Kenny Lavitz Flipside of the Blues Album Review

Hello!

This CD review was originally published in the January 10, 2013 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at thebluesblast.com

Kenny Lavitz – Flipside of the Blues

Self Release

www.kennylavitz.com

13 tracks / 46:04

Though the blues originated in the Deep South, these days you will find it coming from pretty much every corner of the globe. Over the last year I have seen a lot of great new music coming out of the Pacific Northwest, and Flipside of the Blues from Kenny Lavitz is no exception.

Kenny Lavitz is a guitarist and singer who has been working out of Portland, Oregon for the past few decades. He is originally from the New York/New Jersey area, and his musical journey has led him through stints in Miami, at the G.I.T. in Los Angeles, and five years of touring with his own band before settling down in PDX. This experience has provided him with a wealth of knowledge, and you can clearly hear his mastery of the guitar. And, of course, his background in latin and jazz always make his music more interesting.

Flipside of the Blues is Kenny’s third CD, and his first since 2005’s Too Many Hats. He wrote all thirteen of the tracks on this disc, and has done a nice job of integrating horn parts into the mix. Chipping in on this effort are Dave Fleishner on keys, John Hughes on bass, and Rudy Battjes on drums and percussion. The respectable horn section consists of Tim Bly, Renato Caranto, Pete Moss, and Paul Mazzio. Battjes was also responsible for recording and mixing, and co-produced the album with Lavitz.

Right from the start, listeners will find that this is a fun record. There is a blues base to most every song here, but the way Lavitz mixes in different styles (and that fabulous horn section) to create a glorious funk really does make this the flipside of the blues -- it is not just a clever title! The first tracks “What You’re Doing” and “Fish Won’t Bite” are delightful in different ways, the first with a hard 2 and 4 beat, the latter with a bar-room piano in the background. “Get a Little Funk” has a wonderfully punchy round bass line and a tight organ part that doubles up with and then plays off of Kenny’s slick guitar work.

Legendary New York City guitarist C Lanzbom appears on two tracks: “Hard Times” and “Get Up.” I am not sure who gets credit for which parts that are being played, but he works well with Kenny, and the end result is hard-core slide work and Hendrix-inspire wah pedal work in these songs. I was surprised to see his name come up on the liner notes, as he is not exactly located next door to Portland.

The lyrics of the songs are thoughtful and run the gamut, and my favorite ones from Flipside of the Blues are found in “On Her Way,” which he dedicates to his daughter. I was expecting a corny ballad, but instead got to hear a lively celebration of the maturing of his daughter – you can certainly hear the pride in his voice.

Kenny gave the horn players a rest and drove out of the funk groove for the last three tracks on the CD. “Turtles, Frogs and Snakes” is a hard rocking Texas boogie that makes me picture early ZZ Top. Greg Sommers lends a sweet harmonica tone on the instrumental “Association,” and this fits in nicely over Lavitz’s jazzy guitar. And the CD wraps up with a two minute track, “Another Another Day,” which is full of rockingly fat delta-style slide guitar. There is a lot more than funk going on here, for sure.

I like Kenny Lavitz’s Flipside of the Blues, and though is not the usual straight-up blues album, I think that blues fans will dig the funky vibe and first-rate musicianship and writing that are found here. Just hearing his guitar work, Hughes’ bass and Battjes’ drums are worth the price of admission, and all the other good stuff found within is icing on the cake. Give it a listen, and see if you agree!

Mahalo!

Long Beach Guitar Repair – Long Beach, California

Aloha!

I was profoundly disappointed when World of Strings closed down after 50 years in the business. It was the only good repair shop in town, and they could work on any stringed instrument. Plus, their staff was the best, both friendly and knowledgeable and willing to give informed information and opinions. ,

Fortunately for us locals, the void was not there for long, as last month four of their former employees joined up and opened their own repair shop just east of the old World of Strings location. If you ever frequented the old store, you will instantly recognize these folks and feel right at home. They are Brian Stewart, Chris Baird, and Guillermo Rios. Pam Spangler also came over and is running her violin and bow repair business out of this location.

There is not anybody else in town that you would want to trust your prized instruments to. Spangler worked at World of Strings for over three decades and teaches at Long Beach City College, Rios is a top-shelf flamenco guitarist, Baird was the guitar tech for Korn for more than ten years, and Stewart has been working in the business for almost 30 years (the last 14 at World of Strings). For what it’s worth, my wife thinks that Brian is cute and Chris has pretty eyes.

These guys have worked on my guitars and cello for years, and I would trust them to do any of my repairs, from set-ups to refrets or customization. They have made numerous unplayable Les Pauls work the way they should and helped make one of my semi-hollowbody guitars into the best instrument I have ever played.

They also sell strings and accessories, and they are stocking Ruben Flores and Almansa classical and flamenco acoustic guitars. Also, they have a nice selection of electric guitars and basses that they have built, and I am sure if you want to pick one up they will make you a fair deal for one.

All of this is good, but their experience really pays off for customers that are not really sure what they are looking for. If you have a kid that wants to get into playing the guitar, stop in and they will give you sound advice and will keep you from buying the wrong guitar that either costs too much, or that could be a piece of junk that will discourage the learning process. When you break the headstock off your dad’s old guitar, after you stop crying, loosen the strings and take it in. They have seen it all before and they will reassure you that it can be fixed well, and it will probably not cost as much as you think it will. This kind of stuff is priceless, my friends!

When I stopped in the other day to drop off a cheap-o Martin, it appeared that things are going well, as they all had instruments on their benches and their spirits were good. Their new shop is laid out well, and it is in a better neighborhood – heck, I even found a parking spot out front! Parking was a real bear at the old shop…

Long Beach Guitar Repair is located at 2930 East 7th Street in Long Beach, and they are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM. For more details about their business, check out their website at longbeachguitarrepair.com or search out their page on Facebook. Or, if you are social media-impaired you can call 562-621-9000. You will be glad that you did!

Mahalo!

Fender Acoustasonic 30 DSP

Howdy!

Today we are looking at a neat little amplifier that would be perfect for small solo acoustic setting: the Fender Acoustasonic 30 DSP, an amplifier that was designed to handle both acoustic guitar and vocals simlutaneously. It was introduced about ten years ago and was discontinued a while back, but you can still find new ones out there for reasonable prices.

This amp is an updated version of the popular Acoustasonic 30, with new digital effects such as reverb, delay, chorus and Vibratone. You can probably figure out from its name that this is a 30-watt amplifier, and this solid state unit drives a single 8-inch LF speaker and a tweeter.

This comes in a nicely-sized package, measuring around 15 x 16 x 20 inches, and weighing a tic under 35 pounds according to my scale. The cabinet is shaped so that you can set it with so the speaker faces forward, or you can tilt it back so you can hear yourself better. It has a pleasant brown tolex covering and a tasteful tan and silver weave grille cloth.

There is not much going on the back of the amp: just an IEC-type power cable (yay!), a ¼-inch line out and a foot switch jack. The inputs are equally simple, with a single ¼-inch instrument input and an XLR microphone input. By the way, the XLR does have phantom power, in case you are using a condenser microphone.

Both of the input channels have their own volume controls, 3-band equalizers, phase switches to control feedback, FX selectors and FX level controls. The instrument channel also has a String Dynamics control to cut rowdy high-frequencies.

I tracked down the optional footswitch, which has two switches to cut the effects to the instrument and microphone channels. It was about 40 bucks, but it was worth it to me.

In the real world it is light and portable, and due to its simplicity, setting it up is a breeze. You won’t even need to look at the manual to solve mysteries of foreign knobs or features (now that I told you what the String Dynamics knob does).

Fender says that the Acoustasonic 30 DSP is “optimized especially for acoustic performers.” I don’t know what this means, but it sure works nicely with my guitars. I tried it with my Takamine EF341SC (active pre-amp) and my Martin D-18 Golden era that as a K&K Sound Pure Mini pickup installed. It performed as advertised with both of them.

The sound reproduction with both instruments was very true with the EQ set flat. As there are no controls on the Martin, I was able to optimize the tone with the EQ. I messed around with the String Dynamics knob, and I did not like the way it worked when playing fingerstyle, but it did calm down the top end nicely when I really laid into some heavy strumming. The effects are ok, but are best when added in small doses. If they get overwhelming the foot switch makes it easy enough to turn them off.

The vocal channel is very good. The effects are a lot more handy for this input, and adding a touch of reverb + chorus or chorus + delay made me sound a lot, well, better. Singing is not my forte…

It gets plenty loud for a coffee-house or small wedding/party gig, and it works well with no drama. So, pretty much it is a winner. I would buy one again if it broke. I still have plenty of the 5-year factory warranty left, though.

As I said earlier, the Acoustasonic 30 DSP has been discontinued, but they are still out there. They have a list price of $499, and new-in-the-box ones are selling for around $350. On the used market they are a real bargain, coming in around $200, or so. If you are looking for a single amplifier to handle your acoustic guitar and vocals, you will not find a better deal out there!

Mahalo!

3rd Quarter of 2013 Inventory Update

Hi there!

Time is flying by, so it is time to give an update of what is hanging around the studio these days. As always there have been a lot of changes, and there are still a few things that need to move along to someone else, so if you see anything here that you cannot live without, drop me a line. It is all good stuff…

First off, the basses (only four!):

∙ Fender JV Serial 1957 Precision Bass re-issue, and American Vintage ‘62 Jazz Bass re-issue

∙ Sadowsky Metro UV70 and NYC Ultra Vintage P Bass – an old friend that has come back to me

Electric Guitars:

∙ MIJ Fender 1962 re-issue Stratocaster

∙ Gibson Explorer – currently apart for a project. You will be thrilled!

Acoustic Guitars

∙ Martin D-18 Golden Era, Little Martin and Backpacker steel string

∙ Takamine E34S1C (the Springsteen/Bon Jovi model)

∙ Seagull Coastline S12 12-string

∙ Kala solid mahogany soprano and tenor ukuleles (both out on loan to friends)

Amplifiers:

∙ Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 12-T with extension cabinet

∙ Ampeg SVT Classic with an Ampeg 810 Classic Cabinet

∙ Ampeg V4B

∙ Fender Twin Reverb

∙ Fender Blues Junior III

∙ Fender Acoustasonic 30 DSP

Check in again on October 1 to see what has made the cut. I am motivated to make some room, so you know it will be different!

Mahalo!

Ricky Nye and the Paris Blues Band Jump Steady CD Review

Good day!

This CD review was originally published in the December 27, 2012 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at thebluesblast.com

When Ricky Nye and the Paris Blues Band’s latest CD arrived, I noticed that it was recorded in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I was reminded of all of the great bands that have come out of that city. In fact, one of my favorite bands from the 1980s, The Raisins, is from there, and it turns out that Ricky Nye is actually Rick Neiheisel, their keyboardist. What a small world!

Whatever name he goes by, Ricky is a fabulous keyboard player and singer, having done quite a bit of work over the years with various artists and leading his own bands, including Ricky Nye and the Red Hots, and Ricky Nye Inc. Ricky Nye & the Paris Blues Band is his latest group, and Jump Steady is their third studio release. Collaborating with Mr. Nye on this album are three Frenchmen: Anthony Stelmaszack on guitars, Thibaut Chopin on upright bass and harmonica, and Simon "Shuffle" Boyer on drums; they have been working with Ricky for over five years. Special guest Brian "Boss" Hogg from Kentucky also joins in on the saxophone.

Nye self-produced Jump Steady, which was recorded in just two sessions; Bill Gwynne engineered the album and it was mixed by Ashley Shepherd. It has twelve short tracks (all of them under four minutes each), and they can be lumped into a two different categories: classic boogie woogie and more straight-up piano driven blues. This should not be a shock to anyone, as the group’s name does say that this is a blues band…

Ricky chose some heavy-hitting cover tunes and also wrote four of the songs on this album, including the opener, “Rockin’ Roller Coaster.” This song sets the tone for the rest of the CD, letting the listener know that they are in for a good time. Ricky hammers out a piano line that is lively but technically better than anything you will hear in a bar room. Hogg’s saxophone is a nice counterpoint to the whole Jerry Lee Lewis vibe, and at a mere 2 ½ minutes in length this one made me sorry it ended so soon.

Big Boy Crudup’s “Mean Ol’ Frisco” is next up, and you are probably familiar with the cover version that was done by Eric Clapton. Nye and the guys sped this tune up quite a bit and did an admirable job, despite the big shoes they had to fill. Then the tempo throttles back for the straight-up blues of “But I Forgive You,” which is a true song of love and forgiveness, considering all the terrible things the subject of this song is accused of doing.

“New Orleans Murder” does indeed have a Crescent City feel, with a funereal pace and a spooky sounding tape delay guitar sound. Stelmaszack does a very smooth and tasteful job on the guitars, and this original tune is a real winner. Another Ricky Nye original, “I Ain’t Crazy” follows this one up, and we are treated to some lovely syncopated piano work with a little harmonica flavor on top. This two-minute instrumental is really neat, and I will surely be using it to set the mood for one of my upcoming parties.

Nye and the boys then proceed to lay down some rocking boogie woogie for the next four tracks. Bassist Thibaut Chopin brings some neat harmonica parts to the Delmore Brothers’ “Pan American Boogie” and Nye gets a workout for both hands in Pinetop Smith’s instrumental “Jump Steady Blues.”

“Buggy Ride” is the last Ricky Nye original (and another instrumental), and it truly sounds like it is from another age. As with the rest of the album, Shuffle Boyer does a rock steady job on the drums for this track. We also get a great version of Big Joe Turner’s “Boogie Woogie Country Girl,” and I am glad that Nye did not feel compelled to copy the original version of this song (or any of the covers), but rather played it in his own style.

To finish up the CD, the band serves up three classic blues songs: Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Eyesight to the Blind,” the classic (and very dirty) “Honey Dripper Blues,” and Mississippi Sheiks’ “Sittin’ On Top of the World.” And these wisely chosen covers cement the fate of Jump Steady – this is a fabulous album! Ricky Nye put together a collection of twelve unique songs, and each one is short enough to leave the listener wanting more. I highly recommend that you check it out when you get a chance!

Mahalo!

2012 Martin D-18 Golden Era Acoustic Guitar Review

Aloha!

Today we are looking at a guitar that I really need to try to hold onto, a 2012 Martin D-18 Golden Era acoustic. This could possibly be the best acoustic guitar I have ever owned, right up there with my old Santa Cruz Guitar Company Model D. This a beautiful dreadnought that any guitarist would give their left nut to have.

The D-18 guitars have been popular models in the Martin line-up since they were introduced in 1934. These guitars hit the market at exactly the right time, and its playability, full range and sweet tone were just what the performers of the day were looking for. As time went on, this became the signature model in the company’s line-up and they became the guitars of choice of for musicians from all genres, including legends such as David Crosby, Andy Griffith and Elvis Presley.

The D-18 received a few changes over the years, in some cases to improve deficiencies, and in other cases to make production more efficient (cheaper). As a result, the current D-18 is a very good instrument, but there is a cadre of players that believe that the pre-war ways were better, so Martin created the D-18 Golden Era guitars for them.

The D-18 Golden Era brings back many of the original features, with the benchmark being the 1934 D-18. Most notable this includes a stiffer Adirondack (Red) spruce top that allows the use of 5/16” forward-shifted scalloped X braces. This results in improved top vibration as well as overall volume and clarity.

Besides the Adirondack top, Martin also uses first rate materials for the rest of the guitar. The D-18 GE has solid mahogany neck, back and sides, as well as an ebony fretboard and bridge (not to be found on a regular D-18), and a Brazilian rosewood peghead overlay.

There are some neat appearance clues from the original models, too. These include a large Golden Era-style peghead logo, old style 18 abalone fretboard markers, fossil ivory nut and saddle, and open-back nickel Waverly tuners with butterbean knobs. Rumor has it that open-back tuners were used during the war to conserve metal. Hmm.

The hand-signed label from CF Martin IV is pretty obvious, but you might not notice some of the neat stuff that they put inside the guitar. The mahogany blocks, the dovetail neck joint, and the cloth side strips are really nice finishing touches, for sure.

The hand-shaped neck has a pleasant V profile, and the generous 1 ¾-inch nut width and wide spacing at the bridge make this a great strummer, flatpicker of fingerpicker. I find the neck very comfortable to play for longer sessions.

And the craftsmanship is first-rate. The high-gloss finish is perfect (and not too thick), and the frets are level with an easy-playing action and not a hint of fret buzz. It came out of the box not needing a single thing. When I change the strings I only use the original equipment Martin medium gauge strings (as recommended), and I have been very happy with them.

My god this is a truly wonderful instrument. My workhorse Takamine EF341SC is a great guitar with a nice clean tone and great playability, but it pales in comparison with this Martin. The neck is great and the action is slick so it plays like a dream, but the sound is something else. The clarity of the tone is out of this world. Fingerstyle playing will quickly highlight any flaws in technique as slightly misfretted notes come off as tremendously dull when compared to what this instrument is capable of.

With no break-in, the top already has a very loose sound, as if it has already been played for a few years. The usual tightness of a new acoustic is not there, which is a real blessing. It has great volume potential, and the more you lean into it, the more you realize how well balanced it is from string to string with incredible mids and highs. This guitar makes me a believer in mahogany, and may have solved the mahogany versus rosewood debate for me.

This D-18 Golden Era guitar did not come with electronics, so I had a K&K Sound Pure Mini pickup installed. This is a nice choice for these, if you want the versatility of being able to plug in. It is a no-frills unit that only requires that the tail pin hole be enlarged, and it is easily removed if necessary.

These guitars are fantastic, and if you want one there is a price to be paid. A brand new Martin D-18 Golden Era has a list price of $4499 and a street price of $3399, which includes a nice hard case and a limited lifetime warranty for the original purchaser. Think of it as an investment in your future, as these guitars will last a lifetime if kept in a loving environment.

By the way, I have had the opportunity to tour the Martin factory and have seen first-hand the care that goes into building these guitars. It made me proud to own one. If you are ever in Eastern Pennsylvania or New Jersey, I highly recommend that you stop by their factory for a tour.

I have to do my best to hold onto this one, and not get distracted by the next shiny thing that catches my eye.

Mahalo!

Gibson Guitar Factory Tour --- Memphis, Tennessee

Aloha!

I am endlessly fascinated by the manufacturing process, and coupling this with my interest in guitars it was a no-brainer to check out the Gibson guitar factory tour when I was in Memphis recently to tour the Graceland mansion.

The Gibson guitar company has three factories in the United States (their Epiphone line is built overseas). They build acoustic guitars in Bozeman, Montana, solid-body guitars in Nashville, Tennessee, and hollow/semi-hollow body guitars in Memphis, Tennessee. The only facility that offers tours is Memphis.

The Memphis Gibson factory is their newest facility, and it employs about 60 people that finish about 50 to 60 guitars each day. It takes up a full city block, just a stone’s throw from the famed Beale Street and across the street from the FedEx basketball arena. By the way, do not wear good shoes if you are going to Beale Street.

The building has a retail store with an impressive array of their Gibson and Epiphone guitars, basses and mandolins. They also have a nice selection of apparel and accessories. None of it is cheap. You will pay $10 for the tour at the retail store for the tour, and you should really call ahead for reservations so you don’t get shut out.

We went on a Saturday, and all of the tours that day had sold out ahead of time, so it was good that I called ahead earlier in the week. They had us wait in the lobby until the tour started, and the lobby is huge, with not much of anything to look at. There are a few jukeboxes that don’t work and some pianos you are not allowed to touch.

At the appointed time, the tour guide gathered us around and gave us our instructions: no photography, you have to wear safety glasses (provided), stay with the group and do not step over the black and yellow lines on the floor. Easy enough. He also warned that it would be dusty and there would be fumes present. The tour was supposed to take no more than 45 minutes.

We started by walking through a corridor lined with all manner of Gibson guitars, where he explained a bit of the history of the Gibson company. Then we went to the far end of the shop, where he showed us where they humidify the wood and how presses are used to form the tops, backs and rims. There was some machinery running, so he plugged a microphone into a PA speaker so he could be heard. He was most unenthusiastic, and I had trouble making out what he said. But, I have been to other guitar factories before, so I could see what was going on and could explain it to my son.

Then we went to another station where he explained how the body is assembled, what adhesives are used and how the binding is installed. Across from there was a CNC machine that was routing neck joints, and this was actually the only manufacturing that was going on that day (Saturday afternoon, you know). He talked a bit about how the necks were assembled, and said that the fretboards are actually made in Nashville, and that the frets are installed and Plek’d at the Memphis factory. Maybe that explains why so many Gibson necks are crappy these days.

Then we went on to where the guitars are sprayed, and it smelled heavenly in there! He explained about the different steps of the process and why they use the finishes that they do. This stuff is fascinating, and it the vapors gave me a nice light-headed feeling.

Finally, we ended up in the final assembly area, where he talked a bit about how the electronics and hardware are installed, and how the guitars are tested. It turns out that 4% of the guitars they build are scrapped because they are so flawed that they cannot be fixed. I would not be proud of this statistic.

And that was it. The tour only lasted about half an hour. I liked seeing the facility, but did not come away impressed with the Gibson company. The manufacturing facility was dirty and seemed disorganized, and the tour guide was unkempt, apathetic, and was wearing a torn and dirty t-shirt. If this is the best that Gibson can do, they should really think twice about allowing their customers in to see the operation.

I have to contrast this with the Martin guitar factory tour, which was fabulous. Their facility is much nicer (though it is older), the tour guide appeared happy to be there, and they provided headsets so that you could hear what the tour guide was saying. Oh, and the Martin guitar factory tour and parking are free.

So, I would not make a special trip to downtown Memphis to see the Gibson factory tour, but if you are in town doing something else, and do not mind spending $10 (and $10 more for parking), it would be an ok thing to check out.

As I said earlier, if you want to go on a tour of the Memphis Gibson guitar factory, call ahead to get a reservation as the tours sell out quickly. The tours are offered on the hour, and keep in mind that you might not see as much activity on the weekends.

Mahalo!