Beyond the Frets

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week I had the pleasure of meeting Sherri Chung, an award winning film & television composer. She has scored numerous feature films, documentaries, and commercials, as well as notable television series such as Batwoman, Riverdale, and The Red Line. As a lifelong cinephile myself, Sherri was able to fill me in on the nitty gritty details of what it's really like to be a Hollywood composer! We also discuss the relationships between composer and director/writer, how much improvisation is a part of her process, and much more. Find her at https://www.sherrichung.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. You heard Sherri's music from "Happiness for Beginners" and "Kung Fu". 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week I had the pleasure of sitting down in person with Jaak Sooäär, a world-renowned guitarist and educator from Estonia. He filled me in on the riveting history of jazz behind the iron curtain, the educational system in Europe, and how he forged a career as a modern guitarist. Find more at https://sooaar.com/bio/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. The track you heard is "Zula" by Jaak.

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features songwriter Abigayle Kompst, a fantastic up-and-coming talent based in Nashville. A recent graduate of Belmont University's historic songwriting program, Abigayle released her first EP "Vegas" in 2022. I had a blast talking with her about her musical upbringing, the songwriting process, and her ambitious goal of writing over 100 songs alone last year. Find her music at https://www.abigaylekompst.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. The tracks you heard are "i blame the tv" and "Making All This Up" by Abigayle Kompst. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features Sean McGowan. Sean is a world-renowned solo jazz guitarist, educator, and author. We had a wonderful conversation talking about teaching music with physical and mental health in mind, navigating the music business, finding his voice through solo guitar and SO much more. Find Sean at https://seanmcgowanguitar.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. The tracks you heard are "Get Me To The Church On Time" "Bye-Ya" and "Stolen Moments" from Sean McGowan. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features Jaime Slutzky. Jaime is a behind the scenes wiz at helping music educators build their online platforms, increase automation and efficiency, and grow their audiences. Whether you're an educator, creator, artist, or student, you're going to get a really in-depth glimpse at the inner workings of this ever-expanding online music education model. If you're interested in more, Jaime hosts her own podcast, which you can find here https://techofbusiness.com/episodes/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. The track you heard is "Spring in Ohio" written by Zakk Jones. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features Ray Suhy. Ray is a guitarist that is fully entrenched in both the metal and jazz worlds, playing for bands like Six Feet Under and Cannabis Corpse while also leading a modern quartet with Lewis Porter. We talked a lot about the similarities between the two seemingly opposing genres, and how he approaches the two. Find more at https://www.lessonface.com/instructor/ray-suhy Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. The interlude track you heard is "Mr. Tyner" from Ray's album Transcendent. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features Frank Potenza. Frank is one of the founding fathers of jazz guitar pedagogy who spent his early days at Berklee and now has been a professor at USC for many years. His sophisticated, swinging style can be heard on records by Gene Harris and under his own name. For many years he had a close relationship with Joe Pass, which we touched on in addition to his thoughts on modern jazz education and much more! Find more at https://frankpotenza.com/  Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features Adam Levy. Adam is a prolific sideman, session player, bandleader, and educator. His talents can be heard with artists as diverse as Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones, Vulfpeck, and many others. He also is an indelible force on modern guitar education, with his series "Guitar Tips Pro" illuminating so many great tidbits about music and life. I had a fabulous time talking about his educational influences, finding your "scene", and how he ended up such a consummate musician and teacher. Find more at https://www.adamlevy.com/  Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! This episode features Adam's composition "The Heart Collector". Produced, recorded, and mixed by Zakk Jones. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features one of the absolute legends in this industry, Bobby Broom. From playing with Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis to leading his own dynamic groups, Bobby is as consummate a musician you'll ever find. It was a pleasure to talk to him about education, sticking to your guns, and how he developed the iconic sound of his trio. Find his music at http://www.bobbybroom.com/  Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! This episode features Bobby's version of "Evidence" by Thelonious Monk. 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the zen master himself, Tim Lerch. A world renowned guitarist and educator, Tim has decades of experience as a consummate solo jazz guitarist in addition to his work with Pearl Django, Jamie Findlay and many others. His gentle spirit, patience, and depth of knowledge clearly shows in this 90 minute interview. This is a truly memorable conversation for me, and many of his words of advice and anecdotes will sit with me for a long time to come. Find Tim's playing and educational content at https://www.timlerch.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! This episode features Tim's version of "George On My Mind".

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the multi-talented Chase Potter. I've known Chase for almost 10 years, and he is a staple in the Midwest and Brooklyn known for his incredible virtuosity on violin, bass, guitar, and everything in between. He's played with everyone from Machine Gun Kelly to Granny 4 Barrel to Lalah Hathaway. We talk about his latest self-produced album "Hitchhike to Oblivion",  his writing/recording process, the pros and cons of digital streaming, being true as an artist and much more. I'm proud to call this fella a close friend and musical collaborator! If you want to hear this great album go to his website at  https://www.chasepottermusic.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! This episode edited/mixed by Chase Potter. The song you hear after the intro and outro is "Toothless" by Chase Potter.

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the wild mr. Noel Johnston. Besides being an in demand guitarist in the greater Dallas area, he teaches at the University of North Texas, co-owns Lone Star Music Academy, creates hilarious instagram videos and even wrote his own book "Voicing Modes". I had a blast talking to him about his ability to command so many different musical styles, and you'll get to hear him not only talk but play quite a bit as we nerd out about harmony and rhythm! Find more about Noel at www.noeljohnston.com Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! This episode edited/mixed by Ronan Delisle

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the consummate guitarist and educator Jake Estner.  Jake is someone I've admired for years, having found him on Instagram way back, and I'm always amazed at his ability to dive so deep into harmony, rhythm, and practice concepts. I had a blast talking to him about  teaching beginners, finding joy in education,  his  journey coming up in the Boston area and much more...so much more in fact that this will be a two-fer interview! The second episode will pick up with an amazing story about how Jake got to sit in with Dweezil Zappa's band not too long ago. Find more about Jake at https://www.jakeestner.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com!

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the ferocious guitarist and educator Shawn Purcell. He currently plays with the prestigious Navy Commodores, teaches at George Mason University, and leads his own projects. I had a blast talking to him about his thoughts on arranging, his process in teaching a successful collegiate guitar studio, his military band experiences and much more! Find more about Shawn at https://www.shawnpurcell.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com!

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features one of my favorite local Columbus heroes, Kevin Turner.  He currently works with Grammy award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, teaches at The Ohio State University, and has played with the likes of Ray Charles, Hank Marr, Dr. John and many many more. I asked Kevin about his experiences playing almost 7 nights a week by the time he was a teenager, he tells an amazing story that brought him back from a close encounter with retirement,  and we nerd out about our favorite players. I hope you laugh just as much as we did! Find more about Kevin at https://www.kevinturnermusic.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features one of the world's greatest guitarists, educators, and ice-cream eaters, Corey Christiansen! Now the head of the guitar department at Utah State University, I talk to Corey about his views on professionalism, mentorship, education, and bridging the gap between rural and urban. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Find more about Corey at http://coreychristiansen.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the amazing Cecil Alexander, a guitarist, composer and educator that has made a name for himself for the past few years– most recently being a finalist in the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Competition (formerly the Monk competition).  After attending Berklee College of Music (B.M. Jazz Composition) and William Patterson University (M.M. Jazz Performance), Cecil now is an adjunct faculty member at UCLA, releases his own educational materials online through his website and is set to release a debut album later in 2021. Our conversation took us through his background, influences, important lessons from his musical mentors like Gene Bertoncini, and he gives us a glimpse into what he's cooking up musically in 2021. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message at beyondthefretspodcast@gmail.com! 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  This week's episode features the fabulous Barry Greene, a guitarist and educator in Jacksonville, FL. Barry has spent the past 25 years as the guitar professor at University of North Florida, in addition to building a large online lesson community and playing his butt off all over the world. We talk in depth about his ability to embrace new technology and methods of teaching, while still firmly rooted in tradition. Barry has some great stories about Vic Juris, Dave Kikoski, and getting his butt kicked on gigs and you'll also get to hear part of a track form his last record "Resurgence" (2018), featuring Jamison Ross on drums. If you want to hear more about Barry and his phenomenal online jazz lessons, check out https://www.barrygreene.com/ Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message! 

Beyond the Frets is your chance to hear in-depth conversations with legendary guitarists, educators and composers about their process, struggles, accomplishments and thoughts on the modern music industry.  I'm beyond thrilled to have Ben Monder as the first guest for Beyond the Frets. Ben has been an axiom in the modern jazz world since his emergence in the early 90's, and has since played with greats like Paul Motian, Maria Schneider, Donny McCaslin and David Bowie. His own output as a bandleader, composer, and guitarist is extraordinary and entirely singular. Ask your favorite guitarist who THEIR favorite guitarist is and the chances are Ben Monder will be on their list. Enjoy this almost hour long conversation with him as we talk about his involvement in Dan Weiss's "StareBaby", what inspired him to pursue solo guitar, his compositional process, the age of social media and much more! Sit Down. Grab an Axe. Get Abducted. If you like Beyond the Frets and want to support us, please SHARE, subscribe, and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you may be listening. Visit the podcast at beyondthefrets.com and drop us a message! Find more about Ben at Benmonder.com and support his music.