Nick Edelstein

Posts Tagged ‘guitar’

New Release: Year Of The Ox

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Today marks the release of my third studio effort, Year Of The Ox. It’s my fifth record and arguably the first good one I’m extremely proud of the lyrics and urge you to read them either before or during your listening. A lot of folks have asked me where I got the name, and it’s a valid question which I’ll gladly answer in a minute. First, a little about “the making of …”

Contrast is very important in many facets of Life, but especially in Music. Contrast in stage dynamics during and in-between songs, lighting, song tempos, etc. So when I begin a creative task – like recording an album – I am constantly looking for ways to contrast … anything and everything. I begin by identifying all aspects of the process that are unique, and then decide how to magnify them. The result is a product that could not have been created by any other process; a product that *hopefully* contrasts those created by other processes. For example, some bands will record in the studio with a “live feel” setup to emulate a concert experience. I understand the many reasons for doing that, but in some respects it’s better to record an actual concert. There are SO many things you can achieve in the studio which can’t be done on stage, to me it would seem like a wasted opportunity not to employ them.

First of all, you can click “save,” go to bed and then return a week later with a fresh mind. I began chipping away at this project in 2009, with the first drum tracks happening in March 2010 (and you can see today’s date of release). Perhaps the best example of studio advantages is “Steal Me,” which has numerous effects including hundreds of camera shutter “clicks.” They were recorded live in the studio, sure – along with all the layered guitar effects – but it would take a much larger ensemble than our current sextet to achieve the same result on stage. If you read the credits you’ll notice that we also tracked in more than one location. Another uniqueness of studio recording is the ability to overdub, best exemplified by “500 Mountains” on which I sang all the vocals and played all the instruments. This allowed me a ton of freedom to employ certain performance techniques such as rubato, and to freely arrange on-the-spot. Very organic, plug-n-play. The result is a dark, powerful song (especially the ending) with some haunting vocal harmonies that quite frankly happened by accident.

Now for a glimpse behind the title: Named after the Chinese lunar calendar year, “Year Of The Earth Ox” which began on January 26, 2009. Earth Ox’s Western zodiac counterpart is Capricorn, which is “my sign.” Many parts of the Earth Ox zodiac proved true in 2009, including associations with materialism and long-term progress. For example, it predicts that we should focus on long-term financial strategem; serious romantic commitments (weddings and births increased steadily all year); and “keeping your nose to the grindstone” (we all struggled to find or keep a job).

Credits:

All songs written by Nick Edelstein (BMI). Produced by Nick Edelstein with Wizkid Sound (2-4). Recorded at NESS Records and Wizkid Sound in Atlanta, GA and Richenroll Studios in Alpharetta, GA. Mixed by Rich Grillo (1, 5-7) and Wizkid Sound (2-4). Mastered by Rodney Mills (www.rodneymills.com). Cover art by David Sherer (baconmcshig.deviantart.com).

Nick Edelstein (vocals, 6-str acoustic guitar, 6- and 12-str electric guitar, e-bow, Hammond organ, piano, percussion, MIDI strings, snare drum, trombone, trumpet and horn arrangements)

Will Scruggs (tenor and bari sax)

Tim Fash (alto and tenor sax)

Darren Stanley (drums)

Jon Morrison (bass)

Aaron Hevenstone (drums)

Andy Margolis (bass)

Rich Grillo (bass)

Sara Speert (camera flash and shutter FX – www.saraphotography.com)

Gray Sartin (slide guitar, vocal on 7)

Tags: arts, atlanta, blues rock, chinese, Chinese calendar, funky blues, guitar, hammond b3, Hammond organ, jazz funk, Jon Morrison, music, ox, Rodney Mills, year of the ox, YOTO, zodiac
Posted in Press, Studio NEws | No Comments »

How To Please Me

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

Wanna make my day? Send me emails like this one from Twitter, which I received - and confirmed true - last night: satch tweet email

Tags: follow, guitar, joe, Online Communities, satch, satriani, Social media, Social Networking, Technology, Trending and Popularity, twitter
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Axum Writing Session

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Very excited to announce that yesterday, world-class Israeli Hip Hop duo Axum visited my humble digs for a writing session. I love collaborating with artists who play different styles [of music] than my own, because the result is always fresh!

I was brimming with anticipation all morning because I knew it would be a fun session, having met them once before. We began with some Willy’s burritos for lunch (thanks Russell!) then got down to business. It never ceases to amaze me what you can accomplish with acoustic guitars, a mic, and some software. I used my PreSonus Bluetube as a preamp and got some warm tones. It has two channels so I was able to record the guitar and mic at the same time (aka “multitrack“). For vocals, my Shure Beta 58A did just fine. We experimented with different tempos and rhythms … I threw out some musical ideas, mostly Blues and Roots guitar … Axum responded with melodies and lyrics … magically we found a common ground and ended the evening with five songs! Not sure which ones will make it to the finish line but what a great start!

Today I’m laying electric guitar and Hammond tracks. Hoping to post some rough mixes soon, so stay tuned! If I’m feeling bold, I’ll create some basic beats with Fruity Loops It’s a little intimidating trying to create beats when your audience is Hip Hop duo Axum!

If you missed the Axum + Dubconscious concert last Saturday, you truly missed out. Catch them whenever you can, it’s the real deal.

Tags: Apache Cafe, arts, atlanta, Axum, Electric guitar, guitar, Hip hop, Israel, Israeli, music, singing, Stringed
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Les Paul, R.I.P.

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Whether or not you play the famous Gibson model, guitarists worldwide owe a debt to the late Les Paul. Even if you’re an acoustic artist, the fact is that most of the melodies, chord voicings, and techniques we use evolved from the advent of electric guitar.
The ability to play thinner-guage strings gave way to techniques like “bending,” “hammer-ons” and “pull-offs” and all sorts of artificial harmonics (not to mention … the “whammy bar”)! Can you imagine what Eddie Van Halen’s music would’ve sounded like if he couldn’t do “dive-bombs?” And don’t even get me started on FX pedals (which never would have been invented if there were no electric guitars to use them). Not unlike Michael Jackson, the legacy of Les Paul will forever live in the History books.

What follows is Roger “Hurricane” Wilson’s article, courtesy of Atlanta Blues Society:
“Les Paul
Born Lester William Polsfuss on Jun 9, 1915 in Waukesha, WI
Died Aug 13, 2009 in White Plains, NY

We are all saddened by the loss of the legendary Les Paul. We know that he changed the world of music with his inventions of sound on sound recording, as well as the invention of the solid body electric guitar. Many know that he crossed many boundaries by winning multiple awards for his achievements, as well as inductions to various halls of fame. Many obituaries, tributes, and eulogies are being written about Les Paul. When I was in the broadcast news business, one of my bosses told me, “If you are going to write something, tell me something I don’t know!” Well here goes! It is true that for me, being friends with a guy like Les Paul would never be an unwanted attribute, but in my case, it was truly unexpected.

In September of 2003, I was on tour in the Northeast, and I decided I wanted to catch one of Les Paul’s weekly shows in New York City. A couple of friends and I decided to make the trip to the Iridium Jazz Club near Times Square to catch Les’ show. After paying the thirty or so dollars each to get in, we were there! I was really excited to be able to catch the guy in action that I had read about for many years, plus for the years of my playing the model of guitar named after him… The Gibson Les Paul! I had determined that I was going to make this night pleasurable and go easy on myself. I wasn’t going to try to get an autograph, or get on stage, or schmooze, hustle, or do any kind of PR or music business. It was just going to be a guitar lesson for me.

The lights went down, and Tom, the sound man announced, “And now the man that has changed the course of popular music for all of us, Mr. Les Paul and his trio.” It was amazing, and I was enthralled! There he was, in the flesh… the guy that invented multi-track recording, and the solid body electric guitar. I was savoring the moment and was oblivious to everything else around me. This was what I was waiting for. After about 3 or 4 songs, Les starting cutting up with the crowd and the band. It seemed that someone on the front row was talking to him, and had said something on the order of “I play guitar too”. Les replied, “so you play too, well come on up here and show us what you can do.” At that moment, a well dressed Middle Eastern Indian gentleman approached the stage. He strapped on the guitar that Les keeps on the piano for just such occasions. I wasn’t sure what was happening here, and I was trying to figure it out. The guy started playing the introduction to T-Bone Walker’s Stormy Monday… BADLY! Now I was getting worried! The hair on the back of my neck was starting to stand up. My friends, Bobby and John, knew I was starting to get restless.

I was trying to keep from turning green and to not have my clothes split off me like The Incredible Hulk. The guy played the one song, and he was off the stage. It really wasn’t a pretty site. By this time, I was fit to be tied, mainly because I couldn’t leave this night with that vision in my head. Les resumed his show and I did eventually calm down to enjoy the rest of the set.

At the close of this, the first show, the announcement was made that CD’s could be purchased from Les’ son, Russ. I immediately went to him, bought a CD, and asked him if that last appearance had been planned. He said that they had never seen the guy before. I explained to him who I was, and that I was on tour, and that I had my first Les Paul guitar when I was 18. Russ said if he had known I was there, he would have gotten me up to jam. I immediately said, “I’m still here!” He said OK, come on back and I’ll introduce you to Dad. I was caught off guard by his response and ecstatic at the same time! When I met Les, it was like talking to an old friend. I explained to him my situation, and he seemed pleased. He said to stand by the stage and he would get me up with him. I did that and was beside myself. In the next set, he called me up with no idea of who I was or what I could do. I introduced myself to the audience over the mike telling them my name and how honored I was to be there. I immediately launched into a simple version of “Everyday I Have the Blues”, with the band following. As I played and sang, Les was smiling. After that song, he said, “Well what else ya got?” I went into a slow B.B. King Blues classic, “Sweet Little Angel”. That was exciting since, I made it to the second song!” Les and I swapped some licks back and forth. He and I were having a ball! The first guy got the hook after the first tune. When I came off stage, I was walking on air. This was a day I would never forget!

Over the next few years, I would return to jam with Les and the band another 6 times. I became friends with the band and crew, Lou, Nicki, John, Tom, and Chris. Les’ son, Russ, and I would stay in touch, and during my trips to the northeast, I would attend his Sunday night jams at various locations around northern New Jersey, and then go into the city to see Les. The stories I was hearing from him were priceless. He told me how he got Mary Ford to speak into a mike down the hall, and when he heard her voice repeated on the extra tape head he installed, he knew he had found the thing that would change music recording forever. He told Mary to grab the laundry, throw it in the car, and that they were heading to Chicago. She kept saying, “What if it doesn’t work?” During that trip from California, by the time they were in New Mexico, he was wondering if it would work. He then said, “By the time we got to Chicago, I had convinced myself that it wasn’t going to work”. He was thankful that when they drilled the first hole in a new Ampex tape recorder in Chicago to add the extra record head, that “we didn’t screw anything up!”

During another of my visits, Les simply said, “Man, if I was to ever retire, I would just die!” He was 89 then! Another time, I was helping the guys carry some gear up to the street to put in the car. After 2 shows, he had signed autographs for a line of people that circled the inside of the club. He had signed everything from guitars to pictures, to records, to pick guards, to you name it! After signing every last item, Les was still downstairs in the rest room. As I headed back in, the manager at the door with keys to lock up said, “What did you forget?” I said Les is still in the club! I ran back down and got him. I’ll never forget Les Paul holding on to my arm as we climbed the stairs at 1 AM.

When he turned 90, it seemed that the world showed up to witness him. The crowds were lined up out the door at the Iridium on Monday nights. Interviewers from all walks of media were at the dressing room door for weeks before and after his birthday. I had the pleasure of sitting in with him 3 days before his actual 90th. The big event was a couple of weeks later at a star-studded event in Carnegie Hall.

My last visit with him was in November of 2007, at age 92. When my friend, Bobby Lyons, and I arrived at the Iridium early, Les was having his usual dinner in the dressing room. He was always eating his dinner on a turned on the side audio monitor cabinet. I always wondered why they didn’t get him a small table in there. This time, when I arrived, Les responded and waved slowly. It was a little disconcerting to me, be we left to grab a bite before the show. When I returned, I happened to be in position to help him on to the stage. He ambled to his chair, picked up his guitar, and as soon as the introduction announcement was made and the lights came up, “It Was Showtime!” He was back! I got to sit in both sets that night! After the second show, he came back into the dressing room, collapsed on the couch and said, “Man I’m Tired!” I said, “Les! Are you OK? I was really quite concerned about you earlier”. He said, “Oh yea, I’m fine. I’ve just been putting in these 14 hour days”. I replied, “14 hour days! What are you doing?” He said, “I’m still working on these guitars”. “What are you doing to them?” I asked. “I’m still trying to get that sound right!” I was amazed! This is why he would jump out of bed every morning to keep “chasing sound”.

The amazing thing about Les, is that, with as many important and well-known people that he associated and rubbed shoulders with, he would always remember the guys, like me, who loved to play guitar. He would sign guitars when I would take them in, and he would always write something nice. “Keep picking” was a favorite, but the night he wrote, “Those Were Some Great Blues!” I was pretty well knocked out. He actually confessed to me that since he was more commercially oriented, he didn’t know much about the history of the Blues. He asked me to explain it to him. I sat in the dressing room of the Iridium one night and gave him my basic simple interpretation of the origin of the Blues. He sat there listening carefully, really soaking it in. I couldn’t believe that Les Paul was actually learning something from me!

Just during the month of June this year, I attended one of Russ Paul’s jams in New Jersey. My plan was to go into New York City on the Monday afterward to see Les. Russ told me that Les hadn’t been able to make some shows in the last few weeks, and he had been in and out of the hospital. He had even missed his 94th birthday gig on June 9. I was concerned about it, but Russ said his Dad was doing better, and that he was itching to get back to work. If I knew anything at all about Les, I knew that was true. He said that his Monday gigs at the Iridium were just like celebrating New Year’s Eve every week. He proved to me many times that having a passion for something in life will keep one alive. For a guy like Les Paul, and with a life like he had, we can’t afford to mourn his loss as much as we need to celebrate his life. We need to “KEEP ON PICKING”!

Roger “Hurricane” Wilson
August, 2009″

Tags: acoustic, artist, atlanta, atlanta blues society, bending, chords, dive, eddie van halen, electric, GA, georgia, gibson, guitar, hammer-on, les paul, melody, michael jackson, musician, NY, obituary, pull-off, roger wilson, strings, technique, waukesha, whammy bar, white plains, WI
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Alanna Fox joins us on WUGA!

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Excited to announce the first radio appearance of Alanna Fox, who will be our “opening act” on WUGA FM & TV simulcast! Originally scheduled for Nov.6, we are now set on Nov. 20 from 4-5 PM on the “classic” Athens station.

Alanna will entertain during the first half, followed by 30 minutes of our new original tunes and interview! The show airs live on 97.9 FM and local cable TV, and will be re-broadcast on Toccoa cable the following week!

Tags: alanna fox, band, Blues, cable, FM, GA, guitar, live, nick edelstein, piano, radio, rock, toccoa, tv, WUGA
Posted in Press, Tour Diary | 1 Comment »

Francine & Java & Zuffys

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Check out Francine Reed & Java Monkey tonight at Zuffys in Atlanta, GA! Cover is only $10 which is a steal for the amazing fun you’ll have!

Tags: atlanta, Blues, francine reed, GA, guitar, java, monkey, zuffys
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Daphne Blue is done!

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Holland-modified Fender Daphne Blue Strat

Guess what?!? Luthier Jonathan Holland is done hot rodding the strat! He did an amazing job too, its tone is killer. From now on it’ll be known as a Holland “Hot Rod Mod,” retaining the factory Fender “Daphne Blue” paint job and body shape. New neck, custom Holland pickups and controls!

Tags: blue, daphne, edelstein, electric, fender, guitar, holland, hot rod, nick, photo, strat
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Axe update!

Friday, January 16th, 2009

Much progress has been made on my custom guitar by master luthier Jon Holland. He has posted many photos, of the neck and body, on his Myspace page! Soon I’ll be traveling to his shop in Acworth, GA for the first fitting; Holland will join the neck and body so I can approve the fit for comfort and feel. These are such subjective aspects of an instrument, and also what makes customization so desireable. I’ve played many guitars but never one shaped and fitted just for me! Very exciting. See photos @ http://myspace.com/hollandguitars

Tags: acworth, axe, electric, guitar, Holland Guitars, Jonathan Holland, luthier
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¡Custom Axe!

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Guess what?! One of my buddies, who is a bass and guitar luthier, has agreed to help me build a custom guitar!
It all began when I purchased some body blanks last Spring. Back then, Jonathan cut-out based on my initial sketches (my buddy) told me he’d be glad to offer advice and the use of his tools. Then as months progressed and events unfolded, he became more and more fascinated with my design. Bear in mind, while the body was going to be custom, my plans were to buy a pre-made neck.
Well, we met last Friday for a planning session and Jonathan said he’s going to build me a custom neck!!! Holy crap is right! I’m so excited I can hardly wait. His workshop is so cool, it’s obvious that he pours his heart into every project. His other works are gorgeously crafted and I am so lucky to have him as a friend. I’m totally going to hook him up with some nice tools for his business.
Here you can see a rough sketch of the body design. It’ll be cut from Korina (Limba) wood. Enjoy the eye candy

Tags: custom, electric, guitar, handmade, holland, Jonathan Holland, luthier
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Bo Diddley has passed …

Monday, June 16th, 2008

Hello again friends! Last week was filled with more sadness as we learned of the passing of another Blues legend on June 2, and the great news journalist Tim Russert on June 13. I wanted to write a good obituary for Bo Diddley, but time was limited in my schedule. Fortunately the Associated Press did an excellent job in their attempt so I’ve pasted it below. Please keep the greats alive in your thoughts! ~Nick
(more…)

Tags: Blues, diddley, florida, funeral, guitar, rock, video, YouTube
Posted in Tangents | 1 Comment »

Celeb Birthday: T-Bone Walker

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

“T-Bone” Walker was born today (May 28th) in 1910! Wow that means if he was alive today, he’d be 98!!! It’s a true testament to his work that, so many decades after his passing, his music continues to touch new ears on stages across the world. I’m betting there isn’t a single Blues band alive that has not played at least one T-Bone song, whether they knew it or not. Often when I’m on YouTube or Myspace, I find songs credited to more recently popular artists that were actually written by T-Bone. My favorite is “Stormy Monday.” The lyrics touch me differently every time, and no matter how hard we try it never sounds quite the same. There is simply a magic to it which takes on a life of its own. The words have a great power to them even after all these years, I think because there is still great economic struggle in our society. Though we try to ignore it, we are still a nation teeming with poor, suffering souls. T-bone’s music, like most original Blues artists’, was genuine in every sense. I can only hope to be as prolific as Walker, and I think all artists aspire to the longevity his work will undoubtedly enjoy.

Tags: Blues, guitar, legend, longevity, singer, suffering, t-bone, walker
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