Andy Timmons Clinic Tour 2009 Hong Kong Stop
Event Review
An evening packed with good vibes and multi-dimensional tones - long-time Ibanez endorser Andy Timmons reunited with his Hong Kong fans on 3rd June 2009, attracting more than 200 pilgrims of great instrumental guitar music to gather at Tom Lee Academy Hall.
Prior to his revisit, Andy spent a few days in Beijing to demonstrate in a trade show, doled out guitar playing tips in Shanghai, Cheng-Du, cities of Japan and Korea. In this much-awaited workshop, he accommodated the crowd’s requests without reservation. The sold-out event was an entertaining and exciting showcase of his Blues /Jazz-influenced music, in which he balanced his electrifying works with the serenity from emotional numbers like “Gone”, a tune inspired by 911 incident. Title tracks from the Resolution CD, such as “Deliver Us” and “Hellipad” were played to perfection with a killer tone. Must-haves like “Super 70’s”, “Groove or Die” that made Andy a household name were captivating, for he has the right accents like octave-tapping to lead the emotions to the peak at the right time, plus an abundant amount of improvisations to keep things fresh every time.
While his fret works and grooves are nothing short of brilliance, the American guitarist deserves extra credits for the humorous side of his personality that is strongly shone through his often hilarious flashbacks and behind-the-scene adventures. Among all, his encounter with hero Stern in a master class, and his rock version cover of Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” were the indispensable parts of the talk shop.
As an eminent session player, Andy owns a collection of guitars, including a certain pieces that are essential for getting different tones. He believes that there’s a song in every guitar and each of them makes him play in a different way. In the last couple of years, it came into his realization that AT-100, his first signature guitar, a limited edition Ibanez is the six-string that he kept going back to from time to time. With a production limited to approximately 300 pieces in 1994, the guitar remains as one of the most sought-after and hard-to-track instrument, with credits for its built and tone. “I’m so honored that people are enjoying the guitar, not necessarily because it’s a guitar associated with me, which may be the reason why some people wanna get it, but primarily because it’s a great guitar, a fine playing and sounding instrument, very versatile. Literally if there’s only one instrument that I can play in the rest of my life, this would be it.” describes Andy.
In response to the constant demand of the original model, in February this year Ibanez introduced AT-100CL, a world-wide reissue of the famous AT-100. Ever since then Andy has one more axe in his favorite collection. To much of the surprise of the audience, AT-100CL was the only guitar that Andy brought to the clinic. Regarding the change, Andy elaborates, “I like this better than the original guitar. I have never left home without that guitar before when I come to do this kind of tours, except the time when I was promoting AT-300. To leave that guitar at home, things have to be just right. I am so thrilled! The guitar I’m using is not a prototype or customized model. It’s exactly the same guitar that you pick up in music stores. If it’s a signature model, then it should be exact guitar that I play. I don’t feel honest if that isn’t the exact thing I play.”
As compared to his Danger Danger experience, Andy’s technical priorities have shifted as he continues with his music voyage. “Technically my priorities have shifted. In the earlier days, in Danger Danger and before it was all about speed, technique and all that. That has become a lot less important to me as time goes by. Having that ability is good, but now in smaller doses, I’m using it as one of the shades of colors when you’re making music. I guess my goal is to make some music that has some emotional and melodic content, and some good tone.”
In the one-man workshop, Andy did all he could to quench the thirst of his passionate followers. Yet the energy of live music gigs and ace line-up of Andy Timmon’s Band (ATB) can never be replaced by MMOs. So when will Andy fly ATB to Hong Kong? “For the first time ATB will be performing a set of dates in Japan in September 2009, and we are working towards that direction.”
Highlights from the interview
Q: Can you name some of the musicians that have major impact on you?
There’re so many! The Beatles are the first and foremost in my musical life, and it still continues to be. Steve Lukather, he’s the most influential player to me at the right time, in the late 70’s. I was becoming a professional, straight Rock and Roll player. But when I heard Steve, something different was going on. The feel, the phrasing wasn’t straight Rock and Roll. I learnt later on, he was also studying some Jazz. Steve’s phrasing, where he puts time and where he puts things really connect with me. He’s got a great time feel and of course note-choices too. I think I stole more from him than anybody else. Also Mike Stern and Pat Metheny. I’m listening to Pat Metheny lately again. The Travels record is one of the greatest recordings of all time. That version of “Are you going with me” is incredible. That’s the level of playing that I aspire to be someday, if I find some more time to practice.
Q: Do you have any fond memories associated with the making of “Resolution”?
The whole process was a fond memory, as much hard work as it was. It was a learning experience. When I first started with the record, I thought I was going to do a regular guitar record, with rhythm guitar tracks and some solos over it. That’s the way we began the basic tracks. But when I listened back to the basic tracks after we’ve done them, I wasn’t really liking the way I was playing and thought I was not really inspired by the instrumental guitar genre. It’s not really a genre that I listen to a lot. I’m more of a fan of great songs. For whatever reasons they just don’t tend to be instrumental rock guitar songs. I was sort of at the crossroads. I wasn’t really inspired.
More than a year went by, we were just not inspired to finish it. But when we release “That was it, This is Now”, there are a couple of newer tracks on the CD that Steve Vai mentioned to me that, he likes the sessions where there’s just one guitar, bass and drums. Just like the breakdown of “Super 70’s” and “Falling Down”, there wasn’t any need for a rhythm guitar. And I thought - what if I can do a whole record like that? A record without any overdubs, just one guitar track. That’s when I got inspired. This is going to be something that might be fresh for me in that genre because I haven’t done that much outside of live trio recording. From that it evolved. If there’s only one guitar track, it’s gotta be a great guitar sound. It’d better be a killer tone, because when you’re overdubbing, or tracking two or three guitar parts, you can make nice, huge sound by layering.
So it was a process of taking the time to get as greatest tone as possible. The benchmark for me, and my bass player-engineer Mike Daane is Eric Johnson. He is our favorite when it comes to all things sonic. Sonically he has studied and worked so hard to figure out every component and how to improve it. We went down that path a little bit, experimenting with components in the recording process, from the amplifiers to the guitars, to the cabling and how things are arranged.
We wanted to record as natural as possible. No EQ is ever used, ever. Everything is mic-placement. Nothing digital, the recording medium wasn’t digital at that point, the bass and drum tracks were done in an analogue way with 2-inch tapes. We then started to record the guitar tracks in digital format but again, just SM-57, Neve 1272 Preamp, no compression, no EQ.
Sometimes it could take a little while or weeks to get the right sound. I had the luxury to work in my bass player’s studio. So over the course of a year, we did the guitar tracks. (Does that imply that the band’s live performance will be quite close to the recorded material?) Yes, except some improvisation. That’s the essence.
Q: In Guitar World magazine’s “Betcha Can’t Play This” column, you demonstrated an extract of the solo from “Deliver Us”. How did you come up with licks and ideas of that kind?
It’s just one of those things - if there’s anything fast you hear me do, it’s because it’s easy (laughs). It was interesting because that column is called “Betcha Can’t Play This”. Honestly when I was asked to do it, I didn’t kinda like that attitude because that’s not the kind of player that I consider myself to be. But it was an opportunity to appear on magazine so I’d better figure out something that may be kind of slightly hard. So I pick that lick. (Andy demonstrates) The bass player whom I work with, Mike Daane who is co-producing the record with me, he used make fun of me and said “Play that tapping lick!” and I was like “It’s not tapping!” (laughs). It’s a simple pull-off, but it sounds cool. It’s a nice peak to the solo, so.
Q: Music-wise what have you discovered lately?
I have discovered that... I still love a lot of the older music! The whole time in China was cheap-trick, everyday. I’m a cheap-trick fan since the very first record, you know. Just great, primal Rock and Roll and great song-writing. Last week it was all about cheap-trick, and now it’s back to Pat-Metheny, because like the Travel record is one of my all time favorites. I just listen to that, front to back over the last couple of days, and then found that I don’t have “Bright Size Life” in my iPod. So I downloaded the album from iTunes today.
Q: What is the title of your new album, and when are you releasing that?
No title yet but I have lots of ideas. We’ve been writing a lot new materials in the past few years, some vocal materials too. Writing-wise it’s been quite productive. There’s a lot of stuff in the pipeline so to speak. We have the material for two or three records, so we’re just gonna pick the songs that we feel best about. We’re going to start recording next month, now I just have to figure out the best way to record it to get it out there. But there’re two records that are happening simultaneously, an original one and a record of cover material. Whatever it is, there’s going be minimal computer interference for sure, whether it’s strictly power trio or overdubs. I’m going to let the music dictate how things happen. Just let the music be what it needs to be. We’d like to go down the same path as Resolution.
- Francis Fu - |
