Adrian Galysh - Putting Words To Music

Interview with drummer, Charlie "The Basher" Waymire

2012-01-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

In 1999, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my music career. Looking for a band, I posted an ad at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood, CA. Shortly after posting the ad, I got a call from Charlie Waymire, who also recommended a bassist, and my first LA band was born. Coming from Fairfax, Virginia, I couldn't believe I found a drummer and bassist that wanted to play progressive-rock guitar instrumentals. I also couldn't believe how easy it was to find like-minded musicians in such short order. After all, this was 1999. Nu-metal was the rage, and people just didn't play solos. We immediately started rehearsing and quickly booked some NAMM show concerts and then started playing around various clubs in LA.

At the time, Charlie was a recent graduate at M.I., named Rock Drummer of the Year, and since then has been a PIT instructor. In addition to teaching at Musicians Institute (PIT), Charlie owns and operates Abrasive Studios where he tracks drums for musicians and bands all over the world as well at TV and film. He also works with his Abrasive Producitons Partner, Ernesto Homeyer, writing and producing records as well as libraries for TV and film.

While a few bass players have come and gone, Charlie has been playing off and on with my band ever since then. From small club dates, 10 years ago, with 10 people in the audience, to a west coast tour in 2008, and now more recent gigs in front of a thousand, Charlie has been rock-solid, reliable, and a joy to work with. I recently interviewed Charlie to discuss a bit of our history, as well as to get a deeper understanding of his musical background.

Adrian Galysh: When did you start playing drums? How old were you?

Charlie Waymire: I started playing drums in 1983 when I was the ripe old age of 10 years old.

AG: Do you remember what prompted you to take up the instrument?

CW: One of my friends played drums and I thought that was so cool. He showed me stuff every time I would go over to his house but I knew for sure I wanted to played drums when I bought Motley Crue's "Shout At The Devil". I was on vacation with my family in St. Louis (don't ask me why we went to St. Louis for vacation) and somehow talked my parents into buying "Shout At The Devil". When I heard that first drum fill it was all over. Tommy Lee was my drum god growing up. I don't think my mom was very happy because she took the cassette out of the stereo immediately but it was too late. I already had the bug.

AG: Did you take lessons and were your parents supportive?

CW: I grew up in a small town so there weren't a lot of options for teachers but I did have instruction pretty much from the beginning. I had a pretty cool teacher named Dave Ludwick. My parents were pretty supportive but I don't think they thought I would do it for a living. When I started to get serious about drumming and started dropping sports to play music I definitely met some resistance. It wasn't until after I moved to Minnesota to go to music school that I got a call from my mom and she told me that she final understood why I was so into music. She had seen a concert (can't remember what concert) that had an impact on her and she finally understood. Since then she's been a big supporter.

AG: When did you know that you wanted to pursue music professionally?

CW: Oddly enough I think I knew music would be my life with that first drum fill on "Shout At The Devil". As far as actually pursuing a career professionally I think that happened in high school. I was getting tired of playing sports and really wanted to focus on playing drums. I started looking at music schools my senior year of hight school and moved to Minneapolis to attend Music Tech (now McNally Smith College of Music) a year after I graduated.

AG: What’s your philosophy or approach toward the role your instrument plays in a band performance?

CW: My approach is very much a supportive role. I see myself as the backbone to the band, the foundation that lets everyone else do their thing. That doesn't mean that I don't like to play some flashy stuff on occasion but that is definitely not my main objective as a drummer. I'm a fan of good solid drumming that really drives a tune and doesn't get in the way. That doesn't necessarily mean simple, more complimentary I would say.

AG: You and I met a little over ten years ago. In your opinion, how has your approach to playing drums changed in the last 10 years?

CW: Wow! It's been a while! As much as I love working with new people it's always a different, deeper musical experience to work with people you have a history with. It's been a fun 10 years Adrian! I would say the biggest change in my approach to playing drums is my perspective on music in general as apposed to the drums themselves. 10 years ago I listened to music mainly from a drummers perspective. I always heard the drums first and would pick out drum parts, fills, solos, grooves, and not necessarily hear them as part of the music but just as drum parts. In hindsight it was a very strange way to look at music in that fashion. Taking the drums out of context like that didn't allow me to see how the drums worked with the other instruments and visa versa.

Nowadays I approach drumming, and music in general, with much more of a producers ear and very rarely (if ever) from a pure drummers perspective. I think having my own studio where I do recordings for artists all over the world as well as producing bands and other drummers has really helped me to mature musically and hear the "big picture" as apposed to just being so focussed on my instrument.

AG: Who are your top 5 musical influences, not necessarily drummers?

CW: AC/DC (pick any record), Dave Matthews Band, The Police, Miles Davis, early Metallica (pre black album)

AG: Lets play some word association, tell me the first thing that comes to your mind:

1. Virgil Donati: Mad scientist

2. Pearl Drums: The best drums on the planet!

3. Gregg Bissonette: Chameleon

4. Tommy Lee: The reason I play drums for a living!

5. Kansas: Barbecue/ Carry On My Wayward Son

6. Los Angeles: Anonymity

7: Terry Bozzio: He really only has 4 limbs?

8: Paiste: Purity of sound.

9: Coffee: Oh how I miss thee...

10: Chad Smith: Bombastic

AG: What artists have you been digging/listening to currently?

CW: Oddly enough lately I've been revisiting a lot of music I grew up with. Motley Crue, Ozzy, Maiden, Temple of the Dog, AC/DC, etc… I'm disillusioned with a lot of new music. Too much of it has been chopped up and tuned and is devoid of the human element of emotion that music should have. That's not to say there isn't good music now but lately I've been going back to the "good 'ol days" of music.

AG: Most people have a “Spinal Tap” moment in their careers, any strange or funny road stories?

CW: Man I have more than one of these but here's a good one. I spent a year or so touring with a band called the Zookeepers and we have just done a week trip and were coming back to L.A. for a week and then leaving for a 3 week stint. I took my snares out of the van so I could change heads, tune and be ready to rock. The next week rolls around we load up and head north to somewhere near Sacramento where our first gig was that night. We pulled into town early and as usual we'd hit the local pawn shops and music stores to see if there were any deals to be had. Then we headed to the club to eat and relax before setting up for the night. All is well so far. Day 1 has been a breeze…

When it's time for set up we unload as usual and I'm in drum land setting up my kit when I notice something is missing. I ask the bass player if he missed a couple of cases in the van and he said no. I'm a little worried so I walk around the club to see if something was misplaced but found nothing. At this point I realize that my snares are sitting in my apartment, in cases with brand new heads on them. We had to play 3 sets of music that night and I had no snare! On top of that we spent two hours at the local music store that day where I could have bought a new snare had I known mine were still in L.A. So in lieu of a snare I took my 12 inch tom and put about a half inch of duct tape all over the head so it made a high pitch slap sound and that was my snare for 3 hours of music that night.

As a matter of fact Adrian I seem to recall not having a snare on a certain San Diego gig we did recently…but that's another story!

AG: Can you share a career highlight? What made it so special?

CW: I have a few but I'll share one that may seem unusual as a career "highlight". In 2004 (I think) I was on the road in Europe with Jeff Kollman and we were playing a show in Friedberg, Germany at this little tiny hole in the wall club. When I say tiny I mean tiny as in 10 or 12 people would make the room look full. Actually it probably wasn't even a club by our definition. But the gig was booked and we had to play. I was literally set up with my back to the plate glass window at the from of the room with Jeff Kollman to my left about a foot away and Kevin Chown to my right also within reaching distance. When we came back to the "club" after dinner the placed was packed! Almost 80 people packed! You couldn't move in this place. I could reach out and touch the audience without getting up from my drum set. Jeff literally had someone six inches in front of his face while he was singing. What made the night especially memorable though was the appreciation and participation from the audience. Our set list included everything from our new JKB record to Jimi Hendrix to Jeff's crazy Cosmosquad fusion stuff. I mean it was diverse! Something that doesn't exactly go well here. But that night it was almost magical. The owner loved us, the crowed was amazing and was ordering drinks for the band and passing them over everyone's heads to give to us (back when I could enjoy a good German beer!) and after the show everyone hung out and expressed how much they had enjoyed the show and was amazed we would come and play in such a small venue. Their gratitude and appreciation was almost overwhelming. Made something that had the potential to be just another B.S. gig into something special and memorable. Those are the times I am reminded why I play music.

AG: Tell me about your current drum set up.

CW: My current set up is a Pearl Session Custom Kit. I've had this kit for almost 10 years and it just sounds amazing. I use it more than any other kit and I top it off with a variety of Evans heads. Drum wise I'm toned it down over past couple of years using 1 rack tom and two floor toms, kick, snare and sometimes a satellite snare on the side. My cymbals of choice are Paiste. I've never played anything that sounds better. I've been using the Dark Energy and Twenty series a lot lately but I have quite a collection so I can swap out as the music dictates. This is all well and good but it's no good without something to hit it all with and for that I choose Pro-Mark 5A's. Yes I said 5A's. You don't need big sticks to get a big sound. Well at least I don't.

AG: What projects are you currently working on, and what/where can we expect to hear from you in the near future?

CW: I have couple really cool things going on right now. First off I'm working with a very cool blues band called "Bleeding Harp" featuring Jeff Marshall and Jeff Kollman on guitars. It's really a phenomenal band that I'm really excited about and we're a little over half way through recording a new record. We've been doing quite a few shows around the L.A. area as of late and would love to see some new faces! My instrumental trio EGH featuring Ernetso Homeyer on guitar and Justin Apergis on bass will be releasing a new record this spring. We're in the mixing stage right now and I have to say that I'm very pleased with how things are turning out. It's a very diverse record.

Visit these website to find out more about Charlie Waymire:

www.charliewaymire.com

www.ultimaterhythmstudio.com

Los Angeles Guitarist Adrian Galysh, And Alcatrazz Featuring Graham Bonnet, Light Up Corona’s Marque 15 Club.

2012-01-13T10:51:00.000-08:00

Share this Press release: http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=150195

Corona, CA - Marque 15 will host an evening of blistering classic metal and hard rock with Alcatrazz featuring Graham Bonnet and special guest Adrian Galysh on February 10th.

Alcatrazz featuring Graham Bonnet will be performing all their hits, as well as those from Rainbow and MSG,
including "Since You’ve Been Gone", “Assault Attack”, "God Blessed Video", "All Night Long", and "Night Games". Graham Bonnet was recently a guest on VH1 Classic’s popular program, “That Metal Show”, and he and the band have just returned from a successful tour of Europe, sharing the stage with hard rock heavy weight, Whitesnake. Alcatrazz are now ready to imprison California's inland empire.

Special guest, Los Angeles guitarist, Adrian Galysh, will perform a full set of intense and melodic instrumentals. Called “A virtuoso of modern electric and acoustic guitar techniques” by 20th Century Guitar magazine, Galysh has been dazzling southern California audiences for over a decade, whether he’s backed by his band or as sideman for ex-Scorpions guitar legend, Uli Jon Roth.

After a 2011 show that saw these two artists teamed together, Graham said to Adrian, “I had to come side of stage when you played, and my bass player found me there watching. He mentioned he has never seen me do this, which is true, I usually don't like even being in the venue before going on stage....you were the only guy that was worth watching as I had never seen you play before...I was beyond impressed”. Considering the guitar talent that Graham Bonnet has worked with, which includes legends like Ritchie Blackmoore, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Steve Vai, that says a lot.

When: Friday, February 10
Where: Marque 15, 9022 Pulsar Ct., Suite H, Corona, CA 92883
Contact Venue: 888-811-6303

Adrian Galysh interviews Quiet Riot bassist, Chuck Wright

2012-01-11T00:46:00.000-08:00

Chuck Wright is best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Quiet Riot. He originally joined Quiet Riot in 1982, performing bass on several tracks for their hit album, Metal Health, as well as contributing backing vocals. He left and rejoined Quiet Riot multiple times, most recently rejoining in August 2006 to support the album Rehab and continued touring with Quiet Riot until the untimely passing of lead singer Kevin DuBrow in October of 2007. Chuck started back touring with Quiet Riot's Frankie Banali and Alex Grossi again in the fall of 2010. He is still an in demand session player and also performs live in various Rock acts as well as with modern flamenco guitarist David Maldonado.

Chuck's career in mainstream heavy metal first took off with his band Giuffria's hit "Call To The Heart" in early 1985. After sold out arena tours with Deep Purple then Foreigner, he left Giuffria to re-join Quiet Riot. His reputation as one of the most accomplished bass players later landed him working with such music icons as Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, Slash, Gregg Allman, Carmine Appice, Ronnie Montrose, John Waite, and Pat Travers.

I met Chuck in 2001, when I had completed recording my second CD, "King Friday". The CD replicator suggested Chuck as a graphic artist for the project, and as I was already familiar with Chuck's bass playing, and being a fan of Quiet Riot, I was excited to have him involved with my CD. Chuck's creative sense of design, and an eye (and ear) for detail, is evident on the cover art for "King Friday" as well as my most recent CD, "Earth Tones". Chuck is a great interpreter, and whether he is playing bass or working on graphic design, his approach comes across as very natural.

Chuck played fretless bass on "Planetary Cycles", a track on my album, Earth Tones. I also had the pleasure of having Chuck in my band for a short west coast tour, called "Shredstock" with fellow guitar blazers, Steve Smyth (Testament, Forbidden) and Doug Doppler. Besides holding down the fort on stage, Chuck is a great help on the road, and an easy going guy, which is always a plus on the road (especially in a van!). I recently caught up with Chuck, and below is an exclusive interview for my blog, "Putting Words To Music":

Adrian Galysh: When did you start playing bass? How old were you?

Chuck Wright: When I was around 8, my Mom had me take classical guitar lessons and I had one of those electric organs where you play melody with the right hand and press a button to make the chord with your left. The first song I ever learned on that was “House Of the Rising Sun’” by the Animals. Now, whenever I hear that song, it takes me right back to those days. I didn’t really stick to the guitar that much though.

AG: Do you remember what prompted you to pick up the instrument?

CW: The older kids in my neighborhood (16 & 17) had a band. They talked to me because I was tall for my age at 14, probably thinking I was older and said, “hey Chucky, you play guitar a little right? Do you think you can play Bass?” I said “hmmm..isn’t that just four strings..ok, let me ask my Mom if she’ll get me a Bass and an amp." She said yes, I got a cool black tuck and roll Kustom Bass amp and a 62 P-Bass but I returned it to get a Gibson EBO Bass like my favorite bassist, Cream's Jack Bruce, plus the P-Bass neck was way to big for my hands. I regret that now. I did my first gig with these guys, which was a UCLA fraternity party. I made 75 bucks, had my first beer and the girls seemed to like me so I went to my mom and said “I don’t want to be in military school any longer, I want to be a musician." After 9 years of military school I was surprised she said yes. If I had a father around, that might have been different story. One of my fondest moments is giving my mom a platinum record with her name on it for my work with Quiet Riot. Side note: I actually got to play Jack Bruce’s EB-O at a collectors home!

AG: Did you take lessons?

CW: I’m totally self-taught. I’ve always played from what I feel. I never wanted to play like someone else’s idea of how to play. My classrooms were the Hollywood clubs seeing great bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Yes, ELP, and Genesis. I was really into progressive rock bands during my high school years. Killer musicianship. Later I got into Jazz-fusion but Hard Rock pulled back in because of my reputation with Quiet Riot, my band House Of Lords and other rock records I played on. Funny thing is, most people don’t know I played bass and co-produced two reggae records and two ambient trance records. I also did some r&b and rap too.

AG: What’s your philosophy or approach toward the role your instrument plays in a band performance?

CW: I always create bass parts based on the kick drum pattern, chord changes and the vocal melody. I try to complement the vocal and guitar parts with my passing notes.

AG: Top 5 musical influences?

CW: Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Weather Report and Bill Brufords band on “One Of A Kind”.

AG: And who are your absolute favorite bass players?

CW: My favorite Bass players names all start with the letter "J" - John Paul Jones, John Entwhistle, Jack Bruce, Jaco Pastorious, but Paul McCartney is a favorite of mine...wait, his first name is John too!

AG: Interesting. I really can hear those influences in your playing, now that I think about it. Are there any artists have you been digging and listening to currently?

CW: I don’t really care for the new acts that I hear these days. It seems contrived and not real to me. It's now all Pro Tools and not just playing the song together. The only relatively new bands I dig are The Foo Fighters, I also appreciate Adelle’s music. I prefer class, production quality and real playing. Jeff Beck anyone?

AG: I love Jeff Beck. I think most guitarists do, however its interesting to hear a bassist sighting Jeff Beck. Chuck, if you couldn't play bass for a living, what do you think you would be doing?

CW: Graphic design. It’s a sideline for me now and has been since 1993. I’ve done over 100 CD packages, many logo designs, and tour shirts, on and on. I did a couple for you Adrian, as I recall. (Yup! 2 CDs, a T-Shirt, and sticker design - Adrian)

AG: Lets talk shop. What's your rig these days?

CW: For rock gigs:

I use a Fender American Standard 4 string P-Bass or a Diamond Series Schecter 4 string Del Leo model Bass, Dunlop strings, (2) Classic SVT heads, (2) 8 by 10 SVT Cabs, a Boss CE-2 Chorus pedal and a Boss Tuner.

For acoustic gigs:
I use my Godin fretless Bass, flat wound strings, an Ampeg BA-115 slant Cab, a Boss CE-2 Chorus pedal and a Boss Tuner.

In the studio:
I use my 1985 American made 4 string Spector Bass, (1) Classic SVT head, (1) 8 by 10 SVT Cab, a Line 6 Bass Pod for distortion or a Sans Amp.

AG: Most people have a “Spinal Tap” moment in their careers, any strange or funny road stories?

CW: My favorite "Spinal Tap" story is when I was touring with Alice Cooper. There’s a part of the show where he is taken to a guillotine and at this show, the executioner yelled “die!” and let the rope go, the blade fell but stopped half way down, yet Alice’s head still fell off. We all cracked up and they rushed the guillotine off the stage. He also got stuck in a smoke filled pod just like in Spinal Tap. No kidding.

AG: Can you share a career highlight? What made it so special?

CW: Being on the stage with Quiet Riot in 2007 in front of 45,000 screaming people and seeing Kevin looking back at me with that “yea, we still got it look”, sadly he died later that year. We had a great year and we were back!

AG: You have played with many great drummers in your career, from Frankie Banali in Quiet Riot, Mr. Big's Pat Torpey, Gregg Bisonette, Tony Royster Jr., Kiss's Eric Singer to my band's very own bad-ass, Glen Sobel. In your opinion what makes for a great rhythm section? What do you like in a drummer?

CW: I always say, I'm only as good as the drummer I'm working with and I've been very blessed in that regard. What makes it great is the connectivity. With certain drummers I have a sixth sense as to what they’re going to play so we’re a lock throughout and I can catch their spontaneous drum fills. I once challenged the legendary Carmine Appice to try and lose me with drum riffs and I matched him lick for lick as if I was in his head. I love to play drums and I know that helps a lot. I just feel the drums first, even before bass.

Bottom line is, it's all about feel.

AG: What projects are you currently working on, and what or where can we expect to hear from you in the near future?

CW: I’m on the road most weekends with Quiet Riot. After a three year hiatus after Kevin’s passing we found a voice that could deliver the material and started back a year ago. Hopefully we’ll record some new music this year. I’m always writing and often with that in mind. In the first week of 2012 I recorded 10 songs at Gilby Clarke's studio for a Swedish Rock guitarist/ singer named Marc Ferano. I’m currently writing and recording with Heaven and Earth. I played bass on their first album and did their art work on their second release. It features members of the Sweet. I also put together a very cool acoustic trio called Acoustic Saints. We reinterpret classic rock tunes and do a few originals with more in our future. We have violin, mandolin and I play my Godin Fretless Bass.

I’m also doing shows from time to time with an arena rock tribute show called “Platinum Rockstars” and a modern Flamenco guitarist named David Maldonado.

Find out more about Chuck Wright and the artists he is working with below:

www.chuckwright.com

www.acousticsaints.com

www.officialquietriot.com

www.platinumrockstars.com

www.davidmaldonado.com

Best Albums of 2011?

2011-12-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

Hey gang,

The year is ending and its been a musical one. Here's a few albums that I thought stood out in 2011:

Devin Townsend: Ghost and Deconstruction - Another masterpiece from the ever growing and maturing Devin Townsend. Over the last few years you can tell Devin has been taking his meds. His writing is more focused, but like any great album, seems fresh and new with every listen.

Alice Cooper: Welcome 2 My Nightmare - A great return to form for Alice. Alice's albums through out the last two decades have been hit and miss, but with the help of the original Alice Cooper band members and Bob Ezrin, W2MN delivers a variety, classic rock, smart lyrics with better production than previous albums.

Whitesnake: Forevermore - Just as good, if not better than "Good to be Bad". A real solid hard rock album that shows more of a band effort. Granted the band is who it used to be, nut that s to be expected. A great listen for fans of rock guitar.

Scorpions: Comeblack - I had my doubts and reservations about this release. Half re-recordings of Scorps classic and half cover tunes. Hmmmm... well, the new versions of Wind of Change, and Rhythm on Love are good updates on the originals which seemed a bit slick production wise. The covers are fantastic, and my favorite is their take on the Beatles "Across the Universe".

So what are your top 5 albums of 2011? Tell us below!

Green Eyed Lady

2011-12-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hey folks!

So a few years ago I recorded my own version of the Sugarloaf classic, "Green Eyed Lady". This track appears on my album, "King Friday". I had started playing this song in my band when I was in college in Pittsburgh. I always liked the riff and thought the original version, as cool as it is, could be done a little more "rocked out." I remember seeing a video of 80s artist David Drew (who?!) doing a cover of Green Eyed Lady when I was a young kid... and liked it. However, the lyrics always seemed strange if not as cool as the actual riffs. When I finally got a band together in college, this was one of the first songs I thought we'd tackle as an instrumental. To me the riff stands very strong on its own. Since then (1994-ish), its been in the set list.

After moving to Los Angeles and starting a band here (song still in the set), I was recording my 2nd CD, "King Friday". In 2001 I worked at SWR bass amps and met Dennis Noda, bassist for the Classic Rock All Stars, and former bassist for Cannibal and Headhunters. He came in the office and we were discussing our music, when I mentioned my cover of "Green Eyed Lady." He said, "I know the guy that wrote and played on the original, his name is Jerry Corbetta. You should have him on your record!".... to which my answer was probably, "Sure, but why would he want to do that, he doesn't know me?" Dennis insisted that I call Jerry right then and there, so I did. I told Jerry who I was, and that I was recording a version of Green Eyed Lady, and that Dennis thought he'd play on it. To my surprise, Jerry agreed to play organ on my version.

I called Jerry Corbetta again later that week, and we set up a time to have me come over with the ADAT tape, which had the drums and bass tracks, with a guide track of guitar on it. Jerry lived right up the road here in San Fernando Valley, so later that week, on a rainy Friday in LA, I drove to his house. Jerry invited me in and showed me to his small home studio/keyboard room. Jerry looked a little like Gene Wilder to me, with curly blonde/brown hair. Jerry was very nice and as we listened to the tracks, Jerry played along with them, explaining that the idea for the two main riffs came from some piano finger exercises that he developed in college.

The arrangement of Green Eyed Lady that I recorded was based off of the radio edited version, that clocks in at about 4 minutes. I learned the song when I was about 20.... so perhaps my ears weren't that great back then. It turned out, Jerry explained, that the opening chromatic run was played wrong on my tracks. He played the correct line on his keyboard for me to hear the difference. Woops! I never considered re-listening to the original recording to see if we were playing it right all these years! There was no iTunes or Youtube back then to find the song and listen. If I remember correctly, I recorded Green Eyed Lady off the radio on to a cassette. Anyhow, Jerry asked if I could have the bass and guitar re-tracked to sound correct, but I explained that on my budget, I couldn't get the bassist (Philip Bynoe) back in the studio to redo his part. Jerry, bless his heart, agreed to learn the opening line the way I mistakenly rewrote it, and the rest of the song's keyboard parts were tracked in under an hour. In effect I may have rewrote history.

I distinctly remember how fast he tracked his parts. He's been playing this song in so many variations for over 30 years, he could have tracked it in his sleep. The solo section is a trade of Jerry's organ playing and my guitar. For the whole song, Jerry's keyboard sound was a straight organ sound/patch from a 80s era Roland... D50 perhaps. I do remember adding leslie afterwords to get a livelier rock organ tone.

Over all I think my version turned out great, and I consider myself very lucky to have been able to have the man who wrote, sang, and played organ on the original Sugarloaf recording play on mine.

On a side note, as I was jogging my memory, researching online, I found out that bassist Dennis Noda passed away in May of 2009. He died of a heart attack and a stroke - he was just 60. I had lost touch with him after SWR closed its doors in Sun Valley in 2003, but I just want to say thank you again, Dennis. Some of the best musical memories we have are of playing with those we admire, and Dennis facilitated that.

Here's Dennis Noda on bass and Jerry Corbetta on organ and vocals doing Green Eyed Lady for real:

Green Eyed Lady

Dennis Noda | Myspace Music Videos

Adrian interviews fellow guitarist Carl Verheyen

2011-11-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

Carl Verheyen has made a name for himself as a first call session guitarist in Los Angeles for the last 25 years, having played on hundreds if not thousands of sessions for records, television, movie sound tracks and commercials. When he isn't in the studio or playing guitar in the legendary band SUPERTRAMP, Carl is often on the road fronting the Carl Verheyen Band.

I met Carl over 12 years ago, when we were both guest clinicians at the Summer Guitar and Bass Workshop in Pittsburgh, PA. We hit it off, and when I moved to Los Angeles in 1999, he was very generous with his time and advice, letting me tag along with session calls and witness him in action. Besides Carl playing on two of my CDs ("Ventura Blvd." on King Friday, and "Terrestrial Races" on Earth Tones), and sharing the stage at various venues in town, we had a short lived, but great blues band a couple years ago called Blue Band, which included Joey Heredia on drums and Philip Bynoe on bass.

Adrian: When did you start playing guitar? How old were you?

Carl: 11 years old. I got a guitar and my 1st lesson on my 11th birthday. Lessons were $2.50.

Adrian: Do you remember what prompted you to pick up the instrument?

Carl: It was definitely George Harrison and Roger McGuinn.

Adrian: Did you take lessons and were your parents supportive?

Carl: Yes and very!

Adrian: When did you know that you wanted to pursue music professionally?

Carl: I knew immediately that it was what I wanted to do when I grew up.

Adrian: What’s your philosophy or approach toward the role your instrument plays in a band performance? And does your approach to playing live differ than when tracking in the studio?

Carl: I play in a few different bands and musical situations in the studio, so my approach changes with each situation. But while tracking a record I believe in making the definitive version of the song FOR ALL TIME. Then later in rehearsals I'll worry about the live version, which may be an approximation of more than one guitar part.

Adrian: Who are your top 5 musical influences?

Carl: Hendrix, Bloomfield, Clapton, Zawinul, McCartney. But it might be different tomorrow.

Adrian: I know you do a lot of session work. I imagine every session is different, but gear-wise, what do you find yourself bringing to every studio?

Carl: I usually have a Stratocaster of some kind along. I have 5 different pedal boards and one of them will be there, too.

Adrian: Some people imagine that session musicians can be "a jack of all trades or a master of none", however you certainly seem to be able to play many different styles, very authentically, AND you still have a very unique identity on guitar. How do you explain this? What steps did/do you take to be able to emulate various guitar styles and develpe our own identity?

Carl: I divide my career into 2 completely different paths: the artistic solo career and the "craftsman" career. I did all that homework many years ago, figuring out the different styles and understanding the "ornamentation" of each style. But what I continue to work on every day is my own style. And everything I learned over the years about bluegrass, jazz, metal, country, rockabilly, finger-style, classical and rock informs my own musical identity, too.

Adrian: What artists have you been digging/listening to currently?

Carl: Sax player Bill Evans, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Herbie Hancock and John Scofield (who I just shared a double bill with in Holland.

Adrian: Can you share a career highlight? What made it so special?

Carl: In July I played a festival in France with Supertramp for 77,000 people. It was the last show of the tour and a very large audience. There were people as far as I could see in almost every direction. Those only come around about every 7 years or so. Last month my band played in Graz, Austria for the first time and it seemed everyone knew the words to my songs! Those highlights are very recent, but they're the things that keep me going!

Adrian: Most people have a “Spinal Tap” moment in their careers, any strange or funny road stories?

Carl: I had a dude throw a soaking wet t-shirt on stage and it wrapped around my guitar neck during a solo. My band pulled up to an Italian hotel that we were booked into for the night, only to find it was completely under construction, not taking reservations until 2014. I flew to Detroit to play a concert and my guitar went to Honolulu. But here's the worst: I got hired to play at my friend's big sister's wedding when I was 17. I planned on reading the sheet music to the very sappy tune "Love Story." I was in the choir loft and it blew off the railing right at the big bridge. I had to make up words, chord changes and the melody for the entire bridge and play the rest from memory. Needless to say, I packed up and split before getting paid and resolved never to show up unprepared again!

Adrian: What projects are you currently working on, and what/where can we expect to hear from you in the near future?

Carl: I just finished some instructional videos for Truefire and have touring plans with the CVB for March and June in 2012. My band will play the Canyon Club on December 1st and All Star Guitar Night at NAMM in January.

For more information about Carl please visit: www.CarlVerheyen.com

Free Guitar Lesson and Radio

2011-11-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Hello gang,
As you may know, my book "Progressive Guitar Warm-ups and Exercises" is now available for sale at http://www.adriangalysh.com/buy.html . The book presents intermediate and advanced guitarists with a progressive series of strength, dexterity, finger independence, and left & right hand coordination exercises that can be used before any practice, recording, or performance session. Below you can see a video demonstrating the book's first exercise.

Also, you can listen to me and all your favorite artists on JANGO Free Internet Radio. You can customize your own radio station and discover music you will most likely enjoy. Click here http://www.jango.com/music/Adrian+Galysh?l=0

Yngwie Malmsteen at Club Nokia

2011-11-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, the band and I opened for Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. I grew up listening to Yngwie, starting with my brother's Malmsteen albums "Marching Out" and "Trilogy" - both classics. Saturday, October 29th was the 2nd time I have opened for Malmsteen. The first time was about 7 years ago at the Key Club in West Hollywood, with George Lynch also on the bill. That show was sold out, 700 ppl.

This past Saturday's gig was at the new-ish Club NOKIA in down town LA's entertainment block dubbed "LA Live". The club is pretty amazing, holds 2300, and has a million dollar sound system. This sound system was helmed by uber-sound man about town, Rob Gainey, author of the fantastic pro audio bible "Rockin' Your Stage Sound".

Upon our designated 5 o'clock load in, we arrived to find Yngwie still sound checking... to some Black Sabbath tunes and a couple of his own. The stage/sound check was closed to anyone but the band. No worries our plush dressing room had a large flat screen TV where we could watch the closed circuit camera catching the sound check unfold. Yngwie's stage set up was a little lop sided, as he brought 9 full Marshall stacks... all on his side of the stage. The rest of the band was relegated to a few feet of stage left.

Anyhow, by 6:20pm we were able to set up and sound check till about 7:05... Rob dialing in the front of house, and us getting our monitors right. Club Nokia's crew and staff were all very kind and accommodating. Meanwhile the wife and some friends were getting Sushi before having to hold down fort at the merch table.

The band, Philip Bynoe (bass), Charlie Waymire (drums), and Maureen Baker (keys), and I had a 30 minute set. We rehearsed a very tight set, cramming as much as possible into the half hour we were allotted. Hitting the stage at 9pm, we put on a good show. The audience was responsive with a pit full of general admission ticket holders pressed up to the stage. In what seemed like just a couple minutes, our set was done.

Soon after clearing the stage of our gear, metal god, Tim "Ripper" Owens came by to introduce himself to the band and paid us a few compliments. He seems like a good, down to earth guy! I walked out front to help with the merchandise table and meet the fans. It was great to meet so many new guitar fans, as well as a number of familiar faces. The next 2 hours were spent listening to Yngwie tear it up in front of a rabid audience. Waiting till the end of the night proved to be a good idea, as we ended up meeting with more fans on their way out and selling more merch - always a good thing.

I'd like to thank the club, JR, Michelle, and Eric for all their help! Till next time!

Summer Guitar and Bass Workshop

2011-08-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of teaching and performing at the 25th annual Summer Guitar and Bass Workshop at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA on July 24-29.

This is the 6th or 7th time I have taught there, and was excited to see fellow Alumni (I graduated in '97) as well as all the familiar staff and instructors, including my old guitar teacher, Mark Koch, adjunct professor Ken Karsh, music technology chair, Bill Purse, and all the others.

The weather wasn't as bad as planned, but the humidity did get bad towards the end of my week.

Besides performing, meeting and interacting with all the great students, highlights of the week for me, were hanging out with guitarist and special guest Rob Marcello (Danger Danger) and sitting in on "Handyman" Joe Negri's jazz guitar classes. He truly is a Pittsburgh treasure, and sounded as great as ever. So much, I picked up his recent CD, I highly recommend it.

My trip to Pittsburgh was sponsored by SIT Strings. I would like to thank them once again for their support. If you are not already familiar with this excellent brand of guitar strings, check them out at www.SITStrings.com

Guitarist, former candidate for State Senate, and now... Author?

2011-06-28T00:31:00.000-07:00

I have been writing a guitar instructional book, called, "Progressive Warm-ups and Exercises". It presents both beginning and advanced guitarists with a progressive series of strength, dexterity, finger independence, and left & right hand coordination exercises that can be used before any practice, recording, or performance session.

Unlike other exercise books that tend to overwhelm the reader, and may repeat scale material found in many other publications, these warm-ups, developed, collected, and used by me in my 18 years of teaching, deliver a concise routine, with no filler, and gives the reader maximum results in minimum time. Whether the guitarist has just 2 minutes or 30 minutes, these 25 progressive exercises will give them the improved strength and coordination they require.

Cost: $15.00 + $2.68 (postage) = $17.68

Click here to purchase with Paypal:

It was bound to happen.

2011-06-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I played in San Diego, opened for Alcatrazz featuring Graham Bonnet. The venue was large, and a good amount of people filled the 1400 seater. I have had pretty good luck, gigging at venues with decent management and staff for over 15 years. The bad news about this gig? The owner decided, contrary to the contract he signed and agreed to uphold, that I, nor my band would get water, food, towels, a guest list, nor the total money/payment we agreed to. After a frustrating long drive, no lunch, and a late dinner (after finding out we wouldn't be fed, and grabbing a couple slices of pizza across the street), we did end up having a GREAT performance.

Essentially, I KNEW that I was in a bad mood, distracted, and frustrated with the venue. I made a commitment right before playing the first note of the set, to make my performance a memorable one. There were many moments, one in each tune, where some musical inspiration and the occasional transcendence occurred. The energy was great on stage and off. I guess the audience felt the same way, because after the performance, I was greeted with compliments and praise by audience member after audience member... after which I sold a lot of merchandise (CDs & T Shirts)... from what I gather, more than Alcatrazz sold. I felt vindicated as the club's sound man showered a ton of compliments on the band and I. Very flattering. The moral of the story, was that every performance should one where the band and I play like we have "something to prove". Focusing on putting on an inspired performance translated to the audience and ultimately to merch sales and a healthy addition to my mailing list.

Woops, also, having a great supportive band made up of friends always helps - thanks Maureen Baker, Charlie Waymire, and Mike Talanca!

Two Handed Tapping - Pentatonic lick with bending

2011-03-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

I recorded a couple new videos demoing some two hand tapping guitar licks.

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2011-03-20T16:42:00.001-07:00

Uli Jon Roth week in review.

2011-01-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

Well, last week was a busy, whirl-wind experience. San Diego's Brick By Brick had a great responsive audience, but seemed to serve as the band's rehearsal/warmup show. After the 2-hour show, Uli and the band met with the audience, who were very glad to see us. Some driving up from Mexico, and some brought old Scorpions albums to autograph as well as a couple guitars floating around for Uli's signature as well. This was my first time in San Diego - I've never been! The band stayed at a hotel near the Old Town "Gas-lamp District". Ate dinner at Casa Guadalajara with the band - great food and margaritas.

Thursday night was in Ventura at the Majestic Ventura Theatre. This is a large venue, an old theatre, similar to LA's Wiltern in size. This night featured a triple bill of my solo band, then Alcatrazz, and then Uli Jon Roth. Huge dressing rooms, back stage food and drinks - a taste of the rock star life.... all too brief. By tonight, I had finally gotten my act together, as I was having trouble learning the unison harmony solo part in "We'll Burn The Sky". While the stage sound was strange, the show went well - though the band would still love to have a set list. Big stage, big lights... always fun.

Uli likes to "free flow" every night. Calling out tunes as he goes, so sometimes it feels like a game of follow the leader. Keeps us on our toes!

The best thing about his gig is getting to play along side my favorite guitarist, favorite singer, favorite drummer, and new comrade, Bjorn Englen.

Alcatrazz put on a top-notch performance, and I have never heard Graham Bonnet sound better. Howie Simon, Tim Luce, and Glen Sobel were great, very tight.

Friday night, brought us to the Blue Cafe in Huntington Beach, CA. At first entry, the club seemed small compared to the previous night, no dressing room, towels, etc... BUT, this night proved to be our best. My band opened for Uli hitting the stage at 10pm. We played great. Having Kevin Chown back on bass felt good. He and the rest of the band, Maureen Baker on keys, and Glen Sobel on drums, really delivered. The audience grew throughout the night and was REALLY excited to be there. By the time Uli and the rest of us got on stage after 11pm, the audience was pressed up to the stage. Tonight, the band was really in sync. The intimate stage and size of the club had such a great energy, and the band could really hear each other well up there. Hands-down the best performance of the week, the 2.15 hour set was loud, hot, and sweaty, and the audience couldn't get enough. We finished up at 1:30am , met with the audience, sold some merch then headed home... My wife and I got back to the house around 3am - just in time to get 5 hours of sleep before having to teach guitar the next morning.

Uli Jon Roth Rehearsal

2011-01-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

Today the band had their first rehearsal, with out Uli. He doesn't arrive to SoCal till tomorrow, and with the NAMM convention, it would be difficult to coordinate any other rehearsal before Monday's.

The drummer, Glen Sobel, you may know is my regular drummer for my own gigs, and as always was uber-prepared, and luckily our notes/charts seemed to line up. This, however, is the first time meeting, let alone playing with Bjorn Englen, the bassist for these dates. Bjorn has been Yngwie Malmsteen's bassist for the last 4-5 years and has a strong feel for the tunes. Mark Boals, of course, also known from Yngwie's classic "Trilogy" album and others, was on hand for vocals.

Comedy ensued as Mark kept asking whether I would sing backup/harmony parts for every Scorpions song we ran through... I obliged with mixed results though better than I (and I hope the others) expected.

Overall we did pretty well, and it sounded rather tight. What you would expect from seasoned musicians, I guess.

These SoCal tour dates will feature a number of classic Scorpions songs, some Jimi Hendrix, and a couple Electric Sun tracks.

On Monday, we rehearse with Uli.

Uli Jon Roth Mini-tour Diary

2011-01-02T23:12:00.000-08:00

I received the set list last week. I sorted through the recordings I have, then bought the songs I didn't have from itunes. I then sorted the recordings and put them into the order of the set list... some tracks, though, have chnaged over the years and Uli has asked that we learn the songs as they have recently been performed - youtube recordings are our reference.

The set includes a good number of classic Roth-era Scorpions songs, a handful of Jimi Hendrix and some Electric Sun. The plan: learn the songs in groups... Scorps first, Hendrix, then Electric Sun.

Today, I began to sit down with the Scorpions tracks - the difficulty with these, is dicerning/differenciating my rhythm guitar parts, as the original recordings/mixes can make it hard to hear individual harmony/guitar parts. I plan to make notes of the parts/sections in question and perhaps ask Uli about them over Skype.

Adrian Galysh and Uli Jon Roth

2011-01-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

I will open for legendary ex-SCORPIONS axeman Uli Jon Roth and ALCATRAZZ (featuring Graham Bonnet) in January. I will also perform in Uli Jon Roth's band for these Southern California dates.

The details are as follows:

* Jan. 18 - Brick by Brick - San Diego, CA (Uli Jon Roth only)
* Jan. 20 - Majestic Ventura Theatre - Ventura, CA (Uli Jon Roth, Alcatrazz, Adrian Galysh)
* Jan. 21 - Blue Cafe - Huntington Beach, CA (Uli Jon Roth, Adrian Galysh)

Adrian Galysh "The Blue Jungle"

2010-03-14T00:43:00.001-08:00

Cozy's live - Feb 4th

2010-02-05T23:34:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

I had a great gig this past Thursday at Cozy's in Sherman Oaks, CA. I was joined by drummer Glen Sobel (Jennifer Batten, Tony MacAlpine, Sixx AM), bassist Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai), and Maureen Baker on keyboards. Every one played great, Philip even broke a string on his bass during an impressive solo, during our unexpected 2nd set.

If you haven't been to Cozy's, you could expect a nice size room, holds about 100, a couple pool tables, fun staff, and a nice history of great Blues artists have hit their stage since 1996.

Below is some footage from the show, enjoy!

CDs on Sale

2010-01-18T21:24:00.001-08:00

NAMM

2010-01-18T21:23:00.000-08:00

So, this last weekend was the NAMM show in Anaheim, CA. For those of you that know, yes, its a place where new music gear is shown, sold, and tried out.. artists, celebrities, and industry get shmooze, perform, and get drunk. This year's show was very positive, especially after last year's funereal attendance. The Hilton's remodel was not very popular, but some highlights: Uli Jon Roth's new Dean Guitar, the Young Dubliners at the Marriott lobby, seeing my friends and colleagues: March Koch and Tom Kikta (Duquesne univ.), Glen MacCarthy, drummers Charlie Waymire and Glen Sobel... hanging with Scorpions drummer James Kottak, singer Mark Boals, dinner with Wild West Guitars and Matt and Debbi Scurfield. Thanks gang!

Just For Today

2009-11-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Adrian Galysh performs at Cozy's in Sherman Oaks, CA on Nov. 19, 2009. Adrian Galysh on guitar, Maureen Baker on keyboards, Glen Sobel on drums, and Philip Bynoe on bass.

Adrian Galysh - Going Down

2009-11-21T17:59:00.001-08:00

Adrian Galysh plays at Cozy's in Sherman Oaks CA. Nov. 19, 2009. Maureen Baker on keyboards, Glen Sobel on drums, Philip Bynoe on bass and special guest Mark Boals on Vocals.

No Body Knows You When You're Down and Out

2009-11-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

Footage from last nights gig at Cozy's in Sherman Oaks, CA. Maureen Baker on keyboards, Glen Sobel on drums, Philip Bynoe on bass and special guest Vie Le on Vocals.

Rehearsal.

2009-11-18T18:58:00.001-08:00

The band and I had an intense four hour rehearsal this weekend for the gig at Cozy's this Thursday. We are playing two extended sets, starting at 9pm. I hope to see you there, we will be performing a lot of songs we've never performed before, some special covers, some blues and we even have a couple special guest vocalists for few numbers: Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen/Royal Hunt) and Vie Le (Luis Miguel).

Also, buy any Adrian Galysh CD, and receive an Adrian Galysh "Earth Tones" T-Shirt (avail. in med., large, XL). Cover is $5 I hope to see you soon!

Gig at Cozy's - Nov. 19th

2009-10-27T19:49:00.001-07:00

Hello folks,

I am glad to let you know that I will be performing at Cozy's in Sherman Oaks, on Thursday, November 19th. Two sets starting at 9pm!

I will be joined by the usual suspects: Maureen Baker (Klymaxx) on keyboards, Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai) on bass, and Glen Sobel (Impelliteri, Alcatrazz) on drums. Cozy's is located at the intersection of Ventura Blvd. and Hazeltine, across from the Ralph's supermarket. We will be joined by some special guests, I hope to see you there!

Visit www.cozysblues.com for more information and reservations.

Also, I would like to invite you to visit and exchange links/friend at these social websites and check out my new blog!:
www.myspace.comadriangalysh
www.facebook.com/adriangalysh
www.youtube.com/adriangalysh
http://adriangalysh.blogspot.com/

Best regards,
Adrian Galysh
www.adriangalysh.com

Hollywood Drumshow

2009-10-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a long day at the Hollywood Custom & Vintage Drums Show... imagine many, many drum solos being played at once in the same room for 9 hours. Friends Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot), Glen Sobel (my drummer) and Todd Sucherman (Styxx) were in attendence, and Todd gave a great clinic/performance. Also, it looks like Todd will be playing drums on my next CD, keeping my fingers crossed that he ends up having time from his super busy schedule, as he will be doing Styxx dates as well as sessions for a new Brian Wilson recording. All right time for dinner.

Podcast

2009-10-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I have just uploaded my first Podcast. Please click below to listen!

-Adrian

Subscribe Free for future posts Add this player to my Page

LA Amp Show

2009-10-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I attended the LA Amp Show today. Just a couple blocks from the house at the Airtel Hotel next to the Van Nuys Airport. 70+ companies attended, lots of great sounding AMPs and some interesting guitars, and some familiar faces and friends.

Up first was a preamp FX pedal called the Skull Crusher by Tone Box. This monster is made of solid metal and shaped like a human skull, with glowing eyes. 4 channels, and tone knob and boost... delivered a nice rich, clear tone - nicely overdriven too. Check them out at www.thetonebox.com

The most interesting Amp of the day may have been the DAR Powetone amp. With a clear window in the from of the chassis, the player gets a nice view of the glowing 6C33 power tubes, the same tubes used in Russian fighter jets, like the MIG, made to withstand EMP bursts from nuclear war. The sound and volume was huge and impressive. www.daramps.com

Also of interest was the Fractal Audio programable, modeling preamp/pedal board. Great, realistic tones for recording and live performance, and not a bad price $1499-$1999 for the main preamp/unit. Check out http://www.fractalaudio.com/

Egnater was showing their beautiful vintage inspired line including the Tourmaster, Rebel, and Renegade.

Even Peavey was showing their new Custom Built Amplifiers, with Celestion Speakers. -Nice. The Masterpiece 50 handwired, 2 channel head looked incredible. - Didn't get a chance to hear it, but take look for yourself: www.peavey.com

Guitar buddies such as Carl Verheyen (on the "Tone Panel"), Rick Brannon, and Doug Doppler were in attendance. While no purchases were made, all and all a good hang.

The 70s

2009-09-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just had dinner with the wife at an Italian pizzeria in Woodland Hills - good deep dish pie, try it at Paoli's. Anyways, we were talking about what music our parents listened to. Mine - not sure, but they bought a few vinyl records like Pink Floyd's The Wall, ABBA, Village People, ELO etc... not that they listened to them much, I think my brothers and I pretty much took them to the basement and listened to these records, fascinated by them, or anything we put on the turntable. Melinda's parents listened to Alice Cooper, Zappa... neither were into the Beatles, hmmm. Not sure why, but what a time the 70s were for music. I was born in '75, but boy the tunes resonated with me, as I discovered them growing up. If you think about how much music has changed, or not changed in the last 10 years, 1999-2009...then think about how music transformed in the ten year period from '69-'79, its amazing. You went from Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, psychedelic music, and Sgt. Peppers to Van Halen in just under 10 years. Hell, by '78 disco was in, and Deep Purple was broken up, if not just considered dinosaurs.

Music hasn't changed that much recently, just seems to be more of it.

Blog number 1 - Music Lessons

2009-09-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hello folks,

I have been teaching guitar lessons again. Its been a while, but I have started up again this past year. I find the right teaching situations to be very satisfying. With recent stints teaching at the National Guitar Workshop, Duquesne University's Summer Guitar Workshop, and now at the Hollywood School of Rock, it has been great to be teaching enthusiastic, passionate students - rather than baby sit. I have been having great luck, getting good results, by teaching music as if it were a language, building my student's vocabulary one word, phrase, and sentance at a time. Pretty soon, I'll post some video lessons. Till then!