While most folks know of Kevin Eubanks from his 18- year gig as bandleader on the “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” he also has enjoyed a long career as a jazz guitarist. With Zen Food, his first release since leaving Leno’s employ, Eubanks makes a bid for mention among today’s jazz-guitar leaders.
Zen Food is highlighted by the interplay between musicians; Eubanks and Bill Pierce (on sax) double many melodies and challenging passages leading to solos. Drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith and bassist Rene Camacho keep the songs moving and add an element of surprise. And pianist Gerry Etkins supplies perfect bedding for the soloists, and contributes his own solos. The tunes – all but one written by Eubanks – are full of memorable melodies that surprise in the right places. Whether an acoustic ballad like “The Dirty Monk,” with its great dynamics and simmering funk, or a bopper like “Los Angeles,” the twists and turns are memorable. On the latter, solos by
Eubanks and Pierce take the song to new heights; Eubanks starts with octaves, then breaks into single lines that feed the band with every note. On the Etkins tune “G.G.” Eubanks’ sinewy solo relies on volume swells and dynamics that show his feel and touch.
Eubanks’ soloing style is somewhat unique, with elements shared by most jazz guitarists, he on occasion delves into chords and octaves –
but never overdoes it. He also makes heavy use of chromaticism in areas of songs where a lot of guitarists might just re-play an earlier passage. And like his compositions, his playing not only stays fresh, but stays with you.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Feb. ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Hayden Amps will release its new High Five – a five-watt all-tube combo – at Summer NAMM. The amp has controls for Bass, Treble and Volume, and a single 10” speaker. It’s powered by ECC83 preamp tube and an EL84 output tube. Hayden is a U.K.-based manufacturer of hand-wired guitar amps, and a sister company of Ashdown Engineering. Designed by Dave Green, Hayden draws on classic designs, highlighted by modern features. Visit 
Millions of people in the ’60s were exposed to music they wouldn’t have found on the radio (bluegrass, blues, Southern folk) thanks to Andy Griffith, who died July 3 at 86.
The Electro-Harmonix Tone Tattoo combines three analog effects – distortion, chorus, and delay. Each is taken from one of the company’s products; the Metal Muff for distortion, Neo Clone for chorus, and Memory Toy for delay. The effects are independent, and operated by three footswitches that provide individual control. Every parameter has a dedicated knob or switch. The Metal Muff has controls for Drive, Volume, Treble, and Bass. A three-position mini-toggle Scoop switch lets the player select high (-11dB) or low (-7.5dB) mid-frequency attenuation. The Neo Clone’s Rate knob controls modulation speed, a Depth button lets the player select high or low chorus intensity. The Memory Toy delivers 30ms to 550ms of delay time adjustable through its Delay control. Additional controls are provided for Feedback, Blend, and Gain. Check it out at ehx.com.
The Vox DelayLab combines 30 types of modeled delay effects with multi-mode stereo looping and control of delay parameters. The effects include vintage tape echoes, as well as analog, tape, reverse, and ambient delays and the lo-fi sound of early digital devices, along with numerous original and modern delays. The pedal provides looper capabilities with 28 seconds of memory, and its left/right delay times can be set independently. Other features include stereo ins and outs, 24-bit converters, and a sampling rate of 48 kHz. Power is provided by six AA batteries or an optional AC adapter. Learn more at voxamps.com.