Sunday night just might have been the highlight of Guitar Month here in LA. At the Canyon Club, fresh off recording their smoking Eclectic album, guitarists from two different worlds descended from Mt. Olympus to give the citizens of their kingdoms jazz and rock gifts from on high. Jazzer Mike Stern along with rock icon Eric Johnson teamed up with the hard hitting rhythm team of Chris Maresh/b and Anton Fig for a two hour match that was a fret fanatic feast.
The comparisons and contrast between the two guitarists was evident even on sight; Stern, leaning back from his axe as if observing the landscape of his progressive chords from afar, while Johnson, lurching and hunching over the neck as if inspecting every single note. With Fig’s mix of deft handedness and heavy hitting, the two guitarists displayed two different ways to climb Half Dome, as pieces such as Johnson’s rollicking “Roll With It” and Stern’s cerebrally swinging “Remember” had the pair going back and forth like long jumpers to see who could reach the farthest distance with their approach. A Wes Montgomery-inspired “Tidal” had Johnson picking and grinning, while he took a boogie ride with Fig on the Les Paul bopping “Benny Man’s Blues.” Stern, while causing the eyeballs of the Johnson fans to pop out of their sockets with his mystifying mix of other worldly chords and finger picking good note selection, was also able to show the softer side of life, giving the soft glove treatment to “Wishing Well” that had his notes drop like morning dew before Johnson joined in to create a slowly growing floodgate of rushing waters to close the tune.
But, just when you thought you were satiated with guitars, up walks Paul Gilbert to form a guitar trio as the team joyfully shreds “Dry Ice” to pieces, with Johnson even throwing in a couple “Iron Man” riffs as a musical wink. The onslaught was a musical version of the stampede scene in Red River, with dust flying in multiple directions. Once it had settled, and OK Corral was cleaned up, Johnson delivered his fans gifts of joy with “Desert Rose” and the anthematic “Cliffs of Dover” making people jig in the aisles.
So, how do you close a gig like this? How else-THE BLUES! Johnson and Stern both wailed on strings and vocals and Jimi Hendrix’s “Red House” was burned down to its foundation, with no fire department in sight.
As the guy who sat next to me said, “Jazzy rock and rocking jazz is as close as a hint of heaven we’re gonna get outside the Bible.” Amen to that, brother!
Other guitar friendly shows coming up at the Canyon Club include Ottmar Liebert/Feb 15, Johnny Lang/Mar 28 and Buddy Guy/Apr 10