The Gift of Music

Around a year ago, my sister, Jessica, gave me a fun guitar pick maker.  The idea is simple. You recycle old gift cards into guitar picks. I must admit, I didn’t even give it a try for a couple of weeks.  I mean, come on… would a professional guitarist really use something like this?  Well the short answer, it seems, is yes.  I found myself at a gig awhile back with a back up guitar that I do not generally use for live performances.  Normally, I keep everything stocked and accounted for in my live set up before heading off to a show.  However, in this case, I arrived at the gig to find that the only guitar pick I had on hand was the homemade one I had in my pants pocket (which I had brought along with me to show a friend). What I discovered was truly unexpected.  I actually liked the feel and performance of the pick better than the Jim Dunlop nylon picks I had been using for decades. Surprise, surprise. So, on that note, I began making my own personalized picks out of discarded or used Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, assorted restaurant, and club cards. What I have found especially fun, besides that I like the way they play better, is that I have been able to start giving used performance picks back to the people who gave me the gift cards in the first place! It has made immediate connection opportunities, and from what I have been told, lasting memories of performances and recordings to those of you who enjoy and support my music making. Thanks again Jessica, and thanks to all of you who still like to listen.

All the best,

Chris

Jackson / Charvel - My First Real Art Job

While surfing the web looking for an article on my friend and former co-worker Mike Shannon (legendary Jackson / Charvel guitars master builder), I ran across this image on a related Jackson / Charvel website. I had never seen it before.

I think it is the only time I've seen a picture of myself at the old San Dimas, California, shop. I vividly remember the day the photographer walked through the clear sanding room at the old facility. I was fresh out of high school working my first professional art job. Charlie Johnson was standing on the other side of the photographer doing the same thing I was.

It seems like a lifetime ago. The picture provided a great laugh for myself, Mike Shannon, Pat McGarry (another legendary Jackson / Charvel alumn), Jennifer, and my mother-in-law, Yvonne, as we all sat around the dinner table.

On a side note for anyone not in the know, I am improperly sanding this very expensive flame graphic star guitar. Notice that the sanding block is tipped up (which would create a divot in this high gloss finish instrument). Chalk it up to inexperience. I was 18 when this picture was taken.

In perspective, I caught a lucky break landing this full time graphic artist position right out of high school. My buddy, David Olivas, and I simply wanted to get summer woodshop jobs so that we could make ourselves a free guitar before starting off to college. It set the stage for a very filling lifetime in the arts (both as a guitar player and visual artist).






All the best,
Chris

http://www.chrisburgan.com

Circle of Strings and Music

Before Gayle Swinehart retired and closed Strings Music in Glendora California, there used to be a monthly invite only, after hours, acoustic jam with some of the local professional and semiprofessional guitar players who frequented the store. You never knew who would show up.  Likewise, you never knew if it was simply going to be a fun evening of jamming or if something magical was going to happen. Although I had been invited to other locations to try and carry on the tradition, I had not attended the jam in well over a year. I am assuming that some of the other players stopped attending as well.  Ultimately, the jam fizzled.  Fast forward to last night. It was the kick start in a new location, Alosta Brewing Company, in Covina Califonia. This was the first time that most of us had seen each other since regular attender Alan Saltsman had passed away.  Needless to say, the night was filled with heavy hearts and warm memories.  When it was local blues icon Stan West’s turn to pick the tune it was evident that we were going to live large in the moment. He started the up slide on this 1920’s Dobro Resonator and we were taken up to the clouds on the back of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.”  Everyone took a turn soloing over the collective ensemble’s well wishes to Alan.  Yes, it was magical.  I am glad I decided to go.  Likewise, I am sad for the loss of a beautiful man and the missed opportunity to share the moment with some of our friends who jammed so many times with him.  Music really does bring us together.

Jamming With Jake Shimabukuro

I was flipping through an old book at the house the other day. These two pictures, which were unknown to me, fell out. It is me, Jake Shimabukuro, and Rashad Qasem with the GHS guitar club in 2007.  Jake had stopped by to talk with the GHS guitar club directly after appearing on the KLOS morning show with Mark and Brian in Los Angeles. He was a wonderfully kind young man. After answering student questions we jammed on his song, "Crosscurrent." I did not really know much about Jake at the time. Club president Rashad Qasem told me Jake was a really good player and he wanted to meet him. So I told him how to get in touch with his management company. That is one of the perks of being club president. You get to choose who you want to pursue for guest speakers at club meetings. Anyway, the club had hosted numerous famous guitar players over the years. However, we had never received so many requests for admission into a particular meeting. There were calls from all over California and Arizona to get in to see him. In hindsight it was a pretty special day. Jake has since gone on to worldwide acclaim as arguably the finest ukulele player on the planet! If you're interested in a little touch of what the students experienced on that day you can follow this link to see what happened on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JOJLhK1NOL8

www.chrisburgan.com

"Who will carry it on if we do not pass it on?"

Cramping during a performance

Howdy all,

I'm sure we have all gone through this at one time or another... Cramping!!! You know, when a muscle spasms to the point that you experience intense pain and can't use the named muscle. Well, this week my acoustic band, The Tannins, played a good sized plaza gig with an audience of around 500 consistent people in Claremont, California. It was a typical summer day on the far eastern edge of Los Angeles county. Temperatures were around 90* in direct sunlight. Set up was the normal 1 hour with a little time to grab a bite and something to drink before performing. Basically, everything was going the way it is supposed to. The show got off to a typical start. The band was settling in. Then it happened. I began cramping in my left hand at the start of the second of three sets. If you don't know, this is pretty debilitating to a guitar player!!! I had two hours of performing left and nothing to offset the spasms. So by force of will, some prior experience, and a little luck I managed to play through. I reconfigured some of my chord voicings on the fly, had to play with modified fingering, and even dropped out totally a couple of times... YIKES!!! For all of it, no one seemed to notice a drop off in my performance (I have not decided if that is a good thing or not). Hopefully, the people familiar with our music figured that I was just stretching out musically. Whatever the case, I was also reminded of how I should have taken the extra moment to carry some Gatorade and cramping tablets with me. I was traveling light and had not cramped in a long, long time during a performance. So, I left the extra weight at home. Frankly, I was just too lazy to pick it up when I left the house for this gig. Lesson learned. I was in so much pain the next day that I could barely move my left hand. So for all you players out there: Always carry back-up! You only need it when you need it...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Forgotten, But No Longer Forgotten

I was catching up with my great friend Tim Fullerton recently who reminded me that it has been 10 years since I started recording the "Love, Hope, Faith" CD. This particular CD is very significant to me on many personal levels. Among other things, it was the first true release since my band 541 Baseline called it a day. I fondly remember having the opportunity to work with producer Mark Schulman (best known as the drummer for Cher, Foreigner, and Pink), guitar legend Laurence Juber (the undisputed king of DADGAD tuning and former Paul McCartney and Wings guitarist), and consummate bassist Timothy Gaines of Stryper. And sadly, I will always remember how the first pressing of the disk arrived on the day that we buried my grandpa Graf. It was a crazy, turned upside down time full of fresh ideas, unclear direction, and emotional upheaval... Well, as Tim and I were talking it started me thinking about some of the tracks that did not make the final cut for the "Love, Hope, Faith" release. Specifically, two songs I wrote with Anna Nalick of "Breathe (2 A.M.)" fame. We had been working together in a couple of music projects. One was a rock outfit. We called ourselves Estrogen Rush (because the band had been rehearsing a bunch of songs by the band Rush while auditioning female lead singers for an originals project). That singer turned out to be Anna. The other was a series of acoustic songs in what would become the contemplative quiet style she is best known for. Let me tell you, she was fantastic in both formats. I wonder if she missed singing hard rock while touring the world as a singer / songwriter. Anyway, I had not thought about or listened to either of those tracks in years. Although I am not going to share them with you here today, know that they are out there... waiting to be revisited. For now, I will leave you with some of the music that did get released from what was a very, very eclectic time. All the best,
Chris
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chrisburgan

Winter NAMM 2013

I took a trip back in the 'ol time machine this weekend. It was Winter NAMM 2013 in Anaheim California. Jenn and I spent several days reconnecting with friends, former colleagues, and some forgotten memories that had long been put away.

Among the highlights were a series of great visits with Jimmy and Robin Dunn, Grover Jackson, Jon Gold, Oz Fox and Annie Lobert, Irene Kelly and Tim Gaines, Dan and Kim Lawrence, Glenn Matejzel, Jeff Freeman, Willie Houston, Trevor Tripoli, Che Zuro, Rick Salazar, Tom and Rick Seymour, Gerad Clarkson, and Jimmy Seville.

An unexpected surprise came when Jimmy, Robin, Jenn and I received an invite to the private Gypsy Jazz John Jorgensen Quartet concert by Dick and Claudia Hardwick. The evening was hosted by Rick Shubb (San Francisco graphic design legend turned capo guru). Both John and Rick were extremely gracious hosts to our entrance into the pre and post show green room. Likewise, another memorable moment came when Jenn and I saw a nice acoustic set by the up and coming Los Angeles based band King Washington. All along the way, we had a pretty great time mingling among the musical talent and sales masses...

Anyway, the thing that continues to amaze me is just how powerful music is to our collective humanity. It moves me, and our society, in ways that I can not explain. Music provides the soundtrack to some of the most significant times in my life (both good and bad).

So if you will forgive me this indulgence, I am going to put in some Stryper, re-live a moment, and pretend I am 17 again. By the way, Tim and Oz... you guys are still my heroes. And, I am proud to call you friends.

All the best,
Chris