Leo Abrahams

One day I was reading Leo Abrahams’ blog  when I turned to my wife and said, “I want this guy’s life.” He had been describing the week’s activities, which might include a session with Brian Eno, live gigs with the likes of Bryan Ferry and Marianne Faithful, a solo guitar gig performing tunes from his instrumental records Scene Memory and Honeytrap, composing film music for The Lovely Bones, arranging strings for Ed Harcourt, or producing an up and coming band like  Frightened Rabbit. Recently, with little time for his own music, he has managed to cobble together an EP of six-songs, Zero Sum. Though not a “guitar” record per se, it is chock full of guitar generated tones that will prick up your ears. I have interviewed the British musican before, most recently for a piece on using a laptop in live performance. Here we get a glimpse of the man’s beginnings, influences, and gear.

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Tim Olive

It might be stretching it a bit to call Tim Olive a guitarist. His instrument generally has a single string that he attacks as much as plays. But if Keith Rowe is a guitarist, then we must suppose so is Olive—just a minimalist version. It is ultimately harder to make music out of noise than notes, but Olive succeeds more often than he fails, serving as a fine example to those who toil in the garden of chaotic improvisation, attempting to grow something beautiful in the soil of pure sound.

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Torn Talks at Ted


But more important, he plays. David speaks briefly at the end about the harrowing experience with a benign but big brain tumor that left him deaf in one ear. First, however, we get to hear him do that ambient looping voodoo that he does so well, and get to hear his new Ronin guitar in action.

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Introducing: Bilal Karaman

“Introducing” will feature modern guitarists you should meet, who may appear in the “Spotlight” later.

We start the series with Bilal, a Turkish player currently featured in the September issue Guitar Player magazine’s section “Four New Electric Players of Note.”

In 2009  Karaman was awarded the first prize at Nardis-Yamaha Jazz Guitar Competition. The 28 year old Karaman lives in Istanbul, playing in Turkey and Europe, Teaching workshops, masterclasses,and privately. His unique style includes classical, electronic and fretless guitar.  Karaman aims to carry the Turkish Music to a different level, using modal melodic motives, modern melodies and improvisations in his compositions.

This lovely piece shows off Karaman’s impressive chops as well as some creative looping.

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