Searching for the Sound Log Out | Topics | Search
Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Alembic Club » Miscellaneous » Archive through November 11, 2010 » Archive: 2008 » Archive through April 27, 2008 » Searching for the Sound « Previous Next »

Author Message
jerryme
Member
Username: jerryme

Post Number: 53
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:40 pm:   Edit Post

I became engaged in a conversation with one of my students today, about how certain musicians develop their own sound. Carlos Santana said "that your grandmother should know it is you from one note" .... I started running down my list of notable players who have achieved this...

Jerry Garcia, Carolos Santana, Mark Knophler, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Michael Houser, Trey Anastasio, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour/Roger Waters... More to follow. Please add. Edumacation is mighty important.
crobbins
Intermediate Member
Username: crobbins

Post Number: 106
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:54 pm:   Edit Post

Frank Zappa.mothers
3rd_ray
New
Username: 3rd_ray

Post Number: 2
Registered: 2-2008
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:54 pm:   Edit Post

Here are a few on the bass side... John Patitucci, Percy Jones, Marcus Miller, and Jaco of course. On the guitar side I'd have to add Frank Zappa.
3rd_ray
New
Username: 3rd_ray

Post Number: 3
Registered: 2-2008
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 5:55 pm:   Edit Post

Glad to see that I'm not the only Zappa fan :-)
811952
Senior Member
Username: 811952

Post Number: 1361
Registered: 10-2003
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 8:23 pm:   Edit Post

Chris Squire, John Entwistle, Paul McCartney, Al DiMeola, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Keith Richards, Allan Holdsworth...
bsee
Senior Member
Username: bsee

Post Number: 1912
Registered: 3-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 8:59 pm:   Edit Post

Billy Gibbons
darkstar01
Intermediate Member
Username: darkstar01

Post Number: 106
Registered: 6-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 9:15 pm:   Edit Post

i definitely don't agree with trey anastasio. he sounds like the culmination of every other hippie jam guitar player there has been.
people that have their own sound?
fred frith, nels cline, derek bailey, elliot sharp, mary halvorson, blood ulmer, duane allman, d boone! , kurt rosenwinkel, jonathan kreisberg, JIM HALL, adam rogers, wayne krantz, oz noy, so many more.

(Message edited by darkstar01 on March 13, 2008)
hieronymous
Advanced Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 271
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 - 9:44 pm:   Edit Post

I have to disagree with your disagreement on Trey Anastasio - I haven't been into Phish for almost 15 years, but his playing is still very melodic and special to me when I listen to old shows. To me, his compositions transcend the mere adjective "hippie."

I don't have any one to add to the list, so I guess I will just second Jimi Hendrix.
5stringho
Advanced Member
Username: 5stringho

Post Number: 265
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 3:19 am:   Edit Post

Warren Haynes. No matter who he is playing with (Gov't Mule, The Allman Bros. Band, Phil & Friends, etc) you instantly know who is playing guitar. Rock, blues, jazz, he still sounds like Warren.

Have fun, Mike, tho
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 1685
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 4:45 am:   Edit Post

I can tell Steve Howe's playing anywhere (and I'm a bassist!).
On bass, percy Jones has a pretty distinctive tone as has billy sheehan.

Graeme
jerryme
Member
Username: jerryme

Post Number: 54
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 6:33 am:   Edit Post

Phish gave hippies a bad name. I really am not too into his music anymore, but his guitar sound is pretty distinctive. I saw lots of mediocre Phish shows, but I saw maybe 12 that were pretty great. Colin
fmm
Advanced Member
Username: fmm

Post Number: 216
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 7:42 am:   Edit Post

Bruce Hornsby; Gary Burton; Itzak Perlman
danny_bryant
Junior
Username: danny_bryant

Post Number: 43
Registered: 9-2007
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 8:59 am:   Edit Post

The minute you hear the first note from that Spyder, you know WHO it is. Same goes for Clarke, McVie, and Mark King. All of these gentelman played Alembic basses but they all had there own sound.
mcrracer
Junior
Username: mcrracer

Post Number: 14
Registered: 5-2007
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 8:59 am:   Edit Post

Stanley Clarke,Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock) Victor Wooten
BB King, Wah Wah Watson
Lee Oskar (harmonica)
danny_bryant
Junior
Username: danny_bryant

Post Number: 44
Registered: 9-2007
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 9:04 am:   Edit Post

Dont forget about good old Rick Danko. Even though he was not a Alembic player, he had an unmistakeable sound. The same goes for Robbie Robertson.
crobbins
Intermediate Member
Username: crobbins

Post Number: 107
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 9:07 am:   Edit Post

Dicky Betts, Duane Allman..
olieoliver
Senior Member
Username: olieoliver

Post Number: 1804
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 9:16 am:   Edit Post

I'm not a huge fan of either but you know its them from hearing their sound right off the bat; Eddie Van Halen and Tom Scholz.

Geddy Lee you can be fairly sure its him from his tone but let him sing one note and there is NO Doubt.

A few months back I jammed at the house with Mike( from the club) his drummer Pete and my old guitar player. I remember him telling Mike and Pete that he could tell my playing from my sound right away and how no mattter what I played through. Made me feel real good to hear that from Jeff, who happens to be an awesome guitar player.

Olie
gtrguy
Intermediate Member
Username: gtrguy

Post Number: 129
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 10:11 am:   Edit Post

Gotta add the late/great Roy Buchannon (sp?).
funkyjazzjunky
Member
Username: funkyjazzjunky

Post Number: 71
Registered: 5-2007
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 10:31 am:   Edit Post

Ernie Isley, Vernon Reid, Eddie Hazel on guitar.

Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham on bass
3rd_ray
New
Username: 3rd_ray

Post Number: 5
Registered: 2-2008
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 10:53 am:   Edit Post

Frank Gambale on guitar, Pino Palladino on bass, Ron Carter on upright bass, how about banjo? - Bela Fleck
kilowatt
Member
Username: kilowatt

Post Number: 81
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 12:49 pm:   Edit Post

I always thought that George Harrison's slide work was very easy to distinguish from anyone else's style. He was always very underrated as a guitar player and song writer.


Regards,
Pete
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 1118
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 1:27 pm:   Edit Post

Robert Cray deserves a mention as does Miles Davis, Augustus Pablo.

This subject got me thinking, and forgive me i'm not mad but is it possible to distinguish a dummer's sound from one beat of a drum. I can tell lenny white if he hits that kind of rim shot he does but from one beat of a drum i doubt if I could decifer any other drummer.
jazzyvee
jbybj
Intermediate Member
Username: jbybj

Post Number: 144
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 1:29 pm:   Edit Post

I agree with many listed above, especially Fripp and Zappa, but I would also add Rory Gallagher and Snakefinger. Snakefinger had plenty of solo work, but may be best known ;-) for his work with the Residents. If you have never heard the Residents cover of Satisfaction, you are in for a treat. Simply the worlds greatest guitar solo, EVER. Speaking of Satisfaction covers.......

OOps, I almost forgot Gerry Casale (DEVO)
jbybj
Intermediate Member
Username: jbybj

Post Number: 145
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 1:30 pm:   Edit Post

Andy Partridge.
jerryme
Member
Username: jerryme

Post Number: 55
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 2:07 pm:   Edit Post

David Byrne
crobbins
Intermediate Member
Username: crobbins

Post Number: 109
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 3:30 pm:   Edit Post

Rahsaan Roland Kirkrashaan

(Message edited by CRobbins on March 13, 2008)
darkstar01
Intermediate Member
Username: darkstar01

Post Number: 107
Registered: 6-2005
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 5:32 pm:   Edit Post

i thought we were just talking about guitar players, here.
i personally think any great musician should have their own distinctive sound.
Guys like Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Peter Brotzmann, Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Ornette, Ken Vandermark, Dave Holland, etc.
I can't really dig anybody that just sounds like someone else.
elwoodblue
Advanced Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 232
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 6:17 pm:   Edit Post

I love the residents take on Elvis...'The king and eye' is a very sublime album.

'My life in a bush of ghosts' (byrne) is a thing of beauty also.

Did anyone notice the zappa les paul on ebay uk?
elwoodblue
Advanced Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 233
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 6:20 pm:   Edit Post

...and I'm sure we've all heard Howard Roberts whether we know it or not...(gilligans island,brady bunch,...)
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 2984
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 6:29 pm:   Edit Post

Yoko Ono.

Bill, tgo
edwin
Advanced Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 313
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008 - 7:43 pm:   Edit Post

Oh, Bill.

Alright, who here remembers the Plastic Ono Mothers?

Edwin
briant
Intermediate Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 126
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 12:47 am:   Edit Post

There are several players who I can spot from a mile away.

Miles Davis
John Coltrane
Steve Vai
Hendrix
Jaco
Pat Metheny
Stevie Wonder
Frank Zappa

There are others I'm sure but those are the ones that stand firmly in my mind. Zappa especially as a guitar player was just "out there" in the best way. His approach to soloing was so angular and odd but just so "right". He always gets so much (well deserved) credit for his writing but he rarely gets the credit he so well deserved for his guitar playing. The guy had monstrous chops and good solo ideas to spare.
elwoodblue
Advanced Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 235
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 1:25 am:   Edit Post

zappa's goldtop


...while I'm at it I gotta give Curtis Mayfield and his band a very honorable mentioning.
tom_z
Senior Member
Username: tom_z

Post Number: 550
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Friday, March 14, 2008 - 5:58 am:   Edit Post

Bill Frisell, Alan Holdsworth, Thelonious Monk, Phil Lesh . . .
paulman
Advanced Member
Username: paulman

Post Number: 282
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 6:26 am:   Edit Post

Man, what great list.

Darkstar01, D Boone was my first guitar hero. Talk about a specific sound!

I'd like to add Duke Robillard to the list. A blues man if I ever hoid one :-)
white_cloud
Advanced Member
Username: white_cloud

Post Number: 333
Registered: 11-2007
Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 9:02 am:   Edit Post

I know he has already been mentioned a couple of times but I think Allan Holdsworths sublime sound is on a different level - totally and unmistakably unique to him!

One note of Allans playing says more than a thousand notes from most players in my opinion. John Mclaughlin is also easily identifiable from his choice of notes!

It is often easier to identify actual models/makes of basses as opposed to bassists these days. Exotic basses tend to sound unique to their creed. for example, it is often easy to identify an Alembic bass on a recording I feel!

John.
benson_murrensun
Junior
Username: benson_murrensun

Post Number: 30
Registered: 5-2007
Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 12:02 pm:   Edit Post

JOHN W. (JACK) CASADY !!!!!
fuggetaboudit!
georgie_boy
Senior Member
Username: georgie_boy

Post Number: 439
Registered: 8-2005
Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 12:24 pm:   Edit Post

10 out of 10 for Holdsworth!!!!
Just amazing player
cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 273
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 12:33 pm:   Edit Post

John Cippollina. No one else's sound is even close to his.

Peter Gerlach
jerryme
Member
Username: jerryme

Post Number: 61
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 4:30 am:   Edit Post

What is some good John Cippollina music? I really only know of his playing throught the many Dead shows he sat in on. He was in Quicksilver Messenger Service correct? And what was the deal with the bat wing's on his SG?
cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 274
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 6:26 am:   Edit Post

Yes, John was in QMS. A proper introduction to them would be "Happy Trails", which Mr. Garcia termed "the most pschedelic album ever recorded." John did his own work on his guitar, including wiring it stereo (and building this beast to run it through), some nice inlay, and the famous bat-wing pick-guard.

Peter

ps - and I misspelled his name in my first post - only 1 p.
jbybj
Intermediate Member
Username: jbybj

Post Number: 147
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 7:17 am:   Edit Post

When I worked at New George's in San Rafael in 85' 86', John Cipollina played there a couple of times. I didn't know anything about him then, but I often found myself sitting at the board, forgetting to mix, just lost in a state of wonder.

That was a great job............

JBY

oh yeah, back to the thread, I'd add Adrian Belew.
jerryme
Member
Username: jerryme

Post Number: 62
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 8:23 am:   Edit Post

Working in San Rafael in the mid-1980's.... So it is prolly safe to say that you ran into the boys a few times.
elwoodblue
Advanced Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 244
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 9:07 am:   Edit Post

That Beast is niiiiice...thanks,I haven't been turned on to his music yet and look forward to learning and listening.
Belew is a force in nature for sure...He adds alot of soul to all the bands he's been in.

on a grace note...zappa's goldtop went for about 130,000 dollars.

my curiosity is peaked about that 'modulux' in John's rig.

cheers
cozmik_cowboy
Advanced Member
Username: cozmik_cowboy

Post Number: 275
Registered: 10-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 1:11 pm:   Edit Post

I'm not sure, but I think the Modulux was a rotating-speaker simulation device.

Peter
jedisan
New
Username: jedisan

Post Number: 6
Registered: 3-2008
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 1:35 pm:   Edit Post

How could we not forget Eric Clapton... others for me, Gary Moore, Eliot Easton, Bob Welch, Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, just to name a few. I could go on.
jbybj
Intermediate Member
Username: jbybj

Post Number: 148
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:16 pm:   Edit Post

"Working in San Rafael in the mid-1980's.... So it is prolly safe to say that you ran into the boys a few times."

The boys? you mean Thin Lizzy? Nope, never met them...... ;-)

Mickey Hart was the only member of the Dead I remember playing at Georges when I was there. I don't remember the band, some collection of Marin Hippies for sure.

When Belew and Zappa shared a stage, that was mind blowing.

JBY
jbybj
Intermediate Member
Username: jbybj

Post Number: 149
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 2:20 pm:   Edit Post

"How could we not forget Eric Clapton"

Wait, we didn't not forget him, we forgot him. I think the reason being he sounds just like all the blues players who came after him.

:-)

JBY
elwoodblue
Advanced Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 249
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 3:27 pm:   Edit Post

and Joe Walsh is pretty darn distinctive...thick and ballsy...
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 3002
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 3:42 pm:   Edit Post

Ain't no one sounds like Tom Waits!

Bill, tgo
hankster
Intermediate Member
Username: hankster

Post Number: 166
Registered: 6-2004
Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 - 4:12 pm:   Edit Post

The interesting thing to me about all of this is that we can all identify a distinctive sound when we hear one. For me, I can instantly "feel" the sound of the early to mid 70"s guitar bands, and I can recall, a few years back when there was an anniversary concert for Queen Elizabeth II on the radio, that from the very first note of Brian May of Queen fame playing "God save the Queen", I knew it was him. For those of us who like to listen, the sounds are unmistakeable, and take us to wonderful places when we hear them, even years later. that's the magic of music, for me.
jerryme
Member
Username: jerryme

Post Number: 64
Registered: 1-2008
Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 4:31 am:   Edit Post

Augustus Pablo... king of the melodica!
rolty
Junior
Username: rolty

Post Number: 12
Registered: 3-2008
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2008 - 10:35 am:   Edit Post

jbybj, I dont agree about Eric being typical blues player, you can tell him straight away blindfolded for sure, definitely a top 10 place for him IMHO
bkbass
Intermediate Member
Username: bkbass

Post Number: 164
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2008 - 11:33 am:   Edit Post

hankster, ya nailed it... Brian May. If there was ever one note for grandma to recognize, he's the man. If she was deaf in one ear maybe she be confused between Brian and Tom Shultz. We are talking one note tone recognition right? Who came on the scene first? The chicken or the egg?

Topics | Last Day | Last Week | Tree View | Search | Help/Instructions | Program Credits Administration