Kirk Fletcher
Kirk Fletcher
LessonsKirk Fletcher
The Kirk Fletcher Show: Episode 2: 'assessing the soloing situation'
Kirk Fletcher is one of the best Blues players in the world today...Kirk's new show for ALL GUITAR NETWORK features Blues lessons, licks and tricks straight from Kirk's deep bag of Blues knowledge and experience. In this episode Kirk tells us about the importance of assessing the soloing situation....he also shows us some pretty cool licks.....!!
Norman's Rare Guitars
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Kirk Fletcher with his Blonde Gibson ES-345
Kirk Fletcher is now endorsed by Gibson......here he is with his new signature model Blonde ES-345 at Norman's Rare Guitars.
Vintage Lowdown
Joe BonamassaSlashSarah RogoTim PierceBassJosh SmithNorman's Rare GuitarsUpload Of The DayDeke DickersonLessonsNewsVintageTips, Tech & RepairsKirk FletcherMorning Joe MassNorman's Rare Guitars PodcastHenny HendrexzMichael LemmoGuitar Of The DayJazzDavid BeckerCountryRockBluesAcousticMrs SmithFab's Music Café108 Rock Star GuitarsFab's Movie NightRecordingJohn 5Youtube PicksSong Writing
Part 1: amazing vintage find in Hawaii online auction
AGN's Mark Rivett recently bought a beautiful, early - mid 60s Gretsch G6131, more commonly known as the JET FIREBIRD. In episode one we take a close look at the guitar which has suffered from being in a hot humid environment for many years....in fact, the guitar has been sitting in the (original) case since 1992...!! These guitars are prized and loved by many players and collectors, none more so than the late, great Malcolm Young from ACDC who single-handedly put this particular Gretsch workhorse on the map as a heavy rockin' rhythm machine.
Fab's Music Café
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Fab's Music Café: Fab interviews Blues guitar legend, Josh Smith
In this episode, Fab interviews Blues guitar legend, Josh Smith. Blues rock guitar virtuoso, singer-songwriter and producer, Josh Smith, is hailed the world over as a master guitarist with raw talent and power to spare. Blending his signature mix of blues, rock and jazz into dynamic original songs, Smith is known for his incendiary live performances, whether at the Grammy Awards or the Kennedy Center Honors with Mick Jagger, Raphael Saadiq and others.
Born in 1979, Josh started playing guitar at age six. Praised as a blues prodigy by the time he was 12 years old, he began playing at professional blues jams in South Florida, sitting in with such greats as Jimmy Thackery, Tinsley Ellis, Kenny Neal, Lucky Peterson, Matt “Guitar” Murphy, Johnny “Clyde” Copeland, Double Trouble, Joanna Connor and Kim Simmonds, among others. Jimmy Thackery said of the 14-year-old, “Josh is three heartbreaks away from being a true blues guitar genius.”
That insight from Jimmy Thackery proved true as Josh began releasing CDs at age 14. His first national tour with his power trio, Josh Smith and the Frost, featured Josh as bandleader, vocalist as well as guitarist. The legendary producer Jim Gaines (Santana, SRV, Luther Allison, Steve Miller, Jimmy Thackery) produced Josh’s third CD, Too Damn Cold and Woman. By 1998, he had completed four national tours with his band. Josh was then asked to support the great B.B. King on a number of shows.
Opening for B.B. King was just the beginning for this in-demand artist and lead guitarist for artists such as Taylor Hicks, Ricky Fante (Virgin Records), Raphael Saadiq, actress Taryn Manning, Universal Music Group hip-hop artists Benny Cassette and Tara Ellis, and more. He has the distinction of inducting Neil Diamond into the Kennedy Center Honors with Raphael Saadiq’s band and honoring Solomon Burke at the Grammys with Mick Jagger.
Within a year of moving to L.A. in 2002, Josh was retained by Virgin recording artist Ricky Fante and performed nationally and internationally with Ricky for the next two years. In 2006, Josh recorded his fifth CD, Deep Roots and continued to play with a variety of artists such as actress Taryn Manning, Universal Music hip-hop artists Benny Cassette and Tara Ellis, to name a few. In 2007, Josh was hired by 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks to be his lead guitarist. They completed two national tours before Josh was hired as lead guitarist by Grammy Award winner Raphael Saadiq. Josh continues to tour with Saadiq.
In 2009, Josh released his 6th studio CD, Inception and in 2010 he was signed to Crosscut Records based in Germany. Crosscut re-released Josh’s breakout album, Deep Roots as I’m Gonna Be Ready. In 2013, Josh’s CD Don’t Give Up On Me was also released in Germany, followed by Over Your Head in 2014. In 2016, Josh’s jazz album, Still was released to critical acclaim as was Burn To Grow in 2018.
Along with touring the world, recording and performing with renowned artists such as Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Kirk Fletcher and others, Smith is also a producer and owns Flat V Studios in Los Angeles. He has produced artists Reese Wynans (Joe Bonamassa), Artur Menezes (winner of the Eric Clapton 2019 Crossroads Festival) Seth Rosenbloom, Jamey Arent and many more.
Josh’s latest and 11th album, Live At The Spud, was released January 8, 2020 on Flat V Music, and features Smith and his power trio recorded live over two nights at the legendary Baked Potato in Los Angeles. The new album features Smith on guitar and vocals, Gary Novak on drums and Trevor Carlton on bass. The goal was to present an unedited look at a normal night at the Baked Potato. Compelling, improvisational and explosive. Josh is currently touring worldwide in support of the live album.
Josh lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son.
AGN Upload Crew - (join now, upload media with the AGN app, try it..!)
Joe BonamassaSlashSarah RogoTim PierceBassJosh SmithNorman's Rare GuitarsUpload Of The DayDeke DickersonLessonsNewsVintageTips, Tech & RepairsKirk FletcherMorning Joe MassNorman's Rare Guitars PodcastHenny HendrexzMichael LemmoGuitar Of The DayJazzDavid BeckerCountryRockBluesAcousticMrs Smith
How to Upload to AGN: Brandon & Dylan show you how easy it is....
So, we're all self-quarantining and social-distancing, there's never been a better time to upload yourself to All Guitar Network using the SUBMIT MEDIA function on the All Guitar Network app. Brandon and Dylan demonstrate just how easy it is. You could be featured on UPLOAD OF THE DAY or even UPLOAD OF THE WEEK.
Kirk Fletcher
LessonsKirk Fletcher
The Kirk Fletcher Show: Episode 1: Assessing the rhythm situation
The Kirk Fletcher Show: Episode 1: Assessing the rhythm situation. Blues great Kirk Fletcher gives you tips, licks and so much more essential Blues info you just can't afford to miss....Epiosde 1 is all about assessing the rhythm situation. And, Kirk is playing his beautiful old Telecaster. It's a '52 body with a '56 neck....or, is it a '52 neck with a '56 body...either way, it's a killer Tele....!!
'Sidemen: Long Road To Glory' : Exclusive Movie Package
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Sidemen: Long Road To Glory: Movie Trailer
Sidemen: Long Road to Glory: the movie package with over 40 minutes of bonus never before seen interviews is available NOW to rent or buy in Fab's Movie Night in AGN On Demand: Sidemen is an intimate look into the incredible lives of three of the last Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf sidemen, piano player Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith and guitarist Hubert Sumlin. These legendary bluesmen, who performed and recorded into their 80's and 90's, played a significant role in shaping modern popular music. The film features some of the last interviews conducted with all three men as well as their final live performances together. These memorable live performances, vividly capture these blues legends with the blues and rock stars they have inspired including, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Elvin Bishop (recent rock ‘n’ Roll Hall inductee with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band), and Tim Reynolds of The Dave Matthews Band. Personal insights from artists such as, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, Shemekia Copeland, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Perry, Joe Bonamassa and Johnny Winter offer heartfelt accounts of how these three legendary sidemen helped shape their careers as well as rock ‘n’ roll.
Sidemen takes us on the road with Pinetop, Willie and Hubert, three of our last direct links to the origins of the blues, as they share the incredible stories about each of their personal histories. From their upbringings on Delta plantations of the Jim Crow south to lives spent on the road in the shadow of two of the biggest figures in music history, their stories are not only a part of music history, but American history as well. As we ride along, we can’t help but fall in love with these three endearing men as we experience all the trials and triumphs of these remarkable lives.
In the summer of 2008, a group of legendary bluesmen, some of the last surviving members of the Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters bands, were brought together by director Scott Rosenbaum for a cameo appearance in his feature film, The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Pinetop Perkins, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Hubert Sumlin were cast for their authenticity and ability to underscore the film’s critical subplot, the evolution of rock ‘n’ roll through the blues. During breaks in production, these bluesmen thrilled Rosenbaum with their tales of a lifetime spent on the road. Firsthand accounts of experiences with the mythical Robert Johnson, the larger-than-life Howlin’ Wolf, the seminal Muddy Waters and disciples such as Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones got the director’s creative wheels spinning. Between takes, Sumlin called Rosenbaum over to the bandstand and prophetically told him of his feeling that they would be working together again. In an instant, an idea that had been germinating with the director for years took root.
When the bluesmen’s booking agent, Hugh Southard approached Rosenbaum, asking him to lend the film’s name to help galvanize a world tour featuring these legendary musicians, a concept had fully blossomed. Having grown up on Martin Scorsese’s valediction to The Band, The Last Waltz, Rosenbaum wanted to make a film that similarly honored the life and musical legacy of these aging bluesmen. When Pinetop, Hubert and Willie "Big Eyes," along with Sugar Blue, Robert Stroger and Bob Margolin hit the road as The Perfect Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll Blues Band, Rosenbaum, along with producers Jasin Cadic, Tony Grazia and Joe White were determined to capture this important moment and fleeting history. Over the next three years they would follow these blues legends, shooting live performances, an historic Grammy win, dozens of intimate interviews, countless behind-the-scenes moments, and documenting their lives on the road. Sadly, the 2011 deaths of Willie, Pine and Hubert altered the film’s initial Last Waltz style vision; to capture these legends performing live versions of classic blues songs with the musicians they had so heavily influenced. Luckily, several of these performance pairings were filmed before their deaths. Those treasured moments are complimented by over two dozen subsequent interviews with some of blues and rock’s biggest names, demonstrating the true impact and tremendous respect that these men engendered over the course of their long careers.
Members of The Doors, The Allman Brothers, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Aerosmith, The Dave Matthews Band, as well as artists like Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Winter, Bobby Rush and Shemekia Copeland share their personal and professional recollections of these men and the impact that they’ve had on their own careers. When asked how they hoped to be remembered, Willie, Pine and Hubert consistently expressed their wish to be known for both having kept the blues alive and to serve as an inspiration for the younger generations of musicians. Interviews with blues acolytes Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Warren Haynes, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Derek Trucks affirm that their legacies are alive and well. Several of these musicians have even contributed searing on-camera solo performances in tribute to these late blues legends. Haunting imagery of the Mississippi Delta region, the birthplace of the blues and these legendary bluesmen, punctuates this powerful piece of history. This film succeeds in capturing the personal triumphs, tragedies and tremendous perseverance of three of the last original Delta and Chicago bluesmen while preserving a critical legacy that is nothing short of our last links to the origins of all popular music.
News & latest Releases
SlashSarah RogoTim PierceBassJosh SmithNorman's Rare GuitarsUpload Of The DayDeke DickersonLessonsNewsVintageTips, Tech & RepairsKirk FletcherMorning Joe MassNorman's Rare Guitars PodcastMichael LemmoGuitar Of The DayJazzCountryRockBluesAcousticFab's Music Café108 Rock Star GuitarsFab's Movie NightRecordingJohn 5Youtube PicksSong Writing
AGN News: June 21st is "Make Music Day"
AGN News: June 21st is "Make Music Day"....For most of us, June 21st this year is Father’s Day, but it’s also the date for this year's lesser known, Make Music Day. Make Music Day was first launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, when the country’s Ministry of Culture conceived an idea for a day where free, live music would be everywhere throughout the country and now nearly 40 years later, it's not only a national holiday in France, but it's celebrated in more than 120 countries around the world. Make Music Day is presented in the U.S. by the NAMM Foundation and is quote, “open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician – young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion – pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.”
June 21, the summer solstice, was chosen as the date for the event, and last year, more than 1,000 cities around the world threw citywide music celebrations to make the occasion.
To find out about Make Music events in your city and how to get involved, click the INFO button and check out makemusicday.org.
AGN Pro Files
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Blues master, Kirk Fletcher
Norman Harris and Kirk Fletcher talk guitars, life on the road, blues and jam in this episode of 'AGN PROS'
Nextdoor Sessions
Joe BonamassaSlashSarah RogoTim PierceBassJosh SmithNorman's Rare GuitarsUpload Of The DayDeke DickersonLessonsNewsVintageTips, Tech & RepairsKirk FletcherMorning Joe MassNorman's Rare Guitars PodcastHenny HendrexzMichael LemmoGuitar Of The DayJazzDavid BeckerCountryRockBluesAcousticMrs Smith
Nextdoor Sessions: Asher Belsky; 'The Key".
Actually, Asher Belsky just turned 15 and plays guitar with a melodic yet explosive style. Asher began studying the guitar at age five and has yet to put it down. He has drawn from a range of influences, including the Allman Brothers, the Meters, Marcus King, and Tedeschi Trucks Band, to produce a sound that’s all his own. He writes, sings, and performs with his own band, Outer Sunset.
Asher is an inaugural member of the Gibson Generation Group (G3), Gibson Guitar’s select group of young guitar players from around the world, and is an endorsed Gibson artist. Asher is also an endorsing artist for Homestead Amps and Moody Leather.
In September 2019, Asher performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival, playing a featured set with Marcus King. Asher also appeared as a featured artist at Surrealistic Summer Solstice Jam 3 in Golden Gate Park. Asher has shared the stage with the Marcus King Band, the North Mississippi Allstars, Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz of ALO, George Porter Jr. of the Meters, Midnight North, Brandon “Taz” Niederaur, Members of Moonalice, and Norman Greenbaum. In this episode, Asher performs his original song, "The Key".
AGN Pro Files
Joe BonamassaSlashSarah RogoTim PierceBassJosh SmithNorman's Rare GuitarsUpload Of The DayDeke DickersonLessonsNewsVintageTips, Tech & RepairsKirk FletcherMorning Joe MassNorman's Rare Guitars PodcastHenny HendrexzMichael LemmoGuitar Of The DayJazzDavid BeckerCountryRockBluesAcousticMrs Smith
An interview with the one and only, Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter
I caught up with Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter at the Grammy Museum at the opening of the Ventures Exhibit. Jeff was heavily influenced by The Ventures and then went on to influence so many guitar players in his own right with his iconic playing with Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. But, there's so much more to the Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter story....!!
AGN Pro Files
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Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith
Back before Covid, Blues guitar legend, Josh Smith interviewed Blues guitar legend, Kirk Fletcher on his new album, songs he's recently recorded for other artists, life in Switzerland and recent experiences on the road.