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Steve Lukather

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For a while I had a discussion about the guitarist Steve Lukather with a friend of mine and I have discovered that Steve is not the most well-known guitarist, although he has played on over 1’000 albums in the last years!

Some information about

 

WIKIPEDIA /

 

Steve “Luke” Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American Grammy Award winning guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto.

Lukather has also released several solo albums and, as a studio session guitarist, has arranged, composed, and recorded on over 1000 albums.

Lukather was recently voted #1 guitarist worldwide in over 40 countries at VoteNumber1.com.

While his work with Toto is predominantly based on pop rock music, Lukather’s solo work spans many genres including rock, prog, jazz and funk.

Lukather has been nominated for a Grammy twelve times, and has won five awards.

[…]

Influenced by blues-rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, jazz guitarists such as Larry Carlton, and jazz fusion players such as Al Di Meola and Frank Gambale, Lukather is known for fast, melodic lines that often combine blues phrases with jazzy ‘out’ notes.

His vibrato is very pronounced and his exaggerated wide bends are instantly recognizable.

Well versed in theory, Lukather can follow chord charts and changes as a jazz musician would, and this enhances his value as a session musician. In interviews, he has explained how he thinks of the guitar in a “chordal cluster” format, and not the typical “linear scale” format.

 

INTERVIEW /

 

You said many times that your heros are Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Harrison and so on… You also got to work with Jeff Beck at one point… I just wondered if you ever got to meet these “heros” you’ve mentioned as being so important in your (musical) life and how it was to finally be “face to face” with them?

Luke: All these players are so awesome and have inspired me more than words. Jeff Beck… I have known him and played with him many times. We did a record together that never came out ’cause he wanted to get into electronic music but he’s a main influence and a great friend. Jimi… Well I never met him but if he was alive I would most certainly know him. Major influence. Clapton… I did his Behind the sun record and played live with him with Elton John at the Hollywood Bowl. WAY cool. Jimmy Page… What a gentleman. He made a point to take me aside and tell me that he really dug my playing, I have never worked with him but I would love to sometime. I felt up my first girlfriend summer of 1969 listening to Led Zepplin 1, hahaha. SRV… never met him but I LOVE his touch. What a player! George Harrison… Well HE is the reason I play the guitar. I met him right after we lost Jeff Porcaro and I talked him into playing with us at the tribute at the Ampitheatre in L.A. What an honor. He took me out to dinner that next year and Bob Dylan was there, Jim Keltner, Jeff Lynne and we had a jam at Jeff Lynne’s house after. What a trip that was.

 

SHORT-LIST OF ARTISTS HE PLAYED WITH/FOR /

 

Among others, he has played with/for:

  • Jimmy Cliff
  • Alice Cooper
  • Gilberto Gil
  • Elton John
  • Eric Clapton
  • Lee Ritenour
  • Barbara Streisand
  • Aretha Franklin
  • Donna Summer
  • George Benson
  • Al Jarreau
  • Quincy Jones
  • Herbie Hancock
  • Michael Jackson
  • Joni Mitchell
  • Lionel Richie
  • Diana Ross
  • Joe Cocker
  • Paul McCartney
  • Chet Atkins
  • Rod Stewart
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Van Halen
  • …

 

PART OF HIS DISCOGRAPHY /

 

http://www.stevelukather.net/Discography.aspx

 

SOME INTERESTING VIDEOS /

R.I.P. Richard Wright

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Besides all this noise on the business and financial side (emotions are influencing so much Wall Street and the other financial places, just ridiculous, just “too much”), I would like to emphasize the fact that one of the pillar of the Pink Floyd band, Richard Wright (Wikipedia), their keyboardist and pianist, died yesterday. Rick wrote, among others:

  • Us and Them
  • The great gig in the sky
  • Shine on your crazy diamond
  • Wearing the inside out
  • Marooned

Wright sang also occasionally lead vocals, for example on Time and Echoes.

About Richard Wright, from David Gilmour (on his official website):

No one can replace Richard Wright. He was my musical partner and my friend.
In the welter of arguments about who or what was Pink Floyd, Rick’s enormous input was frequently forgotten.
He was gentle, unassuming and private but his soulful voice and playing were vital, magical components of our most recognised Pink Floyd sound.

I have never played with anyone quite like him. The blend of his and my voices and our musical telepathy reached their first major flowering in 1971 on ‘Echoes’. In my view all the greatest PF moments are the ones where he is in full flow. After all, without ‘Us and Them’ and ‘The Great Gig In The Sky’, both of which he wrote, what would ‘The Dark Side Of The Moon’ have been? Without his quiet touch the Album ‘Wish You Were Here’ would not quite have worked.

In our middle years, for many reasons he lost his way for a while, but in the early Nineties, with ‘The Division Bell’, his vitality, spark and humour returned to him and then the audience reaction to his appearances on my tour in 2006 was hugely uplifting and it’s a mark of his modesty that those standing ovations came as a huge surprise to him, (though not to the rest of us).
Like Rick, I don’t find it easy to express my feelings in words, but I loved him and will miss him enormously.

Rest In Piece and thanks for your big contribution.

Alicia Keys at the Montreux Jazz Festival

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I had the chance to be at the Montreux Jazz Festival on Thursday, July 17, with my friend Manu, the CEO of Boomerang. This year, Manu has chosen the concert and wanted to see Alicia Keys. I haven’t really known Alicia, excepted the 3 hits everybody knows ;-)

And what for a great surprise! The concert was just fantastic! First, Alicia was introduced very nicely by … Mister Quincy Jones himself. Wow, what for an honor! Absolutely great band and musicians, extremely soul and “motown” oriented, less “over-produced” than in her albums. Alicia Keys is really a marvelous singer, with a lot of good energy. And a special mention for her groove. Come on!!!

 

alicia keys
© Lionel Flusin © Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation

alicia keys
© Lionel Flusin © Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation

alicia keys
© Lionel Flusin © Montreux Jazz Festival Foundation

So, if you have the opportunity to see and listen to Alicia Keys at a concert, do not hesitate!

Montreux Jazz Festival – Alicia Keys

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montreux2008

As usual (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), we are going to the Jazz Montreux Festival this year. We will have the chance to listen to Alicia Keys (seems to be already sold-out):

Nine-time Grammy Awards winner Alicia Keys is back in Montreux after the release of her 3rd album: As I Am. Her 2004 show already seduced the audience of the Auditorium Stravinski. Since 2001, she has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. One of the few artists who can capture an old-school vibe and make if feel refreshingly new, Alicia tackles this feat once again with this new album.

The program this year is absolutely fantastic! Some examples:

  • Al Jarreau
  • Buddy Guy
  • Gilberto Gil
  • Herbie Hancock
  • Katie Melua
  • Leonard Cohen (!)
  • Paul Simon
  • Quincy Jones
  • Robert Cray
  • ….

If you cannot find something interesting in this program, you should perhaps buy new ears ;-)

Music I am listening to…

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I have just bought 3 CDs in the last days. Three CD in 3 completely different styles, but the three are really great. Highly recommended!

REM

 

duffy

 

moby

If you should chose one, buy Duffy! Absolutely great. She is coming from Wales. A mix between Motown and Carmel (your remember her?), with a profound “Black” voice and groove. I love her music!