Josh Meader is a jazz and fusion player who breaks ground with virtuosity that’s never flashy for its own sake. On his new album, Tide of Times, the young Aussie ace blends styles on a dime, hybridizing music before our eyes; videos online include an especially stunning non-album rendition of “Misty.” It’s fascinating, seeing Meader changing jazz guitar in real time.
Did you study formally?
I studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music for four years and got to study with amazing Australian jazz legends. But my dad has been my biggest teacher in life and music, and started teaching me guitar formally from the age of seven. Around 10, he started introducing me to music theory, which formed a strong foundation for everything I studied later on.
We hear dashes of Pat Metheny and Allan Holdsworth in your playing. Who are your influences?
Metheny and Holdsworth are both definitely massive influences for me! Also, Biréli Lagrene and Sylvain Luc – I have listened to their duo albums so much, and they’re what got me into jazz. Guthrie Govan, Shawn Lane, and Greg Howe are also huge fusion favorites for me. Other guitarists across genres that have inspired me deeply are Kurt Rosenwinkel, Wes Montgomery, Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen, Django Reinhardt, and Stochelo Rosenberg of the Rosenberg Trio.
How did you develop your technique that bridges rock, jazz, and tapping/sweeping all at once.
By trying to emulate my favorite players and the techniques associated with their vocabulary, including other instruments such as saxophone and piano. I always saw technique in service of specific musical ideas. For example, I would practice sweeping to Frank Gambale phrases, or legato/tapping to attempt Guthrie Govan ideas. My current technique is a real blend of it all – a hybrid of alternate, economy and legato picking, and fingering.
How can a guitarist break out of the Dorian mode or blues scale, and try jazz runs?
I’d say the best way is through transcribing your favorite players. That’s how I’ve learned most of what I play when it comes to this concept. Especially if you really try and understand what’s being used by that player within, say, a single phrase. Then, try to use that phrase within your own improvisation all over the fretboard, in different keys and different positions.
“Energy” speaks to the music of the Pat Metheny Group and has complicated rhythms. Are there charts, or do you just show people their parts?
It is definitely inspired by my love for Pat’s music, especially his Unity Band, and by the amazing Dutch guitarist Reinier Baas. I brought it to the trio and we significantly changed it during the arranging and rehearsal process. We often loop sections at different tempos, starting off slow and gradually increasing speed to nail those rhythmically challenging parts.
Speaking of intimidating time signatures, what time is the intro to “Ultraviolet”?
It’s based on complex rhythmic patterns of three, four, and five notes. As a band, we definitely aren’t counting that all out. Instead, we have internalized the feeling of the riff by rehearsing it a lot together. I’d say the biggest thing that has helped me is understanding that any rhythmic structure should eventually have a natural feeling. That’s music.
Describe your ideal guitar tone.
I like warm, rich, and full-sounding guitar tones, without any harshness at the front of the note, which is hard to achieve with a clean sound. I love the sound of the tenor saxophone and my ideal tone is heavily inspired by sax, especially the sound of jazz legends John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, and Chris Potter. Some of my buttery clean tones are from Kurt Rosenwinkel and Metheny. I think Kurt’s guitar tone and playing are incredibly inspiring, especially the sound he achieved on “Zhivago” with the Orquestra Jazz de Matosinhos – go watch that video online.
What gear did you use on Tide of Times?
The guitars are my signature Kiesel JM1, a ’79 Ibanez AS-200, an Abasi Legion seven-string, and an acoustic 12-string. The amp I used almost exclusively was a Matchless Avalon 30 combo paired with my Quad Cortex and the Strymon BigSky and TimeLine pedals.
Your approach to jazz is very 21st-century in that it constantly jumps between styles and rhythms. Can you discuss how you’re interpreting jazz today?
I guess jazz has the opportunity to be influenced by many different styles, because of the internet. We have the incredible access to listen and be inspired by everything around the world. The ability we have to hear new music/musicians has never been greater and, among other things, that’s having a huge impact on those genre lines – or blurring them completely, which is exciting to me. – Pete Prown
This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
