Unbecoming is anything but. This CD has captured a mature, relevant guitarist and songwriter. The forging of energy and melody into layered textures is captivating. The opening song, Taken Alive, provides a throbbing rhythm supporting vocals that smoothly transition from baritone to tenor. It makes you stop and notice that you could sing along. Refreshing is the paced soloing where he is not afraid to sustain and work a string bend for all it was ever worth. His blend of 70’s feeling and 21st Century aggression and intellect allows him to stand head to head and toe to toe with Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Audioslave and Foo Fighters. That is, his material is multigenerational, timeless!
Western Pennsylvania, long recognized for its fertile production of Hall of Fame caliber NFL quarterbacks, is equally fecund in its spawning of world -class guitarists. George Benson, Joe Negri, and Paul Gilbert can now be remembered as the geographic “brothers” of the latest Keystone State axe man to gain recognition: Dallas Perkins.
Filling his teen years with endless hours of practicing, he merged diverse influences such as Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen Steve Howe, and Joe Perry. The result was an amalgam of power-driven, high-energy virtuosity in an all-to-rare combination of soulful expression and flawless technique.
A move to Florida with his family in the late eighties proved fateful as he quickly gained recognition in the Tampa Bay/Clearwater area. Almost immediately he won the coveted "Best Guitarist" honor in the First Annual Florida Music Awards in light of his critically acclaimed debut solo release, Looking Glass.
"Looking Glass is a well balanced speed approach with melody and aggression treated as equals.” – Guitar Magazine
Looking Glass received international exposure with rave reviews in many guitar magazine publications, including Guitar World and Guitar for the Practicing Musician.
The logical next move was to head west to California to soak up the booming metal scene. Musicians soon were taking notice of his mastery of the instrument and dedication to his art. Although prudent and selective about his work and commitments, he was constantly sought after to join touring and recording acts. Producers also heard the buzz and eventually he was in demand. This culminated in Dallasrecording and touring as a member of Virgin recording act “Roxx Gang” and one of LA's biggest buzz bands, “Zeros.”
By the early 90's he had a permanent LA address, touring regionally and teaching at the prestigious GIT at Musicians Institute. It did not take long before he was gaining valuable recording and studio experience with veteran producer/songwriter Chip Z' Nuff, among others. During which time he released his first full length effort Emergent Behavior. This clearly showcased an evolving instrumentalist, finding the area lying between contemporary guitar playing and his early influences. A standout is Screen Life where he masterfully emulates the warm analog sound of the pre-digital era while maintaining a precise quality in his soloing.
His latest CD, Unbecoming, was engineered & producerd by Neil Citron. Citron, known for his ear for “true” talent, has also worked with Steve Vai for over a decade among other guitar giants such as Larry Carlton and Steve Lukather.
Chuck Welsh is a freelance writer and music critic.
He can be reached at
drcwelsh@yahoo.com
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