| 1. At what age did you start playing guitar and when did you start playing jazz?
Though I began playing guitar at age 11, I didn't get into jazz until I was about 17 and heard "Kind Of Blue" (Miles Davis) and "For Django" (Joe Pass).
2. Which people influenced you as an improvising musician?
First I was influenced by rock and blues artists like Hendrix and Clapton but, in jazz it was Holdsworth, Metheny, Pass, Benson, Martino and non-guitarists---Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Miles, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker and of course, John Coltrane.
3. Did you take guitar lessons when you were young?
I took only 2 lessons when I was about 12, then studied classical guitar from age 15 to 18. Had one jazz lesson at 18. Learned from records mostly until I went to Berklee College of Music at age 22.
4. What do you listen to today?
Right now I'm listening to a lot a wide variety of jazz artists including Keith Jarrett, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Adam Rogers.
My favorite currently active jazz guitarist is Adam Rogers---he's unbelievable.
5. What gear do you use and what was your first guitar?
My first guitar was a no name nylon string with a warped neck that was just lying around the house.
I currently have 5 guitars. I mainly play a Yamaha nylon string for classical and solo guitar gigs or duos accompanying singers. It has a mic built into and sounds great through my Acoustic Image Coda 2R amplifier. I do about 100 gigs a year with that set up.
For jazz with an ensemble I use any of the 3 guitars --a Carvin Holdsworth "Fatboy", a Ibenez Metheny model--the thinner one, and a Hofner "Verythin" semi- hollow.
All these guitars I put thru my other set up, an Acoustic Image Clarus SLR 250 watt head (only a few oz in weight!) and a Raezor's Edge 10' cab.
I also use occasionally a Turner Renaisance electric nylon string (featured on my CD "North Light") and a Parker Fly.
I've also recorded with a superb instrument made by California guitar maker John Mello-- an extraordinary steel string acoustic hand made by him. Those recordings will hopefully be released sometime in 2006.
6. Do you get frustrated about your guitar playing sometimes? What aspects of guitar playing do you feel you need to improve on?
I feel it's a constant challenge to play in actuality, the music I hear in my head. I love the phrasing characteristics and structures that are easier to execute on sax or piano so I'm constantly trying to refine my technique to allow myself to play those kinds of phrases and structures with more ease---for example superimposed triads, wide intervals, coltrane changes etc.
Lately I've been trying to integregrate more economy picking into my playing to help with rapid triadic and interval patterns. I'm currently studying from Walt Weiskopf's great book on Triad Pairs called Intervallic Improvisation.
7. What is your practice routine like? How much time do you devote to studying music and guitar?
I'm in the process of completing a masters degree in Jazz Composition and, because of all the writing, don't have as much time to practice as usual. When I do practice now a days I tend to work on whatever material is needed for the next gig or concert that's coming up. In addition I'm trying to practice triad pairs and coltrane changes whenever I can.
8. Do you teach music? What do you hope a student gets out of your teachings, besides the obvious?
I do teach about 20 guitar students a week and I also teach a class at the U Mass in jazz Improvisation. I hope the students find out things the unlock new areas for them and make them feel optomistic and inspired and motivated about moving forward with their studies and playing.
9. What are your favorite standards to play?
It changes but right now they are Giant Steps, Tangerine, Triste, I Hear A Rhapsody ......
10. Do you make a living as a professional musician? What did you have to do to make this work for you? What are the pros and cons of being a professional musician?
I do make a living out of it and have for about 20 years. It's always been a combination of teaching and playing. The performing is a combo of comercial gigs and "art" gigs. The commercial gigs are mainly background music things which are often quite fun especially when you're playing with excellent musicians. The art gigs are my own concerts or when I play jazz gigs with someone else at a club or concert hall.
The main tip I'd give people is to point out that making a living at this is a constant juggling of various things. It's like the fishing cliche about having lots of fishing lines in the water so that at least one is always active. Short of being a real international "star" it's difficult to make a living out of only playing jazz to jazz audiences although I'm still working towards that goal.
11. What projects are you working on at the moment?
All the writing I've done for my jazz comp degree will be turned into a new CD --probably sometime in 2006. It'll feature a combination of large ensemble and small group material.
I'm also working on finishing a solo guitar record.
I'm involved in producing a flute and guitar CD with my wife who is an excellent flutist.
I'm on a recently release fusion record called "Nebulla" by bassist Dave Hines. It features some excellent writing from Dave and stellar playing from him and, one of my idols, Allen Holdsworth on 2 tracks--I'm on the other 6, Steve Hunt does a great job as producer/engineer/ keyboardist. The whole band is great.
12. Do you have any advice for beginning jazz guitarists?
Listening in a concentrated and deep way is just as important as practicing.
Learn to transcribe. When every you hear someone play something you like, write it down and keep a "lick" book of ideas that you can gradually work into your playing.
Play with like minded people as often as possible--try to "speak the language" of improvised music as often as possible and, whenever you can, try to play with people who more advanced than you.
Learn to comp well---then you'll be more likely to be able to play with better musicians.
Do whatever you can to develop a very good ear and very good time feel.
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