Guitar Jam

Artist to Watch: Goran Ivanovic on The Jamcast - Session 1

In this edition of The Jamcast, GJD’s Ken Volpe spends some time with Artist to Watch Goran Ivanovic - a guitar virtuoso noted for his lightning-fingered finesse and his complex interpretations of even the simplest melodies.

Ken spoke with Goran about his early training as a Classical guitarist, life growing up in Bosnia, and about crossing over from Classical to improvisational music.

Plug into Session 1 of The Jamcast >

About Goran Ivanovic: Goran Ivanovic from Croatia is a talented jazz guitarist. A solid bandleader who surrounds himself with American musicians, Ivanovic embraces his traditional Balkan folk music overtly. He plays hot. The Goran Ivanovic Group offers up fire rather than ice, and the guitarist’s amalgamation of flamenco, Balkan, classical, blues, and jazz keeps his band pushing forward almost all of the time on his eponymous album…Ivanovic’s group interacts on a heady and passionate musical plane...the ensemble playing is often breakneck and consistently challenging. The Group’s repertoire is loaded with dynamics, and they move from soft contemplative interludes to wholly original, speed-driven Balkan jazz.” –Downbeat Magazine, June 2006

Artist Interview: Jack Blades on The Jamcast - Session 2

Jack Blades and Ken lead a high energy Session 2 discussing Jack's work with Night Ranger and then going deep into the making of Shaw-Blades new release "Influence." They also cover how Jack and Tommy Shaw chose and recorded the songs that meant so much to them on the album. Ken and Jack complete the session with a riff on his live and studio bass rig.

Plug into Session 2 of The Jamcast >
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Shaw-Blades INFLUENCE is due out on March 6 and is the duo’s first album since their recently re-released 1995 debut, HALLUCINATION.  Like the debut--and unlike their history-carving decades as icons in the more hard-rock minded Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees--the latest release is rooted in acoustic guitar and organic production, harvesting a decade of musical influences into 11 tracks (on which Blades and Shaw played all the music except for drums and the occasional keyboards).  With classics from the ‘60s and ‘70s including the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work,” INFLUENCE offers a track-by-track chronology of the musical era that helped define modern rock.

Artist to Watch: Seth Davin of Dropping Daylight on The Jamcast

In this session of The Jamcast, Ken spends some time with up-and- comer Seth Davin of Dropping Daylight. You'll hear Ken and Seth riff on how he joined the band, and Seth's past and present musical influences. They also spoke about what life is like for the band on the road with their real busy tour schedule. And finally, they cover his approach to studio production.

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Dropping Daylight are very much part of the post-emo era of American indie rock, with songs that favor anthemic choruses and jagged, distorted guitar parts. However, at the same time, the young Minneapolis quartet are in some ways a throwback to a time about decade prior to their early-2000s birth: Guitarist Seth Davin and his brother Sebastian Davin's clever lyrics, rhythmic piano lines and smooth '70s AM radio pop style strongly recall one-time alternative rock favorites like Ben Folds Five, the Eels, the New Radicals and Fastball.

Artist Interview: Jack Blades on The Jamcast

In Session 1 of The Jamcast with Jack Blades, Ken and Jack discuss his transition from a guitar player to a bass player at a young age. You'll hear how Jack and Tommy Shaw hooked-up in 1989 in the Damn Yankees, and how they wrote "High Enough" at Tommy's New York apartment in 30-minutes. Plus, you'll hear how Ted Nugent tweaked the song. Listen to Session 1 >

Shaw-Blades INFLUENCE is due out on March 6 and is the duo’s first album since their recently re-released 1995 debut, HALLUCINATION.  Like the debut--and unlike their history-carving decades as icons in the more hard-rock minded Styx, Night Ranger and Damn Yankees--the latest release is rooted in acoustic guitar and organic production, harvesting a decade of musical influences into 11 tracks (on which Blades and Shaw played all the music except for drums and the occasional keyboards). With classics from the ‘60s and ‘70s including the Mamas and the Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” and Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work,” INFLUENCE offers a track-by-track chronology of the musical era that helped define modern rock.

Artist Interview: Kenny Wayne Shepherd on The Jamcast - Session 3

In Session 3 with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ken and Ken look back at how he learned to play the guitar, the philosophy on soloing, his relationship with Double Trouble, and how his Strat is really the only guitar for him.

It’s yet another enjoyable session with KWS. We hope to have him back again soon.

Listen to Session 3 of The Jamcast >

Artist Interview: Kenny Wayne Shepherd on The Jamcast - Session 2

In Session 2 of the Jamcast with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Ken and Kenny talk about how the blues has evolved and how it fits into different styles of music today. You'll also hear KWS discuss his approach to song writing and how he stretches the canvas - for him it's not just about the I-IV-V box pattern. Lastly, KWS discusses how he has matured as a guitar player and his relationship with BB King.

Listen to Session 2 with Kenny Wayne Shepherd >

Listen to Session 1 with Kenny Wayne Shepherd >

Artist Interview: Kenny Wayne Shepherd on The Jamcast - Session 1

By Ken Volpe
In the summer of 2004, Kenny Wayne Shepherd spent two weeks traveling through the heartland of America filming a documentary about the spirit of the blues and the players who are primarily responsible for shaping the sound of blues and rock music today. The project is called 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads and is due out on January 23.   

In session one of The Jamcast, Ken and Kenny discuss the origins of the film 10 Days Out, the road experience, the amazing artists he connected with, and the unique perspectives gained along the way.

This is a Jamcast you won’t want to miss >

Artist Interview: Steve Kimock on The Jamcast

In their final session, Ken and Steve continue the discussion on how Dumble amps have worked their way into many great player's rigs. Steve also gives some great advice to aspiring musicians.

Listen to Session 4 >

Artist Interview: Steve Kimock on The Jamcast - Session 3

In Session 3 of The Jamcast with Steve Kimock, Ken and Steve discuss the many years of live shows and playing with his son John Morgan who is a fantastic drummer. They also speak about Bill Krinard of Two Rock amplifiers and the new Kimock model, plus the whole Dumble amplifier phenomenon.

Listen to The Jamcast >

About Steve Kimock:
Steve Kimock is best known for creating music that is generally considered to be the nearest modern day sound to that of the Grateful Dead, and his music is held in high esteem by diehard fans of the former band and by members of the Grateful Dead themselves.

Artist to Watch: Matt Rae on The Jamcast - Session 3

In their final session, Ken and Matt discuss how Matt's musical life has changed due to the shortage of live venues in New England and how he promotes himself and his music, plus the current projects that he is involved in today. Enjoy!

Listen to Session 3 of The Jamcast >

About Matt Rae: Matt has many credits on his “Tele-Master” resume. Some of his six-string highlights include the guitarist seat in the Arlen Roth band for the last six years, a top 10 finish in Guitar Player Magazine’s  “Guitar Hero 2005” competition, as well as sharing the stage with guitar greats and artists such as Debbie Davies, Johnny A and Forest Lee Jr., Commander Cody, Levon Helm and Redd Volkaert.