Guitars, electronics, politics, human relations, cooking and psychology. And of course MY FAMILY! I also like listning to and helping friends with their problems, if I can.
Music
Blues has to be my main liking. Especially where jazz meets blues meets country. I guess melodic, tuneful and interesting chord work are more my scene; which can be brought to blues structures too.
My playing style is kind of swing jazz/blues similar to David Gross (www.davegrossband.com). My main guitar is a beautifully sweet sounding 1963 Telecaster, but I also use a lovely cherry 1963 ES335 and a sunburst 1990 ES175. All through a 2007 Sessionette amp. This amp has been designed for on the edge sounds that suit my style of playing.
But I really like anything that's 'good' from Glenn Miller to any modern band. I'm most definately NOT an ageist... if it's good (IMHO), then I'll say so. I often sit and just play along to anything that comes on the radio. My kids are most surprised at how quickly I get the riffs and chords sorted. Just experience I guess.
As far as playing in bands goes, I'm a firm believer that the rhythm section plays a crucial driving force in a band's foundation. It's this that makes it 'rock'. It is sad that so many players that I see at jams don't realise this, and just play lead lines over each other's playing. The whole thing sounds a mess out front... too much going on. So, if you want to be a truly great guitarist... learn how to play the rhythm stuff too. You'll hear it in my playing all the time. Provide a solid platform for your fellow players to play over, when it's their turn to solo. And vice versa. This makes the band feel tight and, as a result, everyone performs much better. Bass, drums and back-up guitar... Just keep it simple. There... rant over. I feel much better now!
Movies
Mainly SciFi and CGI stuff... other than that, the odd 'guy meets girl and get's rejected, but all works out well in the end', backed up with a box of Kleenex... a bit girly, true. But that's my feminine side coming out. Hmmm... must get that ironing done tonight!
Television
I like factual programmes... documentaries and human interest. Also psychology. Pretty much as Films really.
Books
Stuff that... no time for reading, unless it's technical or being paid to do so! My long-sighted vision makes it difficult to follow the lines (since a kid), so I give up on it too easily. Apparently a common problem. Short sighted folk generally read a lot more, as they can see close up.
Heroes
The session musicians who rarely get a mention. Not everyone's cup of tea, but the singers and band menbers who played excellently for the many runs of Strictly Come Dancing... and the like. Who the hell were those singers... great job guys and gals!!
Not so much a hero, but a good friend. Stuart Dixon is a fine guitar player and deserves to be hired by a top band. Currently with Geno Washington, Marcus Malone & Dead Cat Bounce.
Anyone looking for a great axeman into blues and Staxy sounds + loadz more... he's you're man. Click on his profile. Good luck Stuart!
About me: I had my first guitar on my thirteenth birthday... and it's been downhill ever since.
I've played in numerous rock bands, but I have to admit, I never really felt comfortable in that genre. Well, just take a look at me... I've no 'rock' image! But I soldiered on over the years and gradually switched to soul & covers bands and then function/corporate work. I gave up playing in public in 1979 - business called and no time. It was not until 2000 when I started to go to blues jams, that I realised I was really happy playing this blues stuff. I always had a leaning towards swing jazz/blues styles. That's what got my foot tapping really.
Also, the advent of the Internet exposed me to Blues Radio (like KOQX BLUES RADIO). There I heard the many different forms of blues, jazz blues and country blues, which I knew existed, but could never find enough of... thanks to very limited output on British radio. I now have a huge collection of 'real' modern American blues largely by unknown artists. Not the slit-you're-wrists stuff that most think of. Those unknown players certainly give some of the 'name' players a good whipping!
I earn my living from designing electronic products for musicians. In fact, I was the creator of Session amps back in late 1979. Now I run a small Internet trading company called Award-Session (www.award-session.com). We make all sorts of specialist bits and pieces that guitar players seem to find useful... including a vast range of inexpensive custom cables to very high specs.
A Hellecasters connection: Back in early 1991, I embarked on a project of designing some direct recording preamps for electric guitar. The first, the AW10 rackmount, was used by Jerry Donahue on the first Hellecasters album 'Return Of The Hellecasters' and the results can be heard on 'Orange Blossom Special' playing in the back ground now. This preamp was later re-designed and crammed into a stomp-box style case and renamed the JD10 after Jerry Donahue who adopted it... that pedal is still available now and a steady seller.
Over the last few years, I've turned my hand to designing a few guitars. Just for fun really, as I do like to have guitars that are different to the run-of-the-crop. I'm quite bored with looking at Strats and there is still a lot that can be done with guitars. Those of you who are died-in-the-wood traditionalists will disagree, and I respect that. But being a typical Aquarian, I have to move forward... always looking for new ways of doing things! Leo Fender was the same too! If not, you wouldn't have the Strat and Tele!!
Aquarians are usually quite dogmatic and want to right the world. Rebellious even. All true!! So I can be a bit radical... in your mind. But being aware of these traits has helped me to keep a lid on it! Resultantly, I am a much more patient soul with a willingness to 'listen' to and help my real friends. But I still seek change... Scarey for some, I know!
Who I'd like to meet: Through working with guitar electronics professionally since 1979, I have had the priviledge of meeting some of the best known names in modern music from Hank Marvin to Stevie Wonder, BB King, Buddy Guy, Les Paul, Chet Atkins and many, many more. But the one person I have never met is Eric Clapton. Like Hank Marvin, he has had a great influence on so many modern players, including myself. I've moved on from that style now, but I do have a lot of respect for him. Eric's live album 'EC Was Here' is my favourite era. He did actually use two of my Session 'Rockette:30' amps on his 'August' album. Alexis Corner would have been a great meet too.
Other than that... anyone who's sincere, friendly and likes a lot of music... and laughs too! I have no time for negetivity.
Thanks for being a friend! Hope you enjoy the music as much as we enjoy making it! Stay in touch :-) Ps Leads arrived as soon as I put the phone down! Thanks Stew :-)
We're gigging at the Crown & Cushion, Haslemere this Saturday - if you can make it, it would be great to see you there.
We've got a great new Bass player, Don Maxwell, more C:ountry R:ock A:ccoustic P:op covers and a great new one from Krabbers. All in all, it'll be a great night.
