Guthrie Govan
Guthrie Govan (born December 27, 1971 in Chelmsford , England ) is an English rock , blues and jazz guitarist who can currently be seen mainly with the fusion trio The Aristocrats and in the Steven Wilson Band. He was active as a solo artist, but also took part in recordings of The Young Punx and The Fellowship and was a member of the rock band Asia from 2006 to 2009 ; Above all, Govan's numerous videos on YouTube , in which he soloed in a variety of different styles, brought a broader public . In 1993 the English magazine Guitarist awarded him the title Guitarist of the Year . In 2006 his solo album Erotic Cakes was released .
biography
By his own admission, Govan began playing the guitar at the age of three. The basis was his parents' record collection, which he gradually opened up on his instrument. By his own admission, he never had guitar lessons and learned mainly by ear. In the early 1990s he sent demo recordings of his game to Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records . He was impressed - and offered Govan a record deal. However, when Govan got the feeling that only his technical skills were required, he decided to turn down the offer: “An offer from Shrapnel at the time was a great deal, but it seemed too focused on the guitar for the kind of thing Player I wanted to be ”. He was hired as a transcriptionist and author by the UK magazine Guitar Techniques after sending the editorial team a self-made transcription of a Shawn Lane piece.
In 2006 Govan was hired by Asia, on whose album Aura he made his debut. After keyboardist Geoff Downes left Asia in 2006, he founded the GPS project with the remaining members John Payne and Jay Schellen, with which he produced the album Windows to the Soul . Also in 2006 was his solo debut album Erotic Cakes . In addition, Govan was involved in the British electronic project The Young Punx. He also played as a live guitarist for the British rapper Dizzee Rascal . With the drummer Marco Minnemann and the bassist Bryan Beller he is currently active as guitarist in the fusion trio The Aristocrats. 2013-2015 he worked on Steven Wilson's third solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) and album No. 4 Hand. Cannot. Erase. and the corresponding tours with. In 2016, Govan and the Aristocrats toured Italy and Germany as part of the all-star guitarist project G3 with Joe Satriani and Stevie Vai .
style
Govan demonstrates almost all the techniques of the modern electric guitar in his playing. Style-defining are fast runs in which hybrid picking, alternate picking and legato are combined, as well as whole and one-and-a-half tone bends. Examples of the breadth of his game are the videos that he keeps recording for a provider of guitar jam tracks (practice pieces without a melody instrument / voice). In these he plays over hard rock, blues or fusion jam tracks. His own compositions, e.g. B. on erotic cakes , are influenced by other styles. The pieces are interspersed with odd time signatures and non-European scales. On the album The Aristocrats from 2011 a clear blues touch comes to the fore.
Equipment
Guthrie Govan played for a long time mostly on guitars made by Suhr, of which he also has a signature model . It is similar in shape to the Fender Stratocaster , but is equipped with two humbuckers and a single coil pickup . On November 20, 2012, however, Govan announced on his Facebook page that he would no longer work with Suhr and instead play instruments made by the US guitar manufacturer Charvel , with whom he is currently working on a new model. He uses amplifiers from Suhr - here especially the Badger 30 - as well as from Cornford Amplification and Victory Amplifiers.
reception
Because of his virtuosity, Govan is highly respected in the scene, as various statements by other guitarists prove. For example, Richie Kotzen says : “He has complete control over the instrument. I love to watch Guthrie live as he always comes up with new things that the rest of us would never have thought of ”. Dweezil Zappa : “The most impressive thing is his musicality. He has complete freedom on the guitar ”. And Ron Thal aka Bumblefoot puts it this way: "Guthrie is the most talented guitarist I've ever met". Joe Satriani was also enthusiastic about Govan's album.
His solo album Erotic Cakes received positive reviews. For example, the online music magazine sputnikmusic judges that erotic cakes would be a “fabulous example of instrumental guitar music” and represent a “tour de force” in terms of technology and style. On "guitarmasterclass.net" Patrik Jezierski speaks of a "jewel of inspiration" and adds: "Guthrie's exquisite playing will undoubtedly set standards".
Web links
- Official website
- Guthrie Govan in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.lastfm.de/music/Guthrie+Govan/+wiki
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Guthrie-Govan-Erotic-Cakes/release/1023879
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUeS6U7typA
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.the-aristocrats-band.com
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 8, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/GuthrieGovanOfficial
- ↑ http://www.cornfordamps.com/artists.htm
- ↑ http://www.victoryamps.com/artists.html
- ↑ http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/27943/Guthrie-Govan-Erotic-Cakes/
- ↑ http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/wiki/index.php/Guthrie_Govan_-_Erotic_Cakes_Review
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Govan, Guthrie |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English guitarist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 27, 1971 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chelmsford |