Guitar Jam

Video: The Edge Jamming At N.O. Jazz Festival

MSN
U2 guitarist the Edge, who has led a campaign to buy instruments for musicians who lost theirs to the floodwaters, jammed Thursday night at Preservation Hall. The private party celebrated the reopening of the fabled French Quarter jazz club.

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Thorogood To Release New Album And Tour

livedaily.com
Now in their fourth decade together, George Thorogood & The Destroyers are gearing up for the May release of a new studio album that they'll support with a US tour.

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Gibson To Support Guitars Not Guns

Press Release
Guitars not Guns announced today that musical giant Gibson Guitar has become the official guitar sponsor for their youth music program. They are grateful to Gibson Guitar for their enormous generosity and incredible support. Guitars not Guns Founder, Ray Nelson finalized the agreement with the Gibson Foundation on April 26, 2006. The Gibson Foundation is looking forward to working with Guitars not Guns over the coming years to help bring their message to a broader base and to assist in providing a wonderful alternative to violence for foster and at risk children across the country. Nelson and his entire staff are overwhelmed by Gibson's support. The three year sponsorship agreement includes a guitar donation to help offset the organizations events and programs, website announcements, and monetary assistance.

Ray Nelson has this to say about the students Guitars not Guns serve: "We may not put clothes on their backs or food in their stomachs, but what we give our students is something that is good for the soul, and it can last a lifetime. If you have some spare time or a spare room invite a foster kid into your home. You'll be glad you did."

Guitars not Guns provides free guitars and free lessons to children in foster care, to at risk youth, and to other deserving children. The organization serves kids and teens between the ages of 8-18. No child is turned away for lack of funds. They are not anti-guns. They are anti-gun violence, especially in schools, and they offer an alternative to violence.

Each chapter purchases guitars and class lesson materials for students with donated funds and monies raises through benefit concerts or fund raising projects. They supply each student a guitar and a soft shell guitar bag, which usually includes a guitar strap, electric guitar tuner, and guitar picks. The number of teachers per lesson depends on the number of students. An average class session is eight weeks with eight students and three teachers, a main instructor and two assistant instructors. Students are assigned homework each week and are expected to practice thirty minutes per day. At the end of their first eight-week session, students, who have been diligent with their studies and who have attended class regularly, are rewarded ownership of their guitars and are encouraged to continue taking class sessions.

Foster kids and at risk youth are often moved from home to home. A guitar is an easy instrument to carry; it becomes their "best friend" and constant companion in their ever-changing world. Guitars not Guns gives young people the gift of music and helps provide them with a better direction to go, inspiring students to embrace music instead of a life involved with substance abuse or with gangs. Most young people are hungry for music; many are in need of positive role models, and many truly need healthy attention. Guitars not Guns staff serve as youth mentors in their communities, encouraging students to believe in themselves. They teach students to trust that they can learn how to play guitar. They allow students to repeat sessions so they can reinforce their learning. Receiving the gift of music and also the gift of learning how to make music is no small gift. Music can redirect and calm troubled young lives, and it can give at risk youths something excellent to embrace during an often difficult time in their lives. Studies claim that music can raise IQs and build up self-confidence and self-esteem. All of this has a very significant and positive impact on the lives of students and also on the communities where they live.

Guitars not Guns is a 501 c 3 federally exempt non-profit organization. Their West Coast headquarters is in San Jose, California. Their East Coast headquarters is in Peachtree City, Georgia. They have California chapters in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Monterey, Santa Clara/San Jose, Santa Cruz, San Joaquin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Solano. They have one established chapter in New Mexico. They have chapters pending in California and other states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Ray and Louise Nelson, founders of Guitars not Guns and long-time residents of San Jose, California, moved to Peachtree City, Georgia, in December 2005.

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Williams: A Master Of His Craft

event
Sixty years is a long love affair. But for John Williams, the guitar still holds all the magic and fascination it did for him when, as a small boy, he first fell under its spell. His life has been devoted to the instrument, and to showing the listening public its versatility and international roots.

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The New Guitar Summit Feeds Giles Soul

straight.com
Jay Geils has  been busy laying down mellow swing-jazz in the New Guitar Summit, which includes fellow American guitarists Duke Robillard and Gerry Beaudoin. Best known as the founder of the Boston-based band that spawned the early ’80s hits “Freeze Frame” and “Centerfold”, Geils’s real passion is jazz.

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"Picks" From The All-Star Jam At The Dallas Guitar Fest

Modern Guitar Magazine
A star-studded ensemble, including Rick Derringer, Charlie Torres, John O'Daniel, Jimmy Wallace, Andy Timmons, Johnny A and Johnny Hiland, let it rip during the Saturday Night All Star Jam at the 2006 International Dallas Guitar Festival

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Metal Muff Pedal Unleashed By EHX

Press Release
Electro-Harmonix has introduced the Metal Muff heavy metal distortion pedal. The Metal Muff utilizes three EQ bands, including a midrange control designed for perfect contouring.

Features:

• Knob controls include Distortion, Bass, Midrange, Treble, Top Boost, and Output Volume
• The unique Top Boost knob allows you to dial in ultra high bite frequencies that were selected for their ability to add a cutting edge to a solo and define a powerful rhythm with a single touch
• The Bass knob presents a powerful and tight bottom end; the Midrange knob provides the ability to sculpt the perfect midrange punch; and the Treble knob produces a sizzling top end. The output volume has a full +18dB of gain. All controls were designed to interact together for maximum drive and a uniquely powerful, yet clean, distortion
• As a bonus, rolling back the distortion provides the warm and organic overdrive of a slightly torn speaker.
• Buffered bypass.

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Review: Julien Kasper's New Imperial

Guitar Player
With The New Imperial, an entirely instrumental offering, Julien not only flaunts his blistering guitar chops but also crafts memorable melodies and grooves. On occasions there are elements reminiscent of "Blow by Blow" era Jeff Beck and "Band of Gypsies" Hendrix, interwoven with Julien's individual jazz leanings. Bucking trends of digital editing and excessive production, The New Imperial was recorded live in studio to analog tape.

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Built to Spill Makes Guitars Central To Their Sound

Mercury News
What's staggering about Built to Spill is the layered, interweaving guitar work - one part swooning, one part jabbing - on songs like "Time Trap" off their 1999 masterpiece, "Keep it Like a Secret." They've also covered Young's epic "Cortez the Killer" and played (earnestly and with precision) the most famous guitar song of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird."

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Egnater And Randall Launch MTS Amps

Vintage Guitar
After trying to get together for several years, tube amp guru Bruce Egnater officially joined forces with Randall Amplification. The result? Randall’s MTS guitar amps.

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