If you look over at my links column on the right hand side of my screen, you will see that I have added Joe Robinson, who happens to be one of the best guitarists in the world, he is only 18 years old but he has already made waves around the world with his mesmerising skills as an acoustic instrumentalist.
I was totally blown away by the sounds he was extracting out of an acoustic Maton guitar, it was just bloody incredible stuff.
He is so damn good I have given him a permanent gig on the Lost Treasures home page with a link.
I dont think I have ever listened to guitar music with no words and thought it was so great like I do with this immensely talented young Australian.
Robinson makes his guitar literally speak by pitching power chords against one another and playing melodies and chords simultaneously to give the effect he is a two man band.
He has this totally bizarre ability to play a melody with a distinctly Latin feel while at the same time cooking up a chord laden storm with some complicated arrangements which has notably caught the attention of a few musicians who fit into instrumentalist category, notibly Steve Vai and Dweezil Zappa from the US.
Unlike Vai and Zappa though, Robinson weaves his magic on an acoustic guitar and with no backing band beefing up his sound.
I`m not saying Vai and Zappa aren`t incredibly talented men, they are, but on the scale of age versus ability and the sophistication of equipment used I actually
think Robinson is ahead of these giants in the instrumental rock world.
think Robinson is ahead of these giants in the instrumental rock world.
I actually saw Robinson play two songs at
the 2010 Maton Guitar Showcase in Tamworth last year, he opened the show and I tapped my mum on the shoulder and said `man alive, can this kid play a guitar or what`.
the 2010 Maton Guitar Showcase in Tamworth last year, he opened the show and I tapped my mum on the shoulder and said `man alive, can this kid play a guitar or what`.
I was totally blown away by the sounds he was extracting out of an acoustic Maton guitar, it was just bloody incredible stuff.
By the sounds of it, it seems that Robinson has a very good future ahead of him in the stakes of critical recognition, but his career probably needs a few kickstarts to get him the commercial success he thoroughly deserves.
His name is out there, he does have a hardcore and loyal following I believe, but his main stumbling block in developing a much greater mainstream audience base will be the fact he is `just an instrumentalist`.
Normally I`d be the first one to wave the boring banner with an instrumentalist, and unless you are talking about a guitarist with quirky and unrehearsed talent like Robinson who has that special ingredient called magic I really do think instrumental music normally is too self indulgent to be
entertaining, at least to most casual music lovers.
entertaining, at least to most casual music lovers.
Joe Robinson is a freak, but a good freak. A real genius of the acoustic guitar who I believe will one day become a commercial success story and a legend. I think we
should all do our bit to help him reach his potential by going along to one of his shows if we get a chance.
should all do our bit to help him reach his potential by going along to one of his shows if we get a chance.
He is so damn good I have given him a permanent gig on the Lost Treasures home page with a link.
Of course you know he won Australia's got talent,( possibly the first real talent to win it) and has a lot in common with the Emmanual brothers and of course that naturally means (as soon as you start talking two guitar tunes at the same time on one guitar), Chet Aitkins.
ReplyDeleteShowing my age?. . . you betcha.
Oh yeah, he sure did, but man could he play a guitar, and to this day I think it would be a rare fingerpicker who wouldn't rate him as an influence,. . ;)
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