Tue January 27, 2015
Eclectic Guitar: Eric Johnson & Mike Stern
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at The Addition - CLOSED
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ERIC JOHNSON
One of the most outstanding instrumentalists in rock over the past 30 years, Texas guitar slinger and GRAMMY® Award winner Eric Johnson was already a legend before he recorded his first album. By the early ‘80s, such celebrated guitarists as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, the Dixie Dregs’ Steve Morse and famed session man and former Steely Dan member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter began singing the praises of this skinny kid from Austin with the mind-melting chops. Comparisons were made to such guitar heroes as Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix while his ‘70s fusion band Electromagnets was being hailed as “the Mahavishnu Orchestra of Texas.” And though the band’s 1975 self-titled regionally-distributed debut album was long out out of print, the legend of Eric Johnson spread via cassettes passed around within guitar circles. With the release of his highly-anticipated 1986 solo debut, Tones, the underground guitar legend finally emerged onto the scene fully-formed. And with the release of his eagerly-awaited follow up album, 1990’s platinum-selling Ah Via Musicom, which contained the GRAMMY® Award-winning crossover hit single “Cliffs of Dover,” Johnson became a bona fide international guitar phenomenon.
The New Age Music Guide once opined that “Eric Johnson plays guitar the way Michelangelo painted ceilings: with a colorful vibrancy that’s more real than life” whileRolling Stone included him in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of the 21st century. A dynamic singer as well as an incredibly gifted guitarist and prolific songwriter, Johnson has been featured on the cover of countless guitar magazines around the world while also racking up critical accolades and mega-sales along the way. He has been a featured performer at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and appeared alongside fellow six-stringers Steve Vai and Joe Satriani on their celebrated ‘G3’ tours of 1997 and 2008. He has also been a fixture on the Experience Hendrix Tour, performing the music of his main guitar inspiration across the country. This fall, Johnson will participate in his seventh Experience Hendrix Tour overall.
On his latest, Eclectic, recorded at his studio in Austin with fellow guitar star Mike Stern, Johnson digs deep and makes a major impact. For music aficionados, this collaboration is a match made in heaven.
MIKE STERN
One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, as well as 16 recordings as a leader (six of which were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards). An electrifying soloist whose blistering chops combine rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern has the ability to instantly elevate the proceedings on any gig or session he plays by channeling the spirits of his own personal guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Albert King.
On his latest recording, Eclectic, Stern goes toe-to-toe with Texas guitar slinger Eric Johnson in a scintillating, six-string summit meeting that is manna for guitar aficionados. And as the title suggests, these two modern day guitar heroes cut a wide stylistic swath on eleven originals while showcasing their mutual love of Hendrix on the iconic blues, “Red House.” Unlike his previous recording, All Over the Place, which featured a sprawling cast of characters, Eclectic was recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin with a core group of the two celebrated guitarists, bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Anton Fig (with only a few selected guests, including Mike’s wife Leni Stern on n’goni and vocals and singer-songwriter Christopher Cross on backing vocals). “My records lately have been with a whole bunch of different people, but this was really cool to just have one group and barely add any overdubs,” says Stern. “It was really kind of live, which I have always liked to do. We just set up and played. And because it was Eric’s studio, no one was looking at the clock. So the record really went down fast, but we had plenty of time to do it.”
Eclectic is scheduled for an October 27, 2014 release on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.
show less
One of the most outstanding instrumentalists in rock over the past 30 years, Texas guitar slinger and GRAMMY® Award winner Eric Johnson was already a legend before he recorded his first album. By the early ‘80s, such celebrated guitarists as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, the Dixie Dregs’ Steve Morse and famed session man and former Steely Dan member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter began singing the praises of this skinny kid from Austin with the mind-melting chops. Comparisons were made to such guitar heroes as Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix while his ‘70s fusion band Electromagnets was being hailed as “the Mahavishnu Orchestra of Texas.” And though the band’s 1975 self-titled regionally-distributed debut album was long out out of print, the legend of Eric Johnson spread via cassettes passed around within guitar circles. With the release of his highly-anticipated 1986 solo debut, Tones, the underground guitar legend finally emerged onto the scene fully-formed. And with the release of his eagerly-awaited follow up album, 1990’s platinum-selling Ah Via Musicom, which contained the GRAMMY® Award-winning crossover hit single “Cliffs of Dover,” Johnson became a bona fide international guitar phenomenon.
The New Age Music Guide once opined that “Eric Johnson plays guitar the way Michelangelo painted ceilings: with a colorful vibrancy that’s more real than life” whileRolling Stone included him in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of the 21st century. A dynamic singer as well as an incredibly gifted guitarist and prolific songwriter, Johnson has been featured on the cover of countless guitar magazines around the world while also racking up critical accolades and mega-sales along the way. He has been a featured performer at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and appeared alongside fellow six-stringers Steve Vai and Joe Satriani on their celebrated ‘G3’ tours of 1997 and 2008. He has also been a fixture on the Experience Hendrix Tour, performing the music of his main guitar inspiration across the country. This fall, Johnson will participate in his seventh Experience Hendrix Tour overall.
On his latest, Eclectic, recorded at his studio in Austin with fellow guitar star Mike Stern, Johnson digs deep and makes a major impact. For music aficionados, this collaboration is a match made in heaven.
MIKE STERN
One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, as well as 16 recordings as a leader (six of which were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards). An electrifying soloist whose blistering chops combine rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern has the ability to instantly elevate the proceedings on any gig or session he plays by channeling the spirits of his own personal guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Albert King.
On his latest recording, Eclectic, Stern goes toe-to-toe with Texas guitar slinger Eric Johnson in a scintillating, six-string summit meeting that is manna for guitar aficionados. And as the title suggests, these two modern day guitar heroes cut a wide stylistic swath on eleven originals while showcasing their mutual love of Hendrix on the iconic blues, “Red House.” Unlike his previous recording, All Over the Place, which featured a sprawling cast of characters, Eclectic was recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin with a core group of the two celebrated guitarists, bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Anton Fig (with only a few selected guests, including Mike’s wife Leni Stern on n’goni and vocals and singer-songwriter Christopher Cross on backing vocals). “My records lately have been with a whole bunch of different people, but this was really cool to just have one group and barely add any overdubs,” says Stern. “It was really kind of live, which I have always liked to do. We just set up and played. And because it was Eric’s studio, no one was looking at the clock. So the record really went down fast, but we had plenty of time to do it.”
Eclectic is scheduled for an October 27, 2014 release on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.
ERIC JOHNSON
One of the most outstanding instrumentalists in rock over the past 30 years, Texas guitar slinger and GRAMMY® Award winner Eric Johnson was already a legend before he recorded his first album. By the early ‘80s, such celebrated guitarists as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, the Dixie Dregs’ Steve Morse and famed session man and former Steely Dan member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter began singing the praises of this skinny kid from Austin with the mind-melting chops. Comparisons were made to such guitar heroes as Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix while his ‘70s fusion band Electromagnets was being hailed as “the Mahavishnu Orchestra of Texas.” And though the band’s 1975 self-titled regionally-distributed debut album was long out out of print, the legend of Eric Johnson spread via cassettes passed around within guitar circles. With the release of his highly-anticipated 1986 solo debut, Tones, the underground guitar legend finally emerged onto the scene fully-formed. And with the release of his eagerly-awaited follow up album, 1990’s platinum-selling Ah Via Musicom, which contained the GRAMMY® Award-winning crossover hit single “Cliffs of Dover,” Johnson became a bona fide international guitar phenomenon.
The New Age Music Guide once opined that “Eric Johnson plays guitar the way Michelangelo painted ceilings: with a colorful vibrancy that’s more real than life” whileRolling Stone included him in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of the 21st century. A dynamic singer as well as an incredibly gifted guitarist and prolific songwriter, Johnson has been featured on the cover of countless guitar magazines around the world while also racking up critical accolades and mega-sales along the way. He has been a featured performer at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and appeared alongside fellow six-stringers Steve Vai and Joe Satriani on their celebrated ‘G3’ tours of 1997 and 2008. He has also been a fixture on the Experience Hendrix Tour, performing the music of his main guitar inspiration across the country. This fall, Johnson will participate in his seventh Experience Hendrix Tour overall.
On his latest, Eclectic, recorded at his studio in Austin with fellow guitar star Mike Stern, Johnson digs deep and makes a major impact. For music aficionados, this collaboration is a match made in heaven.
MIKE STERN
One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, as well as 16 recordings as a leader (six of which were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards). An electrifying soloist whose blistering chops combine rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern has the ability to instantly elevate the proceedings on any gig or session he plays by channeling the spirits of his own personal guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Albert King.
On his latest recording, Eclectic, Stern goes toe-to-toe with Texas guitar slinger Eric Johnson in a scintillating, six-string summit meeting that is manna for guitar aficionados. And as the title suggests, these two modern day guitar heroes cut a wide stylistic swath on eleven originals while showcasing their mutual love of Hendrix on the iconic blues, “Red House.” Unlike his previous recording, All Over the Place, which featured a sprawling cast of characters, Eclectic was recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin with a core group of the two celebrated guitarists, bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Anton Fig (with only a few selected guests, including Mike’s wife Leni Stern on n’goni and vocals and singer-songwriter Christopher Cross on backing vocals). “My records lately have been with a whole bunch of different people, but this was really cool to just have one group and barely add any overdubs,” says Stern. “It was really kind of live, which I have always liked to do. We just set up and played. And because it was Eric’s studio, no one was looking at the clock. So the record really went down fast, but we had plenty of time to do it.”
Eclectic is scheduled for an October 27, 2014 release on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.
read more
One of the most outstanding instrumentalists in rock over the past 30 years, Texas guitar slinger and GRAMMY® Award winner Eric Johnson was already a legend before he recorded his first album. By the early ‘80s, such celebrated guitarists as ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, the Dixie Dregs’ Steve Morse and famed session man and former Steely Dan member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter began singing the praises of this skinny kid from Austin with the mind-melting chops. Comparisons were made to such guitar heroes as Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix while his ‘70s fusion band Electromagnets was being hailed as “the Mahavishnu Orchestra of Texas.” And though the band’s 1975 self-titled regionally-distributed debut album was long out out of print, the legend of Eric Johnson spread via cassettes passed around within guitar circles. With the release of his highly-anticipated 1986 solo debut, Tones, the underground guitar legend finally emerged onto the scene fully-formed. And with the release of his eagerly-awaited follow up album, 1990’s platinum-selling Ah Via Musicom, which contained the GRAMMY® Award-winning crossover hit single “Cliffs of Dover,” Johnson became a bona fide international guitar phenomenon.
The New Age Music Guide once opined that “Eric Johnson plays guitar the way Michelangelo painted ceilings: with a colorful vibrancy that’s more real than life” whileRolling Stone included him in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of the 21st century. A dynamic singer as well as an incredibly gifted guitarist and prolific songwriter, Johnson has been featured on the cover of countless guitar magazines around the world while also racking up critical accolades and mega-sales along the way. He has been a featured performer at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival and appeared alongside fellow six-stringers Steve Vai and Joe Satriani on their celebrated ‘G3’ tours of 1997 and 2008. He has also been a fixture on the Experience Hendrix Tour, performing the music of his main guitar inspiration across the country. This fall, Johnson will participate in his seventh Experience Hendrix Tour overall.
On his latest, Eclectic, recorded at his studio in Austin with fellow guitar star Mike Stern, Johnson digs deep and makes a major impact. For music aficionados, this collaboration is a match made in heaven.
MIKE STERN
One of the most esteemed electric guitarists of his generation, Mike Stern has distinguished himself over a four-decade career that has encompassed musical partnerships with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, the Brecker Brothers and Joe Henderson, as well as 16 recordings as a leader (six of which were nominated for GRAMMY® Awards). An electrifying soloist whose blistering chops combine rock-fusion firepower with sophisticated jazz harmonies and his inherently bluesy string bending prowess, Stern has the ability to instantly elevate the proceedings on any gig or session he plays by channeling the spirits of his own personal guitar heroes Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Albert King.
On his latest recording, Eclectic, Stern goes toe-to-toe with Texas guitar slinger Eric Johnson in a scintillating, six-string summit meeting that is manna for guitar aficionados. And as the title suggests, these two modern day guitar heroes cut a wide stylistic swath on eleven originals while showcasing their mutual love of Hendrix on the iconic blues, “Red House.” Unlike his previous recording, All Over the Place, which featured a sprawling cast of characters, Eclectic was recorded in three days at Johnson’s studio in Austin with a core group of the two celebrated guitarists, bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Anton Fig (with only a few selected guests, including Mike’s wife Leni Stern on n’goni and vocals and singer-songwriter Christopher Cross on backing vocals). “My records lately have been with a whole bunch of different people, but this was really cool to just have one group and barely add any overdubs,” says Stern. “It was really kind of live, which I have always liked to do. We just set up and played. And because it was Eric’s studio, no one was looking at the clock. So the record really went down fast, but we had plenty of time to do it.”
Eclectic is scheduled for an October 27, 2014 release on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group.
show less
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The Addition - CLOSED
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