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Russ Hewitt feat. Marty Friedman: VIVIR LIBRE
Spanish Guitarist Russ Hewitt has done it again with another collaborative effort with another high-profile guitar virtuoso... Russ has been putting out a string of singles with such recording artists as; Jazz Blues Legend Larry Carlton (Steely Dan, The Crusaders), Rock Funk Groovester Nuno Bettencourt from the band Extreme and now Legendary Shrapnel Records' / Megadeth Guitarist Marty Friedman. If you are in the mood for a heavy Latin groove, look no further...
IN RUSS'S OWN WORDS:
SONG
I set off initially to write a heavy groove Latin song that would translate well live. I used the Tres guitar I got from Cuba to harmonize with the guitar throughout the song, including the main riff and chorus. Due to the key this song is written in (C#m), I was able to come up with a unique chord progression for the solo section utilizing the open E string. After the chord progression was written, I instantly thought that it would be something Marty Friedman would write and that he would be perfect for the song. I am fortunate enough to be endorsed by the same guitar cable company as Marty (Analysis Plus Cables) and reached out to the owner Mark Markel to make an introduction. Within 7 days of the introduction, Marty had sent up his parts. Marty's playing made me really step up my game, including adding harmonies to my solo for the first time.
MARTY FRIEDMAN
Marty Friedman is one of the rare guitarists that have their own distinct sound and style. All it takes is a couple of notes played before I can recognize that it's him or someone trying to sound like him. A bonafide guitar hero, Marty is considered one of the best Rock/Heavy Metal guitarists in the world, and his solo for Tornado of Souls is cited as an all-time great. Marty's use of Middle Eastern and other exotic scales influenced me to explore those as well, which can be heard in many of my songs. Known mainly for his electric guitar playing, Marty plays an acoustic guitar full of his trademark phrasing and harmonies.
VIDEO
I initially was not going to have a video for this song, just a static photo of the single cover. At the last minute, I reached out to a childhood friend, Todd Sims. Todd is a film and TV director with over 300 project credits to his name. As the owner of Fusionflix Entertainment, he was kind enough to work on this for me after six days of filming on location. All five of my Telly awards are from soundtrack work I've done for some of Todd's projects (Parent Compass TV series/webisodes, the DVD companion to the New York Best Seller The Harbinger Decoded by Jonathan Cahn, and the feature film Thirst: Mission Liberia.)
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RUSS HEWITT feat. NUNO BETTENCOURT 'Chasing Horizons'
RUSS HEWITT feat. NUNO BETTENCOURT 'Chasing Horizons'
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Russ Hewitt & Irving Symphony Orchestra, "Palma de Mallorca"
Nylon string master, Russ Hewitt fuses Latin, Spanish, Flamenco, World, Cuban and Brazilian together to create a contemporary, exciting, original blend of acoustic cool....This is going to make you wanna go out and buy a Godin nylon string right now....!
Music Director - Hector Guzman
String arrangement - Ric Flauding
Lead guitar - Russ Hewitt
Drums & Bongos - Efren Guzman Mejia
Violin (electric) - Stephen Page
Dumbek - Makan Kamel
Bass - Jeff Plant
Percussion & Triangle - AJ 'Rock' Flores
Video Edit - Melissa Arnold at www.texasredproductions.com
Audio edit - Bob Parr
A special thank you to:
Shari Markel, Mark Markel & Phillip Pemberton at Analysis Plus Cables (Black Oval); Vinni Smith at V-Picks Guitar Picks (Lite medium gauge); David Sestito at DLS Effects (RotoSIM); Nick-Kelly Gutierrez at BBF Custom Pedalboards, Paul Shedden & James Lebihan at Mission Engineering, Inc.; Brian Neunaber & Brian Bray at Neunaber Audio Effects (Immerse pedal); Peter Janis & Jim Rhodes at Radial Engineering Ltd. (ToneBone PZ-Pre) and Primacoustic (Broadway Panel); Robert Godin, Fred Di Santo & Simon Godin at Godin Guitars (OFFICIAL) (Grand Concert Duet); Bill Wenzloff at Morley/Ebtech (Volume Pedal & HumX); John Clark at Voodoo Lab (Power Pedal 2 Plus); D'Addario and Co. (T2 strings); TC Electronic (Flashback); Electro-Harmonix (Black Finger)
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John Hahn - Heaven's Fury (Official Music Video) from John's latest album, "Undiscovered World".
"Heaven's Fury" is one of the heavier/darker tracks from "Undiscovered World". Huge THANKS to David Motisko Photography for his phenomenal job capturing the moment in stills, video and drone footage!!
Over these many years through my musical journey - playing, touring (estimated over 1600 shows), writing and recording, I have had the pleasure of meeting and making friends with so many people and have shared a lifetime of incredible memories! Guitar is my passion, and this new release is a snapshot of where I am at this point in time as a player and writer. It is my hope that as my style evolves, current friends and fans will enjoy the material as well as introducing a new audience to my music. I feel as though I have captured my best writing and playing in this release. Please spread the word…for many, my music is still an “Undiscovered World”.
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John Hahn - Thrill of the Chase (Official Music Video)
The incredible John Hahn is back with his latest release- "Thrill of the Chase", a high energy song with many facets; from shredding verses, to 'hooky' melodic choruses, to unexpected twists like the heavy/funky breakdown, "airy" half-time melodic solo section, a quick acoustic interlude...then back to crankin' again!!
"Over these many years through my musical journey - playing, touring (estimated over 1600 shows), writing and recording, I have had the pleasure of meeting and making friends with so many people and have shared a lifetime of incredible memories! Guitar is my passion, and this new release is a snapshot of where I am at this point in time as a player and writer. It is my hope that as my style evolves, current friends and fans will enjoy the material as well as introducing a new audience to my music. I feel as though I have captured my best writing and playing in this release. Please spread the word…for many, my music is still an “Undiscovered World”.
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John Hahn: Some vintage John Hahn from 6 years ago - "Darkness Falls "
Can't get enough of John Hahn. Here he is back in 2014 playing along with backing track for "Darkness Falls" the title cut of his instrumental release playing his ESP Horizon through his Voodoo Amps modified 50W Marshall JCM800 amp. - www.johnhahn.com
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Mike Campese - "Kilauea"
"Kilauea", Shedder, Mike Campese doing what he does best, SHREDDDDDD....! This time, Mike's shredding Hawaiian style....
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Russ Hewitt: 'Bajo el Sol' LIVE
Don't miss our exclusive interview with the amazing Russ Hewitt coming up soon on AGN. Here's a sample of Russ's amazing playing, 'Bajo el Sol' from the CD 'Bajo el Sol' LIVE
Lead guitar - Russ Hewitt
Drums - Ivan Torres
Violin - Wana Hong
Bass - Bob Parr
Rhythm and Harmony guitars - Daniel Eduardo Rodriguez
Percussion - Ricardo Tagliaferro
Rhythm and Harmony guitars - Alfredo Caceres
Percussion - Todd Hughes
Edited by Frank Sanza and Melissa Arnold
Audio edit - Bob Parr
A special thank you to:
Mark Markel & Phillip Pemberton at Analysisplus Cables (Black Oval); Vinni Smith at V-Picks Guitar Picks (Lite medium gauge); David Sestito at DLS Effects (RotoSIM); Nick-Kelly Gutierrez at BBF Custom Pedalboards, Paul Shedden & James Lebihan at Mission Engineering, Inc.; Brian Neunaber & Brian Bray at Neunaber Audio Effects (Immerse pedal); Peter Janis & Jim Rhodes at Radial Engineering Ltd. (ToneBone PZ-Pre) and Primacoustic (Broadway Panel); Robert Godin, Fred Di Santo & Simon Godin at Godin Guitars (OFFICIAL) (Grand Concert Duet); Bill Wenzloff at Morley/Ebtech (Volume Pedal & HumX); John Clark at Voodoo Lab (Power Pedal 2 Plus); D'Addario and Co. (T2 strings); TC Electronic (Flashback); Electro-Harmonix (Black Finger)
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Grinch: Mike Campese....Shred at it's Festive Best.....(interview with Mike coming up soon.)
If you like neo-classical instrumental shred-guitar, the you there's no need to look any further... Now you can hear your classic Christmas tunes in the style of neo-classical heavy metal.
Mike was hired by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and received a Gold record for his work. Mike has been featured in many national guitar magazines such as Guitar Club in Italy, Guitar One and writes writes 2 page lessons for Guitar Player magazine, Guitar World magazine and Guitar Club Magazine. Mike also writes for Axe magazine, which is Italy’s top guitar magazine. Mike’s music has also been used for a Lions Gate movie and he even appeared in a Busta Rhymes MTV music video.
The Meaning Of Christmas is the 6th solo release by lead guitarist Mike Campese.
This CD features some of Mike's, balls to the walls, guitar playing with his own original arrangements of 10 holiday classics and 2 of his own original compositions. While listening to this CD, you will know why Mike got picked over hundreds of guitarists to work with the multi platinum band, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Campese reinvents new sections and melodies to these traditional Christmas songs, like in the blistering version of "Joy to the World" that shred guitar fanatics will love. Guitar virtuoso Mike Campese does not hesitate to get a little heavier than on his previous CD's, like in his version of the "Little Drummer Boy" and the rip your face off version of the "Grinch". On this CD and all of his others, Mike does not stray from the melodies, this is something he is known for, Mike does a beautiful version of the vocal classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and has written 2 of his own Christmas songs. "Christmas in Maui" which features some of the most beautiful melodies Mike has written and the vocal tune "The Meaning of Christmas" which is based from a poem Mike wrote. There can't be a Mike Campese CD without some acoustic on it, Mike does a nice jazzy acoustic version of "Chestnuts" and "Silent Night". Mike's reinvented version of "Carol of The Bells" will make holiday music fans very happy.
We feel that Mike has put the true meaning of Christmas on this incredible guitar driven Cd.
Click the LINK icon to visit www.mikecampese.com for sound clips and info on how to order...
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John Hahn - "Fuel Injection"..... from Guitar Virtuoso John Hahn's latest album, “Undiscovered World”. click the INFO button for more details
Undiscovered World
Release: 28 November 2020
Instrumental Guitar Virtuoso John Hahn Releases “Undiscovered World” Featuring “Headbanger” Drummer Carl Canedy of The Rods, and Canedy.
Fantastic guitar centric album with so much emotion and virtuosity. A stunning record, more like a work of art. Not too over the top but technically amazing, not too cliched but able to draw real emotion from the humble electric guitar. The arrangement of guitar melodies and riffs will tingle and tickle the ears all the while blowing your mind.
John Hahn is excited to announce the completion and release of his new John Hahn instrumental release, “Undiscovered World” Featuring Carl Canedy on drums.
"Another impressive Cd from John Hahn. Progressive hard rock/metal melodic instrumentals with just the right amount of shred. Fans of earlier Dream Theater should appreciate the complexity of some of the tracks. A must for fans of guitar instrumentals."
~David T. Chastain – Guitarist, GM Leviathan Records
Early influences - John started developing his ear at an early age as his influences evolved drawing inspiration from “old school” guitar greats like, Ritchie Blackmore, Neil Schon, Michael Schenker and Steve Morse, and innovators like Eddie Van Halen, next wave players like George Lynch, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani who were blazing up the scene at the time. In later years, heavy influences included the likes of Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, Greg Howe, John Petrucci, etc.
"Hey John, I bought the album on itunes, and I have to tell you that it’s absolutely amazing! The astounding technique, great song craft, and outstanding production make this album a joy and inspiration to listen to from front to back! Congratulations John Hahn!"
~Paul Lidel – Guitarist, Dirty Looks, Dangerous Toys, 99 Crimes
Live Playing Experience - John gained very valuable performing experience touring the US and Canada where the band headlined packed venues as well as supporting such national acts as Ted Nugent, Foghat, Night Ranger and Winger, playing an average of 4 nights per week for 8 years…THAT’S OVER 1600 SHOWS!
In his own words… “Over these many years through my musical journey - playing, touring (estimated over 1600 shows), writing and recording, I have had the pleasure of meeting and making friends with so many people and have shared a lifetime of incredible memories! Guitar is my passion, and this new release is a snapshot of where I am at this point in time as a player and writer. It is my hope that as my style evolves, current friends and fans will enjoy the material as well as introducing a new audience to my music. I feel as though I have captured my best writing and playing in this release. Please spread the word…for many, my music is still an “Undiscovered World”.”
Into the Spotlight - While John Hahn had the club scene abuzz with his guitar wizardry, it was Shrapnel Records head Mike Varney who catapulted John to the national spotlight when he was featured in Mike’s Spotlight column in Guitar Player Magazine. Additional notable national press would include John being featured in a “Guitar School Magazine” article where he was named as one of the “Next generation of guitar heroes”, “the Vai’s and Satriani’s of tomorrow”.
John Hahn “Out of the Shadows” - John’s instrumental debut release "Out of the Shadows" on Leviathan Records in the US, Zero Records (Japan), Killerwatt(Europe) shot him into the limelight gaining much international praise and recognition in such publications as Guitar World, Guitar School, Rip, Guitar Player and Guitar for the Practicing Musician.
John Hahn “Darkness Falls” - Energized to create another instrumental CD, John then turned back to his studio, composing musical pieces complete with solid foundation songs laden with his signature guitar work of melody, technique, emotion, dynamics, feel, flash and fury!
“John and I have been friends for a long time, I played drums on his first album and he played guitars on my “Headbanger” album. I’ve always loved his playing, but I also loved his writing. On this album (Undiscovered World) his playing has improved greatly which is hard to believe because he had very little room to improve. The song writing is just fantastic on this release. I love every cut, and it was an honor to contribute to this album.”
~Carl Canedy – Drummer, Producer, The Rods, Canedy
Canedy “Headbanger” - John's next musical endeavor again had him cross paths with The Rods drummer Carl Canedy who approached him to play guitars on Carl's solo project "Headbanger". On this release you can hear John's signature style throughout this very powerful offering. John covered all rhythm and lead guitars, bass on one track and on two occasions traded guitar solos with Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Chris Caffery!! In addition to Carl, John had the privilege of sharing sonic space with amazing vocalists including Mark Tornillo (Accept), Joe Comeau (Annihilator, Liege Lord and Overkill) and none other than the greatest metal voice of all time, Ronnie James Dio (vocal tracks pulled from previously recorded version of The Code)!
"A pleasant musical journey that does not tire even for a minute… His influences by guitarists like R.Blackmore, N.Schon, S.Morse, E.Van Halen, J.Satriani, S.Vai & J.Tafolla appear within his compositions. I choose tracks “Fuel Injection”, “Heaven’s Fury”, “Thrill Of The Chase” & “Close To The Edge”. Check this release… worth it!"
~ Harry Norumaniac - ALBUM REVIEWZ
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NewsRecording
Return of the Dragon: Oz Noy Brings Live Fire to Sweetwater Studios with Snapdragon
November 20, 2020, Fort Wayne, IN – Oz Noy has created a singular discography of virtuoso instrumental recordings that has won him accolades throughout the guitar community for his deft sense of touch and fearless genre-bending compositions. Always looking for the best way to capture the unique alchemy of his live performances in the studio ultimately led Noy to Sweetwater Studios where he laid down the tracks that ultimately became his Booga Looga Loo album. Eager to recreate the energy of these sessions, the guitarist/composer returned to Sweetwater to record his latest collection, Snapdragon. Out now on Abstract Logix, the album continues Noy’s signature explorations through jazz, blues, and rock with an all-star cast of rhythm sections that were captured live in the studio during a series of Sweetwater Studios Master Class sessions
The right room
One of Noy’s ongoing challenges has been capturing the improvisational ensemble feel of his live performances in his studio recordings. Eschewing the typical practice of recording in separate rooms with headphones, he prefers a setup that allows him to feed off the energy of his fellow musicians. Not only does this allow him to tap into the creativity of the group, but it gives him total control of the guitar. “If you record guitar and you aren’t in the room with the amp to feel the air moving, it’s very difficult to play,” he explained. “You can’t feel that interaction between the guitar and the amplifier in headphones and it makes things really hard.”
When Noy first visited Sweetwater Studios in 2017, he immediately knew that it would work for his methods. The large live room of Sweetwater Studios’ Studio A and its flexible isolation booths gave him the ability to play together in the room with his ensemble while having total quality control of the sound in the room and on record. “The guys at Sweetwater totally understood what I was going for and they had all the right equipment to make my ideal setup work,” he said. “It was such a simple process, all we had to do was plug in and play!”
A different class
In an added twist to the live sessions, Noy also scheduled them during Sweetwater Studios’ ongoing Recording Master Classes, which allowed both fans of his music and budding engineers to sit in on the tracking and learn the art of recording under real working conditions. Sweetwater Studios Producer/Engineer Bobby Dellarocco remarked that the addition of the built-in audience gave another angle to the performances that helped the album take shape. “With Oz’s style it’s always a performance whether there is an audience or not,” he said. “Doing it this way though, you’re really ensuring that you capture that kind of energy on a track, and it gives the attendees something really special while they are experiencing how a real session comes together.”
Part of what made each session was special was that Noy brought different rhythm sections each time he came to record. The players, which included drummers Dennis Chambers, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Dave Weckl, bass players Will Lee, James Genus, and John Patitucci, allowed him to capture different shades and feels of his signature style across the selection of tracks and give each its own sonic identity. “It gave a lot of variety from session to session,” said Dellarocco. “It was really cool to hear the differences, and at the same time once we put it all together it’s all immediately identifiable as Oz.”
“I look at all of my records as jazz records in a way, because in the end it’s all about getting different players in the room and just seeing what happens,” said Noy. “When you can get comfortable in an environment like this, it’s effortless to get takes and get some really good music happening.”
To hear Snapdragon and for more information about Oz Noy, please visit: http://www.oznoy.com/
For more information about Sweetwater Studios, please visit: http://www.sweetwaterstudios.com/
About Sweetwater Studios
Sweetwater Studios is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sweetwater Sound, Inc., the largest online music instrument retailer in the country. With three world-class studios designed by Russ Berger and access to a greater diversity of musical equipment and professional audio gear than any other recording studio in the world, Sweetwater Studios is able to accommodate just about any recording, mixing or mastering project, no matter how simple or complex. Sweetwater Studios also has an exceptional staff of producers, engineers, session musicians and studio technicians to ensure that any artist will get personalized, first-class treatment from start to finish.
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