STYLE FiLE
Guitar Profiffiiles, News & Interviews
ii
WHO’s
HOT?
CAVO
cavomusic.com
sHInInG lIGHT
Midwest;rockers;Cavo;have;shown;that;talent;and;a;strong
belief;in;going;far;can;actually;get;you;very;far.;After;a;local
radio;station;took;a;chance;and;started;to;spin;the;song
“Champagne,”;the;band’s;profile;rocketed;skyward.;Shortly
after,;the;band;signed;to;Reprise/Warner;Brother;Records;and
released;their;first;major;album,;Bright Nights, Dark Days.;The
song;that;started;it;all;for;them,;Champagne,;quickly;rose;to
the;number;one;spot;on;Billboard’s;Hot;Mainstream;Rock;Chart.
“The;experience;of;seeing;the;culmination;of;all;our;work;on
the;top;of;the;charts;was;both;surreal;and;special,”;says;lead
guitarist;Chris;Hobbs.;“We;were;playing;in;our;hometown;of
St.;Louis;the;day;it;hit;number;one;so;we;all;felt;something
special;in;that;moment.”
CHRIS HObbS GEAR bOx
GUITARS: Gibson;Les;Paul;Standard,;Epiphone
Les;Paul;Custom,;Fender;Telecaster
AmpS: Marshall;JCM900,;2000;DSL;50
CAbS: Marshall;4x12
STRINGS: Aurora;Strings;.010–.052
STRApS: Levy
pICkS: Dunlop;.60mm
EFFEC TS: Visual;Sound;Liquid;Chorus,;Dunlop;MXR;Phase
90,;Dunlop;EVH;Flanger,;Line;6;DL4;Delay,;Electro-Harmonix
Big;Muff;Pi,;Way;Huge;Electronics;WHE201;Pork;Loin,
Dunlop;Cry;Baby;Wah,;Digi Tech;Whammy,;Ernie;Ball;Volume
Pedal,;Boss;TU- 2;Tuner
JAZZ
ARCHTOP PIZAZZ
Photo: Cole Thompson vervemusicgroup.com/russellmalone
Russell mAlOne
Since;his;early;days;in;Georgia,;Russell;Malone;has;been;one;of;the;foremost;jazz
guitarists;on;the;scene.;As;a;child,;Malone;listened;to;church;music;and;the;country
sounds;of;Chet;Atkins,;Johnny;Cash;and;Glen;Campbell.;At;the;ripe;old;age;of;12,
Malone;began;studying;the;music;of;B.B.;King,;George;Benson,;Charlie;Christian
and,;of;course,;Wes;Montgomery.;Mostly;self-taught,;Malone’s;style;is;equal;parts
swing,;blues;and;bebop,;with;plenty;of;pyrotechnics;thrown;in;for;good;measure.
In;1988,;he;got;his;first;big;break;by;joining;organist;Jimmy;Smith’s;band.;This;is
where;Malone;learned;about;paying;dues;and;being;prepared;for;anything.;“It
made;me;realize;that;I;wasn’t;as;good;as;I;thought;I;was,”;he;says.;In;the;early
nineties,;he;met;a;young;singer;from;New;Orleans;who;wanted;to;form;a;big
band.;That;singer;was;Harry;Connick,;Jr.;;Malone;would;hold;the;guitar;position
in;his;orchestra;for;four;years.;Since;that;time,;Malone;has;made;a;name;for
himself;as;a;musician;who;can;keep;up;with;burning;tempos;one;moment;and
then;turn;around;to;break;your;heart;with;a;solo;guitar;ballad;the;next.
Since;1992,;Malone;has;released;11;albums;as;a;leader;and;has;appeared;as;a
sideman;on;countless;others,;including;albums;by;Gladys;Knight,;Natalie;Cole,
and;Will;Downing.;By;the;end;of;the;’90s,;Malone;was;a;featured;member
of;singer;and;pianist;Diana;Krall’s;band;and;played;on;three;of;her;Grammy-nominated;albums;including;the;Grammy-winning;When I Look in Your Eyes.
Currently,;Malone;is;touring;the;country;along;with;Kurt;Elling,;Kenny;Barron;and
Regina;Carter;as;part;of;the;Monterey;Jazz;Festival;tour.;“We;did;this;tour;last;year
and;I;had;an;amazing;time,”;Malone;tells;us.;“There;are;absolutely;no;weak;links;in
this;band,;so;I;have;to;stay;on;my;toes.”;This;summer,;you;can;also;expect;to;see
a;guitar;trio;record,;which;is;a;first;for;Malone.;“I;felt;I;needed;to;really;refine;some
aspects;of;my;playing;in;order;to;prepare;for;this;album,”;he;says.;Joining;him;on
the;album;is;bassist;David;Wong;and;drummer;Montez;Coleman.;“On;this;album
we;will;be;not;only;playing;some;tunes;from;the;masters;of;American;Music;such
as;Quincy;Jones;and;Ron;Carter,;but;also;some;originals;I;have;been;working;on.”
When;it;comes;to;gear,;Malone;sticks;to;the;traditional;archtop;sound;that;he
grew;up;listening;to.;He;plays;a;Sadowsky;LS- 17;that;is;based;in;part;on;his
Gibson;L5,;but;with;a;thinner;body.;“When;I;am;on;the;road;I;usually;request
either;a;Fender;Twin;or;a;Roland;JC- 120,”;he;says.;“…they;are;not;only;easy;to
find,;but;give;me;a;consistent;sound;from;night;to;night.”;—Jason;Shadrick
