This post has been bouncing around in my head for awhile. Reason being that it's sort of like trying to buy a Christmas present for a millionaire: what exactly would you get them that they don't already have? Similarly, what in the world can I say about Steve Lukather that hasn't already been said?
I could go on and on about the accolades, the hits, or the thousands of albums he's been a part of (including the most successful record release in all of music history). But plenty of people have already been over all of that stuff time and again, and I'd rather spend my time convincing you to listen to one of the most underrated masters in all of music.
To say that Luke is a great guitar player is sort of like saying Notre Dame is an impressive piece of architecture. To say that Luke is one of the greatest rock guitar players ever to live is probably a little bit more on point. But what separates him from the rest of the pack is his stature as a complete artist - guitarist, songwriter, singer, band member - and not just a one-note banjo. There are quite a few guitar hero types running around these days, and just about all of them are worthy of the reputations they've constructed over the years. Lukather, however, to me, stands in a category all his own due to his ability to make music, and not just Guitarmaggeddon.
I remember when I
was a young lad growing up in North Dakota, I saw a news report about
another young North Dakotan playing a concert at the state fair. The kid
was only a year or so older than me and yet the voice that was coming
out of his body was that of a much older, much more grizzled and
experienced blues singer. That kid was Jonny Lang.
Well,
it's been almost 20 years since, and that kid that came out of Fargo is
still going strong. Proving that it wasn't some kind of gimmick or
schtick, Jonny keeps cranking out real, legit rock 'n' roll/blues music.
True child prodigies come along perhaps once in a generation, and Jonny
is ours.
His voice is what will grab you. The songs and
the playing are what will keep you there. Jonny, unlike other popular
"blues" artists (ahem!), doesn't tend to hold back on his albums. He
lets loose, tearing up the record with soaring vocals and screaming
guitar solos. He has a appreciable dedication to the music itself,
writing the songs that he wants to write, regardless of what might or
might not fit on a radio station rotation. Thus, you won't find Jonny
getting spins on Clear Channel stations anytime soon, but you will find
him out on tour. And if you think the albums are stellar (they are), the
live show will blow you away.
Jonny is just past
30-years-old, but he brings with him a historical understanding of the
music that he so marvelously creates. He is remarkably old-school for
being so young, and his sound is a breath of fresh air during a time
when music heritage is being lost due to the unyielding pursuit of the
three-minute ear worm. No matter where you start with your listening,
Jonny will not disappoint. You might want to begin early in his career,
with albums like Lie To Me or Wander This World,
which will get you to the ripe old age of 17. Or, if you'd rather move
towards a more mature and diverse presentation of Lang's musicality, dig
into Long Time Coming or the unrecognized masterpiece Turn Around.
One of the best musicians I've ever had the pleasure of working with
(or even knowing, for that matter), is guitar virtuoso Dave Beegle, and
I'm thrilled to be able to introduce you all to his art.
Dave
is a Jedi Master, of sorts. He's perhaps the greatest undiscovered gem
of the guitar world, combining his own rock stylings along
with jazz and world music to form a truly unique, beautiful, and
masterful alchemy of acoustic sounds. If you're interested in
instrumental music, the acoustic guitar, or just something brand new for your ears, I cannot endorse Dave's albums emphatically enough. Even
though not readily available through Amazon.com, (you can get some of
the albums from private sellers or download the mp3's, however), be sure
to check out Beyond The Desert and A Year Closer on iTunes, along with Dave's monster live performance, Acoustic Mayhem.
Additionally, if you're interested at all in solo piano music, I recently purchased an album that I'm absolutely in love with.
Jay Oliver, a jazz keyboardist who came up with legendary drummer Dave Weckl, recently put out an independent release entitled Outside The Box
which is, to put it mildly, breathtaking. Half of the album is
comprised of new arrangements of classic pop songs (such as 'Somewhere
Over The Rainbow', James Taylor's 'Fire And Rain', the Beatles' 'Let It
Be', and Sting's 'Fragile'), while the rest of the tracks are Oliver
originals, some rearranged specially for this CD. The album is loaded
with beautiful melodies and new piano techniques derived from rudiments
that drummers (but not necessarily pianists) are familiar with. It is
unlike any CD you've probably ever heard before, but it is far from
unlistenable. It is gorgeous and colorful, and I hope you make your way
over to Jay's site and download or order the disc for a mere $10 (it's
available exclusively through his website). Believe me, it's worth every
penny.
Ever have one of those moments whilst listening to music where everything stops, it's just you and the song, and you're so powerfully moved by it that somebody could knock you to the ground with the touch of a feather? I recently had just that experience when I found myself listening to Chris Botti's latest live record, Chris Botti In Boston. Recorded at Symphony Hall in 2008, the concert is a spellbinding mixture of jazz, classical, and pop music with Botti inviting a slew of great artists to the stage to join him in duet, among them Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Tyler, & Josh Groban. His simple, beautiful performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" floored me so hard that I exclaimed to my wife, "If you don't get that, there's nothing I can do for you." The whole concert is nothing less than masterful; a stunning display of musicianship that most musical artists of any genre can only hope to equal.
Chris Botti began his career in the mid- to late-90s, but rocketed to notoriety when he joined Sting's band for the ...All This Time tour. For those of you currently outside the know, ...All This Timewas Sting's re-orchestration of his own songs into a more jazz-based format, and Botti was tapped as the trumpet player. I myself was fortunate enough to see Botti perform with Sting at Colorado Springs' very own World Arena, and I, like the rest of the world, took notice. Since then, Botti's been able to crank out album after album of spectacular music and shows no signs of slowing down.
Melody and control are the hallmarks of Chris Botti's musicianship. He's been known to serenade female members of his audiences with the bell of his trumpet less than a foot from their heads without blowing them out of the room. Botti brings a quiet intensity to his performances that tends to draw the focus of the listener right to where he wants them, and it's a pleasant thing, too: his orchestrations and arrangements are comfortably listenable. He is a jazz artist who routinely incorporates classical music into his albums as well, but it's his jazz that's truly easy to listen to. He doesn't lose the pop-based audiences by diverging so much into "playing"; he keeps his commitment to the melodies and doesn't drift into musical la-la land.
I could not more highly recommend Italia, When I Fall In Love, Night Sessions, as well as his wonderful Christmas music album December (along with the aforementioned Chris Botti In Boston). Do yourself a favor and check Botti out. You won't be disappointed.
