Category: Newswire

The Allman Brothers Band will return to the Beacon Theatre in New York City to perform eight shows beginning March 10 and continuing through March 19.

"No band is as closely associated with one single venue as the Allman Brothers have been with The Beacon Theatre," said Jay Marciano, president, Madison Square Garden Entertainment. "The Beacon is their home. For more than 40 years, The Allman Brothers Band has epitomized the best in rock n’roll. They are undoubtedly one of the greatest live performers of our day and have the most loyal and devoted fans around. When they take the stage at The Beacon, something electrifying happens that is experienced by both the band and their fans. We are thrilled for their return and look forward to eight extraordinary nights of music."

"We are thrilled to return to The Beacon," said Gregg Allman. "It’s our New York home and truly where we belong. We have the most dedicated and loyal fans and know that they will be happy to have us back home."

"It will be great to see the band back where they belong," said Kevin Morrow, president, New York Live Nation.

The Allman Brothers Band are musical pioneers that have forever defined the genre of jazz-influenced, free-form rock since 1969. The band’s first concert at the Beacon Theatre was held in 1989 and since that time it has been a long-standing tradition and annual rite of Spring for their loyal fans to attend the ‘The Beacon Run.’

In 2009, The Allman Brothers Band celebrated their 40th anniversary at The Beacon with a 15-night run. The shows were dedicated to Duane Allman and attracted guests including Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Trey Anastasio, Billy Gibbons, Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. The run’s final performance marked the Allman Brothers 188th show at The Beacon, holding the record for most performances by a band or artist at the venue.

Gretsch Guitars recently launched a new website, giving it a look and feel as cool and iconic as its instruments. The site includes a product section with up-to-date information and specifications, as well as an artist page, a blog, and a forum where enthusiasts discuss favorite instruments and artists. Go to gretschguitars.com.

Heavy Leather NYC is a hand-made, detailed, and all-leather guitar strap line with a range of styles including old western, glam rock, hippie, and reggae. Creator Rachael Becker combines her love of leather and heavy metal, and has strapped rockers such as Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Slash, Uli Jon Roth, and Eric Peterson. Learn more at heavyleathernyc.com.

Joe Satriani, will be appearing on "The Tonight Show" this Monday, November 29, joining Rickey Minor and The Tonight Show band throughout the entire show. Along with the band, Satriani will be performing some of his signature songs as well as some favorite rock tunes.

Satriani released his 14th studio album, <em>Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards</em>, October 5, then embarked on a world tour beginning October 16 in Dublin, Ireland and including sold-out dates in London, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Moscow, and many other cities.

North American dates begin on December 1 in Atlanta, with scheduled stops in Chicago, New York, and Boston. The second leg of the tour will begin January 4 in Edmonton with dates confirmed in Seattle, Portland, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles. Read more at satriani.com.

Valley Entertainment has announced it will reissue <em>Taproot</em>, the Grammy-nominated album by guitarist Michael Hedges. Originally released in 1990, the mostly-instrumental album showcased Hedges’ prowess and ear for polyphony. The landmark album introduced instrumentation to Hedges’ work and serves to complement his acoustic albums.

Valley Entertainment is a group of independent labels featuring guitar virtuosos in various genres. From the blues of Joe Beard, Doug MacLeod and Sherman Robertson to the flamenco of Gino D’Auri, we sell CD’s, SACD’s and DVD-audio titles. <em>Taproot</em> joins the label’s other Michael Hedges rerelease, <em>Oracle</em>.

JJ Electronic has released three new tubes – the 6550,
6CA7, and EL844. The company says the JJ 6550 is designed to improve the sound of high-powered amps. The 6CA7 is a large-bottle version of the EL34 that gives bigger, warmer sound. The EL844 is a substitute for any EL84, with lower gain
and a more balanced, dynamic sound. For more, go to cedist.com.

PRS Guitar recently donated six electric guitars, one acoustic guitar, and seven amplifiers to the Musicians Institute College of Contemporary Music.

To celebrate the partnership, Paul Smith paid a visit to students studying in the guitar program at MI, joined by guitarist Orianthi, who wowed more than 400 students while demonstrating her new signature-model PRS SE. Orianthi performed with Smith and PRS’ Mike Clark as well as with instructors who accompanied her on bass and drums.

"I had a blast meeting the students. There was a lot of love for playing the guitar in that room, and I hope to come back," said Orianthi.

"I loved being at GIT. The student musicians were so receptive and enthusiastic, and it’s an incredible feeling knowing they will be part of our future," said Smith.

PRS President Jack Higginbotham, PRS PR/Media Manager Rebecca Eaddy and MI’s Director of GIT Jude Gold spearheaded the partnership.

"The event was spectacular on many levels," said Gold. "In Paul Reed Smith, you have a pro-guitarist and industry pioneer who can articulate his own successes into life lessons anyone can take inspiration from, especially guitarists. On top of that, Paul, in one of the most generous gear donations in MI history, put a truckload of his finest guitars and amps in the hands of the next generation of guitar professionals plus brought in Orianthi, the electric guitar’s brightest young star, for an exclusive clinic. It’s an event no MI student will ever forget."

The donation of PRS guitars included a Custom 24, the guitar model that put PRS on the map and one that Guitar World has noted as being responsible for a "full blown American guitar renaissance" by "compelling American guitar makers to improve their game." Several of PRS’s newest electric models were part of the donation as well, including a Hollowbody Spruce, the retro-inspired Starla and Starla X, the 305, as well as a new Angelus cutaway PRS acoustic and several amplifiers from their new line.

Since 1977, Musicians Institute has been a world leader in contemporary music education, providing cutting-edge resources in its state of the art facilities located right in the heart of Hollywood, the capital of the world music industry. Its dynamic curriculum is current, comprehensive and compatible with the needs of students who not only desire to study music, but also build a career in the music industry with the knowledge they learn on campus.

Dozens of prized instruments have hit the auction block as Nash2o, the Nashville-based flood-relief effort, marked its kickoff with a party at Music City’s Hard Rock Cafe October 12.

With Vince Gill and John Jorgenson in attendance, Nash2o founders Joe Glaser, George Gruhn, and Bruce Bouton displayed flood-damaged guitars donated by Gill, Jorgenson, Peter Frampton, Kathy Mattea, Duane Eddy, Brad Paisley and others. The auctions will run in three groups, into December.

More than 50 instruments will be sold, with proceeds going to Nashville’s emergency responders, musicians affected by the May ’10 flood, and Music Cares, a charitable organization based in Nashville.

The Nash2o auctions are unique, says Gruhn, as these instruments have real connections to the artists who donated them. "These aren’t like the typical artist instruments that come up, where someone hands a guitar to a famous person, he signs it, and sends it on. These are the artists’ actual instruments – their favorites, the ones they played every day. When you bid on one of the two Les Pauls from Peter Frampton, you’re bidding on Peter’s guitar.

To read more and submit a bid, go to www.nash2o.org.

Guitar Center is giving holiday shoppers a chance to make a difference in the lives of musicians in 2010 by making a contribution to MusiCares Foundation at any store in North America. MusiCares provides support and guidance for struggling musicians, from addiction recovery to personal or medical crisis. Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, is accepting contributions as small as $1 at any of the 214 Guitar Center locations nationwide. Shoppers who donate will be given an ornament to display in the store, either to decorate its holiday tree or a dedicated MusiCares wall on the premises. There is no donation limit, and generous shoppers may display their names, businesses or band names on the ornaments.

The program comes as a year-end tribute to Guitar Center’s ongoing efforts to create opportunities for aspiring artists in its local communities.

"We focus on giving back to musicians, creating opportunity for them where there wasn’t any before," said Gene Joly, executive vice president of stores. "This holiday season, we want to help our customers make a meaningful impact in the lives of people who are struggling personally and have nowhere else to go."

With ongoing programs like Guitar Center’s Drum-Off, which entered its round of district competitions November 4, the retailer is partnering with its customers to help musicians succeed on and off the stage. For more, visit GuitarCenter.com.

The Blu-Ray and DVD release of Eric Clapton’s <em>Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010</em> debuts at #1 this week on the Billboard Top DVD Music Video Chart with combined sales of over 22,000 copies. The two-disc set features over four hours of music, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage from the star-studded concert. This past June in Chicago, Eric Clapton once again assembled a veritable Who’s Who of the world’s most talented guitar players for the show including ZZ Top, Steve Winwood, Jeff Beck, Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, Derek Trucks, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, and Bill Murray, who served as the concert’s master of ceremonies. The previous Crossroads DVDs from 2004 and 2007 have been certified 10x and 6x platinum, respectively, in the U.S. alone.

The DVD includes performances by Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin (Howlin’ Wolf’s guitarist), Jimmie Vaughan, Sonny Landreth, Gary Clark Jr., Keb’ Mo’, and Buddy Guy, plus B.B. King who led an all-star jam of his classic "The Thrill Is Gone." The rock contingent was well represented by ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, the John Mayer Trio, Doyle Bramhall II, the Derek Trucks &amp; Susan Tedeschi Band, Warren Haynes, and Steve Winwood, who teamed with Clapton for several performances including an epic cover of Jimi Hendrix’s "Voodoo Chile."

"The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage," Clapton said. "The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect."

Learn more at rhino.com.