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Jazz/Fusion Tone King
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Guitarist Shawn Needham submitted his seven song demo CD-R entitled It's Been Said, which features a variety of instrumental fusion and jazz tracks, all instrumental, and puts the spotlight on the fluid fretwork which holds it all together. Unlike a lot of fusion players who dial in a favorite tone and stick with it for years, Needham likes to use a number of different tones, selecting a tone that best suits the composition. He uses a tough overdriven tone to supercharge the energetic "Lunchbox", while selecting a more Metheny-esque sound for the jazzy "Crash And Burn". His cover of "Feel Like Makin' Love" features a buttery smooth chord melody and double tracked comping, before giving way to a flowing overdriven solo - nice! Needham has mastered the delivery of lush, lyrical and melodic lines while throwing in harmonic surprises to keep the listener engaged, which should give fans reason to anticipate his upcoming new albums.
Shawn has been a professional musician for many years. Beginning his guitar studies at the age of 7, he has developed into a well-rounded, intelligent musician. Versatility as a guitarist has enabled Shawn to work steadily for many years. He has been active in many groups including the East coast rock band Cape Fear, the Boston based jazz/funk group Nothing Nice and the original project Cold Fusion, to name a few. Shawn has also appeared on various records as a "hired gun" studio player - not to mention he's managed a successful private teaching practice for many years. Before relocating to the Nashville area to pursue his performing career, Shawn was one of the most sought after guitar teachers in Eastern Massachusetts, at times having an eight to twelve month waiting list of students.
In the past few years Needham has dedicated all his efforts to his own music. He is recording two albums with his trio and plans to soon be releasing his third as a leader with a larger group.
Contact Information
Shawn Needham
1317 Cass Ave.
Evansville, IN 47714
United States
E-mail:
Shawn Needham
Web site:
www.shawnneedham.org
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Warp-Speed Washington Shredder
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That flurry of double-picked, legato and swept lines you're hearing in your head may be headed your way from Washington State, as shredder Wayde Cooper bids to "dedicate the totality of his physical gifts and scientific genius to the creation of a better world for all musicians!" He submitted his CD-R release Off The Hook, a sonic treat of metal, hard rock and general heaviosity that will have fans of melodic groove soloing heading for the exits, and fans of all-out, balls-to-the-wall shred soloing clamoring to get in the front row to witness Cooper's flying fingers. The all instrumental album features eleven tracks, and if each track doesn't impress you with its massive display of burning, in-your-face, up-your-nose, eardrum-slamming, cerebrum-piercing guitar solos - well then, you must not be as big a shred enthusiast as you first thought. Off The Hook - a snarling, uncompromising monument to furious fretwork.
Wayde has released five CDs of doom on Fossil Records and one instructional CD ROM of terror on Chops From Hell. He also appeared in Mike Varney's Hometown Heroes column ten years ago, in the March 1994 issue of Guitar World magazine, and has been involved with the Seattle music scene since 1999. Wayde possesses all of the 80's and 90's guitar hero powers - with even greater strength. He can disguise himself to look like any person he can imagine, and is invisible to the mass public. His fingers can rip out arpeggios at lighting speed plus he is capable of legato combat fighting utilizing string skipping to outwit his opponents. His 32nd note runs allow him to keep up with his adversaries with ease. And if that's not enough, Wayde's ultra earth shaking rhythm of terror can stop people in their tracks every time.
Cooper has endorsements with both Seymour Duncan and Morley Pedals, and is currently rehearsing songs with fellow Washington guitarist Jeffrey Ryan Smoots for the Smoots-Cooper-Reindel Project.
Contact Information
Wayde Cooper
3816 132nd St. SW #B
Lynnwood, WA 98037
United States
E-mail:
Wayde Cooper
Web site:
www.waydecooper.com
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Vol. 17, No. 2: Feb.-Mar. 2012
