I interviewed Jonathan Crossley a year ago and described him as the poster boy for modern guitar, due to his experimentation with haptic control. He is now focusing on laptop software to create aleatoric loops with which he and his trio can improvise. I highly recommend his new record, Inhale and that you go back and watch the first interview here, along with the performance videos, either before or after. If you are interested in the possibilities of modern guitar you must check him out.
Eventide’s H9 became one of those instant modern pedal classics like the Line 6 DL4 and the EHX POG. As it basically allowed only one effect at a time, it was not uncommon to see the boards of professionals and more well off amateurs sporting two. This week Eventide revealed the H90, the equivalent of two fully loaded H9s in one box for a bit less money. But the H90 is not only twin H9s; it has some tricks of its own, with new algorithms (notably polyphonic pitch shifting) and routing options. It apparently was an epic undertaking to put together such a complex product during Covid, but that just adds to the Eventide legend.
The original Boss Slicer, the SL-20, was one of those pedals that was ahead of its time. Not enough guitarists were into the sequencer style sounds that it was capable of producing. Or, not into it enough to sacrifice the pedalboard space it required. With the release of the SL-2 compact version of the effect, Boss is betting that the increase of forward thinking guitarists, combined with the new compact size, will entice more people to slice.
Two modern guitar giants (Lage and Frisell) together on record; another release from Ramble Records, a label that is fast becoming the go-to for brilliant modern guitar; a song based record with some new and gorgeous guitar sounds; and more. Fall is shaping up to be a listening bonanza.
There is a new YouTube channel that combines van life and guitar called Guitar Magic, with John Hammond interviewing guitar related people. His interview with Mike Baggetta offers insightful questions and answers. And here is a link to my own interview with this master of modern guitar.
