Q. Are you still a massive KISS fan? (Brian, San Antonio TX) A. I’m still a KISS fan, but I have to qualify that statement a bit. I’m not a fan of what the band has become…I don’t want to become a music historian (of KISS-torian, as Gene would say) here, but at three separate periods from 1973 to present day, they were highly significant. Top 5 US rock bands for sure, maybe, on their day, the best of the bunch. Q. Are you from a musical family? A. No! It just goes to show that my philosophy of “everyone has the same amount of talent” is close to the truth. No one in my genealogy, at least as far back as I can trace, had anything to do with music. Now, fish…well, that’s a different story! Q. Where did your interest in music come from? A. One word, girls. Look, music was always fun. I had no intention of becoming a professional until my athletic aspirations were dashed on the operating table. Then it was only logical, girls like athletes and musicians. If I can’t be one, I’ll be the other. Q. Was there a particular artist or group that made you want to play like them? A. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to be exposed to unfamiliar music just when I needed it. KISS was a big deal, so was Earth Wind and Fire. I loved the “High Infidelity” record from REO Speedwagon, as I did a whole bunch of Journey albums. As time went by, I was introduced to Megadeth and a lot of the speed metal genre…and I loved it. In college I was exposed to a ton of classical music, some I loved, some…well, uh, not so much. Later it was discovering Steve Khan (whole funny story there), Larry Carlton and the whole “Jazz-fusion” crowd. Right at the time of his death, I really got into Miles. Do I even need to say his last name? Then Coltrane and Mingus. Mingus appealed to me because he was totally insane, but could still write some very powerful music. Monk, Montgomery, way too many to name. I guess the short answer is that EVERYONE inspires me to play. Some in a like manner, some not. At different periods during my life I’ve had different artists inspire me to continue a particular path, or choose a new one. Q. What does music do for you? A. Keeps me awake at night, makes my hair fall out, takes time away from non-musical interests, allows me to live a decent life, provides a window into myself, allows me to feel inconsequential and monumentally important both at the same time, puts me at peace at times. Q. What does your music contribute to society? A. I have no clue. I don’t worry about such things. That is the path to the dark side. Materialism, commercialism, repetition. Bad….just play/write/perform, let my grandchildren figure out if I was the cause of society’s ills or not! Q. We know your favorite type of music is jazz, but who are your favorite artists? A. Bold assumption! Not necessarily true either! But, for a moment, I’ll get off the high horse and play the game. (After all, isn’t that why we’re here?) Miles Davis, Steve Khan, John Scofield, Charles Mingus, Monk, Joe Diorio, Diana Washington. Just to name a few. Q. Do you find any redeeming value in hip-hop artists who use suggestive imagery? A. Well, hip-hop artists aren’t the only artist who uses suggestive imagery. That started a long time ago, and if hip-hop is guilty of it, classical music started it! But yes, I find hip-hop has a lot to say. It’s said in a modern way that appeals to a young audience. I love Warren G, Dr. Dre is the epitome of the SoCAL sound, and I think LL Cool J is the champ. Public Enemy is still the best hip-hop group ever, and I’ll put them in the top 5 American bands category too! Q. Which instruments do you play besides guitar? A. I am a musician who chooses to express himself through the guitar. I’m not a guitarist. I have the ability to play piano, but I don’t particularly care for it. I can play a number of woodwind instruments, but they feel limited to me. I play all brass instruments except trombone. I do like playing percussion, pitched as well as un-pitched. Q. Are all guitar makes equal in your view? A. Building guitars is tough. First of all, you have to know how to pick the right materials, and then you have to have the skill to work the wood. Understanding how sound is produced…blah, blah, blah…..short answer, NO! Never buy a guitar because of the name on it, but rather the sound and feel you get out of it! There are a ridiculous number of really good guitar companies…play as many as you can, don’t just play a guitar because so-in-so does. You may find that the smaller the company, the more willing they will be to work with you! Q. What makes one guitar better than another? A. Materials and the skill of craftsman building it. A bad luthier can ruin good wood, a good luthier can get a lot out of poor wood, but a great luthier working with great wood will always produce a fantastic instrument! Q. What type of music do you like to play more than any other? A. For me, it’s no longer about genre. I like playing my own stuff these days. In the past I might’ve answered this question with “mid seventies r & b” or “really funky jazz”, or “mega-agro-metal!” Now I just have a burning desire to play my own stuff! Q. Who’s your favorite guitarist and why? A. This is a tricky question. Here, I will use genre as a guide, for the simple reason that, “you can’t compare apples to oranges”. So, I’m going to list some of my favorites by genre: Rock- Ty Tabor, Vernon Reid, Neal Schon, Terry Syrek, Chris Poland, John Sykes, all three guys from Iron Maiden, Steve and Phil from Def Leppard. Blues – Joe Bonamossa, Tab Benoit, Albert Collins, Clapton, Robert Cray. Jazz – Steve Khan, Kenny Burrell, John Scofield, Richard Smith, Jimmy Bruno, George Benson, Ronnie Jordan. Classical – Martha Masters, Scott Tennant, (insert more) Acoustic – Richard Leo Johnson, Pierre Bensuson, Michael Hedges. Misc. Danny Gatton, Q. How do you learn to play a new song? A. Usually melody first. Then comes the harmony, then rhythm. Q. What’s your favorite song of all time? A. Of all time? Wow! So many to choose from! Ya know what? I can’t possibly pick just one. So many great songs with great performances….. Q. What makes The Beatles’ songs so popular, even today? A. Okay, I’m not necessarily a “Beatles” guy. From my perspective, it’s the melodies. If you can’t sing it….. Q. If the Phantom of the Opera was composed in the 17th or 18th Century, would it have been classified as opera? A. No. It would be a comedy. Q. If you could go to gigs by 3 bands/artists, who would they be? A. Okay, I just went to gig number one…King’s X. I’ve loved their music for a long time now, but I’ve never seen them live until just this past month. The second show I’d like to see is Slipknot. They are the modern day KISS, and I’ve heard that their show is outrageous! The third show that I’d want to see would be Incognito live. They’re not very popular in the States, but really popular around the rest of the world…so at the moment my chances of seeing them live are slim. Q. Who is the best guitarist ever? A. This is such a subjective question. I’ll give my answer but understand that if your opinion is different, that’s okay. For me, I like to think of the body of work done in a variety of styles. If a great rock guitarist can’t play jazz, that counts against him/her. If a player is pretty good at rock, blues and country, that makes that player better, in my humble opinion that someone who is exceptional in one style but can’t play in any others. So, with that in mind, here are the candidates: Steve Khan, plays latin jazz, straight ahead, Funk, pop/rock, R n B, acoustic-new age, and blues. Richard Smith, plays several styles of jazz, pop, rock, R n B, Funk, flamenco, classical….very versatile! My third candidate is Pat Berguson. Pat plays folk, country, western swing, be-bop, pop, blues, bluegrass, and plays them all wonderfully! So, who’s the best? Here’s an idea…instead of me telling you, why don’t you tell me. Listen to music from each of these artists…then send me an email and me know which one YOU think is best.