What Everyone is Saying about 'Tone Poet' (Press and Reviews)

Below you will find all reviews and press for my newest album, "Tone Poet". Keep checking this blog entry as more press and reviews will be added as they come.

"Tone Poet is definitely one of those albums where the sum is greater than the parts and the way the album flows across styles so effortlessly is one of its main strengths. The recording too is excellent – the punchiness of the drums really adds a lot to the dramatic impact here that Galysh has strived for." - ProgMetalZone.com

     Read the whole review by clicking here: http://www.progmetalzone.com/2014/spotify-friday-review-108-adrian-galysh-tone-poet/

"Technical proficiency is alive and well on this offering of half pop-metal songs, and half melodic prog instrumental workouts". - Modern Drummer 

""Tone Poet" presents an entertaining balance of melody and menace - power and passion." - Prognaut.com

    Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://www.prognaut.com/reviews/adrian-galysh3.html

Artist Empowerment Radio Podcast Interview

*An interview with Bob Baker for his podcast, "Artist Empowerment Radio". Bob is the author of the excellent book, "Guerrilla Music Marketing for Musicians", which I highly recommend! 

    *Have a listen to Part 1 here: http://bob-baker.com/buzz/music-endorsements-sponsorships/
    *Have a listen to Part 2 here: http://bob-baker.com/buzz/guitar-instruction-videos/

Seymour Duncan Interview

Adrian talks Tone with Seymour Duncan pickups' Jay Hale in this interview. Read the complete interview here: http://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/backstage-pass/adrian-galysh-the-tone-poet/

"Guitar fans will love this album as will prog metal fans as Adrian’s playing and songs complement Mark Boals vocals so well." - GetReadyToRock.me.uk

    Read the whole review by clicking here: http://getreadytorock.me.uk/blog/2014/02/album-review-adrian-galysh-tone-poe/

"Every once and a while a musician comes along and releases an album that truly deserves attention and accolades.  In 2013, that musician is guitarist Adrian Galysh and the album is Tone Poet... Tone Poet rocks, is creatively excellent and sonically superb. Buy this one and play it loud and often." - ClassicRockRevisited.com

     Read the whole review by clicking here: http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/show_review.php?id=1205

Guitar Player Feb. 2014

"You don’t even have to be a “guitar guy” to get into this one, you just have to have an appreciation for rock music that’s on the creative side." - HardRockHaven.net

     Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2014/01/adrian-galysh-tone-poet-cd-review/

"In the daily muddle of music submissions, every once and a while, there comes an album that's bright and refreshing, even unexpected. Such is the case with guitarist and composer Adrian Galysh's fourth album, Tone Poet." - DangerDog.com

     Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://www.dangerdog.com/2013-music-reviews/adrian-galysh-tone-poet.php

9/10! "This is something different and wonderful, and it should be savored". - Power Play Magazine (April 2014)

"It's remarkably understated for a solo album by a virtuoso guitar player and is full of really nice melodic moments and can be rewarding to repeated listens. If you have wide musical horizons and enjoy tasteful musicianship then 'Tone Poet' is definitely worth a listen." - MetalTalk.net

     Read the whole review by clicking here: http://www.metaltalk.net/columns/20106627.php

"If you seek music that is different, moving, and mind expanding; your search is over, 'Tone Poet' is sure to satisfy and it's a keeper. The musicianship on this recording is truly world class." - Tony Cruz Sison

      Read the whole review by clicking here: http://thededicatedrockersociety.blogspot.com/2014/01/cd-reviews-for-january-2014.html

Interview with Dedicated Rocker Society 

"Hailed by critics and fellow musician alike, Los Angeles guitarist Adrian Galysh, showcases his guitar talents with anthem-like instrumentals, that put the focus squarely on catchy, memorable melodies. "I suppose its because I grew up listening to the hard rock bands of the 70s and 80s, like Van Halen, Scorpions, and Deep Purple," Galysh testifies, "I always enjoyed big riffs, catchy choruses, and interesting musical hooks". - The Dedicated Rocker Society

     Read the whole interview here: http://thededicatedrockersociety.blogspot.com/2014/01/featured-interview-with-adrian-galysh.html

Interview with Classic Rock Revisited

"Classic Rock Revisited caught up with rock guitarist Adrian Galysh’s new album titled Tone Poet, which features vocalist Mark Boals and Styx drummer Todd Sucherman.  The album is a rich, well crafted, brilliantly composed work of art. In the interview below, Adrian takes time to share how the album came to be, his creative process, how he approaches guitar solos and his future plans.Enjoy this interview with a guy that may be under the radar, for now, but with Tone Poet, will be growing in both reputation and popularity."

     Read the whole interview by clicking here: http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/show_interview.php?id=1011

"Although Adrian was soloist, but this album Tone Poet, contained half vocalized track. This unfortunately makes him 'half-banned' from the guitar shred instrumental album. But his half of instrumental tracks really paid off the situation and make it great for guitar fans. Check him out as well as this awesome album." - MetalHarem.blogspot.com

      Read the whole review by clicking here: http://metalharem.blogspot.com/2014/01/favorite-guitar-shred-instrumental.html

"Melodic, yet powerful is how I would sum up the music of  Tone Poet from Adrian Galysh. The fluidity of his work on the fret-board is hypnotic and magical. If you love music made for the love of music Tone Poet by Adrian Galysh is a necessity in you music collection." - TheHellionRocks.com

      Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://thehellionrocks.com/2013/12/04/adrian-galysh-tone-poet/

"Galysh has crafted an album with an abundant musical landscape with plenty of multi layered musical pieces featuring choral vocals, orchestral pieces and keyboards alongside his guitar which obviously takes the focal point of all the tracks." - Woody's Melodic Rock and AOR Reviews

     Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://www.woodysrockreviews.co.uk/album-reviews/adriangalysh-tonepoet

"The album begins with a church-like choir, bringing Galysh's two-minute solo on to a higher purpose in "Resurrectis." The band moves like a tight unit through "Brick By Brick" as Galysh combines orchestration with his hard rocking solo. The tempo slows down quickly for the power ballad "When You Fall," which showcases Boals' vocals perfectly." - JP's Music Blog

   Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://jpsmusicblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/cd-review-new-symphonic-rock-from.html 

"A chorus, an orchestra, and Adrian Galysh's guitar opens Tone Poet. His lead lines weave over piano and something seems to be brewing, as if this is an opening overture to a larger experience." - SeaOfTranquility.org

     Read the whole review by clicking here:  http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=15725

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6 Things You Never Knew About Bassist Philip Bynoe

Philip Bynoe and I have had a long musical friendship. I’ve known Philip for over 16 years. We met during the first G3 tour in ’96, we both moved to LA at the same time, and we have been playing together for over 13 years. Philip played on my 2002 release King Friday. He’s my first call, go-to bassist with a great feel and groove that pushes the music forward. So it was a no-brainer to include him on my new album, Tone Poet. I must say, tracks that he plays on really benefited from his superb bass playing. Philip Bynoe brings to the record both world-class bass playing and experience from years of touring and recording for artists such as Steve Vai, Kevin Eubanks, Slash, and Ring of Fire. I recently caught up with Philip, who is on the road with Steve Vai. We discussed his musical influences, working with Steve again, the new album, and more. You've played with some amazing artists from Steve Vai, Tony McAlpine, to Kevin Eubanks. But who are your musical influences? Do you have a favorite bass player or one that impressed you growing up? As a bassist I have to say my father and older brother were my first big influences. When I was about 14 a friend introduced me to Stanley Clarke and that was a big day. I bought everything he released and learned it and from there to Weather Report and Jaco. Larry Graham was next as I was just listening to everybody. You're back on the road with Steve Vai, how is touring with Steve different now than when you played together in the mid-late 90s? Steve as a band leader and friend has developed his skills in the way he motivates the members of the band, which has us working together and growing musically in ways that none of us expected. The things we focus on are relaxing, being in the moment, phrasing and being musical. All things we did before, but now we work together to support each other, it's wonderful. You tracked a handful of songs on my new album, Tone Poet, and you've been playing with me on and off for about 13 years... what have you noticed is different about my new material compared to say, "King Friday"? As you have matured as a writer, the choices you make in creating music have grown also. Instead of forcing ideas into songs it sounds to me as if you're allowing the music to speak through you. As with all of us you have your signature sound and you have enhanced that. Can you tell readers about the bass(es) and gear used to record your tracks on Tone Poet? For this recording I used my Music Man Bongo 6 string basses, with the double humbucker pick ups. For my direct sound I went through a Digi 003 Black Box pre amp and used my SSL channel strip plug in. For live amp I used a 1200 watt tube amp with a 4/10 cab and a 421 mic on the cabinet. Speaking of gear, what basses, effects, and amps are you touring with now? My live rig and basses are, the a fore mentioned Music Man Bongo basses I have one with 2 humbuckers and the other is a single coil/humbucker set up. A 5 string Bongo fretless and a Kala ukulele bass that sounds like an upright. What advise would you give aspiring bass players who may want to pursue a professional career in music? As I tell the bass students at the LA Music Academy where I teach, it is a long road to be a musician. There are also many ways to be in the music business, if you start out with a plan of where you want to be and allow yourself to find your way, though it might take longer than you think, and your goals and dreams can change as you go along, if you allow that to happen you will find your way. Also don't get hung up in the game of "I wish I was doing that gig", enjoy what you are doing, do your best where you are and don't compare your life to others and you will have more fun and probably be more successful.

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Adrian Galysh Reveals Story Behind TONE POET, Track by Track

Tone Poet was two years in the making... maybe even longer, but real recording and writing started two years ago. I'd like to take you through each song, share my thoughts on each of them, and give you an idea of what inspired them, how they were written, and what challenges they may have presented. Below is a preview video, giving you samples of each of Tone Poet's 12 tracks.

1. "Resurrectis" - Track 6 ("Luminae") was so much fun to compose and record that I immediately started another classical/choral composition that turned into "Resurrectis". Shorter than "Luminae", I decided this would be the album opener. Something unexpected for some listeners, I'm sure. The last few measures are lush and beautiful and come to an epic crescendo, which sets us up for...

2. "Brick By Brick" - Another track written early on in the project. The riffs, and the arrangement of the demo were intended to be for a vocal song. Believe it or not, as I was writing and recording the rhythm parts for this song, I kept thinking... "what would Reb Beach do?". I like Reb's rhythm playing, and this is my version of some of his heavier style of playing from albums like Pull and IV. The lyrics were my idea, but Mark Boals wrote the majority of them. He'd send me lyrics, I'd send back some re-writes and revisions, then he'd do his final tracking at his home studio, and send me the vocal tracks to dump into my rhythm section tracks. Drums were recorded last, by Charlie Waymire at his studio, Ultimate Rhythm Studios.

3. "When You Fall" - Having a bit of writer's block a couple years ago, I tried to make things interesting by using an open tuning. The open tuning for "When You Fall" is inspired by Devin Townsend, who plays guitars tuned from low to high: C G C G C E. That is what my guitar is tuned to here. Boy, did this work. The song wrote itself in a day or two. Intro, verse, chorus... done. This started out as an instrumental, and somewhere I have "Morning Rain" with lead guitar over the whole track. However, this was a great opportunity to have a vocal ballad, and I asked Mark to include the idea of rain in the lyrics, as the rain and thunder effects were already a part of the arrangement. The unique guitar solo was 16 measures pulled from the original instrumental lead guitar take, and fit really well. The outro features six tracks of Mark's backing vocals, creating a lush background... Again, drums were recorded last by Charlie Waymire.


4. "Flying" - This was the first song written for the album. The main guitar riff, groove, and choral ending was all written as a demo about 4 years ago. At the time I knew this was going to be a vocal track. I refused to record a guitar melody over this, simply because I knew this would be a vocal song, and that vocalist would be Mark Boals. Mark and I worked out the lyrics over a few short days, trading emails, and some demo vocal takes. The most complicated part of the song is the middle guitar solo section. The rhythm of the riff behind the solo is odd, and didn't feel comfortable to play over, as the rhythmic figure comes back in unexpectedly. I ended up combining two solos, that now are heard as these intertwined parts, and it happened to work out well.

5. "Movie In My Mind" - This song was hard to make work. I had 2-3 good parts written, and they seemed to kinda work together, back to back. I wrote the lyrics myself - my first lyrics ever to make it to tape! After Mark tracked his parts, I took liberty to rearrange the song, putting in the piano intro, which is also found in the new middle section break. I rerecorded my rhythm guitar parts, and must have rerecorded the lead guitar parts 6 or 7 times. It wasn't until after the live drum parts were tracked (by Charlie Waymire), and that Philip Bynoe laid down his bass part that it started to really gel. I then tracked what would be the final lead guitar parts you now hear. I think "Movie In My Mind" is a unique song, with interesting production, and a catchy chorus.

6. "Luminae" - This was the first of the three classical pieces, and was exciting to write and record. Somewhat inspired by the classical work of Uli Jon Roth, this pulls inspiration from composers like Arvo Part and Vangelis. As lush and as complicated as it may sound, a great amount of it was done in just 2-3 days. Later on, before mixing, I returned to this piece to really fine tune all the strings, choir, and guitar. I have not heard of anyone else combining electric guitar with this kind of "epic" style choral composition, and I feel like it is really unique.

7. "La Dolce Vita" - Written around the same time as the classical pieces, this takes those elements of choir and strings and puts it to a beat. My thought process here was to alternate between acoustic guitar and electric guitar. The groove was to have a fusiony drum feel, that Todd Sucherman nailed. For me, the song really came together when I added the 2nd electric guitar part (right speaker) that answers the main electric guitar melody. Listen closely during the "choruses" for the very Italian sounding faux-mandolin guitar parts in the background. The most difficult performance of the recording was the middle acoustic guitar/piano double-time unison part. This alternate picked one-note-per-string arpeggio part with a moving melody was near impossible to play in time, and I even retracked this part (again) after the song was mixed! Todd Sucherman really hit this one out of the park - one of my favorite tracks on the album.

8. "Tone Poet" - An all acoustic effort. My attempt at emulating Ukrainian "Bondura", which is a large multi-string instrument kind of like an autoharp meets a dulcimer. Tons of acoustic guitar tracks, doubling each other - both steel string and nylon (I think 4-5 guitars, some in stereo, some recorded in mono). The challenge here was to be able to perform these multi-tracked guitars in time, as the slightest deviation would make such a mess. The background heard underneath the ascending 16th note guitar part is inspired by Arvo Part's Tintinnabuli composition technique, using simple triads, with a rhythmically simple melody played counter to the three individual notes of the triad, but giving no weight to any particular note... How rock and roll, I know?! Again, Todd Sucherman's drums are outstanding here, and really show off a side of his playing that you don't get to hear when he's on the road with Styx. This song's groove felt much stronger after Philip Bynoe tracked his bass parts.

9. "Epoch" - I debated whether or not to include this composition on Tone Poet. There's no guitar! But I felt that it showed another side to me, and is a breakthrough for me in recording quality orchestral music. I thought about trying to track some guitar, but then thought "nahh...". The biggest challenge of this track was getting the various string parts to sound in time, as they tend to drag a bit with a slow attack. I really like the lead melody violin part, which delivers a very emotional performance.

10. "Echoes of El Greco" - This track started out with the simple 16th note rhythm guitar parts against the double bass drums... just messing with programming double bass drums, really. The big electric guitar part is my take on the not nearly asked enough question, "what if John Sykes were to write an instrumental?"...I wanted it to be "Crying in the Rain" - huge, and then schizophrenically switch to a Latin inspired neo-flamenco guitar solo section. This is a high energy, fun track to listen to, and according to Todd, was very taxing to record!

11. "Ur of the Chaldees" - Another track that got its start from Devin Townsend's open guitar tuning, C G C G C E. The song was written starting with the strummed guitar part, then the acoustic guitar melody. Over the coarse of the rest of the composition, it morphs into a middle eastern, world music inspired musical caravan. Layers, and layers of guitar, strings, choir, violin, percussion, and more percussion. The outro trading electric guitar solos are all the same takes from the original demo, they may not be perfect, technically, but they feel good and have the right energy. Not an easy track to mix.

12. "Spring (The Return)" - There are three parts to this song. The intro/verse, the "prechorus" harmony guitars, and the chorus featuring the arpeggiated guitar melody. But as simple as the arrangement is, boy does that chorus melody pay off. This guitar part was me experimenting with a one-note-per-string arpeggio figure with this moving melody line above. The left hand stretch and the right hand picking was a real challenge. So much so that I probably re-tracked this part a couple times, just to make sure the triplet timing was just right. The outro solo is a single take. The benefit of playing guitar more and more on a regular basis is that I find myself liking the first and second takes, and not laboring to "fix" and "punch in" any trouble spots. Listen closely to hear the background soprano vocal harmonies underneath the 2nd chorus and outro solo.  

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What does Steve Vai and Adrian Galysh have in common?

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (May 14, 2013) - Rock guitarist Adrian Galysh has enlisted three-time Grammy nominee and Emmy Award-winning bassist, Philip Bynoe, to contribute bass tracks to his new album, Tone Poet. Philip Bynoe brings to the record both world-class bass playing and experience from years of touring and recording for artists such as Steve Vai, Kevin Eubanks, Slash, and Ring of Fire. 

Bynoe and Galysh have had a long musical friendship, having played on Galysh’s 2002 release King Friday. According to Adrian, “I’ve known Philip for over 16 years. We met during the first G3 tour in ’96, we both moved to LA at the same time, and we have been playing together for over 12 years. He’s my first call, go-to bassist with a great feel and groove that pushes the music forward. The tracks that he plays on really benefited from his superb bass playing.”

Philip says, “I've been playing and recording with Adrian for a long time and his newest endeavor, adding a vocalist to his songs, is some of his best songwriting yet. I look forward to the new direction this music will take Adrian career-wise and have high hopes for great success in the years to come.”

Described as “a virtuoso of modern electric and acoustic guitar techniques” by 20th Century Guitar magazine, Galysh has a successful trajectory spanning three solo albums and numerous collaborations and performances with industry giants like Uli Jon Roth, Yngwie Malmsteen, Carl Verheyen, Mike Keneally, George Lynch, Warren DeMartini, and many more.

Galysh is preparing the release of his fourth solo album Tone Poet, due summer 2013. The album includes 12 tracks featuring vocal rock songs, instrumentals with world music influences, and sweeping orchestral works. His tasteful guitar work and compositional style will be complemented by Mark Boals’ (Yngwie Malmsteen, Royal Hunt) vocals, and grooves by world-class drummer, Todd Sucherman (STYX).

For more information, visit www.AdrianGalysh.com


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May 15 Gig at the Baked Potato Recap

Hey folks!

I wanted to thank all those who came and supported me at the world famous Baked Potato in Studio City last Tuesday, May 15th. It was an intimate night of music, (and potatoes!) featuring my band-mates and friends, Philip Bynoe on bass, Glen Sobel on drums, and Yuko Tamura subbing for regular member, Maureen Baker, on keys.

We plowed through 12 tunes in our 70 minute set, that included tunes from my albums "Venusian Sunrise", "King Friday", and "Earth Tones"... We tweeked up the set in rehearsal, trying to add some performance elements, tying a few tunes together, added an extended intro to fan-favorite "Ventura Blvd.", and I've been trying to improve my between song-patter. It isn't easy describing or giving a story behind instrumental songs! I think the band is developing a few key memorable "moments" over the course of our set - including the jaw-dropping drum solo by Glen Sobel.

Below are a couple video clips from  the show, enjoy!





For more information about Adrian Galysh including video guitar lessons, concert dates, clinics, merch and music, visit: 
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Band Members from Alice Cooper, Gladys Knight, ex-Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth, and Steve Vai to perform at World Famous Baked Potato.

Los Angeles, CA - Instrumental rock guitarist, Adrian Galysh, will perform a blistering set at the world famous Baked Potato in North Hollywood on Tuesday, May 15th at 9pm. Featuring band members from Uli Jon Roth, Alice Cooper, Gladys Knight and Steve Vai, this ensemble is sure to bring down the house, performing material from Galysh’s three solo releases. 

Described as “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. 

His band features ace-drummer Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper), Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai) on bass, and Yuko Tamura (Gladys Knight) on keyboards. Fans of guitar centric music ala Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, and Eric Johnson will enjoy Galysh’s tasty phrases, and anthem like melodies. 

Galysh remarks about performing at the Baked Potato, “I’ve always enjoyed playing the ‘spud. It has an intimate vibe, and audiences love it - nowhere else can you witness such world class musician ship so close from your seat!”.

The Baked Potato is located at 3787 Cahuenga Blvd. West., in Studio City, CA, and is home to a menu of over 21 stuff bomber baked potatoes and full bar.  Click here for reservations: www.TheBakedPotato.com

http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=153366

For more information about Adrian Galysh including video guitar lessons, concert dates, clinics, merch and music, visit: 
www.AdrianGalysh.com
www.facebook.com/adrian.galysh
www.youtube.com/adriangalysh

Yngwie Malmsteen at Club Nokia

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!

For more information about Adrian Galysh, including video guitar lessons, concert dates, clinics, merch and music, visit: 

www.AdrianGalysh.com

www.facebook.com/adrian.galysh

www.youtube.com/adriangalysh

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