speaking of picking, one of the best players on the planet

**jzucker** · 04-27-2016, 07:41 AM

harmonically, technically, tone (assuming you're open minded to non-archtop tones) and rhythmically this guy is one of the best.

**Bosko** · 04-27-2016, 09:10 AM

"Identity Crisis" is probably a better example of his playing and capabilities - recorded in 2008, on Guitar Idol, Spotify.

**jzucker** · 04-27-2016, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Bosko

"Identity Crisis" is probably a better example of his playing and capabilities - recorded in 2008, on Guitar Idol, Spotify.

Thanks, i didn't know about that one. But the clip I posted above has way "more" of everything. Not that more is "better" but it certainly showcases what he is capable of, plus you can see his right hand and left hand approach.

Wish he had a real cd out.

**Cunamara** · 04-27-2016, 04:02 PM

Well, he can play licks. Can he play music?

**MaxTwang** · 04-27-2016, 11:46 PM

Tom Quayle has tone & technique, and in this video what he's playing is interesting. He's not just robotic fusion shred, he mixes up the shred with some cool phrasing. I didn't know what it was I didn't like about a lot of contemporary shred/fusion players until I heard Tom Quayle make modern fusion interesting.

Anyone remember when a player like this could make a living recording & touring with a band instead of making videos with backing tracks and gear demos?

**armando** · 04-28-2016, 01:51 AM

fantastic playing!!

**reventlov** · 04-28-2016, 05:00 AM

Great playing indeed; I could have lived without the antics of the other guy, though. I could have done without the other guy's playing too, he was out of his depth in more ways than one. Quayle is surely destined for some kind of major recognition though, some of his playing reminds me of the late Ollie Halsall, in fact.

**Philco** · 04-28-2016, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by MaxTwang

Anyone remember when a player like this could make a living recording & touring with a band instead of making videos with backing tracks and gear demos?

Sure, Australian guitarist Brett Garsed has been playing this style for the best part of 30 years and toured the world as a band member and clinician. He also has a number of CD's available.
If you think his legato playing is good then you should hear him play slide guitar.
Brett plays with a lot of passion. Something I've always loved about his playing.

I first heard Brett when I walked into pub at a country gig our band was playing at. Brett was in the support band.
I looked up and saw this kid playing Purple Haze with his teeth and then he proceeded to blaze away with his legato stuff.
Needless to say I didn't feel like playing much that night!

You couldn't meet a nicer guy.

Then if you haven't had enough legato then check out T J Helmerich who his a two handed legato player. This is way back in 1998. The drummer in the clip is Virgil Donati who now plays for Alan Holdsworth. He was the drummer in a number of my bands for many years.
TJ begins a solo at around 2.12. Brett and TJ made a couple of albums together. Brett is also in this clip.

**MarkRhodes** · 04-28-2016, 09:13 AM

I readily admit these guys can play circles around me but I do not care for the music posted on this thread.

Holdsworth is much more interesting to me. I remember buying this when it came out. But it was never something I wanted to do. (Or even hear often.) I am deeply impressed but that's about it.

**reventlov** · 04-28-2016, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

I readily admit these guys can play circles around me but I do not care for the music posted on this thread.

Holdsworth is much more interesting to me. I remember buying this when it came out. But it was never something I wanted to do. (Or even hear often.) I am deeply impressed but that's about it.

Yes, I tend to agree with that view, although I like Quayle's playing quite a lot more than the others; I'm sorry to say the two handed tapping thing does nothing for me though. I can enjoy technical virtuosity as a demonstration of skill but only in small doses - it would be nice to hear the technique employed more musically. In my earlier post I mentioned Ollie Halsall - he was a master of fast legato playing but he incorporated it into a much more broadly based style, he did lots of other things as well; in addition, he was doing it, and doing it with real virtuosity and inventiveness, as early as 1970 - he was way ahead of the game. He made actual music out of it. By the time others really started exploiting the technique, he had moved on to a less overtly spectacular approach and was playing much more melodically.

Ultimately it's all down to personal taste though - I can take Quayle, and a little of Garsed now and then would be OK - their skill level is certainly commendable. The other two guys though.......I'd sooner go to the dentist than listen to them again, sorry!

**mooseontheloose** · 04-28-2016, 10:27 AM

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree, Revenluv. Ollie is, I believe the only guitarist to have actually got away with playing real jazz in a rock context. Many have tried. Indeed, his band, Patto, were possibly the only ones to have got away with totally atonal free-form improvisation. Again, many have tried

**Jazz_175** · 05-01-2016, 11:58 AM

I appreciate a lot Tom Quayle's playing.I bought a few of his lessons/demonstrations and found them useful and inspiring.

**EllenGtrGrl** · 05-01-2016, 01:25 PM

Tom Qualye sounds great, but as others mentioned, there have been a fair amount of players over the years who have been big on using double picking as a major part of their playing style, and as a result, could play not only at warp speed, but play very cleanly. Steve Morse is one of those players. He may be mainly playing with Deep Purple nowadays, but with the Dixie Dregs, he picked like a maniac, and still does, when that band gets together occasionally to do things. The Guitar Player interview of him that I read in the early 80s (where he mentioned that after he realized that he couldn't play a certain riff by using hammer-ons, and as a result literally went back to the drawing board, to get his double picking up to speed, by picking along with a metronome, at progressively faster tempos), and buying a copy of (and getting into) their album "Industry Standard" (released with the band named The Dregs at the time) greatly influnced my playing style. As a result, the vast majority of my fast playing is done with double picking.

Conversation Piece (during the last minute of the song, Steve just plain burns)

**NoReply** · 05-01-2016, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

I readily admit these guys can play circles around me but I do not care for the music posted on this thread.

+1

I liked the early days of Fusion like Chick Corea/early RTF, Miles Davis, and Weather Report, but today's Fusion is turned from being musical to just a sport of chops and that's boring. Especially since the over the hill Metal players are becoming so called Fusion players. Music is suppose to be about making a statement, listening to these chop-fests is like talking to a little kid on too much sugar you are going to forget they say as soon as they say it.

**Jazzism** · 05-01-2016, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Philco

Sure, Australian guitarist Brett Garsed has been playing this style for the best part of 30 years and toured the world as a band member and clinician. He also has a number of CD's available.
If you think his legato playing is good then you should hear him play slide guitar.
Brett plays with a lot of passion. Something I've always loved about his playing.

I first heard Brett when I walked into pub at a country gig our band was playing at. Brett was in the support band.
I looked up and saw this kid playing Purple Haze with his teeth and then he proceeded to blaze away with his legato stuff.
Needless to say I didn't feel like playing much that night!

You couldn't meet a nicer

Philco,
Didnt know you were Australian. For some reason I thought you were from the UK.
+1 for Brett. Have been a fan since I first heard him on john farnhams whispering jack. Strange that he's not more well known and seems to have been forgotten about. But all the elements are there, phrasing, note choice, solid time and feel etc.
i got a chance to ask Brett about recoding the centrifugal funk record with shawn lane and Gambale. Shawn was a big Brett fan.
I guess guys like Quayle have maybe embraced more of the standards repertoire than Brett. There are numerous clips of Quayle playing ATTYA, giant steps, Stella etc. maybe brett is seen as more of a rock guy?

Also interesting to note how truly humble Brett is. Perhaps a good lesson in humility for some of the recently departed members here, who were always quick to point out to others what self proclaimed advanced masters they were. And if your into name dropping Brett has an impressive roster. noticed Virgil in that MI clip. Brett has also done records with Dennis chambers and kofi baker amongst many others.
cheers

**christianm77** · 05-02-2016, 02:13 PM

Originally Posted by Jazzism

There are numerous clips of Quayle playing ATTYA, giant steps, Stella etc.

Sure, knowing those tunes makes you a jazzer. It's always bloody Giant Steps, ATTYA and Stella.... Guurgghhg... Arggghhh.... Grunt.

Anyways I think Tom Quayle is a really ace player.

Interestingly - even if he only knows the same same songs as every 'hey man, I don't really play standards, I do originals, but I went to jazz college and they taught me these 10 tunes and I know all the melodic minor modes so I must be a jazz musician' type jazz guitarist, IMO there is something inherently jazz about his phrasing - he even - *deep breath* plays lovely little embellishing triplets on his eighth note/sixteenth note lines, and he has some awesomely hornlike bop touches in his phrasing.

Which is interesting, because I don't think he is trying to be a jazz guitarist... But the influence of bop drenches his playing IMO - like a lot of the 80's generation fusion guys like Brecker etc... (Maybe he's listened to a lot of Brecker - actually I could believe that.)

Anyway, I think Quayle kind of swings. It would be nice to hear him play with some other actual musicians, once in a while...

**NoReply** · 05-02-2016, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

Sure, knowing those tunes makes you a jazzer. It's always bloody Giant Steps, ATTYA and Stella.... Guurgghhg... Arggghhh.... Grunt.

Anyways I think Tom Quayle is a really ace player.

Interestingly - even if he only knows the same same songs as every 'hey man, I don't really play standards, I do originals, but I went to jazz college and they taught me these 10 tunes and I know all the melodic minor modes so I must be a jazz musician' type jazz guitarist, IMO there is something inherently jazz about his phrasing - he even - *deep breath* plays lovely little embellishing triplets on his eighth note/sixteenth note lines, and he has some awesomely hornlike bop touches in his phrasing.

Which is interesting, because I don't think he is trying to be a jazz guitarist... But the influence of bop drenches his playing IMO - like a lot of the 80's generation fusion guys like Brecker etc... (Maybe he's listened to a lot of Brecker - actually I could believe that.)

Anyway, I think Quayle kind of swings. It would be nice to hear him play with some other actual musicians, once in a while...

**srlank** · 05-02-2016, 02:53 PM

I really enjoy Tom Quayle's music and his beautiful lines . And I personally love the long jams from him.

**christianm77** · 05-02-2016, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by NoReply

Yeah this is cool... I think he could go down the jazz route quite easily if he wanted. EDIT: I mean the purist professional jazz route - it's obvious the guy has studied jazz already...

I would have dug a bit more harmonic descriptiveness in his lines here for the true jazz vibe (perhaps even a chord here and there), but it's definitely improvisation, and IMO he certainly has a sense of the phrasing which most rock guys really don't....

**Doctor Jeff** · 05-02-2016, 04:12 PM

That's a nice Dregs song posted above, though for me that is not their flashiest song or their best album--seems to have been an attempt by their record company to put out something with more commercial appeal, including, shudder, vocals! Though the vocals were by Alex Ligterwood and Patrick Simmons.

Their first 2 albums are off-the-charts great. I saw them first at a little club in Chattanooga in 1978--my first foray into a club that served alcohol--and then saw them every Halloween for years in Atlanta, where they would play a show at the Fox or Agora. Great times!

Morse is and was an awe-inspiring guitarist. Shred is just too confining a word for what he does. How about play technically correct guitar at astounding speeds in every style known to man? He could also play a slow burn like nobody's business. One of his solo albums has a slow wah solo that is crazy good.

You may know that he left the music biz for a decade or so to be an airline pilot, so he could actually make some money. I imagine touring with Kansas and Deep Purple has enriched his bank account a bit too, allowing him to keep putting out the music he wants when he wants.

**Fidelcaster** · 05-02-2016, 04:45 PM

John, Paco, and... Steve?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Isa9JpzMtF4

I think I read somewhere that Morse worked as a guitar tech for McLaughlin for a period.

**christianm77** · 05-02-2016, 06:28 PM

Cool, getting back to the topic of Tom, looks like he studied at Leeds, doing a Jazz degree, which TBH doesn't surprise me. Seems like LCM is an excellent school for fusion guitar from the guys I know. I daresay he has transcribed Mike Brecker, it sounds like it to me... I'd be interested to know for sure.

Anyway I'm aware that my previous post might seem patronising and stupid given the level of Tom's playing, but my point is his specialism is rock/fusion, not bebop style changes playing, and his career has led him towards demonstrating gear etc, which I think is a shame, but hey it's a niche and we have to earn money/free guitars somehow.

But I would go and hear him play a proper gig in a heartbeat.

I just find it interesting that someone who has devoted themselves to a study of rock/fusion could have so much grease and tasty beboppy phrasing in their playing when a lot of self-styled bop players don't. It's great. Good fusion is all about rhythmic grease if you ask me - I love Jaco, Mike Stern and the Brecker brothers, and because of this Tom Quayle's playing really appeals to me. I hope he gets it together to do some real band stuff... It's hard though... Niche form of music...

**EllenGtrGrl** · 05-02-2016, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

That's a nice Dregs song posted above, though for me that is not their flashiest song or their best album--seems to have been an attempt by their record company to put out something with more commercial appeal, including, shudder, vocals! Though the vocals were by Alex Ligterwood and Patrick Simmons.

Their first 2 albums are off-the-charts great. I saw them first at a little club in Chattanooga in 1978--my first foray into a club that served alcohol--and then saw them every Halloween for years in Atlanta, where they would play a show at the Fox or Agora. Great times!

Morse is and was an awe-inspiring guitarist. Shred is just too confining a word for what he does. How about play technically correct guitar at astounding speeds in every style known to man? He could also play a slow burn like nobody's business. One of his solo albums has a slow wah solo that is crazy good.

You may know that he left the music biz for a decade or so to be an airline pilot, so he could actually make some money. I imagine touring with Kansas and Deep Purple has enriched his bank account a bit too, allowing him to keep putting out the music he wants when he wants.

Some of the songs off of Free Fall (like "Cruise Control") are just plain cool! I remember reading when Steve decided to call it quits, and do airline piloting. I wonder if he ever made it up to the jets. I took flying lessons about 25 plus years ago (I quit because it got too expensive, and I was always walking around flat broke), and I knew people who wanted to get into airline piloting as a career. It's not easy! It's hard to get a foot in the door, and if you do, you usually spend a fair amount of time flying commuter turboprops, before the majot airlines will even consider letting you fly as even a copilot in a 737.