CANADIAN GUITAR SUMMIT Peter Ruby Braff
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r.a ~'~I BillE QlJ~[;] 00~~rnru QlJ®mIT5®V[B [30[DO~m~ 1 ! US $2.95 ~[?B@8 ~Bm0g Can'" $3.95 UK £2.35 G:J@w Q2G0UGUB 07 lJGB 0B8~8 8m C5UGx3Q&7TIOV o ~u~~o~~0~~~u 7447066787 ~0'\7 ~~~ G~[D(!JUl]~~ 0 0UB'\7 D~ UQO~[] GUITAR SUMMIT I ~ I RIK EMMETT LIONA BOYD ALEX LIFESON ED BICKERT By Jim Ferguson USING DIFFERENT MUSICAL FORMS IS HARDLY new in the guitar world: The marriage between jazz and rock has fsurvived nearly two decades, while jazz and classical get together fairly often. Ofcourse, the more styles you try to blend, the less probable success becomes and the greater the risk of producing something whose sum is smaller than each individual element. Rik Emmett, leader ofthe rock power trio Triumph and the author of Guitar Player's Back To Basics column, was fully aware ofthe artistic hazards involved when he proposed a Soundpage recording to Editor Tom Wheeler in late 1986 that would fuse rock, jazz, and classical. While such a project promised to be the most complex one of its nature since the Soundpage's debut in the Oct. '84 issue, after hearing Emmett's concept and who he had in mind to fill out his guitar quartet-Alex Lifeson, Liona Boyd, and Ed Bickert-thego-ahead was given. The resulting composition-Emmett's masterful "Beyond Borders" -succeeds in melding its various elements on a number oflevels. Although brilliant playing abounds, the piece is more than a vehicle for virtuosic displays as it integrates various styles and weaves in and out of different moods, textures, tones, rhythms, key centers, and time changes. The players receive ample solo space; however, the emphasis clearly is on interaction-a surprising outcome, considering the ever-present temptation to fall back onexcessive blowing (Emmett discusses "Beyond Borders"on page 80; the Soundpage and musical excerpts are on page 82). Cominued JULY 1987/GUITAR PLAYER 71 CANADIAN GUITAR SUMMIT peter Ruby Braff. No stranger to Guitar Player's readers, Emmett directed the proj While Emmett, Boyd, Lifeson, and Bick ect; "Beyond Boundaries"was recorded at "If you can dream ert reside in the greater-Toronto area of Triumph's Metalworks studio in Missis Canada's province of Ontario, each is a sauga, Ontario. (For previous Guitar Player of something, world-class artist whose abilities transcend articles on Emmett, Lifeson, Boyd, and it can be done." national boundaries. Often referred to as Bickert, see Crosscheck on page 179.) "the first lady ofthe guitar," Liona Boyd Why were four prominent artists so eager -Rik Emmett early on earned a reputation as a fine classi to dedicate hours ofvaluable time to a non cal artist. Always seeking new avenues of commercial project ofthis magnitude? Rik self-expression, she recently has explored Emmett says it all: "Everyone got involved more pop-oriented ensemble formats. Alex out oftheir love for the guitar and music; it TZTHATMADE YOU WANTTO TAKE Lifeson is the dynamic guitarist for Rush, was as simple as that." In the following inter ""time/rom your busyschedules to get one of rock's most respected progressive view, the quartet discusses musical purism, involved in this project? units, whilejazzer Ed Bickert's understated what they learned from working with each Rik Emmett: I've wanted to do some solos and sophisticated approach to chordal other, their reservations about such a project, thing like this for a long time. It was an accompaniment have graced performances and who among them is the best guitarist. opportunity to get outside ofthe genre I'm by luminaries such as saxophonist Paul Des usually known for, and it also gave me the mond, vibraphonist MiltJackson, and trum- **** opportunity to work with artists ofsuch high caliber and stature. Some ofthe pieces I've done with Triumph blend a variety ofstyles, but I'm not good enough technically to do certain things---especially in Ed's and Liona's areas. It was great to be able to ask myself what I would do if I could write a part for a great player. (!F!P!~~! Alex Lifeson: When you work in a band n like Rik and I do, you get used to playing in a elssioEXTERNAL EFFECTS CONTROLLER and with 32 SEC. certain way and having a certain attitude' lVI SAMPLING you set free your imagination. towards writing and performing. But when you do something like this with other musi cians---especially ones who represent a broad musical scope-it gives you a lot offreedom to do other things. For instance, here I ap proached my role from an atmospheric stand point, and I tried to tie things together and do little things that I wouldn't normally do on a Rush record. For "Beyond Borders" every body basically had their parts worked out and knew what they were going to do, but because it was in the studio arena, it had a whole different perspective to it. The work was a little more precise, so things took longer. Since we were working onvinyl, we wanted to make sure it was done right. Itwas fun and very satisfying. Liona Boyd: The fascination for me was to work with these particularplayers. I had The remote control listened to all ofthem before, but I wasn't board of T.C. 2290 with no less than 100 user presets provides you with intimatelyfamiliar with their styles. Right adequate contact to your 5 favourite effect pedals or now I'mexpanding my artistic scope a little rack effects. lC. 2290 has also some "wings" of its own: more, so I was eager to play something dif Dynamic Delay ferent and more experimental. It was a This feature eliminates conflicts between real time notes and delayed notes occopying the change from being a strictly classical gui same time and space. If there is no clear space for the delay it is not produced. Delay tarist. instantly reappears when you pause or stop. This feature can be bypassed. Ed Bickert: One ofthe things that Rik Automatic Panning and I talked about a bit was how a project A completely new effect in Digital Delay Units. 99 different panning programs can be created. such as this is going to interest some listeners Modulation of all delay times in other styles ofguitar playing that they T.e. 2290 can modulate all delay settings and therefore makes it possible to make delay and might not get exposed to otherwise. People choruslflanger simultaneously. lC. 2290 also gives you: Learn feature (tap in rhythm), midi, who are familiar with one or the other ofus compressor, gating, tremolo, expander, 32 sec. sampling, programable editing, amazing will be able to hear the rest ofthe stuffand sample looping, frequency response 20 Hz - 20 KHz + 0/-0,5 dB, 100 dB dynamic range, sampling rate 1 MHz. say, "Hey, that's not so bad." In that respect OF DENMARK it serves a good function. Rik, didyou/eelself-conscious about presentingyour ideas to such established t.c. electronic artists? T.O. BOX 5039. 52 WOODBINE STREET, BERGENFIELD. N.J. 07621, PHONE: (201) 384-4221 Rik: In the initial stages I didn't want to WEST GERMANY: 08157/7677. DENMARK: 06262800. GREAT BRITAIN: 010456262800. SWEDEN: (031) 134950. NORWAY: (033) 26798. HOLLAND. BELGIUM. WXEMBURG: 003110-4588166. AUSTRIA: 00498157/7677. ITALY: (02) 5OB4.J. FRANCE: (91) 498728. SPAIN: go too far, because I was dealing with re 91-4426426, USA: (201)384-4221. CANADA: (416) 727-1951. JAPAN: (03) 329-8051. AUSTRALIA: (03)6992388. FINLAND: 9lHl14133. spected players, which made it difficult to GREECE: 01·3628541. SWITZERLAND: 073/226616. say, "Here it is; play it." I tried to present my 72 GUITAR PLAYER/JULY 1987 CANADIAN ARSUMMIT other things you've done? Liona: It was written by a guitarist. ideas as being more of an outline. As it When you try to playapiece by a non-guitar "I love playing the turned'out, everyone is so gifted that they ist who doesn't quite understand the possibil guitar; when you perform gave my thoughts a whole new perspective. ities orthe limitations ofthe instrument, it That certainly happened when Alex began can be frustrating. in a concert hall, working. The parts I initially had on the tape Was there anything thatyou learnedor sometimes youforget that." before Ed came in were Mickey Mouse com did differently that you might not have done pared to what he did. He made six takes for in your normal musical environment? - Alex Lifeson his solo, but everyone ofthem would have Ed: Just ask me what kind ofstrings I use knocked you on your can. [laughs]. Most ofthe times when I record, the Alex: Ed and Liona also contribute a lot person in charge usually tries to move the that I don't expose myselfmuch to other oftransition points and segues, in addition to session right along, as ifyou were playing in a areas of music-I'm kind of a stick-in-the the places where they were featured. The club. So in that respect, being able to make mud that way. Although Ijust came in and little bits that come in and out add a lot to the six or so takes was a luxury. I also had the did what I always do, it's surprisingto hear flow and work nicely, especially for some opportunity to listen back to see ifwhat I did how it all came together in the end. Doing thing that was basically done in just a couple was okay. You could say it's a first, in that I this proved that all ofthese things can work of days.