Guitar Nine Columns: Guitarists and Bands

Modern Beats Grace New Jazz Release

Evocative, Guitar-Driven World Music

St. Louis Instrumental Rock

Polish Instrumentalist Creates Progressive Rock

Totally Acoustic Troubadour Music

Melodic Fusion/Shred Dominates Class Project

Speed Picked Instrumental Metal

Adept At Rock, Blues, Metal, Funk & More

Slovenia's Instrumental Rock Future

I was on mp3.com for a while, but my opinion of the web is that piracy seems to be the end result of all the freebies, so we are staying with pressings even though they get copied and sent out for free. I`m a professional recording artist, so I`m committed to charging for my work.

I usually will come up with ideas by throwing on my drum machine and just playing riffs, or by sitting in front of the TV and getting inspiration from whatever is on. I wrote the song "The Fugitive" while watching the movie of the same name. All the action was incredible, and the song turned out to be just as intense.

Doing clinics has allowed me go to places and promote myself where I wouldn`t have been able to have even dreamed of going to. I`ve done clinics/workshops/performances in Germany, Spain, Japan, Greece, Sweden, UK, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, Canada, Belgium and of course the U.S. Being one of the top clinicians in the U.S. has gotten me to places I only read about in school.

I guess like a fingerprint, no one musician can be exactly alike, so that helps a bit. If I were to make any distinction, it would be that I really respect the tune itself and have always sacrificed technical acrobatics and note bombardment for the sake of melody, depth and feel - which I`ll will admit is a constant battle.

Fusing Latin, Caribbean and North African Influences

Gutty Guitars, Expressive Vocals

Just Enough Brilliant Fingerstyle

Progressive/Metal, Jazz/Fusion Instrumentals

Jackhammer Picking, Dive Bombs Away!

Rock/World/New Age Instrumental Works

French Duo Releases Demo

New England Based Metal Band Strikes Back

Polish Instrumental Neo-Classical Masterworks

Bluesy Shred, Instrumental Hard Rock

Scorched, Raw Guitar

From Hard/Dark To Ethereal

I think gear is important because you want to sound your best. I took it to such an extreme, but that`s the cool thing about the studio - you can always learn and prepare for the time you get to record the next CD.

Makin' The Blues His Business

Progressive Blended With Americana & Jazz - Progabilly!

High Energy, Christian Heavy Rock

Jazz Guitarist Releases Remarkable CD

Percussive Acoustic Guitarist Plans Career

Modern Shred Guitar From Germany

Off-The-Scale Experimental Acoustic

Street-Wise, Acoustic/Electric Roots Rock

Group Blends Modern & Classic Rock

Southern-Fried Slide, Rockin' Blues

Dark, Moody Instrumental Rock

L.A.'s Guitar-Based Rock/Pop

Liquid Note Records (or LNR) was set up to principally cater for virtuoso instrumental guitar music - though that`s not to rule out the possibility that we`ll also release vocal albums in the future. LNR`s aim is to release albums every bit as good - or, dare I say it, better - than those released by the mighty Shrapnel.

The beauty of being an independent artist is that I don`t die if I don`t score a big record deal! I`ll still have a career. These days with stevefister.com, Guitar 9, and some independent distribution, I can grow and have more control over my musical fate. A new CD means a bright new day, with more to follow!

I`ve been playing guitar for 35 years, and still find it very challenging, and exciting. I work at it every single day, and realize that the real fun and spirit of this entire process of being a professional player is the `journey`, not the `end-game`. Sometimes I feel as if I am just getting started. The most important aspect of learning different styles of music, is one`s genuine love for that particular style.

Melding Jazz Guitar With Experimental Sensibilities