1. hobbies and interests
2. guitar

Hit List
Soon-To-Be
Household
Name
Drew Zingg isn’t exactly a household name,
but he should become
one to all guitarists.
Best known for stints
with Steely Dan, Donald
Fagen’s New York Rock
and Soul Revue, and Boz
Scaggs, he’s a complete
guitarist. And he’s gone
a unique route with
this record, working
with producer George
Walker Petit and a
group of friends and
admirers who all
contributed money
and session time to
make it happen.
The band is
comprised of Zingg’s
buddies, and they’re
no bunch of stiffs.
George Whitty
plays keyboards and
does the bulk of the
arranging. Will Lee
is masterful on bass,
and Vinnie Colaiuta is
the perfect drummer to
translate all the various
styles that are present
on the record. Throw in a
few guest vocals from the
likes of Scaggs and Mike
McDonald and you’ve got
a pretty good crowd.
But the real beauty of
all these great players is
that the record comes off
as a true band’s record.
The players feed off each
other like musicians
who have been playing
together for years.
All that said, the star
is Zingg. He straddles
that line between rock
and roll, blues, soul, and
jazz, dipping his toes
in elements of every
style while remaining an
incredibly soulful player.
For the most part,
Zingg’s tone is pure,
blistering Gibson ES-335.
It’s a hot sound – clean,
but always on the verge
of melting. His chops are
unquestionable. On “One-
Drew Zingg
Drew Zingg
The Infrangible Syndicate
Off,” a subtle jazz-fusion
vibe gives way to bursts
of notes from Zingg that
belie the fact that it’s just
a simple tune based on
a simple riff. Throughout
the song he solos without
ever repeating ideas.
Just for kicks his last
solo features the only
heavy dose of wah-wah
pedal on the record.
Funk is never far away.
“Downstream,” with a
vocal from Whitty, is
slinky, bluesy funk with
a soaring solo. “Cactus”
features chunky bursts of
notes over the funk while
the rhythm section cooks.
“Tennessee Street” is a
groove piece that showcases Zingg’s ability to
118 Vintage Guitar
play around some simple
chord changes but still
make it sound truly musical. It also highlights his
precise bends, an important part of his playing.
The Commodores’
“Easy” gets a soulful
gospel feel with the kind
of fine vocal you expect
from McDonald.
Zingg’s solo is
melodic and expressive, displaying
imagination and soul.
Scaggs’ contribution
comes in the jazzy
ballad “Save Your
Love for Me” that
finds Zingg dancing
around the chord
changes with tasty
fills and a lovely solo.
Being released
in conjunction with
the CD is a DVD that
is an interesting
production, letting you
in on how the group was
put together and how
the money was raised to
make the CD. Video clips
include an acoustic jam
between Zingg and producer Petit that shows
just how good Zingg is.
Another nice snippet
shows the band jamming
on “Cissy Strut.” It’s the
perfect way to display
the incredible chemistry
between the musicians.
Everything about this
album is near-perfect;
a guitarist of incredible skill matched with
like-minded musicians
and great songs played
with soul and imagination. – John Heidt
The sole Bakersfield shout-out is a
chugging arrangement of “Dim Lights,
Thick Smoke (And Loud Loud Music).”
Joe and Rose Lee Maphis wrote it after
watching Buck Owens, then only a local
star, onstage at Bakersfield’s famous
Blackboard Cafe. Here, Jason Falkner
adds steel with Eddie Perez on lead guitar. Falkner does both bass and guitar
honors on “Missing Heart.”
By contrast, “Long Way To Go” features only Yoakam’s voice and Whelan’s
piano. The two bonus tracks – covers of
Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” and the
Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” – get
full band treatment.
3 Pears affirms Yoakam’s maturity
and reaffirms the edginess that made
him compelling over a quarter-century
ago. – Rich Kienzle
Christian Scott
Christian aTunde Adjuah
Concord Jazz
If you’ve been waiting for the future
of jazz to arrive, this may well be it. The
young trumpeter is creating a beguiling blend of post-bop, dark rock, and
hip-hop – try to picture Miles Davis
in Radiohead and you’ll be getting
warmer. Better still, Christian Scott has
a young, gifted band featuring guitarist
Matthew Stevens, and his new two-CD
set may be the one that finally pushes
him over the top.
For a first taste of Scott (who also
goes by the surname aTunde Adjuah),
cue up “New New Orleans,” where the
horn man lays out a haunting melody
over Stevens’ alt-rock-infused chord
arpeggios. It’s hard not to be grabbed by
the song’s uncanny, angst-filled groove.
One of the album’s keynote tracks,
“Danzinger,” is buried in the back of the
second disc, but is getting radio airplay
and is fast becoming a contemporary
classic. It’s a dark, brooding ballad
that wouldn’t be out of place on a
Peter Gabriel album, full of a beautiful
melancholia and deep soul.
There aren’t many guitar solos, but
Stevens opens up on “Vs. The Kleptocratic Union” with a beguiling lead.
His tone is clean and compressed yet
edgy, and his phrases use clever swirls
of arpeggios and fast, complex lines
that are unlike much of the jazz-rock
clones out there.
This is a bold album and, arguably,
a breakthrough. If you love brave,
heart-wrenching instrumental music,
check this album out. It could be a
game-changer. – Pete Prown
Antiseen
New Blood
Switchlight Records
Antiseen celebrates 30 years of raw,
southern punk-and-roll with their
latest CD. It’s an impressive milestone
for any band, much less a rag-tag group
of fringe-dwellers. Is that part of the
reason New Blood sounds as vital and
throttling as anything the band’s done?
The scruffy underdog factor? Maybe.
But there’s no denying the strength of
this album as proof of life after 29.
Not that the band’s adjusted, or
really even tweaked, its basic sound
and approach. New Blood is the same
abrasive, aggressive stuff Antiseen has
proffered with a wink and a nudge since
1983 – the Ramones taken further,
louder, and smellier. Just with better
fidelity and more mature songwriting.
Well, as mature as a song celebrating
professional wrestling can be.
“One Shot, One Kill,” “The Mysterious Green Mist,” and “Reconstruction”
are the standouts among the originals
here. Always a great covers outfit,
the band again pays tribute to their
favorites with superb picks. Highlights
include their takes on bluegrass great
Ralph Stanley (“Black Eyed Susie”),
’60s garage-rockers the Sonics (“The
Witch”), and bluesman Louisiana Red
(“Sweet Blood Call”).
Meanwhile, the tooth-drilling machine guitar of band co-founder Joe
Young and his battered Telecaster and
silver-face Fender Twin continue to
prove what a few honest barre chords
and dedication can accomplish.
How do these mutant weirdos keep
doing it? Wait, I think I just answered
my own question. – KJ
Rick Holmstrom
Cruel Sunrise
M.C. Records
The late Cub Koda wrote that Rick
Holmstrom’s “inventive ideas are topnotch,” comparing him to the great
Earl Hooker. That was in reference to
Holmstrom’s solo debut, released in
’96, when he was 31. Sixteen years and
five solo albums later, Holmstrom has
matured by leaps and bounds into a
master of tone and taste. Likewise, his
producing sensibilities were already
impressive (including two outings with
blues harpist Johnny Dyer) but have
continued to evolve and refine.
Today, Holmstrom is probably best
known as guitarist with gospel icon
Mavis Staples, but he’s continued to
lead his own trio. The Holmstrom/
Staples trio – with drummer Stephen
Hodges and bassist/saxophonist Jeff
Turmes – has that rare combination
of abundant versatility and a unique,
identifiable sound.
The dozen vocal songs on Cruel Sunrise display the RHB’s stamp as well as
Holmstrom’s best songwriting to date.
Not tied to any genre, his churchy “Owe
You Everything” lives up to its guest
vocalist (Ms. Staples), while his five
co-writes with Andy Kaulkin combine
rock, country, and blues sensibilities.
The Tele-toter’s gentle “You Drive ’Em
Crazy” and stirring “I’ll Hold You
Ja nu a r y 2013VintageGuitar.com