Results for "Alex Skolnick"

Alex Skolnick

Alex Skolnick, born in 1968, grew up in Berkeley, California. At age nine, a fascination with the rock group Kiss led to a desire to learn guitar. At age sixteen, Alex tried out for a local band called Legacy. Shortly after graduating from high school, he found himself recording his first album with the group, who by this time had changed their name to Testament. What followed were five albums and countless tours with, among others, Megadeth, Slayer, Judas Priest, and White Zombie. Alex received critical acclaim for his lead guitar work, which had been inspired by heroes such as Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, ranking high in many guitar magazine polls, often as 'Best Thrash Guitarist' and 'Most Underrated Guitarist.' In addition to his metal accomplishments, Alex has made a mark that no one would have predicted: as a jazz guitarist

PAKT at ShapeShifter Lab

By MARK SULLIVAN

PAKT ShapeShifter Lab Brooklyn, New York August 15, 2020 For their live stream concert from Brooklyn's ShapeShifter Lab, guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer, fretless bass guitarist Percy Jones and drummer Kenny Grohowski followed New York's pandemic guidelines: they wore masks and maintained a six-foot social distance. So retroactively, organizer Leonardo ...

Atlanta Jazz Festival 2019

By MARK SULLIVAN

Atlanta Jazz Festival Atlanta, GA May 25-26, 2019 Last year the festival operated under the threat of rain all weekend. This year's 42nd edition saw record-tying high temperatures: 93 and 94 degrees Fahrenheit (ten degrees above the historical averages). No doubt it is a coincidence that the programming was cooler than last ...

Matt Hooke's Best Releases of 2017

By MATT HOOKE

2017 marked the first year that I wrote for All About Jazz, and I got to experience some phenomenal music. It was a diverse year in jazz, international artists like Tony Allen and Seckou Keita brought unique perspectives to jazz. Other artists like Chris Thile, Brad Mehldau, and Dayme Arocena, released some of their best work ...

Jane Getter Premonition: ON Tour

By JOHN KELMAN

With the release of ON (Madfish/Snapper, 2015)--the debut album with her newly minted Premonition band--guitarist Jane Getter completed her move from the funk/fusion guitar workouts of her first two albums (1997's Jane and 2005's See Jane Run) towards a more progressive leaning which began with Three (Alternity, 2012). It's a move that the New York-based Getter ...

ArtistShare: A Record Label for the Digital Age

By PAUL NASER

In the information age, as technology is transforming the way we share ideas, the creative artist seems to be in a dangerous situation. Peer-to-peer file sharing and free-streaming content are direct threats to an artists' livelihood. Combining this insight with a love for music and an appreciation for artists and the value of their work, Brian ...

Randy Klein's Two Duos: What's Next?

By DAN BILAWSKY

Randy Klein launched his Two Duos series with Sunday Morning (Jazzheads, 2010), pairing the pianist up with trombonist Chris Washburne and tenor saxophonist Oleg Kireyev, but he leaves the horns behind for this follow-up. This time around, Klein turns to two different, but equally skilled string men. Guitarist Alex Skolnick, reborn as a jazz guitarist but ...