My Fellow Musicians

when I was born, Graceland was the hit on the radio. Apparently when I was a baby, I used to groove to that song (and album). - I didn't find out about this until I bought the album a few weeks back, I think it is my earliest connection to the bass guitar.

I was a Nirvana fan through out most of my starting months as a bass player (this was 7 years back, mind you), however I was mainly learning classic rock and blues numbers. My teacher, Brian Griffiths, started me on the path to getting into classic rock. I don't expect anybody here to know the name, however he played in this band: http://www.merseybeatnostalgia.co.uk/html/the_big_three.html - with Johnny Gustafson who went on to play in Quartermass and Roxy Music (I have yet to hear either band).

Eventually (about a year into lessons) he started showing me albums and pictures of him playing with John Lennon and such. He even showed me some interviews that showed Steve Howe, and Rory Gallagher citing him as one of their major influences. Brian Griffiths is my major influence.

I started playing classical upright bass about 5 years ago in school, and then picked up the electric about a year later.

This Los Angeles Califonian guitarist of Switzerland's prog rock band FLAME DREAM(6 LPs Vertigo Phonogram AG Produced/Mix by John Acock(Steve Hackett/Adrian Legg/Rick Wakeman).Been playing since 8;about 37 years now.When I moved to London,Mr.Peter Gabriel (who I met in bath England whilst playing in a local band.);helped this Los Angeles guitarist a lot as a youth.Dale Hauskins http://www.myspace.com/dalehauskins

I started with The Doors,Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin,then Floyd and Dire Straits,than Jethro Tull,Velvet Underground,Beatles,Rolling Stones,then Deep Purple,then Black Sabbath,+ and Metallica,then Yes and Rush,then Bob Marley,then Blitz,Conflict and King Crimson,then the Sex Pistols and The Clash,then Zappa and Beefheart
That's the most important artists in my life

Froth wrote:  I had a rather perculiar journey as far as music is concerned. Gryphon's 'Red Queen to Gryphon 3' was the record that inspired me to go into music. Because of Gryphon's medieval influences however, i was intent on learning Lute. Of course lutes cost over £600 and so i settled for mandolin. later i started listening to Hatfield and Caravan and that got me into Jazz. As we all know, mandolins have no place in jazz so brought a Bass Guitar tat i have played ever since.

 

Oh man, don't give up on that mandolin. That's one of my favorite instruments. Check out the David Grisman Quintet. They've got some jazzier mandolin sounds in there. Their first album is particularly righteous. Sometimes jazzy, lots of bluegrass sounds, all around great. I'd love to play the mandolin and I actually picked up a cheap one about a year ago, but the thing is SO DAMN SMALL!!! I can hardly get my fingers squeezed onto that fretboard. What amazes me is when 250lb. 6 foot 7 dudes pick the things up and start wailing on them.

Myself though, I've had a guitar for about 12 years and picked up a bit of stuff. I didn't start getting formal training until about a year and a half ago. Some of the idols who really influenced me are Leo Kottke (the Armadillo Album is classic) and Pat Donohue. Both are absolute guitar GIANTS. Strangely enough most of the prog guitarists don't really jump out as that amazing to me, Hackett, Howe, Fripp, Maclaughlin for example.

Black Sabbath really started me in music, along with rush. Been playing
bass for 5 years. I now also play drums, keyboards, and guitars. Before
getting into all this prog i started a one man black metal band of which i
play all the instruments, and i have a couple cd's that im pretty happy with,
but cant wait until i can get some musicians together for some caterbury
style prog
.

I've been influenced by a lot of bands such as Yes, Dream Theater, Rush, ELP, Return to Forever and classical composers like Debussy, Holst, Bach and Chopin.  I also listen to jazz, metal and occasional commercial music.  Lately, I've been llistening to Avant-Garde classical music and a lot of Avant-Prog.  I started playing piano at the age of 11, guitar at the age of 12, and much of my adolescent years were spent playing with various bands so I can also handle bass duties as well as some drums and percussion.  I'm mainly a keyboard player yet I still play those previously said instruments plus I occasionally dabble with a soprano recorder and homemade instruments such as kazoos and "kitchen" percussion (5-gallon blue drinking water bottles, pot covers, serrated table knives, etc.).  Much of my love for learning, playing and experimenting with various musical instruments stems from my love of composing music.

Prog-jester wrote: stan the man wrote: sounds interesting.  how about some canterburry. Yeah...that'll be Great!!! OK,lets add 6th track: 6.Cant/jazzy stuff with head-smashing improvisation 'till the end of the CD!!! 22.38 I think it'll fit here So,what's about the second one? I think Trent Gardner would kill himself if he only knew what we're doing here

it should be a double album with mroe stuff the head smashing improvision sounds good

 

I have been playing keyboards and composing since 1987 when I was 14.
Beatles really triggered me into writing and playing, but the acquaintance with Queen, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Deep Purple and Yes in 1988-1989 really did the trick!

I also sing. From 1994 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2004 I've been in a band named The Mistake Museum: we did our own songs and a number of covers...did not have much luck, though!

Since 2004 I've been playing and recording using my home equipment and my PC

I have some digitally recorded tracks, but I got nowhere on the net to store them...if I ever will, I'll let you know!

stan the man wrote: sounds interesting.  how about some canterburry.

Yeah...that'll be Great!!!

OK,lets add 6th track:
6.Cant/jazzy stuff with head-smashing improvisation 'till the end of the CD!!! 22.38

I think it'll fit here
So,what's about the second one? I think Trent Gardner would kill himself if he only knew what we're doing here