Hi Folks, I just received a new strap from the folks at Italia Guitar Straps and was pleased by the high quality materials & craftsmanship. Coupled with the excellent prices & great customer service I’ll be a customer for life! (Dan’s 1983 Gibson 335 Re-Issue Pictured) Read more »
Yamandu Costa plays Nova Bossa
Wonderful Brazilian player Yamandu Costa, guitarist and composer on the Brazilian seven-stringed nylon guitar. Read more »
Godin Multiac Performance Tip
Hi Dan, This might be useful information to other guitarists. I have been using a Godin Multiac solid-body nylon string guitar with RMC pickups to do music for a play with a solid-state electric guitar amp. I noticed that the guitar was uncommonly quiet and free of any 60-cycle hum caused by the dimmer switches […] Read more »
Semi Polished Classical Guitar String Review
Recently I’ve been experimenting with many different types of strings to find the right combination for my Ramirez 2CWE nylon string electric cutaway guitar. As a jazz player my technique on the nylon strings tends to produce squeaks on the wound basses. Since discovering that Savarez offers semi-polished basses & D’Addario carries a recording set, […] Read more »
Joe Pass teaches the 1-6-2-5-1 progression
Here’s a great video of a “Joe Pass” lesson from the 80’s. Lots of good material in this 1 hr video. Don’t try to remember everthing. Just focus on one aspect & try to incorporate it into your playing. (I can help during our next session) Enjoy! Dan Read more »
Blues Book: Big Mama Thorton
Here’s an interesting Biography by Michael Spörke. His new book “Big Mama Thornton. The Life and Music.”, the first biography about Big Mama Thornton, will shortly be available. It can be pre-ordered via the publisher (see the link below). http://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-7759-3 When Michael was researching his book he contacted me & we spoke about Big Mama […] Read more »
Traveling abroad with guitars containing rare woods
Travel Abroad with Your Instrument May Require CITES Certification The AFM and its longtime government relations partners met in late April with US Fish and Wildlife (USFW) administrators to discuss public promotion of government guidelines relating to the international transport of musical instruments containing parts of federally designated endangered species materials and/or rare woods such […] Read more »
Jim Hall & Barney Kessel
Here’s a great version of “You Stepped Out of a Dream” The Video quality is poor but the audio is fine. The interplay between Jim Hall & Barney Kessel is awesome. Enjoy! Read more »
D’Addario Chromes & Half Rounds Review
Recently I had the good fortune to meet Jim D’Addario at one of my performances in the Palm Springs area. Jim was kind enough to put me in contact with George Santos, Product Specialist at D’Addario who provided me several samples of D’Addario string products. So far I’ve tested & shared two of the products that […] Read more »
Laviolette Custom Guitar Review
Laviolette Guitars Website Laviolette Guitars on Facebook Read more »
Alex Ciavarelli at the 2013 Kyoto Symposium
Dans’ gifted student Alex Ciavarelli performs at the prestigious Kyoto Symposium in San Diego, CA in March 2013. Here he performs “All the Things You Are” by Jerome Kern Custom built guitar by Laviolette Guitars, San Diego, CA Read more »
Skylark Course Comments!
Hi Dan, So far so good, just have to set aside some time to really dig into this, but I like the videos a lot and it helps to see it in different keys. Thanks again for putting this piece up – a wonderful tune and great jazz guitar learning experience. I’ll let you know […] Read more »
Jesse Van Ruller
Here’s a great video featuring the trio of brilliant Dutch Guitarist Jesse Van Ruller. Great sense of rhythm & dazzling technical facility. Reminds me of my friend the late great Billy Rogers! Read more »
Johnny “Hammond” Smith Project
My old Boss & Pal Johnny “Hammond” Smith is still cookin’! Johnny’s widow Cheryl Smith is in the process of releasing some of Johnny’s music that hadn’t been previously released. Cheryl has organized a Kickstarter project. It’s a great way to support a worthwhile cause & get some groovin’ Johnny Hammond sounds! Check it out […] Read more »
Real Book Website
Check out this cool new site that features sheet music for many of the popular “Real Book” tunes plus sample recordings to accompany each chart. A great resource to get a feel for the tune you’re working on. Enjoy! The Real Book Website Read more »