Session guitarist Adam Goldsmith found his feet as a fledgling guitarist in a big band format, and those skills continue to serve him well today.
Two more opposing weeks I couldn’t wish for! Next week, I’ll begin recording my first solo album. This week, however, the advertising industry is my main employer. There’ll be a few different jingles, two of which involve playing with a big band. This is probably the most useful skill I never intended to acquire, and one which has unwittingly enabled me to play with many different artists, from Robbie Williams and the Pop Idol series, to Michael Bublé and the Ronnie Scott’s Big Band.
Like a lot of guitar players, I started off listening mostly to rock and blues, and The Beatles and Stones from my parents’ record collection, until someone at my school suggested I try the local youth big band, as they didn’t currently have a guitar player. I distinctly remember turning up, full of the 15-year-old rock guitar player confidence, and then watching helplessly as the bandleader counted the chart in and the pages flew by, with me, no idea where we were, merely a dazed bystander.
My other memory from that fairly embarrassing experience is seeing the instruction ‘à la Freddie Green’ at the top of most of the charts. ‘Who the hell is this guy?
Denne historien er fra April 2017-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2017-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve