Shank Hall

7/10 - Blackberry Smoke

Sat, 10 May 2008 17:41:57 GMT

"We don't pull any punches about calling this Southern rock because that's what it is", says Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr. "It's what we think new Southern rock should sound like." Starr, guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner and drummer Brit Turner are indeed sons of the South, but their considerable chops recall The Swanee River Boys and The Stanley Brothers as well as Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers.

"We love all kinds of music our CD collection in the van is extremely diverse", Charlie continues, "You can hear a bluegrass influence on our harmonies. We all grew up listening to that kind of music, and I started singing in church, so I think a little gospel flavor filters through, too. We like to mix it up and take some chances." Still, discerning ears will detect a strain of Bon Scott in Charlie's upper register. "Our music is probably harder driving than what you'd call classic Southern rock," he concedes, "especially in the guitar and drum sounds." In fact, this ain't no gospel, this ain't no bluegrass, this ain't no fooling around: Blackberry Smoke is balls-out rock and roll. [8pm $10]

7/11 - Keri Noble

Sun, 25 May 2008 05:55:23 GMT

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan. No, not a suburb, but the city. We moved around a lot when I was little (born in Texas, spent some time in Chicago before settling down in the 313) but I call Detroit my home.

My dad's a pastor of a Spanish speaking church in the inner city. He was a white kid who grew up outside of Lima, Peru, and if you want to know more about that, you'll have to ask him.

The truth is I started writing songs to compensate for the things I couldn't express in my real life. I found it difficult to fit into the box (loving as it was) that I was born into. So, the early songs are pretty raw. I found out that I wasn't the only one who felt confused, trapped and out of place. That may have been the best thing I've gotten out of this whole crazy music experience...the fact that none of us are really alone.

The songwriting journey has been interesting. At one time I could only really write about pain. In the last year and a half, I've started to expand my horizons, and learn how to tell stories. I've written 30-something songs and taken the ultimate risk by allowing myself to open up to the process of co-writing. A year ago I met Kristen Hall (formerly of SugarLand) and, together, we've written 4 songs.

That's scary, people. But I did it, and I loved it, and I'm excited to add that flavor to the mix. I'm gonna keep writing. I'm gonna keep performing. I hope you'll take a listen to the new songs. They're good. Plus, they're really the best way of getting a sense of who I really am. [8pm $10]

7/12 - Eric Sardinas, Chris Duarte

Sat, 17 May 2008 20:47:27 GMT

Eric's signature brand of Delta dynamite has been a long time in the making. At the incredibly early age of six, he already had his fingers on the fretboard. Though born a lefty, he naturally gravitated towards playing the guitar as a right-hander. Admittedly, this could be considered a difficult approach, but it never slowed Sardinas down. In fact, it's actually been a major contributing factor in the formation of his unique style and specialized technique.

Also helping to shape his artistic direction were the soulful grounds in which he planted his earliest musical roots. Sardinas recalls that it was exposure to the likes of gospel, Motown, and RandB (ie: Ray Charles, Elvis Presley) that eventually caused him to seek out the emotionally-charged acoustic sounds of the deep South. Delta titans like Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, Skip James, Bukka White, and Fred Mcdowell were among his favorites. Rural country blues players such as Barbecue Bob and Blind Willie McTell were later added to his list, as was the electricity of the Chicago blues sound. Indeed... Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and Albert King could then be considered responsible for setting Sardinas on a collision course with what would ultimately become the final contributor to his developing style, this -of course- being rock-n-roll. Guitar fire-starters from the 1950s, along with harder-edged players from the turbulent 60s and 70s only further expanded and intensified the Sardinas sound.

After years of "inhaling" the essence of these various styles of music, Eric Sardinas finally "exhaled." In doing so, he consequently gave birth to an exhilarating, powerful, and sometimes terrifying new style that's real, raw, and wickedly intense.

With legions of corporate-fueled, musical puppets littering our stages and airwaves, originality has become virtually extinct within the landscape of today's popular music. Fortunately there's Eric Sardinas. His unique sound and honest delivery are breathing life back into the lungs of a stale industry on the verge of collapsing face first like a suffocating giant. Sardinas is both a welcome reminder of the finest unfiltered music from an era bygone, as well as, a glimpse into a future realm of infinite sonic liberty. He's a courageous trailblazer who's constantly repudiating routine limits and challenging all genre inherent boundaries with his wild, but never-the-less ingenious, innovations. As such, this performer shines brilliantly and refreshingly like a beaming beacon of hope. So, if you find yourself understandably lost and aimlessly drifting through a sad sea of musical mediocrity... find Eric Sardinas. Find him, because he will single-handedly realign your ears with your heart and restore your faith in the power and beauty of music. The simple truth is that you need only witness to believe. And once you see him... you'll never forget him.

In Chris Duarte's musical view, the journey is as important as the destination, maybe even more so. Since emerging in the mid-1990s from Austin, Texas, a blues guitar hotbed, Duarte has forged new pathways for the blues and scouted numerous fresh trails for creative musical expression. Lauded for the exquisite artistry and vivid tonality of his six-string work, over the last decade Duarte has also proven his considerable mettle as a songwriter, singer and bandleader.

The sum total of his talents prompted Blues Access to extol him as a "genius," but Duarte sees his work in a much more basic and fluid context. "I'm a musician who is still out there searching for better ways to get from point A to point B, and better my craft. I'm just not content staying in one place."

In 1979, at the age of 16, Duarte moved on his own to Austin "and bought a '63 Stratocaster for $500." He initially explored his love for the jazz of Coltrane, Miles Davis and John McLaughlin, but enjoyed a blues epiphany when he heard the then largely-unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Continental Club. "Blues was king in Austin," Duarte recalls, and he soon earned a virtual Ph.D in blues music. Playing with Texas favorites like Bobby Mack and Night Train and Junior Medlow and The Bad Boys, he quickly earned a rep as a hot new gun in a town with an army of guitar talents. At the same time he dug into the work of such Austin guitar legends as Jimmie Vaughan, Denny Freeman and Derek O'Brien, paying special note to the rhythmic foundation that's a hallmark of the Lone Star blues style.

Duarte's creative spirit prompted him to join forces with his longtime partner, bassist John Jordan, and step out front in the early 1990s. "I just wanted to get out there and play the ideas and voices I heard in my head," he recalls. He won a major label deal with Silvertone Records and released Texas Sugar/Strat Magik in 1994 to considerable immediate notice. He was named "Best New Talent" in Guitar Player's 1995 Reader's Poll, and finished fourth in the magazine's "Best Blues Guitarist" category behind legends Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and B.B. King. But something more than just blues guitar wizardry was at work within the Chris Duarte Group. Musician magazine recognized it three years later on Tailspin Headwhack, praising "Duarte's monstrous chops, from funk to punk, from Hendrix to B.B. King, all marked by Duarte's percussive, in-your-face Strat sound and a subtle use of samples, loops and electronics." Love Is Greater Than Me, his 2000 debut release on Zoe/Rounder, even further expanded Duarte's lexicon with whiffs of grunge, jazz and funk amidst the rocking blues.

All along the way, the Chris Duarte Group has whipped up thrills and chills on countless stages, logging a good half a million miles in Bluta, their reliable touring van, since its purchase in 1996. Now with new drummer Ed Miles in place and making his recorded debut with the band on Romp, Duarte has his eyes and imagination firmly fixed on the future.

After all, the journey is still at hand. "I know I have a long way to go," concludes Duarte. "It's all about exploring more in music and seeing what else is out there. That's what eggs me on. And making people feel good. There's nothing like it when you get on stage and move an audience. It's an incredible feeling." [8pm $20]

7/16 - James Lee Stanley

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:22:38 GMT

James Lee Stanley became known to Monkees fans in the mid-'90s when the Two Man Band album was released, a project involving him and ex-Monkee Peter Tork. Born in Philadelphia on April 30, 1946, Stanley first met Tork at a Virginia club in 1963 and moved to New York City four years later, becoming involved in the city's folk scene. He spent time in the Air Force during the late '60s and early '70s, and studied music at Cal State-Northridge after his discharge. Upon graduation, Stanley began working as a songwriter for producer Bones Howe, a relationship which led Stanley to a recording contract with the Wooden Nickel division of RCA.

He released three albums for RCA during the '70s: a self-titled debut, James Lee Stanley Too, and Three's a Charm. He also recorded for MCA, Takoma, and Regency before forming his own Beachwood label for Live at McCabe's in the early '80s. He consistently released albums during the 1980s and '90s, and after Tork's Stranger Things Have Happened appeared on Beachwood, the duo began touring together. Two Man Band, released in 1995, was actually recorded live in the studio.
John Bush, All Music Guide [8pm $15]

7/18 - Tarbox Ramblers

Sat, 17 May 2008 20:33:03 GMT

Taking listeners to a place where gutbucket blues, hillbilly music and gospel come together in powerful and unexpected combinations, The Tarbox Ramblers are left-field traditionalists whose electrifying live performances have earned the band critical acclaim and a national following. Driven by the slide guitar and dark vocals of bandleader Michael Tarbox, and propelled by an explosive rhythm section, The Ramblers' musicality and immediacy puts them at the forefront of the contemporary roots scene.

The band's two CDs on The Rounder label have drawn rave reviews from Rolling Stone, NPR's "All Things Considered," The Washington Post and many more.

"Between the string bass, drums and slide guitar, you won't know what hit you." --- The New Yorker [8pm $10]

7/19 - Blue, Seriously, Zachary Wade

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:59:37 GMT

Over the past year, a new musical phenomenon has emerged in the clubs and concert halls of southeastern Wisconsin. The melancholic melodies and uplifting anthems of Blue, Seriously continue to draw large, enthusiastic, and loyal crowds, defying mood, attitude, and yes, punctuation, to become one of Milwaukee's most intriguing new acts.

In January, Blue, Seriously released their five-song Marigold E.P. Mixing intimate acoustic ennui and arena-sized crunch, the Marigold E.P. announces the arrival of a uniquely gifted new voice in singer/songwriter David Goeb. Joined by innovative bassist Jamie Owart and hard-hitting drummer Sam Goeb, Blue, Seriously is a musically adventurous yet always accessible rock trio. Whether you listen to it on your headphones or in your convertible with the top down, the Marigold, E.P. will make sonic love to your ears.

The Who. For Squirrels. Oasis. Radiohead. Pete Yorn. Blind Melon. The members of Blue, Seriously look to rock heroes of past and present for inspiration. However, Blue, Seriously is much more than the sum of its influences, as boisterous crowds in such well-regarded venues as Shank Hall, The BBC, Mikey's, The Brat Stop, and Linneman's know. Now, Blue, Seriously wants to come to your bar, club, or music festival to perform its unique show of rock originals. [8pm $7]

7/22 - Cory Chisel and Joshua James, Amber Rubarth

Mon, 05 May 2008 03:14:50 GMT

Like many American musicians, across vastly diverse backgrounds, cultures and genres, singer-songwriter Cory Chisel forged his first connection to the power of song through the music he heard - and made - in church. His father was a Baptist pastor, his mother played piano during services, and an upbringing surrounded by sermons and spirituals instilled in Cory the passion and portent of language and melody, and a fluency in the gospel's rich vernacular of loss and redemption.

At the age of 19, after street skating in and around Lincoln for the better part of his teenage years, Joshua packed his bags and traveled through South America, spending most of his time abroad in Venezuela. The perspective of travel inspired him to start writing poetry and songs upon his return to the U.S., and in his twenties, Joshua picked up a guitar for the first time. Joshua set up a mic and mixer at home and began posting his songs on myspace and other internet networking sites. The music found its way to L.A.-based producer Shannon Edgar, who invited Joshua to California in May 2006 to record in Edgar's Burbank studio. Augmented by a small group of musicians playing bass, drums, electric guitar, pedal steel and accordion, the recordings became Joshua�s first full-length album, 2007's The Sun is Always Brighter. The original digital release on iTunes reached #1 on the service's Folk Album list.

After 3 years of a full time wood sculpting apprenticeship, Amber Rubarth had a late-night conversation with her mentor who told her the most important thing he had learned in life was for a person to follow their number one passion. Amber said something along the lines of "Thank you, I am quitting and doing music then," and off she went, trading her chainsaw for a guitar and teaching herself to write and play songs.

Her debut record came out 2 years later, and was lauded as "Top 10 of 2005" in The Owl Mag (alongside Kanye West, Fiona Apple and Jack Johnson). Soon after she was touring non-stop around the country and Europe, with word spreading fast at her shows and online.

Amber's songs beam a refreshing mixture of vulnerability and courage, melancholia and optimism. "Washing Day" (co-written with Adam Levy of Norah Jones' Band) won first place of 15,000 entries in this year's International Songwriting Competition (Lyrics). The music video for the song was selected as one of 20 to be officially screened at SXSW (alongside such greats as Thom Yorke and Weird Al Yankovic).

As Music Connection puts it, Rubarth has "excellent mastery of the guitar, equally impressive on piano.. and a soaring voice that can belt out any tune. As she continues to hone her craft and grow, she may become unstoppable." [8pm $10 advance/$12 door]

7/23 - Walter Trout and the Radicals

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:20:22 GMT

The Los Angeles Times describes Walter Trout as "a torrential, gladiator guitar player - the kind the term 'guitar hero' was coined to describe." With his arresting technique, relentless tour schedule, (Trout plays upwards of 200 dates/year) and exhilarating showmanship, Trout merited the cover of Blues Revue in October '00, and his first American live album, Live Trout (released in 2000), hit #15 on the Billboard Blues charts followed by a Top 10 entry with "Go The Distance." Now "Relentless" propels the forward momentum. The 14 original tunes were performed for the first time as they were being recorded in front of a dynamic studio audience at the Paradiso Theater in Amsterdam. It was produced by Jim Gaines, (Blues Traveler, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan). As cuts like the hard driving "Mercy" and soft acoustic "Lonely Tonight" can attest, Walter Trout and The Radicals' final destination may be unknown, but they have embarked on the journey and are enjoying the ride, picking up rabid fans along the way. [8pm $16]

7/25 - Junior Brown

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:27:05 GMT

A singer and demon guitarist whose raucous blend of country and rock and roll helped make him a successful crossover act, Junior Brown was born in 1953 and raised in the backwoods of Kirksville, IN. He first learned to play the piano from his pianist father, and was exposed to country through radio and TV, becoming a fan of Ernest Tubb's music and television program. He became a professional musician at the tail end of the '60s, while still in his teens.

After honing his guitar skills in relative anonymity throughout the '70s, Brown became an instructor at the Hank Thompson School of Country Music, an affiliate of Rogers State College in Oklahoma. There, while teaching under the auspices of steel guitar legend Leon McAuliffe, a onetime member of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Brown met "the lovely Miss Tanya Rae," a student whom he would later marry in 1988 and who eventually joined his band as a rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist. At the same time, a dream prompted him to set about creating an instrument fusing a six-string guitar with its steel counterpart. After contacting guitar maker Michael Stevens, in 1985 he developed the "guit-steel," a double-necked guitar combining the standard instrument with the steel. (A decade later, the two men reunited to update the "guit-steel," and Brown's cherry axe "Big Red" was born.)

After moving to Austin, TX, Brown and his group became the house band at the city's Continental Club, where strong word-of-mouth eventually earned them a record deal. He made his long-awaited album debut in 1993 with 12 Shades of Brown, which featured a tribute to his biggest influence, "My Baby Don't Dance to Nothing but Ernest Tubb." Guit With It followed later in the year, and like its predecessor, was met with considerable critical acclaim. After a five-song stopgap EP, 1995's Junior High, Brown returned in 1996 with Semi Crazy. The Long Walk Back followed two years later.
Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide [8pm $20]

7/26 - The Heavyheads, Micah Olsan

Sat, 17 May 2008 20:31:27 GMT

The Heavyheads' appearance at Shank Hall on July 26 marks the release of the Milwaukee band's sophomore album, Down at the Heels. Recorded and mixed at Chicago's Engine Studios by engineer Neil Strauch, whose credits include music by Modest Mouse and Iron and Wine, the album marks both musical and lyrical steps forward for the band.

Following the release of their critically-acclaimed 2006 self-titled debut, The Heavyheads made a name for themselves with their presence on the live music scenes in Milwaukee and Chicago. Their live shows have been hailed by the Shepherd Express as a good balance of improvisation and composition, and OnMilwaukee.com calls the band's music "a genre-spanning fusion of classic rock blended with a modern jam band, with blues, soul and pop strewn in for good measure."

As one of Milwaukee's best up and coming bands, The Heavyheads continue to wow audiences with their eclectic live performances, and the release of Down at the Heels provides one more reason to see the band on July 26. [9pm $12 (includes a copy of the new CD)]

8/1 - Tiles

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 20:10:19 GMT

TILES is a progressive hard rock band from Detroit, Michigan featuring Mark Evans (drums), Chris Herin (guitar), Paul Rarick (vocals), and Jeff Whittle (bass). The band formed in 1993 and is signed to InsideOut Music/SPV in North America and Europe. During the past fourteen years TILES has developed a style that blends progressive rock complexity and soaring vocal melodies with an aggressive hard rock edge. Along with lyrics that reflect upon the "human experience," TILES continues to cultivate a sound that rewards more than passive listening. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull called TILES "...undoubtedly one of the brighter hopes for the musical millennium!" [8pm $12]

8/2 - Revolush

Sun, 25 May 2008 05:23:17 GMT

Revolush were mined from the same ore that brought us XTC, Jellyfish, Cheap Trick, Elvis Costello and Squeeze with a little Queen and Roxy Music thrown in just to mess you up. Some tunes are downright sugar-pop (the Turtle-esque bah-ba-bahs in "I Really Love You"), some like the as yet unreleased "Femme Fatale" and "I Never Got Used To It" are absolute riff-rockers while others are indefinable yet vaguely familiar. In any case we are talking straight ahead, traditional verse-chorus songs with sing along melodies that are loaded with subtly twisted, poetic lyrics designed to get you thinking. [8pm $6]

8/8 - Mike Mangione

Sun, 25 May 2008 05:52:46 GMT

Born in a northern suburb of Chicago and now residing in Milwaukee, Mangione is no stranger to movement and change. Following the 2005 release of There and Back, which charted CMJ at number 16, Mangione has logged approximately one hundred and fifty shows per year throughout the country including such notable performances as SXSW, Midwest Music Summit, Chicago's Mobfest, and Milwaukee's Summerfest. He has opened for performers like Jamie Cullum, The Samples, Will Hodge, Jacks Mannequin, Lifehouse, Brian Vander Ark, and Michael McDermott. [9pm $10]

8/10 - Supersuckers

Sun, 25 May 2008 05:53:50 GMT

You've heard our name, you've seen our records, our t-shirts and our stickers. We're probably the favorite band of someone you know and yet we're still a mystery to you. Well my friend, that's okay, I'm here to fill you in and help you to get to know the greatest rock-n-roll band in the world, The Supersuckers.

Our story is almost impossible to believe. This band is literally a human cartoon. We all grew up among the dead-ends and cactus needles of Tucson, Arizona and have known each other since grade school. We graduated from the same high school together at the same time (a school immortalized in our song "Santa Rita High") and we chose to play in a band together because we liked to hang out together, not because we were great musicians or anything. I truly believe that a band is defined by their limitations, that what they can't (or won't) do is just as important as what they can do. I guess that, in this era of pre-fabricated, put-together-to-have-a-hit bands, we're kind of an aberration and I gotta tell ya that that makes us smile a little every day.

We formed the band in 1988 and we were initially a five piece called The Black Supersuckers (a name found in some quality "adult literature" we had laying around in our impeccably clean band house), with me on bass, Dan "Thunder" Bolton and Rontrose Heathman on guitars, Dancing Eagle on drums and a lead singer by the name of Eric Martin. After firmly proving ourselves to be the best band in town we decided it was time to get out of Tucson and try our luck somewhere else. So we tossed a coin with heads as New Orleans and tails as Seattle. Tails it was and in May of �89 we packed up and went north.

We had no idea that Seattle was about to become "Rock Mecca USA" we just wanted to go somewhere where we could wear our leather jackets a little more often. It was exciting and encouraging to see all of the great bands there, doing their own thing and making some kick-ass, aggressive rock-n-roll that we could relate to, so we started recording immediately. After some classic "creative differences" with our lead singer, we decided to try it as a four piece with yours truly as the singer (I was the only one who knew all the words) and The Supersuckers, as you may or may not know them today, were born.

Another nice tidbit is the recent addition on Scott Churilla as the newest member of the Supersuckers family. You may or may not be aware that, since the 2004 departure of our original drummer, we've had a rotating cast of characters behind the drums for us. It was all very "Spinal Tap" and fun for a while but we're so happy to have it all behind us and be able to call ourselves a first class, four-piece rock and roll band once again. You may know Scott from his 10+ years as the drummer for The Reverend Horton Heat. He's absolutely incredible and we are way better than ever with him back there. [8pm $16 adv/$18 door]

8/16 - Philip Gatewood - A 9 Piece Revue

Sun, 25 May 2008 05:24:56 GMT

There's nothing new under the sun. At this late date we tend to believe that old adage. In the years since the advent of the computer it is hard to argue against that. But, like the old song says, "everything old is new again". Perhaps that is the best way to consider this genre and Gatewood, it's earliest proponent. Cobalt Cool is a blend of the worlds of blues, Latin and traditional jazz into an amalgam you have heard before. It just has never been recognized as it's own niche. The original compositions of this artist draw equally from all three of these disciplines. Sit back and listen and you will find yourself focusing on the jazz voicings of the guitar, keys and saxophone and then the blues melodies relied upon by the singer. But it all comes home to rest upon the afro-cuban percussion reminding us of the source of all of these sounds. Oh yes, and it isn't your imagination when you get a hint of New Orleans in the second line rhythms meant to remind us of how it got here. The Philip Gatewood Band is not shy about reminding us of how long the cobalt cool blend has been with us. In their cover repertoire you will hear songs recorded as far back as the thirties by artists as diverse as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, Dion, Sam Cooke and Bobby Darin. The only innovations to these being the latin paced conga. Catch this lineup live and you will hear songs as recognizable as "Mack the Knife", "That's Alright, Mama" or "Tears on my Pillow", interspersed with the originals that identify this group and this genre. Gatewood tends to perform three covers for every original. All performed definitely cobalt, definitely cool. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city that finds itself amidst a rennaisance, The Philip Gatewood Band is available in a variety of configurations suitable for any venue or event. We believe their intelligent and artistic approach to their material is one of the most special things to come along in sometime. [8pm $5 (Smoke-free show)]

8/20 - Coco Montoya

Sat, 31 May 2008 04:02:16 GMT

Over the course of his 30-year career, guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya's explosive guitar playing and soul-driven voice have propelled him to the upper reaches of the blues-rock world. From his early days as a drummer to his current status as one of the top-drawing guitarists and vocalists on the blues-rock scene, Montoya has forged his reputation through years of hard work and constant touring. And it all started with a chance meeting in the mid-1970s with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Montoya a gig as his drummer. Albert took an immediate liking to Montoya, becoming his mentor and teaching his new prot�g� secrets of the Collins "icy hot" style of blues guitar. Five years later, John Mayall happened to catch Montoya at a jam session and was blown away. This led to Montoya's touring the world for ten years with the legendary Bluesbreakers. Since stepping out as a bandleader in 1993, Montoya has released four solo albums and has performed non-stop at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. At every show, fans' jaws dropped, and critics raved about Montoya's mind-bending guitar licks and impassioned vocals. [8pm $20]

8/23 - Jason Seed, De La Buena

Sun, 25 May 2008 05:27:18 GMT

The Jason Seed Elixir Ensemble consists of members of the Chicago and Milwaukee symphonies playing alongside some of the midwest's best jazz musicians in the world's wierdest rock band. With the release of the new CD "Where the Corners Meet" multi-genre, highly composed and intensely improvised rockedixieofunkenjazzabilliclassicadelica has been truly realized. The Milwaukee Shepherd Express says that "The scope of Where the Corners Meet is wide, but the range of Seed's imagination is even broader." [8pm $10]

10/3 - Uli Jon Roth

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:30:36 GMT

Though he doesn't get nearly as much credit as Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore, Uli Jon Roth helped lay the groundwork for neo-classical metal with his lead guitar work for German hard rock icons the Scorpions during the '70s. Roth's playing owed an obvious debt to Jimi Hendrix, but the elegance of his lead lines, the fluidity of his phrasing, and his use of alternate scales learned from classical training all helped push his oeuvre into another realm entirely. Upon leaving the Scorpions in 1978, Roth embarked on an erratic solo career that found him exploring his psychedelic and neo-classical influences to a degree that would have been impossible with his former band.
Steve Huey, All Music Guide [8pm $25]