San Bruno, CA (May 12, 2011)–Guitar Player, sister magazine to PSN and PAR, will hold its annual Guitar Superstar competition, hosted by Larry Carlton, during Summer NAMM’s “Wanna Play Music Day,” on Saturday, July 23, 2011.
Now in its seventh year, the event will take place in Music City Nashville, Tennessee, where five finalists, all chosen by the Guitar Player staff from video entries at www.truefire.com/gpgs2011, will battle it out in front of a panel of celebrity judges to win the Guitar Superstar 2011 crown.
It has already been a monster year for “Mr. 335.” Larry Carlton won his fourth Grammy (Best Pop Instrumental Album for his collaboration with Tak Matsumoto, Take Your Pick), released his latest album (Larry Carlton Plays the Sound of Philadelphia), was named one of the “Ten Greatest-Ever Session Guitarists by Gibson, captured the 2011 George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award, and launched his innovative Session Masters project.
Carlton joins the current judges panel of Reeves Gabrels, Carl Verheyen, and Muriel Anderson (more judges to be announced soon).
Reeves Gabrels is one of the most exciting, experimental, and absolutely feral players you’ll ever hear, Reeves Gabrels worked closely with David Bowie for more than a decade as guitarist, musical collaborator, and producer. He has also worked with the Rolling Stones, Natalie Imbruglia, The Cure, Paul Rodgers, and Ozzy Osbourne. In 2000, Gabrels’ solo album, Ulysses (della notte), was nominated for a Yahoo! Award for its original, Internet-only release format. Gabrels was recently honored with a signature model from Reverend Guitars.
Carl Verheyen–a member of Supertramp since 1985–has logged a dazzling 25-plus year career as one of L.A.’s premier studio guitarists, in addition to touring since 1997 with the Carl Verheyen Band. He has performed on hundreds of movie soundtracks, television scores, and record sessions, and has somehow found the time to put out nine Carl Verheyen Band albums, two instructional books and DVDs each, and an award-winning DVD box set (2005’s Rumor Mill). His most recent release is the exciting 2011 live DVD, The Road Divides.
Muriel Anderson, one of the world’s foremost fingerstyle guitarists and harp-guitarists, is the first woman to have won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. She is host of the renowned Muriel Anderson’s All Star Guitar Night and founder of the Music for Life Alliance charity. Her facility across the genres of folk, classical, jazz, bluegrass, and international music is revered by guitarists worldwide. Recently, Muriel teamed up with Germany’s finest Flamenco Nuevo duo, Tierra Negra, adding a new dimension and excitement to her music.
Guitar Player‘s Guitar Superstar 2011 competition caps off a momentous event at the summer NAMM show–the show’s WANNA PLAY MUSIC DAY. On July 23, the ‘music trade only’ convention opens its doors to the public, allowing players and fans to see all the hot new music gear, as well as attend fun and educational clinics, meet-and-greets, and seminars that will inspire all musicians who want to sound better and play better.
Guitar Player‘s Guitar Superstar 2011
www.guitarplayer.com/article/unleash-your-star/March-2011/129315Ê
