The Fretboard Journal Guitar Podcast

Guitarist Adam Levy has explored every facet of being a professional musician. Over the course of his career, he's been an instructor, a music journalist, a session guitarist, a singer-songwriter and a touring artist. He's equally adept performing alongside avant-garde jazz figures as he is mainstream artists such as Norah Jones. On today's podcast, Levy sheds light on his unique music background and describes some of the influential musicians such as Ted Greene and Jimmy Wyble that he was lucky enough to learn from. We are also treated to a solo performance of one of his latest tunes.   

This week we talk to John Thomas, the FJ’s very own Field Editor and a professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law, and get a crash course on CITES, the Lacey Act and the recent raid of the Gibson Guitars factory. Thomas does his best to walk us through the confusing laws and treaties that could affect guitarists and guitar manu  

For our 40th podcast, we talk to guitar legend David Bromberg. Bromberg has just released Use Me, a new album featuring collaborations with some of his old friends (including Los Lobos, Levon Helm, Widespread Panic and John Hiatt, among others). We talk to him about the album, as well as his successful violin business and some of the quirkier session gigs he has under his belt. As many know, Bromberg was a hired gun on classic recordings by Bob Dylan, John Hartford and others. Lastly, he walks us through the history of the Martin M-42 guitar and tells us about his love for vintage Electar amplifiers.   

Can an "art guitar" be a functional, workingman's instrument? If its built by Vermont's Creston Lea, the answer is a resounding yes. In this week's podcast, FJ publisher Jason Verlinde talks to Lea about his current output, some of the exotic woods he tracks down to build his guitars (including pieces salvaged from old barns, pickle vats and more) and about his ongoing collaboration with artist Sarah Ryan. We also talk a bit about Lea's other passion: he's a published short story author.  As many readers know, Lea was featured in the Fretboard Journal #21 along with guitar building pal Paul Languedoc. This podcast allows us to hear a bit more about the luthier's creations and the energy that goes into them.  For more information on Creston Lea's guitars, visit his site here.   

Ever wondered what it’s like to play guitar alongside Lucinda Williams? Or what the Rick Rubin-produced Kid Rock album sessions were like? Our 38th Fretboard Journal Podcast will answer all of those questions and then some. Today's guest is Blake Mills, the 25 year old guitar phenom / singer-songwriter currently touring with Williams. Mills stopped by our office and gave us the candid scoop on his background, his recent session work and what guitars he takes on the road. Also mentioned: Jackson Browne's acrylic nail advice and the magical tone contained inside Synsonics toy guitars. For more information on Mills, visit his site here.  Next week's podcast will feature electric guitar builder Creston Lea, who was featured in the Fretboard Journal #21.  

Acoustic guitarists and mandolinists all over the world know of the importance of Sitka spruce. It's one of the favored choices for guitar tops (and for bracing inside the instrument). What many musicians may not realize is that the Sitka forests in Alaska face some of the same over-harvesting dangers that have occured with Brazilian rosewood, Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce. Musicwood is a new documentary that follows the fate of one forest in Alaska and the efforts of a group of guitarmakers (including Taylor Guitars' Bob Taylor) to slow down the harvesting.  In this week's podcast, we talk to the Musicwood's director, Maxine Trump, about the project, the Kickstarter campaign currently underway to finish funding the film and about the current state of the Sitka forests in Southern Alaska. 

In May of 2011, Joe Spann will release Spann’s Guide to Gibson 1902-1941, a new book on vintage Gibson guitars, mandolins and banjos that may very well rewrite how we classify, age and think about these wonderful instruments. On this week's podcast, we talk to him about the book, the quirks of vintage Gibson guitars and mandolins and more.   

Our 35th podcast features 2/5ths of the Punch Brothers: banjo great Noam Pikelny and fiddle virtuoso Gabe Witcher. We caught up with the pair right before the PB’s show at Seattle’s Showbox Theater on March 15, 2011. We asked them about the instruments they’re using on this tour as well as their future recording plans.  

Our 34th podcast features an interview with singer-songwriter duo Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps. Though the pair have had lengthy solo careers for years, they've recently decided to perform together as a group. We ask them about how they approach songwriting as a duo, what instruments they're using and about their forthcoming album. We also ask Phelps about his great slide guitar playing (which, sadly, he no longer does). At the end of the interview, the duo performed a tune on their matching Martin HD-28s.  Recorded at the Fretboard Journal offices on January 17, 2011. Be sure to check out our exclusive video of the pair singing "Night Falls Away Singing" here. 

Our 33rd podcast features a nearly hour-long interview Fretboard Journal editor Marc Greilsamer conducted with Phish bassist Mike Gordon. Gordon talks about the gear he uses, recent shows, comparisions between Phish and the Grateful Dead, his solo album Moss and much, much more.