Generation Ibanez Project Review of "Across The Miles" @ iTunes By: Bob Powers he Generation Ibanez Project's first CD, "Across the Miles" has an interesting history. Guitarist Eric Sands of the group Man of Fire told me, "I was interested in the whole seven-string guitar thing and started doing some research on the Net about it. I found a site called "The Ibanez JEM and Universe Collectors Site". Sands saw the site has had many visitors, which gave him the idea "to make something tangible which embodied the sentiments of the people hanging around that site. I thought it would be cool to see what ordinary people are doing with Ibanez JEM and Universe seven-string guitars." Sands suggested a compilation CD, enlisting the help of Glen Cianciulli, a webmaster in New Jersey. The latter helped Sands recruit Ken Burtch, a guitarist, who posted a notice on his site. "Responses started coming in from around the world," said Sands. "Glen, Ken and I formed a board to judge the tapes and to organize production of the CD. The end product has players from all over the world, including France, the U.S. and Australia." It took just nine months to complete the project, "just like having a baby," he said. Steve Vai, who designed the guitars, agreed to put a link on his Web site and his assistant, Rich Pike, reviewed the album in Steve Vai's Newsletter. More reviews are scheduled in Guitar Shop magazine and the Polish guitar publication Gitara I bas. The CD contains 14 tracks, beginning with two excellent compositions by Sands, backed by drummer Mark Dixon on "Moe," and by Jeff Hodges on keyboards and electronic percussion on "Hanglider." Other bands come from Texas, Spokane, Wash., Atlanta, Paris, France, and San Diego, Calif. It's an excellent album, with great sounds abounding in nearly every song. Sands believes that "never before have players come together from all over the world to produce a CD whose details and decisions were made solely by e-mail." It's a strange world we live in, readers. © Bob Powers / G21: The World`s Magazine Moe Dominion For Distraction Plastic Sin Release Threshold Hatched Dreams Of An Ancient Sun