Ritchie Blackmore's final show with the Mark III version of this warhorse. What a way to go out - this might be the ultimate document of this iteration, and this remastered update marks the first time the show has been presented in full. Prepare for goosebumps - when David Coverdale and Hughes storm into the first verse of The Gypsy after Blackmore's soulful intro, I realize that this band never nearly got its due acclaim. And, as great as Coverdale, Hughes and Blackmore sound, they are matched every step of the way by the late and great Jon Lord, and Ian Paice - both are way up in the mix, and it's a damned thrill a minute.

Coming out of the gate with two classic rockers like Burn, and Stormbringer, how could they lose - the world had no idea what it was about to lose when this was recorded, and to this minute Deep Purple Mark III remain as powerful, and talented as any hard rock troupe that ever trod the boards. Ritchie knew he was leaving, and this is almost like a final blistering kiss-off. His solo on Stormbringer may be the best Blackmore I've ever heard - how the strings stayed on the neck is beyond me.

It's long been said that Ritchie Blackmore had no love for the Stormbringer album, but you'd never know that to hear him tearing through Lady Double Dealer - he's hammering on ferociously, giving a master class in melodic alternate picking - up and down the fretboard he flies, painting an incredible portrait of the guitarist as artist. He follows this lesson with a magnificently brawny version of Mistreated - just when you think it's been done enough, here is a take with yet another brilliantly unique take on the solo. This album makes me mourn the fact that this band never reassembled in this form - this whole album is testimony to just how powerful and majestic a machine Mark III could be.

Smoke On The Water is given the full treatment, a ten minute tour that never gets less fantastic than Ritchie's jazzy blues rock intro. Ian Paice's swinging lifts this classic far above the heavy metal drudgery the tune has been accused of - sure every kid can play it, but not like this, and when Coverdale and Hughes trade verses it is transcendent hard rock.

From beginning to end, this two CD set is golden - even the twenty minute interview segment is a great listen. Deep Purple Mark III was a marvelous force of nature, and this is a most welcome addition to the catalog. Highly recommended - maybe the best live Deep Purple album of them all.

The years following this historic recording saw the world of Glenn Hughes through many amazing twists and turns, and after surviving about every risk a rock star ever took, Hughes has ended up firmly back on top. After many years as the planet's leading exponent of funk rock, Hughes has returned to the  more brightly lit path of classic hard rock with the sensation that has been Black Country Communion, but Live In Wolverhampton comes from a year earlier, and sees 'The Voice of Rock" revisiting many of the steps along the path, from Trapeze to Purple to solo stardom.

Live In Wolverhampton straddles the various styles Hughes employs, and as always, he spares no change on his band, and the wildly underrated Jeff Kollman covers Blackmore, Thrall, and Mel Galley with a consistently respectful, but adventurous bent. I'd buy this disc for the guitar playing alone, but there's so much more to dig - keyboardist Anders Olinder provides very tasty support throughout, and drummer Steve Stephens is downright masterful.

Hughes is the show, though. This album would be a great primer for anyone interested in the true musical mastery that Glenn embodies - his songs are the height of soulful sophistication, and to my mind's eye, he's every bit the musician as his idol Stevie Wonder - and don't think I don't realize the gravity of this statement. Stevie's moved many more units, but song for song, I think that while Hughes is not as outrightly commercial, he's captured the essence of true musical artistry. The man follows his muse to an amazing degree.

Recorded over two nights in 2009, this record is Glenn Hughes presenting his musical history to his hometown of Bilston, Wolverhampton, England. For the run of the mill hard rock fan, I'd recommend jumping straight into the Deep Purple classic, Mistreated - it's announced by a brilliant five and a half minute guitar solo by Jeff Kollman, and it follows no previous template for the tune, he's on his own and it is stunning. Hughes is in fantastic shape vocally ( as always), and his rock steady heavy bass line commandeers the band. Medusa, the title track to Trapeze's 1970 sophomore effort, will also thrill lovers of classic rock. It's delicate and heavy as hell - the hard rock template writ large.

I find both discs in this set to be equally remarkable - mostly for the fact that many of these songs will be new to many listeners, and for those listeners it should be a pretty thrilling trip. Both the Trapeze retrospective that fills disc 2, and the first disc, which mainly follows Hughes on his past post-Trapeze path contain an amazing amount of live magic. This is an incredible display of musicianship. It delivers on all the promises of the near-miss Hughes Thrall Project.

I'm anxious to hear what Glenn has up his sleeve - he got burned a bit last year, and he's playing his cards close to the heart, but I'm pretty sure that it will be well worth the wait, and the wondering. At any rate, these discs will give the loyal much joy in the meantime, and will amaze anyone just joining the party.

Deep Purple - I am hoping their new album brings them all they deserve, and that they continue their amazing success. In the meantime, this live set serves to remind us of the legacy and the band's greatness.

Special mention to LA guitar wiz Jeff Kollman - his work on the Hughes record is as much star turn as there ever was.

Neal Morse - Live Momentum - "Tomorrow Soon Will Be Your Yesterday"

Release Date: Feb 13, 2013 -Radiant Records

Live Momentum is a stunning achievement by any measure - when looked at from any angle it more than excels, it exemplifies. Neal Morse, The Professor of Prog, has unleashed a superlative set (2 DVDs and 3 audio CDs) that captures not just a three hour tour de force performance from October 11, 2012 at the High Line Ballroom in New York City, but also includes an excellent handheld, homemade documentary from behind the scenes of the entire tour that provides over an hour more of quality entertainment. The level of performance throughout is astounding.

The Live Momentum Tour is somewhat unique, in that Morse hired half of his spectacular six piece band via YouTube auditions. Morse, longtime bassist Randy George, and super-drummer Mike Portnoy are joined by guitarist/vocalist Adson Sodre, Eric Gillette on guitars/keyboards/percussion and vocals, and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Bill Hubauer rounds out the troupe. Whatever Neal dreamt of when he envisioned this process surely must have been tremendously exceeded by these prodigious talents. This is an encyclopedia of progressive rock - equally melodic, virtuosic, and absurdly precise - when the band goes into an a cappella 5 part harmony on Author Of Confusion, all I could do was laugh outloud at the breathtaking beauty. And there's almost three hours of this beauty on tap.

Field Commander Morse is responsible for everything on display - we are the beneficiaries of his endless attention to detail, and his ability to make what he dreams real. If there is to be a lesson amongst this wonderful piece of entertainment, it may be found in a lyric in the set opener, Momentum - "Tomorrow soon will be your yesterday." It is obvious that Morse lives this concept to the hilt, and squeezes every bit of experience that can be fit into a moment. The maestro runs a show that is akin to the most elaborate circus imaginable - it's a thrilling, death defying display of the endless possibilities of rock music.

If Morse is the director, surely Mike Portnoy is the jester/sergeant-at-arms - this music is almost entirely rhythm dependent, in that the slightest collapse of time could derail the train at any time. Portnoy is amongst the very best drummers on the planet, and his musicality is as impressive as his timekeeping - his playing is steeped in melody, inspired phrasing, and wide dynamics. It's an added bonus that his animated antics make it as fun to watch as it is to listen. Bassist Randy George has the appearance of a wise and venerated buddha, and his playing is breathtaking in it's precision and creativity. His tones vary, always being just right for the song, and he jousts perfectly with Portnoy's different every night drumming. If the music weren't so beautiful, this could be a doctoral dissertation - it is satisfying on many levels, and will have you repeating many sections to be sure that what you're seeing is real.

Not lost in the virtuosity is Neal Morse's abilities to write memorable and hooky songs amongst the musical gymnastics - please note that when I say gymnastics, I never intend that there is a wasted note, or any playing that doesn't serve the composition. I hear echoes of The Who, Pink Floyd, Genesis, who knows, maybe even some moments of pure power pop in Morse's tool kit - never a cop, but certainly many digested parts of the wizard's early education.

The band isn't just beautiful, it also rocks - as evidenced on the metallic first chapter of the 25 minute epic The Conflict, which sees Adson Sodre playing dizzyingly fleet fingers arpeggios, and screaming leads, only to be joined by Morse's classic Strat tones, and when Eric Gillette joins them for a three part harmony solo, any guitar fan is going to go gaga. Sodre is a devoutly religious man, and his devotion to both God and the guitar show him to be an outstanding student - watching him play mind-blowingly difficult passages with a serene and sincere grin is a joy. I've not yet had the opportunity to check out his debut solo album, Assim Que Soou, but it is now on my radar - Sodre is a monster of a player, manifesting a prodigious technique, tasty note choices, and a strong sense of melody, all combined with a wicked sense of control combined with an animated stage presence. Where I say wicked, perhaps I should say blessed.

Bill Hubauer is another fortunate find for Morse, coming out of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and heralding from the self described, 'Christian parody band,' ApologetiX, who have managed to release almost an album a year for the last twenty seasons. He's a keyboardist extraordinaire whose strong point is his affinity for the sounds of the Hammond B-3 organ - his swells and stabs appear in the mix like Godzilla in downtown Tokyo. They arise on the horizon and fit like a glove - he also has the ability to play intricate unison and harmony patterns with Sodre, and Morse that boggle the mind. Again, could Morse have dreamt a better bandmate? Here's another guy who appears to be having the time of his life creating magic.

I'd be remorse (oops) if I failed to also mention utility guitarist/keyboardist Eric Gillette, who makes his mark supplying sky high angelic backing vocals and harmonies, various percussion additions, and seamless musical interludes with everyone on stage.

Morse's strong religiosity is as fervent as his writing, his singing, his playing, and his amazing abilities as a band leader. He walks the walk, talks the talk, and while it's never far away, it never comes across as anything else but another facet of the love with which he obviously embraces his world. I find his passion engaging, and I appreciate his willingness to put his heart first in all matters.

Visually, the DVDs have been expertly produced by Ron Cote at Pristine Productions and the company's name seems apt. There are many angles, many cool edits, and musos will appreciate the care taken to display the fireworks emanating from the stage.

Sonically, the production has been seen to by Morse himself, and every part is in its place, the mix is sumptuous and meaty, and even Portnoy's cymbals sound like finely tuned instruments - the sound is warm, and full - not much more could be asked for.

To get into individual tunes would be somewhat belaboring the point for me at this juncture - if you know Morse's catalog, you know what to expect, and if you do not, I don't wish to in any way impede the unbridled joy of discovery that awaits you. This is three hours of the best rock music to be found - yes, it is prog, but please - don't be discouraged if you happen to not be a huge fan of progressive rock. This music defies labeling and should be a most enjoyable trip for any music lover. Neal Morse has once again hit it out of the park, and delivered a tremendous package of music. Run, don't walk to get this fantastic package.

While we're talking packaging - this set is packaged as beautifully as the music is played. My thanks to Neal Morse, Chris Thompson, and Radiant Records.

Orianthi - "I Can't Be Anything Else, Y'know?"

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Orianthi is on fire - as a guitarist, a singer, a songwriter, and a band member, her career is accelerating at a tremendous rate. In addition to playing sizzling leads for Alice Cooper's band, she's an in-demand session player, and she's getting ready to release her new solo album, Heaven In This Hell, on March 12 on Robo Records. The album's first single, Frozen, has just been released.

I caught up with the Adelaide, Australia native just before she electrified the audience at a NAMM show party sponsored by Duesenberg Guitars, and 65amps at the Imperial Ballroom in historic Fullerton, California. In addition to her solo set, in which she was joined by Alice Cooper bandmates Glen Sobel and Chuck Garric, she also took to the boards for a couple of jams with longtime Tom Petty right-hand man Mike Campbell, his side band The Dirty Knobs, and legendary rocker Earl Slick.

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

You'd think was excitement enough, but she also picked up the prestigious "Inspire" award, given by the Women in Music Network at the She Rocks Awards in partnership with NewBay Media. 2013 is the first year for the awards, but it surely will not be the last - this has been too lacking for too long. I asked  the Australian six-stringer how she felt about the award, and her week at NAMM:

"Oh, it's very cool, yeah - really cool! It's the Women in Music Network, and I really hope to inspire more girls to plays guitar - guys too, but it's always really cool to get messages on Facebook and Twitter from fans, 'We saw your video clip,' or 'We heard your song and it inspired me to play guitar,' maybe someone went to one of the Alice Cooper shows, or something, and that's just awesome!"

http://www.thewimn.com/events/she-rocks-awards/

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

I was curious about how she got on the show at the Duesenberg party, and what we could expect:

"Yeah, that's on Saturday! That's going to be a lot of fun, jamming out - I'll be joined by Glen Sobel from the Alice Cooper band, Chuck Garric of Cooper's band, we're going to rock out some of the songs from the new record, Heaven In This Hell (out March 12 on Robo Records). It's going to be fun to do these songs live! 

"Actually, Nathan (Fawley - CEO at Duesenberg USA) put that together, we had met at some of their functions, and we chatted - he's a big music fan and he just asked me to play, so I said, 'Yeah, definitely!' I'll still be playing my PRS at the Duesenberg party, but I think their guitars are great! It's just really cool to be asked to play."

It's a long way to the top, but Orianthi, now a seasoned music business veteran, started out not much differently than anyone - one gig, one song at a time. I asked her to tell me about the early days:

"Y'know, I think playing the guitar, I first picked it up when I was six - it was something I just 'got.' It was never as easy instrument to play, by any means, but I could sort of express myself. So, I wouldn't do homework, after school I'd just be sitting with my guitar for hours and hours and hours. Even at lunch, or recess time, I'd go to the music room. It's just something that....I'll look at the guitar, and most of the time, I pick it up and play it. 

"I love cooking, too - I love to cook, but I love playing the guitar more! People ask, 'What would you do if you weren't a musician?,' and I couldn't much see it - I'd be an unhappy chef, because I'd want to be playing music! So I can't be anything else, y'know? 

"I played in quite a few cover bands - I had left school when I was fifteen. I actually signed my first management deal when I was fourteen, and started going to ports around Australia. I would come in late for school because I had been at a radio station playing guitar for different shows! Music was just something that....well, it was my life. 

"Back then I just thought that school was something that....I remember one time I came in late and the teacher was like, he could see that some of the guys weren't really liking the fact that I was playing my guitar, because I'm going to the same auditions they were, for the school funk band, or whatever, and I'm getting the gigs. The teacher was like, 'I think you should pick up the harp, or a more feminine instrument.' After that point, I just thought, 'This is awful,' it's like being told, 'Hey, you shouldn't play the guitar, it's too masculine, you should go for the harp,' and I'm like, 'No!' I couldn't stay in that environment."

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

It's a big jump from cover bands to superstardom, and some help from virtuosos like Steve Vai, and Carlos Santana never hurts. It all began with Orianthi having the cheek to send tapes and letters to Vai - she explains:

"At that point, I just started writing a lot of songs. I'd actually send them off to Steve Vai, and he would write back - he'd listened to the songs, my really crappy demos, and he'd write back with ideas on how I could improve certain parts. He actually listened to them, which, God, is amazing! We stayed in contract for some time, from when I was fourteen, I got to record a track with him, High Strung, which was a huge honor - I mean, he is the greatest, just amazing. He's one of the best players - he can shred like there's no tomorrow, and then turn around and play a beautiful melody." 

"So, I'm in Australia playing in cover bands as much as I could until I was about 21, when Carlos Santana actually showed Paul Reed Smith a DVD of a show where I had gotten up to jam with him (Santana), when I was about 18. Paul then invited me over to the NAMM show, and from there I just kept coming over for the next three years until 2005. Then Tal Herzberg, who worked at Interscope played my CD to Ron Fair - they signed me to a record deal, and then released my first album."

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Of course, it also helps to be surrounded by supportive loved ones - I wondered if Orianthi had gotten a lot of love and support from her parents:

"Y'know, they were really supportive! My dad is a guitar player, and he saw that it was my life, it wasn't like he had to force me to practice. I was at it every day, and my mom, she was behind me all the way, she was like, 'Go for it!' Both of them just gave so much support, just like, 'Do what you love to do, and do your best.' Obviously, I'm all the way over here, and they're in Australia. Initially, they were like, 'Oh wow, that's a big move,' but I come over to visit and I go home as much as I can. 

"I get really excited when there's a tour that goes to Australia - I got really excited when I was with Michael Bolton over there touring. They get really excited when I get to go back home!"

The guitar world was taken by surprise a while back when Orianthi was chosen to replace Damon Johnson in Alice Cooper's band. It's a cherished gig, and a highly desirable notch in any player's belt to be 'elected.' I was curious as to how the Cooper connection came to be:

"I had played on America Idol with AC about three years ago to play on School's Out - he invited me to play there, and said he was a fan. It was really, really cool and afterwards chatting with AC and Bob Ezrin - really nice people. After that I did some work for Bob on a track for Fefe Dodson. I did a guitar solo for her song, Hot Breeze. We all stayed in contact via e-mail, and I guess Alice was looking for another guitar player, because he said, 'Will you join my band?'" 

"I was making my album in Nashville at the time with my friend Dave Stewart, and I was like, "Yeah, that would be really cool! I didn't know I had to learn twenty-five songs in a week! That was like, 'Oh my God!' My brain hurt for a week after - you have to sort of get into AC's world - his songs aren't just jam songs."

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

I had to laugh at this point - sure enough, there are no I-IV-V tunes in the Cooper catalog. These are some of the most sophisticated rock to ever light up the charts - I asked about learning the set, and the division of duties amongst the AC band:

"There are three guitar players, and we have to divide all the parts, and figure out the harmonies, so we're not all playing the same thing - it's like a wall of sound. We want it to sound great and sort of interesting - between all that, the harmonies and where I'm going to be on stage, and still not concentrating too much! The first shows were a little daunting, but after that I could really get into the treat of it - and it's so much fun! We celebrate Halloween every night! 

"I love it, the guys are like brothers to me, and AC - he's awesome, like an uncle. Just this crazy rock family, yeah! I can't wait for the next tour, which is coming up soon. I think we're playing in Europe for
quite a few months - it's so great to be a part of it. Alice gives 110% every night. It's inspiring to be up there with him. 

"He has a lot of ideas, and when he's up on stage he changes things up every night, so you have to watch him all the time - you know, swords and all! And not only visually, but musically he definitely knows what he wants and what parts he wants to hear. 

"Tommy Henrickson, he produces a lot of Alice's stuff, and he knows all the parts - he splits up things, 'You should take this, you should play that one....' Solo wise, Ryan (Roxie) and I split up - there's like three solos in every song, so it's very cool!"

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Not just a metal maven by any measure, Orianthi is comfortable in many styles of playing, but there is always a heaping dose of the blues. I asked about her blues influences, and leanings:

"Yeah, I grew up listening to Hendrix, B.B. King, Freddie King, Eric Clapton, and my dad had a great vinyl collection. I spent a lot of time listening to them, and Santana was why I wanted to play electric - I had listened to him a lot when I was like eleven, and he's very blues based." 

"Those players who can move you with a couple of notes. I really dig the melodies and the choice of notes, like B.B. and Freddie, I love Robert Johnson as well. I was just listening to Eric playing with Howlin' Wolf this morning. I love the blues, they are just great!"

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Being one of the most in-demand guitarists in the world is a full time job - I asked her how she went about choosing what offers to take, and when to demur:

"If an artist approaches me, and they have this song that I think is cool, or that I think is especially good, if I feel like my guitar playing would fit, then I'll definitely do it. But, if I feel like it's not going to fit, and I rarely pass on something, but if I feel like it's not the right musical match, I'll turn it down. I've been really fortunate to work on so many amazing things and to jam with so many of these icons - I get to learn so much. 

"Sometimes, like when I was auditioning with Michael Jackson - that - I was so nervous doing that! Y'know, I hadn't listened to a lot of Van Halen - I could learn it, but I didn't want to try to fill his shoes, either. I wanted to try and do my own thing. I made the solo (on Beat It) my own kind of blues interpretation of it, and he hired me, but I think when you go into a situation, you want to go into their world. It makes you a better player, a better performer."

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

I then had to ask her a question she's probably grown long tired of, but I really wanted to hear her talk about what it was like working with Michael Jackson:

"When we started rehearsing, it was a secret, so I couldn't tell anybody! I was like sickly nervous for the first few days - I didn't know what to expect, but he was so sweet and just an incredible dancer and musician. He knew every part to every one of his songs - it was kind of amazing, he had every part programmed in his head, he was like, 'I want this part to sound like this....' Just really hands on - yeah, I really loved working with him, and I wish he was still around. He was one of a kind, for sure!"

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

At the Duesenberg NAMM party, Orianthi, Glen Sobel, and Chuck Garric played many selections from her new solo album, Heaven In This Hell, and I will say that they rocked. Melodic, bluesy hard rock of the highest caliber, and she had this to say about the new record:

"Heaven In This Hell - this record, I am just so excited about it! We began about a year ago down in Nashville - we recorded at Blackbird Studio with good friend Dave Stewart. We'd been writing songs together for a couple of years now, and he had gone down to Nashville to make his record (The Ringmaster General), and he called me up and said, 'Hey, I'm making this record in Nashville, you should come down and check out this studio - it's amazing, and the musicians are incredible!' So I said, OK, and got on a plane the next day, and went over there - I hung out for a few days, watched him record, and it was so good, the musicians were incredible and they just really vibed off one another. The energy was great, and they were all sweet people - it's just all about the music. 

"I really dug that - after spending about three days and listening to them recording and playing - I played some on Girl In The Cat Suit, and drank martinis! 

"So, for the next couple of weeks I went over there, and made my record. We actually did eight tracks and then finished it with the guys in LA. We've got Glen Sobel from the Alice Cooper band playing drums on the single, Frozen. We just cut that the other day and I'm super excited about it! 

"It's a new sound from the last album, but I think it's important to change things up a bit. It's more sort of rockin' blues, but still commercial."

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Even though she was playing at a party for Duesenberg Guitars, she still proudly played her PRS guitars - I asked about her feeling for Paul Reed Smiths:

"I love the guitars - I've been playing them since I was eleven! I picked them up because of Santana, after watching Sacred Fire, and going to his shows. They are pieces of art, every one of them is different. The sound is always great - they have their own personality. I use a Custom 24 a lot, it is really, really versatile, and the Custom 22, as well. It has a bit heavier sound. I love them all, and on tour with Alice Cooper, I'm using one with a Floyd Rose locking term. I just love it - it cuts through. 

"Paul has been a huge supporter, and everyone that works at that company, they really listen and they are so passionate about the guitars. When I go to the factory, there is just such great energy there - everyone loves music. I love the instruments, and I love playing them!"

Orianthi also names her every instrument:

"I name them all, yeah! It's a bit like pets - it's like buying a puppy. 'This looks like a Pumba, or this looks like a Harriet.' You look at a guitar, and they all have their own personalities."

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Our time was running short, so I wrapped things up by asking what advice she had to offer fledging musicians who may be scratching their heads wondering, 'How's Orianthi done it?':

"Y'know....it's like....you never stop playing, never stop jamming, creating - just play as much as you can. The more you do, the more you grow, and you find your own voice. 

"It's not an easy industry by any means. You really have to believe in yourself, as well. Finding your voice, finding out where you fit and who you are is very important. Collaborating, I love, because you learn so much, and the songs often end up sounding more colorful - I think that sometimes when I write something myself, I tend to be a certain way, but collaborating with someone else, whether it's the energy in the room, or whatever it is, you get inspired and you may go down a different path!"

Photo by Jason Barr/Revival Photography

Sage advice from one of the coolest musicians on the planet - given all the fame and adulation, Orianthi could be a mess of ego and bad habits at this point, but she remains firmly tethered to the earth, and as humble and approachable as could be. She has talent, chops, loads of cool, and she has it all under control - I'm guessing she's only just begun.

All photographs by Jason Barr/Revival Photography - Shot at the Duesenberg Guitars/65amps party for NAMM 2013 at the Imperial Ballroom in historic Fullerton, California.

Thanks to Orianthi, Jason and Heather Barr at Revival Photography, and Karen Webb at pr2 public relations!