This week, Alex answers listener questions on the very first #AskAlex episode. The questions gathered from fans over the last few weeks range from what inspires him musically to how he comes up with his solos - “write it or wing it?”, as one fan asked; which guitar he would take to a desert island, what spicy foods are on his list, and more. It’s a fun, revealing episode that will bring you closer to the artist himself.

This is the first in a series of #AskAlex episodes, so feel free to ask a question on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for a future episode. (just be sure to use the #)

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd.

Visit SunsetLakeCBD.com and use the promo code MODES for 20% off premium CBD products.

Visit www.musicmasterscollective.org/modes to learn more about unique music summer camps and events.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A member of the New York Philharmonic’s first violin section since 2001, Yulia Ziskel, who holds The Friends and Patrons Chair, has established herself as a highly acclaimed solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. She has been praised by The Strad Magazine for “the sweetness of her sound.” This week, she joins Alex to discuss her upbringing in Russia, the evolution of her career, and the intersection of classical, rock, and metal. The two discuss classical pieces that have been translated into modern music, and Ziskel shares some musical influences that may surprise you.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Yulia Ziskel began her musical training on the violin and piano at the age of four. She made her solo debut at age seven at the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall and at age twelve was a soloist with St. Petersburg Chamber Orchestra. As a teenager she toured extensively, appearing in solo recitals throughout Russia, Germany, Finland, Poland, and the United States. In 1994 Ms. Ziskel’s family immigrated to the United States, where she completed her bachelor of music degree at Indiana University and later received her master’s degree from The Juilliard School. 

Listen to music from the episode here.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. If you like what you hear, please share, rate, review & subscribe!

Visit SunsetLakeCBD.com and use the promo code MODES for 20% off premium CBD products.

Visit www.musicmasterscollective.org/modes to learn more about unique music summer camps and events.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Moods & Modes, Alex takes you behind the scenes of the making of “B.I.G L.I.E”, a tune from his rap duo HU$H MONEY that deals with the events of January 6, 2021. Alex explains how the song came together and shares some of the reaction he’s gotten so far - including some political pushback - and offers perspective on why making a political statement now is very different than it's been in the past. In the second half of the episode, he welcomes his rap duo partner Kimmy G. and video director Frankie Fulleda, who discuss their roles in the making of both the song and the video, the latter of which is currently enjoying some serious buzz around the web.

Hu$h Money is a rap duo featuring Alex Skolnick (Skoly-D) and Kimmy G. “B.I.G. L.I.E” is a take on the events that took place on January 6, 2021.  

Directed by Frankie Fulleda, the “B.I.G. L.I.E.” video was shot “guérilla style” in July 2021 at the Fox News HQ, Times Square and Washington Square Park. “B.I.G L.I.E.” is as much a tribute to New York, it’s resilience and ever present wackiness, as it is a takedown of nationwide right-wing echo chambers. In a t-shirt emblazoned with the oversized logo of the influential Run-DMC, Skoly skewers Fox News, election denialism and insurrection revisionism. The video also features comic J-Hype (Jonathan Hyppolite) and Karl Lake, best known as “Robot Guy” from Chappelle’s Show.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd.

Visit SunsetLakeCBD.com and use the promo code MODES for 20% off premium CBD products.

Visit www.musicmasterscollective.org/modes to learn more about unique music summer camps and events.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of 2021, Alex welcomes guitarist David Becker to talk about working with the legendary jazz guitarist Joe Diorio. David tells Alex about attending the Guitar Institute of Technology, where he first met Joe when he was a student, and shares stories of recording and 

touring with Joe over the years. The two discuss Joe’s book, Intervallic Designs, and the influence he had on guitarists like Pat Metheny.

David Becker is a Grammy and Emmy nominated guitarist, composer, and producer. For more than three decades, he has continued to define himself as one of the best and most unique voices in jazz and contemporary music. He has led the critically acclaimed DAVID BECKER TRIBUNE for over 20 years, performing for a worldwide audience.

Joe Diorio is a jazz guitarist who has performed with Sonny Stitt, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Horace Silver, Anita O'Day, and Freddie Hubbard. In recent years, he has recorded with performers such as Robben Ford, Gary Willis, David Becker and Mick Goodrick. He taught at the University of Southern California and was one of the first instructors at the Guitar Institute of Technology. 

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Alex welcomes Grammy nominated musician Divinity Roxx to Moods & Modes. Divinity tells Alex about her transition to writing music for kids and the intention behind the songwriting, and why it's important to introduce children to a high level of music early on. The two discuss her introduction to bass while at UC Berkeley, getting her first tour with bass legend Victor Wooten, and playing in Beyoncé’s all female band.

Divinity Roxx has earned the reputation of irrefutable front-woman of her own genre-busting musical journey. After touring with Victor Wooten for five years, she became the bass player and Assistant Musical Director for Beyoncé. Divinity has appeared on countless television shows and she is the current bass player in the Black Girls Rock! Orchestra which airs on BET and has played with such artists as Jay-Z, Nona Hendryx, Will.I.Am, Erykah Badu, Patti Labelle, Ledisi, and Gladys Knight. 

Despite her appearances with so many legendary and iconic figures, it is in her solo performance that Divinity shines brightest. She combines virtuosic bass playing with an eclectic mash-up of hip-hop, rock and funk that she calls ‘Alternative Soul’. Her passion for composition combined with her lyrical prowess and electrifying stage presence captivates audiences worldwide. She is currently performing, teaching, and writing multiple projects including a new album, a stage play, and a children’s book and music series. 

Her latest album, “Ready Set Go!” is a collection of upbeat tracks with positive messages specifically designed for young children but equally appealing to adults. The lyrics of two songs are being released as books by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing company, with illustrations by NaShantá Fletcher.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, rate and review!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FORQ is a harder-edge fusion band that Alex describes as ‘Snarky Puppy adjacent’, due to its relationship to one of the founding members, Michael League. Keyboardist Henry Hey formed the band with League in the early 2010s and on this episode, Henry joins Alex along with FORQ guitarist Chris McQueen to talk about their innovative new album “Four (Remixt)”. Henry and Chris explain the creative process behind the album, which is a reimagining of their album “Four”. The band invited producers and musicians, including Alex, to remix the original tracks from the album and the results are wonderfully eclectic. The trio also talk about the differences of playing in FORQ and Snarky Puppy, and the musical curiosity that keeps their music fresh.

You can hear Alex’s remix “Duck People (No Fly List)” here.

FORQ is an instrumental quartet with a dynamic sound and a penchant for sonic exploration. The group is composed of world-class improvisers, but it is their unusually memorable, genre-blending songs that leave the most lasting impression. Originally founded by keyboardist Henry Hey (David Bowie, Empire of the Sun, Jeff "Tain" Watts) and bassist Michael League (Grammy-winning leader of Snarky Puppy), Forq is now joined by guitarist Chris McQueen (Snarky Puppy, Bokanté), drummer Jason "JT" Thomas (Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, Mark Lettieri Trio) and bassist Kevin Scott (Wayne Krantz, Jimmy Herring, Col. Bruce Hampton). They have toured across the US and Europe and performed at international festivals including the North Sea Jazz festival and GroundUP Festival in Miami Beach.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part 2 of Alex’s conversation with Pat Metheny, the two discuss some of Metheny’s unconventional work, his association with musicians like Jaco Pastorius and Joni Mitchell, the evolution of his synthesizer sound, and why he thinks in visual terms. Pat shares his daily routine, what he does to keep learning after each gig, and explains the natural curiosity that keeps him going. 

Unlike almost any other modern musician, Pat Metheny remains uniquely unpredictable. His versatility is nearly without peer on any instrument. Metheny has won countless awards, including three gold records for Still Life (Talking), Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He has been nominated for 37 Grammy awards and is the winner of 20; he has also been nominated in 13 different Grammy categories, winning in 10 of them. His new album, SIDE-EYE NYC (V1.IV), an exciting, vibrant and energized new platform for Metheny, is available now.

You can read the blog post that Alex references in the episode - "Art Imitating Music" - here, and listen to music from the episode on Spotify.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd.

To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pat Metheny, one of the most critically acclaimed jazz musicians in the world, joins Alex to talk about his exceptional career, the enormous range of his playing style, and the idea of music without boundaries. The two discuss the different guitars that Metheny has played over the years, how he found his sound by rejecting the impulse to follow in the musical footsteps of Wes Montgomery, and why the ever-changing versions of Pat Metheny are really just part of the whole. Part one of a two-part episode. 

Unlike almost any other modern musician, Pat Metheny remains uniquely unpredictable. HIs versatility is nearly without peer on any instrument. Over the years, he has performed with artists as diverse as Steve Reich to Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock to Jim Hall to Milton Nascimento to David Bowie. Metheny has won countless awards, including three gold records for Still Life (Talking), Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He has been nominated for 37 Grammy awards and is the winner of 20. He has also been nominated in 13 different Grammy award categories, winning in 10 of them. HIs new album, SIDE-EYE NYC (V1.IV), an exciting, vibrant and energized new platform for Metheny, is available now.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd.

To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Alex examines songs that exhibit nearly identical musical qualities. He dives deep on classic songs, comparing “Waiting on the World to Change” to “People Get Ready,” “Comfortably Numb” to “Here Comes the Flood,” “Always Somewhere” to “Simple Man” and many others, explaining the elements in the songwriting that were 'borrowed' from other songs. A few examples will definitely surprise you.

Throughout the episode, Alex provides musical analysis to compare and contrast the songs, and discusses several of the most controversial musical legal battles over 'who wrote it first', such as “Stairway to Heaven” versus Spirit’s “Taurus” and George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” duking it out against The Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine”.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Moods & Modes, Alex pays tribute to legendary guitarist Leslie West. Leslie is known as the founding member and co-lead vocalist for the groundbreaking hard rock band Mountain. Mountain is often credited as one of the bands that helped influence the development of heavy metal music, and Leslie West’s guitar playing was a massive and oftentimes overlooked influence on guitar players who came after him. Alex discusses how Leslie’s picking attack and natural technique produced smooth, roaring tones without the use of any effects or electronic assistance. You’ll also hear Alex explain West’s profound influence on bands that came after Mountain such as AC/DC and Kiss, and how Leslie’s song “Long Red” left a significant mark on hip hop through songs like “99 Problems” by Jay-Z and “Barry Bonds” by Kanye West. Special guest Brad Tolinski joins Alex to shed light on Leslie’s unconventional amplifier setup and playing style, and you’ll even hear riveting archival interviews with Leslie West himself, including segments where he talks about jamming with Jimi Hendrix, taking LSD for the first Cream concert he saw, and his Sunn Amplifiers PA rig.

Leslie West was an American rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter best known as a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Mountain. He also produced two studio albums and a live release with Cream bassist Jack Bruce under the name West, Bruce and Laing. West released a number of solo albums and was highly respected for his guitar work.

Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices