The Gerry Leonard Interview

In my video intro I say I first saw Gerry Leonard with Jonatha Brooke in in San Francisco. I might be wrong about that, but once I moved back to New York I saw him often in his guise as Spooky Ghost, both solo and with an amazing band, performing feats of looping magic while singing haunting, Gaelic-tinged, original songs. One of those nights, in a tiny Tribeca club, I found myself sitting practically on top of David Bowie as he checked Leonard out for his band. The rest is history as Gerry went on to be musical director for David Bowie’s Reality Tour and have his guitar  featured on Bowie records, “Heathen,” “Reality,” and “The Next Day.” We discuss that fateful night and much more.

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David Torn and Reeves Gabrels Talk ReRecording Bowie

The record was titled Never let me Down, but apparently David Bowie felt he had let himself down when he recorded it, or perhaps his audience. Either way, within a five-year plan the artist left, outlining projects he wanted to be accomplished or completed after his death, were instructions for re-recording this 1987 album. He specifically requested a pair of modern guitar icons, Reeves Gabrels and David Torn be on the project. The finished version is included in 11-CD, 15-record box set called Loving The Alien (Warner Music/Parlophone), released October 12.

Guitar Moderne sat down with Gabrels in Nashville, and spoke to Torn by phone in his Bearsville home to get their recollections of working on this major reimagining. As always, the two were candid and wide ranging, so dig in.

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Reeves Gabrels in His Nashville Habitat

Current Cure guitarist, Reeves Gabrels was a resident of Nashville for many years. These days, on breaks from touring and recording with The Cure, the former Bowie sideman is prone to perform at the new location of his former hangout, The Family Wash. Last night he took bluesman Jimmy Reed’s tune on a journey into the future. For the Ultimate Reeves Gabrels Interview click here.

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Guitar Moderne Record Picks V

Great new releases keep on coming and there are also some older ones that fell through the cracks here,

Record Picks is a periodic offering from Guitar Moderne: a listing of recordings brought to my attention that I feel are momentous enough to bring to yours. These are not reviews. Feel free to submit recordings, but they must be purchasable worldwide, reflective of modern guitar (again subjective, but no blues, classic rock, be-bop, country, etc.), and on a par with the ones below to rate a mention. Many of these are available from DMG in NYC. If you have sent me a recording, feel free to remind me.

Stian Westerhus Amputation [House of Mythology] Amputation is as epic as one would expect from this master of modern guitar tones. Look for an interview soon.

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