Dave Martone Talks Technique, Clean and Guitar Education

By: Jesse James Mazzoccoli
http://guitarinternational.com/wpmu/2010/12/28/dave-martone-talks-technique-clean-and-guitar-education/

Dave Martone’s website says that he’s “One of Canada’s Finest Guitarists,” but that’s probably a bit dated and should be upgraded to “One of the World’s Finest Guitarists.” If you haven’t heard Dave shred before, there’s no time like the present.

The latest album from Martone Clean, which includes Dave Spidel and the amazing Daniel Adair of Nickelback fame, is an incredibly intense shredfest of molten musicality that would rival any album in the genre. Special guests on this album include Joe Satriani, Greg Howe, Jennifer Batten, Billy Sheehan and Rick Fierbracci.

Dave is a first-rate guitarist, composer, performer, teacher, recording engineer, and clinician. He does clinics and masterclasses all over the world, while working for the National Guitar Workshop, Berklee School of Music, he is also an alum, Class of ‘95, and the School of Rock Guitar Sessions for Tom Lee Music in Vancouver Canada, just to name a few.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with many great teachers of many styles over the years, and I have to say that Dave is among the very best. His approach makes the most difficult of techniques easy and understandable to all skill levels, and as I watched him teach, right there in the moment, his students become better guitarists. It was a beautiful sight, indeed.

When Dave and I were talking, we focused a great deal on his teaching approach. This is a great lesson for anyone that wants to take their skills, playing or teaching, to the next level.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE: http://guitarinternational.com/wpmu/2010/12/28/dave-martone-talks-technique-clean-and-guitar-education/

K2 - Black Garden - Metal Perspective Review

K2 - Black Garden
Reviewer: Steven Reid

K2 specialise in combining sublimely beautiful and melodic passages to some more traditional progressive elements that remind quite strongly of Genesis, not least because of Gleason’s similarity to latter day Peter Gabriel, with his rich yet gravelly tones being one of the many highlights on this fantastic album. While, as mentioned, Genesis are a good starting point to describe the sound K2 create with such sublime ease, it would be selling them short considerably by suggesting that it is the only string that they have to their bow. Having Okumoto onboard lends an altogether more contemporary slant to the style of prog that Jacques has been able to create with ‘Black Garden’, while the guitar contribution from Johnson brings the reasonably traditional prog leanings into an altogether more prog metal area. That’s not to say that you will hear thundering riffs, or fret meting solos on this disc however his work is fluid, rich and fresh in a way that updates the sound of K2 quite remarkably, with the end results sitting neatly somewhere between Genesis, King Crimson, Yes, Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic.

Read the rest of the review, and check out the website:
http://metalperspective.com/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&sobi2Id=164&Itemid=0

December People - Live pictures

December People - Live pictures from the CSU Monterey Bay World Theater from November 13th, 2010




Many more photos:
http://decemberpeople.com/photos/world-theater-2010.html

K2 - Black Garden - Prognaut review

From the opening title track, “Black Garden” (6:25) to the closing track, “Path Of The Warrior” (10:43), you’re treated to top notch American progressive rock. I can’t choose a favorite track because they’re all great. I could say the opener, “Black Garden” is a perfect indication of what to expect which is high energy music that resonates in your mind after the album is over.


Read The Entire Review and More Reviews:
http://www.prognaut.com/reviews/k2-2.html

Royal Hunt - Paradox review in Weekender

Steve Morse Band - Split Decision review in GuitarOne

Drum Nation Volume 1 review

The Sun Herald
by Ricky Flake

Drummers form a unique community. When a drummer gets sick or falls on hard times, the “nation of drummers” rallies to help. When a drummer needs a tip, there are no secrets, only sharing.

By recording superstar drummers in a variety of musical settings, Modern Drummer and Magna Carta are primed for success beyond the borders of the "drum nation" itself.

There's lots of great playing here by the drummers and their collaborators. Former Journeyman Steve Smith does some death-defying brush work on his two part cut with Zakir Hussain. Who collaborator Simon Phillips plays wonderfully on a prog piece reminiscent of Jeff Beck's early fusion work.

If you enjoy a wide enough variety of drum-driven music genres, you will like this one.