He rocked a stadium playing Hendrix songs with Hendrix's former bandmates, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding. He has worked with Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood, Whitney Houston, Busta Rhymes, Kenny Loggins, Booker T. Jones, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, India  Arie, Chaka Khan, and many other superstars. And he records his own solo music, which you're about to hear. We're talking about guitarist/singer VERNON ICE BLACK, who, on this episode, plugs in one of his favorite custom guitars, demonstrates his favorite funk licks and improvisation approaches, and also shares some of his solo music. Hosted by JUDE GOLD. This episode is presented by Guitar Player magazine, and guitarplayer.com.

123 - Vernon Ice Black

NO GUITAR IS SAFE 
The Guitar Show where Guitar Heroes Plug In. 
Hosted by Jude Gold.

Music

Albert King and B.B. King both loved CHRIS CAIN. And so will you. Previewing tracks from his new album, Good Intentions Gone Bad (out July 19th on Alligator Records), and playing a ton of guitar (as well as singing!) for you, blues legend Cain jams with host Jude Gold and shows you how he went from being a little kid going with his dad to attend concerts by the three kings (Albert, B.B. and Freddie) to becoming a world renowned blues artist in his own right. This episode is presented by Guitar Player magazine.

176 | Chris Cain Plays the Blues for You and Previews His New Album, Good Intentions Gone Bad

More than just an interview and jam with the great guitarist DAMON WOOD (currently of SEAL PARTY), this episode is also a portal back to the amazing "thrash funk" era of San Francisco Bay Area music, an exciting time in the late '80s/early '90s when live bands pushing an infectious new genre of music ruled the Bay Area clubs. Some of the acts coming up in this  scene — Primus, Limbomaniacs, and Fungo Mungo come to mind — lived up to the genre description by alternating danceable funk grooves with heavy, head-bang-able rock riffs, typically within the same song. However, SMOKING SECTION — Damon Wood's immensely popular Bay Area dance band — truly delivered the "funk" half of the thrash/funk equation, and in spectacular fashion. And in this episode Damon relives those unforgettable days — and Smoking Section's unforgettable grooves — in all their glory, and celebrates the fact that Smoking Section's album "Smooth & Nasty" is finally (after over three decades!) available for you to hear on Spotify, Apple Music, and just about every other streaming service. Presented by GUITAR PLAYER magazine. Hosted by JUDE GOLD.

175 | Damon Wood Relives Smoking Section's "Smooth & Nasty" Grooves

Vic Johnson returns! The longtime lead guitarist for Sammy Hagar, Vic invites you into Hagar’s Northern California studio, where he fires up his glorious “tri-stereo” wet/dry/wet rig and demonstrates some tones, plays some riffs, takes a few solos, and relives adventures with everyone from Total Eclipse — his badass ’90s metal band — to the the Bus Boys, Eddie Murphy, Michael Anthony, Dr. Dre, Suge Knight and, of course the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar. (Note: Vic also appeared on Ep. 8 of this show, recorded back in September of 2015. All previous episodes are still posted, so go deep!)
Presented by GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE and GUITARPLAYER.COM. Hosted by Jude Gold.

174 | Vic Johnson Invites You Into Sammy Hagar's Studio, Where He Plugs In an Amazing Guitar Rig

From hearing David Bowie strum a simple acoustic chord pattern while singing the words "let's dance" to transforming the sketch into the superstar singer's biggest hit, NILE RODGERS (in this flashback to Episode 125) relives step by step how he pulled off the feat. He also details meeting a new musician on the session — a future guitar hero that Bowie's "Let's Dance" album would soon introduce to the world: a young Texan named Stevie Ray Vaughan.  (ABOUT THE "REWIND" SERIES: There is simply too much treasure in No Guitar Is Safe's ever-growing archive of back episodes not to revisit some great moments once in awhile! That is why now, between new episodes, you can expect to be hit with short, curated, "fun size," easily digestible REWIND posts in which we "roll back the tape" and listen back to a magical moment in this show's history.) This episode is presented by GUITAR PLAYER magazine and hosted by JUDE GOLD.

REWIND | Nile Rodgers Transforms a David Bowie Guitar Sketch Into a Megahit

Chicago guitar ace DAN PETERS pushes his Gretsch 6120 to new limits by playing everything from rockabilly to blues slide to shred metal on the iconic hollowbody. Dan also deconstructs the energetic music of the West Side Winders and the Dan Peters Band — his two main original projects over the years — as well as shares his approaches to playing with star singers such as DEE SNIDER, and the art of almost falling down the stairs in a Broadway musical. This episode is presented by GUITAR PLAYER magazine and guitarplayer.com. Hosted by JUDE GOLD.

123 - Vernon Ice Black

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