-
Pete Prown
Allman Brothers Band
Final Concert 10-28-14
It’s been a decade since the final ABB show at The Beacon Theatre and it’s now available via CD or digital format. No surprise, Final Concert is a guitar fest with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks tearing up everything from “Whipping Post” to “Melissa.” For the opener, Haynes and Trucks play a lilting duet of…
-
Pete Prown
Yasmin Williams
Acadia
Yasmin Williams has been making a buzz for several years now, but is really hitting her stride with a new album that finds her collaborating with fresh voices and players including guitarist Kaki King and indie-folk star Aoife O’Donovan. With King and violinist Darian Thomas, “Harvest” is Yasmin’s upbeat concoction of arpeggios and melodies, accented…
-
Pete Prown
Electro-Harmonix POG III Big Generator
Big Generator
Introduced in 2005, the Electro-Harmonix Polyphonic Octave Generator – a.k.a. POG – has spurred a handful of offshoots and updates. Born as an ultimate octave box, it conjures everything from electronic synth-bass, eight-string bass, and 12-string guitar to organs and harpsichords along with a universe of synthesizer textures. Set up like a mixer, the new…
-
Pete Prown
Keeley Electronics Zoma
’65 Vibe
Inspired by Robert Keeley’s fondness for combining effects, the digital Keeley Electonics Zoma Stereo Reverb and Tremolo simplifies interface and function compared to his earlier Hydra pedal and many other reverbs on the market. The concept is to deliver reverb and modulation that brings to mind ’60s blackface, while upping ease of operation. There are…
-
Pete Prown
Kristian Borring
Time Zone
Kristian Borring is a jazz guitarist who lives in Perth, Australia, but sends his fearless playing echoing around the planet via his trio, Number Junky, which just released its second album, Birak. Borring is intriguing because of the fluidity of his improvisations, which can jump between single-note phrases and chords in a flash – the…
-
Pete Prown
Yasmin Williams
Art of Collaboration
Yasmin Williams turned heads a few years ago with her brilliant solo acoustic music, often playing the guitar flat on her lap and tapping on the neck, like a piano. With her latest, Acadia, she connected with other great musicians, framing her guitar work with larger ensembles and collaborations including guitarist Kaki King, singer Aoife…
-
Pete Prown
Remembering Vic Flick
From Bond to the Beatles
The music world lost session legend Vic Flick on November 17, at age 87. While not a household name, Flick’s soundtrack riff in James Bond movies became one of the most-famous licks in guitar history, beginning with 1962’s Dr. No. “Almost every guitar player is familiar with his phrase used in the James Bond themes,”…
-
Pete Prown
1940- 2024
Phil Lesh
The rock world was saddened to learn of bassist Phil Lesh’s death on October 25, at age 84. Perhaps the definitive jam-band bassist, he was a founding member of the Grateful Dead and pioneer of rock-bass improvisation. Born March 15, 1940, Lesh played violin and trumpet as a child, and later became a serious student…
-
Pete Prown
The Fractal VP4
Pedal Power
Famous for amp and cabinet models made to replace an amp for direct recording or plugging right into a PA, Fractal Audio has also developed an array of highly regarded effects. But its new VP4 is a significant departure that is designed to work with a player’s favorite guitar amp – not replace it. Boasting…
-
Pete Prown
The Pinter SB1-R
Days of Sustain
Mike Pinter conceived his new SB1-R as a do-it-all “rock star” guitar that would combine design concepts and tone choices in an attractive package. The SB1-R starts with an alder body, bolt-on/one-piece maple neck and pau ferro fretboard using 22 frets, black inlays, and a compound 10″-to-16″ compound radius. Each buyer gets to choose fret…
