Category Archives: Artists

B.B. King

March 21, 2012 — Leave a Comment

On September 16, 2011 B.B King turned 86. He has been playing the blues since World War II and he is one of the greatest guitarists who have ever lived. This is the first part in a series that is being made here at Jamorama about the players who have influenced the way we play guitar.

BB was born on a plantation in Mississippi in 1925. His family was poor and as a youth he played guitar for spare change to help his family. Even at a young age he traveled from town to town refining a technique and style that would change the way people played guitar and make B. B. King a house hold name.

The first time B.B. King appeared to a large audience was in 1948 on a radio station in Memphis. This would become a regular set where King would play every week. This along with a gig at a popular restaurant and bar gave King some momentum and popularity.

BB King began to tour around the South then eventually nationally, allowing many people to hear his new style. On one of the many gigs King played over the years a fight erupted in the crowd. This fight led to a kerosene stove being knocked over and a wild fire raged. King along with patrons and staff ran from the building. However King had left his favorite guitar in the burning building. Ignoring the risk he ran back into the fire to retrieve his prided position. When the smoke died down King discovered that the men where fighting over a girl called Lucille. Since that day has named ever guitar he has owned ‘Lucille’ so he remembers never to get upset over a women.

Though BB King was popular until the late 60s his audience was still mainly black. This was until he was chosen to open for the Rolling Stones on a world tour. Also many other famous white musicians were openly proclaiming King’s brilliance. King’s introduction to the mainstream audience caused his popularity and record sales to soar.

BB King’s style and tone is easy to identify. His wild string bending and vibrato are distinctive and his gravelly voice cuts through recordings and adds character to his music. In contrast to many skilled guitarists he has a remarkable economy and restraint with his playing. King only plays for the song and doesn’t get involved in over indulgent extended solos. Also because of the length of his career BB King has been through many musical trends and styles. This has meant that his style is a collection of many genres and in a sense King has created his own style.

BB King has been inducted into the Rock and Roll and the Blues Hall of Fame. He has received a Grammy and many honorary doctorates including one from Yale. Even though he is 86 BB King still tours playing his songs to the world. His legacy to music and guitar playing cannot be overestimated and for that reason the music and the man will never be forgotten.

Ahhh! What a big influence BB king was, is and will be in every guitarists life!

Cheers Riley B. King!

Luis Tovar

Posted in art, blues, guitar zen | Tagged , ,

How can I make money playing my guitar?

February 8, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Becoming a professional musician is a long, hard road. However this is not to say it is impossible. Anyone with a desire to become successful at something can do it. This applies to music and any other field that you could want to apply yourself to. When I first decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to music many people questioned my decision. However in my mind I knew that I had a passion to become a successful artist and that nothing was going to stop me. This is the most important part of becoming a professional. The simple fact is the entertainment industry is the most fickle industry out there, it’s hard and there are ton of people trying to ‘make it’.

I was born in a small town and grew up playing the bars and clubs there, making a small amount each week, but I wanted more. I initially thought that the only way that I would make a ‘decent’ living would be to become a famous musician and to be able to tour the world in my private jet (well I never quite got a private jet but I did manage to tour extensively overseas).

Most people, like myself initially, think the only money in the industry is with being a famous musician and many people overlook the other options that are out there to make money from your guitar. Here are a few ideas:

- Teaching guitar (once you have mastered the skills share them with others for a fee)
- Making/designing guitars or amps (if you are handy with tools or electrical knowledge this could be an option)
- Playing covers in café’s/bars (there is a large market for playing songs that everyone knows and loves)

The most important thing, however, is to DECIDE you’re going to succeed and don’t let anything or anyone stop you. Like anything, just stick at it and you will succeed. Well, that’s about it for this newsletter. Next week I’ll talk about the Star Spangled Banner, and in our Tech Tips section I’ll answer a question about getting a “metal” sound on your guitar.

Good luck with your practice.

Posted by Ben Edwards.

Posted in learning, music | Tagged , , ,

Paul Chase

February 6, 2012 — Leave a Comment

When it comes to hooking up your jam or practice room with inspiration art is a great way to go. We`ve already had a look at Michael Babyak and today its the turn of Paul Chase.

Paul Chase is an internationally known artist, author, innovator, visionary and guitarist. He is the founder and CEO of  Graphicguitars Inc., fine art guitar paintings, prints and posters. He received a Bachelors degree in Art and a Masters in Communications. He has taught art in high schools, vocational/technical school, and at the college level for over 30 years. Paul is a distant relative of the “other” famous American artist Georgia O’Keeffe (and they are both developed their art “roots” in hometown Sun Prairie, WI) and his large close up guitar images reflect her large close up flower series. Pauls art is available for purchase online here at Rock N Roll Vintage.

Check it out!

Posted in art, music | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Listening and guitar II

February 6, 2012 — Leave a Comment

After the last post on listening and guitar  it’s time to focus upon one of the world’s greatest listeners, Evelyn Glennie, the Scottish virtuoso percussionist who has been profoundly deaf since age 12.

This does not inhibit her ability to perform at the international level. She regularly plays barefoot for both live performances and studio recordings, to better “feel” the music. Glennie contends that deafness is largely misunderstood by the public. She claims to have taught herself to hear with parts of her body other than her ears.

In the photograph at top we can see Evelyn with English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith who uses some highly unusual and  enlightening techniques. Here is Evelyn discussing how to listen with your whole body rather than simply using your ears.

Indeed, this is a highly valuable lecture for any musician and the reason I’ve included it here on the Jamorama guitar blog is because of the highly tactile nature of the guitar – especially the electric guitar – and how the guitar as an instrument makes such a tight connection possible between physical approach (strumming, fretting, vibrato etcetera), the intellectual (musicality) and the emotional. Remember there are no rules and no right or wrong – we all hear differently, we all play differently! Groove to the beat of your own drum.

Posted in guitar zen, learning, music | Tagged ,

Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar Guitar

February 3, 2012 — Leave a Comment

Fender has struck again. This time at the hearts of early-90s, Nirvana loving guitarists with a penchant for hard rock…the way rock ought to be.

Carefully crafted to exacting precision, they’ve reproduced Kirk Cobain’s “battle-hardened left-handed Jaguar” including all the unusual details and the unique electronics that were on-board when Cobain first acquired the guitar in 1991.

Just some of the unique features included is the Stratocaster® Headstock, the Volume, Volume, Tone Control configuration, Adjusto-matic™ Bridge and Road worn aged finish. All this adds up to a very authentic copy of the axe used by Cobain, the left handed guitarist who “led a musically stunning and culturally subversive movement.”

newsletter28 gear kcjaguar Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar Guitar

So why would you want a copy of something like this if you want to do more than merely emulate a bygone musical era? I think the reason is two fold. First, inspiration. We take our inspiration from people that have been successful in the past. Perhaps secretly, hoping that some of their magic will rub off on us. Inspiration is quite different to taking something old and making it new. It’s about taking the essence of something old and creating something new with it.

And second, tone. Every guitar ever made has a unique tone because of the natural qualities of wood. A tree, when cut down, continues to ‘live’ as it changes with age. And while each Kurt Cobain Jaguar will have its own unique tone, unable to be replicated by the next one, each one will have within it an aspect of the tone that Cobain made famous.

Yes, there are guitar effects that color a guitars sound, but switch them all off and what you have is something raw. Something stripped back and complete. Something…unique.

Check out the sound of this beauty with BrewersArcade video:

ab4e2097d32a3cfb2d407817c82c42dd Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar Guitar

Posted by Dan Orr.

Posted in buying guitars, Electric Guitars, gear, Rock
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