Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 2783 Location: Chino, CA
Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 7:32 pm Post subject: Guthrie's NAMM Gig at Tone Merchants - Jan 19, 2007
It was another memorable NAMM week in Anaheim: got to meet a lot of cool guys - dealers (old and new), Suhr fans (old and new), various artists - and checked out some new gear but mainly spent time at the Suhr booth greeting dealers and fans with John and rest of the Suhr staff. For me, the highlight was Guthrie's NAMM gig at Tone Merchants on Friday night. I've seen Guthrie perform a dozen times by now and I didn't know what to expect for this gig featuring his brother Seth Govan on bass and Joel Taylor on drums. Joel is a monster drummer who is immensely respected in the LA fusion music scene, having played with Allan Holdsworth, Mike Landau, Frank Gambale, OHM, Scott Henderson, etc. The thing is Joel didn't get to listen to Guthrie's 'Erotic Cakes' album until Jan 18, Thu. Guthrie had played with Joel on a side recording project a few months ago but that was the extent of Guthrie's playing time with Joel. Joel rehearsed with Guthrie and Seth for the first time on Fri afternoon at TM for the very first time about 5 hours before the gig!!!
Everyone - Scott, for instance - had told me that Joel has this extraordinary ability to absorb massive amounts of new material in a very short amount of time and do a gig and then get through it with flying colors as if he had been playing that material with the new band for ages. I was telling Scott that Guthrie was having a gig with Joel on the drums for the first time at TM with virtually no rehearsal time. Scott said, "Guthrie has nothing to worry about. I played a gig with Joel without any rehearsals and just a chart in front of him and he played like he had been playing with us for 10 years." I relayed that message to Guthrie well before the gig and that info seemed to calm Guthrie quite a lot, as he did seem a bit anxious about playing this gig with virtually no rehearsal time. Having seen Joel play with the likes of Holdsworth and Landau, I didn't worry too much myself, but I was not prepared for the amazing gig that the trio of Guthrie, Seth, and Joel performed on Fri night, Jan 19, 2007.
The evening at TM was a Cornford-sponsored night and opened with a set from JMR and then Favored Nations recording artist Rob Balducci. Guthrie's set started at around 11PM. I got myself a seat 4 rows back of where Guthrie was performing. Now this seat is prime in that it's got the perfect balance of the stage volume (the amps on stage and drums) and the room PA. Guthrie's set was short (given the short time that Joel had to absorb the material and the rehearsal time) and consisted of the following Guthrie favorites:
Sevens
Fives
Wonderful Slippery Thing
Ner Ner
Hangover
Rhode Island Shred
Erotic Cakes
Let's just say that I've seen Guthrie over a dozen times and that this short set was the best I've seen him play. The first two tunes were cool but it felt like Guthrie was still trying to get comfortable with Joel and that the trio members were just feeling each other out. By the middle of the third tune, 'Wonderful Slippery Thing', I just knew that the guys had started clicking with each other and that Guthrie was going to have an awesome night. And I was right. The performances of the last 3 tracks were absolutely spell-binding. It was Guthrie at the very peak of his creative powers and running on all cylinders. By that time, Guthrie (as well as Seth on bass) had gotten extremely comfortable with Joel and he was letting loose, taking chances with no fear and improvising with an extremely free spirit and absolutely mind-boggling technical facility and control. The first two tunes had a few rough spots and Guthrie seemed like he was still trying to get his footing, but it was soon clear that Guthrie was on fire. And seeing Guthrie on fire is truly a sight to behold - totally awe-inspiring. I was completely mesmerized and in a virtual state of delirium as Guthrie peeled off impossible licks time and time again with a sense of tension and unpredictability that had me hanging by the edge of the seat.
That's the thing about Guthrie: you never know where he's going. Just when I think I have an idea of what he'll play next, he takes a totally unexpected detour and takes me (and the other members of the audience) on a wild ride throught a curvy mountain road at breakneck speeds. Guthrie plays with an abandon that makes you feel like he's going to veer off the cliff, but somehow he hangs on and leaves you begging for more thrills and chills. You always wonder if Guthrie will be able to top the solos of familiar tunes that we've now seen or heard over and over again on the videos and the CD. Well, no need to wonder: more often than not, Guthrie will top any previous versions and he sure did so on Fri night at Tone Merchants. I can tell you that Guthrie is constantly improving - not so much in chops or speed, but in terms of creative ideas and improved technical control to let those ideas flow through his fingers. As far as the flow of ideas, it was overwhelming - at times, Guthrie truly displayed absolute freedom on the instrument, unleashing a torrent of musical ideas (not just notes) and playing things I have never seen or heard him do before. Just when I start feeling comfortable with what he's doing, he breaks 'em all down and, yet again, shows that there's a lot more that we haven't heard of him and that he's just getting better and better all the time.
As for his interplay with Joel, playing together live for the very first time, it was absolutely uncanny. The timing and the interplay were virtually perfect - indeed as if they'd been playing together for years, not merely just hours as they had been. I talked to Joel after the gig and told him how tight the band was and that it was amazing that he had learned all that stuff in such a short amount of time. All Joel said was: "Well, Guthrie gave me good charts and I just read off from the charts." Yeah, talk about modesty. Talking to Guthrie afterwards, he acknowledged that Joel drove him to new heights and territories once he felt settled in with what Joel was doing. Guthrie simply said that it was a very "fun" gig - his way of saying that it was a special one to be remembered for a long time to come.
I talked to Noel at TM about the filming of the gig and he said that they missed the first two tunes but the remainder was captured on tape. So I guess we can expect to see some footage on the TM site and YouTube soon. Even Guthrie told me that he'd be happy to see some of that footage appear on YouTube - now when Guthrie says something like that, you know he was happy with how the gig turned out. Guthrie is reaching new heights, inspired by the creativity and the harmonic fearlessness of one of his few favorite players - Scott Henderson. BTW, Scott and Guthrie met for the first time during NAMM on that very day at the Cornford booth where Guthrie was working. I wasn't there, but I heard reports from people who witnessed the meeting that Guthrie seemed quite star-struck. Guthrie told me later that it was truly great to meet one of his all-time favorite players and that Scott was one really down-to-earth cool and funny cat. We were commenting that how such a jovial fun-loving guy could be such an "angry" monster player.
Look for some video footage to come out soon from TM. It was too bad that the set was so short, but considering the amount of time they had to put the gig together, it's truly staggering. It seemed that Guthrie and the band were just peaking with the last tune, 'Erotic Cakes', but that was okay. Joel is the perfect drummer for Guthrie and gives him yet one more reason to make the jump over to LA sometime in the future. Guthrie is enjoying the scene and will be at the Baked Potato on both Mon jam night and to see Gambale on Tue night. Guthrie and his little entourage will be visiting Suhr on Wed and that should be a most fun day. The thing that remains so cool about Guthrie is how down-to-earth he is and how he just doesn't take it all too seriously. It's just about "having fun" to him. As far as I'm concerned, he's still ways off from reaching his peak and I believe he'll continue to get better and better as long as he plays the guitar and continues to make music. Friday night was an absolute affirmation of that. He took a lot of chances and he came out ahead. As the saying from "Iliad" goes, "Fortune favors the bold." _________________ Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.
My first time seeing Guthrie and I was not disappoionted. I chatted with him briefly before he went on and he's one of the nicest folks in the world. Quick question for Ed - which Cornford was Guthrie playing on Friday? I didn't think to go check the amp after his set was done, but I must say I've seen tons of excellent guitar players and Guthrie was an absolute MONSTER. I really noticed how quiet the amps were during parts where Guthrie would have a brief rest to let a drum part or bass line come through. The quality of the Cornford as well as Guthrie's string-muting and accuracy really hit home that night. His tone was inspiring and humbling at the same time. Can't wait to see him perform again!
Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 2783 Location: Chino, CA
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:45 am Post subject:
jippy wrote:
My first time seeing Guthrie and I was not disappoionted. I chatted with him briefly before he went on and he's one of the nicest folks in the world. Quick question for Ed - which Cornford was Guthrie playing on Friday? I didn't think to go check the amp after his set was done, but I must say I've seen tons of excellent guitar players and Guthrie was an absolute MONSTER. I really noticed how quiet the amps were during parts where Guthrie would have a brief rest to let a drum part or bass line come through. The quality of the Cornford as well as Guthrie's string-muting and accuracy really hit home that night. His tone was inspiring and humbling at the same time. Can't wait to see him perform again!
Guthrie's main amp now is the MK50II - two completely independent channels along with dual master volumes. It's a very versatile set-up. Guthrie mentioned how nice it was to have the glassy high-headroom clean channel to go along with the face-melting distortion channel.
Yeah, Guthrie and the band were totally on by the 3rd or 4th tune. I could have watched another 2 hours or so. It seemed they had hit a peak with the last tune and we were all like begging for more, more, more!
Guthrie sounded so good. It was a meaner, punchier and more cutting sound yet more refined with a silkier top-end. The mix was virtually perfect. Seth did a magnificent job as well and Joel is simply one of the very best drummers around. I can't wait to see him again either. _________________ Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 570 Location: gothenburg, sweden
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject:
sounds like a fun night ... can't wait for noel @ tonemerchants to deliver some footage.
joel is truly a monster. saw him with holdsworth like five-six years ago. me and a (producer/engineer) friend sat down for an hour afterwards with joel and the meastro in the emptied club. just us. since i was so starstruck and terrified by finding myself in such an intimate situation with holdsworth, trying out different beers and just hanging out (i still can't believe it), i could only look at joel when i managed to open my mouth and say something, even if it was a direct question to allan joel was really friendly and cool. and so was allan, although as always EXTREMELY uncomfortable with the outrageous idea that anyone could like his music ...
it was the best allan gig i'd seen (allan wise). but gary husband and chad wackerman are also the shit.
Thanks for the great review, Ed! I can't wait to see those clips -- maybe you can give us a heads up here once they're posted somewhere.
You mentioned 2 of the 3 players I'd most like to see live -- Guthrie and Scott Henderson (the other one would be Andy Timmons). I really wish there was some way for these guys to tour the states, including some of the more far flung places (like Montana), and make it profitable. I know that their draw is mainly limited to guitar aficionados and a few others with discriminating taste, and that makes it tough to play the smaller markets. I for one would be eager to cough up double the usual concert fee to catch a show and/or clinic by these guys.
In the meantime, I'll wait for the new YouTube clips...
Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 64 Location: Maryland, USA
Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 2:49 am Post subject:
Wow! What a review!
I didn't know that Guthrie would be playing with Joel. I unfortunately missed Ohm: when he was with them on their last Eastern Coast tour. I still have the tickets...just no payoff. But I've heard nothing but good things about Joel and what he's capable of. I look forward to hearing/seeing just a bit of what you all experienced. _________________ My mind still refuses to acknowledge my existence...
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Aspen Park Colorado
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:38 pm Post subject: Tone Merchants show
Ed's review of the night is spot on. I saw Guthrie for the first time that night and I have to agree that he is the most entertaining guitarist that I have ever seen, and I have seen quite a few in my 48 years on this earth.
I suggested to Guthrie at the NAMM show the next day, that he would be a good fit for the G3 tour, with the reason being why he hasn't been asked is because he might steal the show. Satch knows excactly who he is! His humble comments about himself and the respect that he expressed for the guitarists that have toured with that show left me with the opinion that he is not just a class act on the stage, but that he is "in the world", not "of the world" in his approach.
Those of us that were able to see Guthrie in such an intimate setting, are truly blessed.
Having said that, his brother Seth should not be overlooked in the show on the 19th. Seth laid down some pretty tasty foundations for Guthrie to play off of, and I feel that he was a big part of the fluid nature of the night.
There is a chemistry there that is apparent and it was a joy to witness.
Thanks again guys for such an enjoyable evening, it was the highlight of my first trip to NAMM. I look forward to seeing you next year!
I got His demos in the late 90s with some of these songs on it.Derryl Gabel sent it to me.This cd is one of the best this cd and Powers of ten are my favs.
Its was amazing! I was lucky enough to get my cell phone signed by guthrie and seth. And also dave weiner from the "breed" and nick sterling were there spectating. I also can't forget the guy that i mistaked for dave martone. IT WAS UNCANNY! Thanx guthrie, seth, and joel for the highly memorable night. Come back next week please! _________________ 2115: Guthrie's son introduces "Foot legado"
Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 2783 Location: Chino, CA
Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:26 am Post subject:
diesel wrote:
Alex will the other performers be on the dvd? I'm interested in seeing JMR play live too.
Well, Noel at TM advised me that there really isn't enough good footage to make a full-blown DVD. He said that after reviewing the footage that there was a lot of ambient noise happening on several tracks and that the soundguy was making changes during the set and that some of the mixes aren't that good. He said there should still be plenty of good footage for a good number of clips but not a whole DVD.
You see, the thing was that nobody was sure what the band situation was going to be like until the last minute, so to speak. The band didn't rehearse together until the day of the gig, so we (Noel and I) didn't really hype up this performance to much before the gig and we didn't plan on making a full-blown video production out of that night's shows. There was one camera that was mainly there for feeding a projection TV in another room but that was the extent of it.
To tell you the truth, we really didn't know what to expect and didn't set our expectations too high considering the circumstances. Even Guthrie was somewhat concerned about the lack of rehearsal time with Joel before the gig. I don't think even Guthrie expected Joel to do such a magnificent job and drive his playing to venture into new territories with such flying colors! Sorry, it seems some YouTube clips will be all the momentos of this extraordinary gig. _________________ Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.
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Guthrie had played with Joel on a side recording project a few months ago but that was the extent of Guthrie's playing time with Joel. Joel rehearsed with Guthrie and Seth for the first time on Fri afternoon at TM for the very first time about 5 hours before the gig!!!
The performances of the last 3 tracks were absolutely spell-binding. It was Guthrie at the very peak of his creative powers and running on all cylinders. By that time, Guthrie (as well as Seth on bass) had gotten extremely comfortable with Joel and he was letting loose, taking chances with no fear and improvising with an extremely free spirit and absolutely mind-boggling technical facility and control. The first two tunes had a few rough spots and Guthrie seemed like he was still trying to get his footing, but it was soon clear that Guthrie was on fire. And seeing Guthrie on fire is 
Talking to Guthrie afterwards, he acknowledged that Joel drove him to new heights and territories once he felt settled in with what Joel was doing. Guthrie simply said that it was a very "fun" gig - his way of saying that it was a special one to be remembered for a long time to come.
can't wait for noel @ tonemerchants to deliver some footage.
