List of Dream Guitars V.2: Fender

This is the second part of an on going series where I state my dream guitars by brand. I want to apologize for the wait on this one, I've been busy with a lot of work and practices, but hopefully I'll be settled in and pounding out post. Anyways, this list is made up of Fender dream guitars. This is just my opinon, but I hope you enjoy it anyways.

Fender's

1 - 1950 original Fender Esquire - Alder

2 - 1950 Fender Broadcaster - Alder

3 - 1950 Fender No-Caster - Alder

4 - 1951-1964 Fender Telecaster - Cream

5 - 1954-1964 Fender Stratocaster - Sunburst

6 - 2009 John Mayer "The One" Stratocaster - Black

7 - 1962 Fender Jaguar - Ocean Turqoise

there you have it, the Fender list. I'll be posting some news, but if the music news stream gets dried up, I'll move on to other big brands. I might even do top 10 basses and acoustic guitars. bye for now

Lenny Breau Tribute Concert

Today I had the pleasure hearing some of Maine's greatest talent. From the legendary Denny Breau, to the "Gunslinger" Arlo West, to a well known teacher and guitarist Steve Grenier, and my own brother Nate Telow. Now while this would be an amazing concert in it's own, the fact that it was for a great cause only made it more enjoyable. Now what was the cause you may be wondering... it was for the Lenny Breau Memorial Scholarship. Helping musicians who are less fortunate monetarily wise but talented none the less get to the place they want to be. Now since the concert was free admission, the money needed to come from side products. So they had food, drink, silent auctions, raffles, and t-shirts. I quickly snagged a t-shirt for fear of them running out (I was correct). I then watched as some great acts went on playing classic rock, to blues, to jazz. I then met up with my brother and talked with him while admiring the huge collection of strats and teles onstage. We where than asked by Nate's original teacher to check out his new teaching studios. We entered the first one and obliviously ignored a beaten up case in the corner. Steve casually said "you see that case in the corner?" and we nodded with a bit of an unsure look. He than said "Lenny's guitar is in there, get it out." and our unsureness turned to pure disbelief. When It was taken out, to some it may have just looked like a guitar, but to people like us who enjoy the guitar in it's entirity, it is a symbol. A symbol of a hero and a shrine to his legendary legacy. The only way I can really describe it is surreal. I imagine it would be like an aspiring artist holding Picasso's paint brush, or an amateur ball player holding Babe Ruth's bat. Steve than gave me a poster commemorating the event. We than walked outside, and the heat finally snapped me out of the daze the guitar put me in. I than looked for Denny Breau to sign my poster. I finally found him and he said: "Who should I make it out too?" and I replied with "Alex Telow" he took the pen away from the poster and said "Your a Telow?" I felt proud to say "Yes, Nate is my older brother". We than began a discussion about guitar and it's entirity and the art and I told him how I was a huge fan of his. As we were talking he was called to the stage to perform. He than signed my poster:

"Alex, Keep Pickin"

-Denny Breau

He said "see ya later kid" and walked off. I than glanced at my poster to see the signature of a legend, and brother of another legend. I was filled with positive energy and couldn't stop smiling. I than watched as he performed, and than as my brother performed. Denny finally closed the show with a set. To someone who is not a Mainer, Denny or Arlo may not be know, and to someone who is not a guitarist Lenny Breau might not be known, but that doesn't deminish their reputation. They are all legends whether it's locally, nationally, or in Lenny's case internationally. And if you have not discovered Lenny's music I would check it out. If you aren't a guitarist you still might find it fascinating. But if you are a guitarist, get ready to spend hours on end trying to play things that Lenny made almost simple looking. Now this if you couldn't tell is not a bio on Lenny. I may do one in the very near future if I have the time, just to open your minds to a genius. He is truly in our hearts and minds.

"The sound of silence is intense."

- Lenny Breau

- Telow

Local Talent: part 1

I am starting another series of post to fill time in between post of important music updates. This series will focus on local musicians putting their heart and soul into a craft that we all love. I will tell you there style, give them a rating 1-5 stars, and post a link to their music. Now I only think it's fair that I start with an artist I have know for most of my life. My best friend Rob Burnell. Now this may be biased a little, but music is always biased, if you like Prog Rock you may say Rush is better than Led Zeppelin (not true), so all music love is gonna be biased. Now he may be my closest friend, but his music just happens to be great, don't believe me, take a listen for yourself.




Name: Rob Burnell

Genre: Acoustic, Alternative

Signed: no

website: myspace.com/robburnell

basic A minor pentatonic scale

for the beginner guitarist just starting that want to solo all over the place... STOP!!! That will come with time, but something you can use right off the back is the A minor pentatonic scale. In fact many musicians use it today no matter their skill level. If you are interested in Jazz guitar than read no further, this is purely ROCK!!!

e/----5----------8--------
B/----5----------8-------
G/----5----------7-------
D/----5----------7 --------
A/----5----------7-------
E/----5----------8-------

go wild

- Telow

Remembering a Legend

As some of you know, an icon in the music industry passed on just yesterday. The legendary Les Paul (born June 9, 1915) died at the age of 94 at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. Complications with pneumonia were the cause of death, but not all the information has been released. This post is mainly just to continue his legacy by sharing information so that future guitarists and musicians alike find his music and discover a piece of themselves in it.

Les Paul was born on June 9, 1915 in Waukesha, Wisconsin to George and Evelyn Polsfuss. His parents divorced when he was a child. His first introduction to music was at age 8 when started playing the harmonica. He then began playing guitar after a failed attempt at learning the banjo. By age 13 he was playing semi-professionally, and by 17 he had dropped out of high school and began playing with a radio band in St. Louis, Missouri. He started using the stage name Les Paul. He released his first two solo albums in 1936, one under an alter-ego and one with a blues accompianist name Georgia White. In January of 1948 Les Paul was almost killed in an automobile accident. He shattered his right arm in the crash and was told by doctors that he would never be able to move it again. So in true legendary fashion, he had them perform surgery on it to make it permanently angled at 90 degrees. This way he could hold his pick and rest it on the guitar. The way his arm was angled, led to the small body that was apart of the orignal Les Paul guitar construction. He also created one of the most notorious early electric models "the log" which solved the problem he had with acoutics that were made in the 30's and 40's. Later in his career he did quite a bit with radios and recording materials. In 1978 he was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and ten years later he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Besides being one of the most influential people music has ever seen, Paul was a philanthropist and God-Father of Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band. In fact he gave the guitarist his first guitar lesson. While one post won't do this legend justice, I just hope it will open the eyes of some younger people who haven't heard of him or his music. Thanks for everything Les, your in our Hearts.

- Telow

references used for articles.

1. Voices from the Smithsonian Associates. Les Paul, Musician and Inventor. Archived at www.archive.org.

2. Guitarist and recording pioneer Les Paul dies, aged 94. The List. August 13, 2009.

3. Les Paul, 90, releases tribute album. CBC. October 12, 2005.

4. Benson, John (November 12, 2008). Rock hall to honor Les Paul. Vindy.com.

5. American Masters (2007 Season) - "Les Paul: Chasing Sound" – thirteen WNET New York

6. Les Paul, Pioneer of Electric Guitar, Inventor, Dies at 94

List of Dream Guitars V.1: Gibson

This is just a fun list I did, because I was bored. It's of Guitar I would get if I had enough money to just go wild. This list is of Gibson guitars only, I will post Fender and PRS etc. in the future. enjoy.

Gibson's:

1 - '57 Gibson Les Paul - Gold Top

2 - '54 Gibson Les Paul Custom - Black Beauty

3 - '09 Gibson ES-335 - Vintage Sunburst

4 - '69 Gibson Flying V - Cream

5 - '58 Gibson EDS-1275 - Worn Cherry

6 - '61 Gibson SG - Worn Cherry

7 - '09 Gibson Les Paul Standard - Ice Tea

there's my Gibson list, I will post other brand's "dream list" as soon as I have time.

-Telow

Concert at Fenway

On August 6, I was able to see a true legend and pioneer in the music industry. Many ask the question: "What is the greatest band of all time?", and I'm sure most people reach the same conclusion. Yes I'm talking about The Beatles! The Fab Four started back in 1957 and laid claim to America in 1964. The played the Ed Sullivan show of that year, and the world knew they were something special. I was not even a thought in my parents head at that point in time, but I can imagine being in Shea Stadium (home of the New York Mets) on August 15, 1965 at the height of BeatleMania, and hearing the 55,000 fans in attendance going wild. They eventually went from a bubbly pop scene to a type of music they practically created: Art Rock. Many other artist have attempted this style but few shine like the Beatles did. The Beatles eventually split in 1970, and John Lennon and George Harrison have both passed on (the former in 1980 was shot to death, and the latter in 2001 because of Lung Cancer). "Now what is the point of telling The Beatles history?" you may ask. While I may not of seen them, I did see a member of The Beatles at Fenway Park. Sir Paul McCartney, wrote most of The Beatles songs along with John Lennon and was the Bass Player (even though he would play guitar, piano, and ukulele on some tracks. In fact he played drums on the entire White Album.) Yes it was Paul McCartney I saw at Fenway and it was the greatest concert I have seen to date. He played the whole night, without taking one break, came out for an encore, and did a plethora of Beatles songs. It is a tie for my favorite part of the night between Hey Jude and Live and Let Die. At the end of Hey Jude, he managed to get the whole attendance doing the "na na na na" and than split it into sections. My other favorite moment took place during Live and Let Die. He was singing the song: "...makes you give in and cry - da na na - say live and let..." and write as he said "die!" fireworks shot up out of the stadium, alongside huge pyro explosion. It was captivating and happened throughout the song, to keep you on your toes. So this definetly is my favorite concert and that is nothing to sneeze at, I have seen B.B. King, Peter Frampton, and even Bryan Adams and Foreigner together. But this one is tops. All I have to say is: "Keep up the good work Paul, we still love you."

- Telow