Steve Vai - Building The Church

This is a live performance by guitarist Steve Vai performing one of his original instrumental guitar pieces. It was released in 2009 on both CD, DVD and Blu-ray. This number is really good, and it's not just a guitarist showing off. I've always loved Steve Vai because he is an original. He really tries to be innovative and push the envelope as far as what is possible on guitar. On top of that he's also a great composer who does some really good guitar instrumentals. He plays fast, but has a lot of feeling in his playing as well. He's really good, and you gotta respect that!

Enjoy ; )

Steve Vai - Bad Horsie

This is a hard rock instrumental by guitarist Steve Vai. Steve is known for his technical abilities on guitar, he started out playing as one of Joe Satriani's students, and today they are both among some of the best. Steve plays with a lot of intricate techniques and with a very high skill level and difficulty to his playing. He does however also draw from a number of artists who wouldn't fall into that category like Hendrix for instance, so Steve's playing is a nice mix of technical skill level and playing with emotion. He's innovative, and has made his own line of revolutionary guitars and is just a master of the trade that is guitar playing.

The song "Bad Horsie" is the opening track on Vai's EP named "Alien Love Secrets" that came out in 1995. The song "Bad Horsie" is derived from a riff Vai contributed to the film "Crossroads" where he played the devil. The song is played tuned down to what would be Drop C tuning, a very low tuning (CGCFAD). It's a great song, and it has one hell of a groove, love it!
(As a little fun thing, I've added the guitar duel from Crossroads, you can definitely recognize the intro, it's a little silly, but great 80's retro fun)


Enjoy ; )

Sugar Blue - Hoochie Coochie Man

I knew at some point I would be posting different versions of the same song. I previously posted this in a version from the rock 'n' roll film about Chuck Berry featuring Keith Richards, Robert Cray and Etta James singing the song. Click here to go to that post.

This is another version of the same song. It's by blues musician Sugar Blue. He plays the harmonica, and plays it better than anyone I've heard. He truly pushes the limitations of what that instrument is capable of. And he's so cool wearing his military belt with harmonicas in different keys. Truly a great player, just thought I'd share his talent with the world.


Enjoy ; )

Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train a Comin

This is an acoustic recording of Hendrix playing his classic song "Hear My Train a Comin" on a twelve string acoustic guitar.
The song appears on the 1994 posthumous album "Blues", the acoustic version opens the album, and the electric version is the last track on the album.
It's a great song, both the acoustic and electric. The electric has that energized innovative Hendrix sound, but I personally prefer the acoustic, it's more emotional.
A great song, and a great performance, a man and his guitar, just beautiful.

Enjoy ; )

Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze

This is a great performance of a great and innovative song. The song is innovative in that it uses the Hendrix chord (a E7#9) and uses distinctive tritones. The guitar solo is played through an Octavia pedal, a pedal that raises the pitch one whole step which was also unheard of at the time.
It's described as one of Hendrix's best songs, and by many as his signature song.
It's been covered on several occasions including a version from "Buena Vista Social Club" who covered it on the album "Rhythms del Mundo Classics"

A great performance, enjoy ; )