Concert Review: G3 Tour with Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Phil Collen in Ft. Lauderdale: 2-1-18

by progrock.com | Feb 12, 2018 | Prog Report, Reviews

Concert: G3 with Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Phil Collen

Venue: Parker Playhouse, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 2-1-18

Since its inception in 1995, Joe Satriani’s G3 guitar extravaganza has continuously brought the best guitar players in together all over the world.  It has been a celebration of what the instrument and these players are capable of.  Satriani has always been the organizer and headliner but the two guitarists that joined the tour each time out have varied from the likes of Eric Johnson and Kenny Wayne Shepherd to Steve Vai and Steve Morse.  There have always been surprises as well and this year proved to go that route again with guitarists John Petrucci of Dream Theater and Phil Collen of Def Leppard joining the traveling guitar showcase.  Petrucci had been on the tour the most of any guitarists outside of Satriani and Steve Vai, most recently in 2012, but Collen was a new and unexpected entry.  With Def Leppard, Collen had guitar solo moments but few had heard him as a instrumental player but he certainly has been known to shred so how he would do in this environment was something to look forward to.

Collen kicked off the set as a trio with the bassist and drummer from his side blues project Delta Deep. They ran through a couple of high speed rockers with Collen blazing through the numbers. They were then joined by extraordinary vocalist Debbi Blackwell-Cook, the singer for Delta Deep. Blackwell-Cook has a soulful voice, the kind that harkens back to old blues records, while her voice is powerful enough to reach the back row without a microphone.  The set continued with a few songs from the debut album by Delta Deep.  Songs like “Mistreated” and “Down in the Delta” sounded great and had the crowd on their feet.  Collen proved he could stand out of the massive shadow cast by Def Leppard.

John Petrucci took to the stage joined by fellow virtuosos Dave LaRue on bass and his Dream Theater bandmate Mike Mangini on drums.  The opened surprisingly with the theme from the recent Wonder Woman movie.  Turns out it makes for a very capable Dream Theater-esque tune when placed in Petrucci’s hands.  Much of the rest of the set was culled from Petrucci’s only solo instrumental album from 2005 Suspended Animation.  Heavy, powerful numbers like “Jaws of Life” and “Damage Control” are tailor made for a concert like this and are perfect representations of Petrucci’s guitar prowess.  Petrucci is one of the world’s great guitarists and is a treasure to watch perform live.

After a very brief intermission, Satriani began his set with the first 2 songs from his new album What Happens Next, “Energy” and “Catbot.”  The show and the production were a step up from the opening sets but then again, Satriani always puts on an exemplary show.  He is a guitar showman as much as a guitar genius. The set was made largely of songs from the new album.  Interesting and inventive songs like “Cherry Blossom” and “Thunder High on the Mountain” fit in perfectly and captivated the audience.  Of course, he closed the set with his live staples “Always With You, Always With Me” and “Summer Song.”  Satriani is a master, but only for what he can play, but how he plays it, as well as the songs he composes.  Live, there are few who can compare and this is why he continues to dazzle us year after year.

Of course, no G3 show is complete without a jam session to close things out.  The set was made of three rock classics, Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”, Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” and “I’m Going Down.”  The jam lasted a while but allowed the three guitarists to have some more fun and treat the fans to as much music as possible over a nearly 3 hour night.  G3 was as good as ever thanks to these incredible musicians.

Fernando Perdomo – Out to Sea (Album Review)

by progrock.com | Feb 1, 2018 | Prog Report, Reviews

For some prog fans the name Fernando Perdomo might not be too familiar, unless of course you are a fan of Dave Kerzner. In the last few years, Perdomo has been the guitarist for Dave Kerzner on albums and live shows and making a name for himself in prog circles. His talent has certainly been on display as a great lead player, as has been his Bowler hat and black coat, which he will not leave home without. But take one listen to his debut prog-rock solo album, Out to Sea, and it will be astonishing that he is not one of the most well-known musicians on the planet. Not only are the songs beautiful and the production brilliant, but Perdomo plays all the instruments, guitars, bass, keys, and drumms (except for one song). Described by Perdomo as drawing inspiration from classic 70s Art Rock albums by the likes of Steve Hackett, Peter Banks, Steve Howe, and Jan Akkerman, Out to Sea is an album that must be experienced as it is truly a fantastic piece of art.

It is common to hear an artist was inspired by classic sounds when recording a new album. The uniqueness of this album is that it sounds straight out of the 70s. All the sounds, from the drums to the guitar and keyboard tones, sound real and organic, and the production recalls classic albums by Yes and Genesis. This alone is a great achievement. It takes you back and you feel lifted into another time and place. To further the point, the album artwork was done by Paul Whitehead who created the Trespass, Nursery Cryme, and Foxtrot covers for Genesis.

The opening track “The Architect” is listed as a tribute to the great Peter Banks, and it takes one listen to immediately get that vibe. The middle uptempo section is raw and groovy all at once before shifting into various time changes. Perdomo’s use of multiple guitars and layers is outstanding and demands that you listen to the songs multiple times so not to miss anything.

The highlight has to be the third song, “De Boerderij,” which says is a tribute to Focus, but also recalls the stylings of Steve Hackett. This is such a beautiful song, it defies description. The same can be said for songs “The Future According to Roye” and “The Dream” which is bridges the use of acoustic guitars and space age moog sounds. Of course, what would a prog album be without an epic, here in the form of the final track “Dreaming in Stereo Suite,” a perfect title for the song. The song begins with a delicate piano passage before drums break the softness. Genesis seems to be a clear inspiration in the early stages of the song, but that quickly changes as the song explores multiple moods.

This album was really a surprise. Many guitar solo albums are different versions of the same thing; not the case here. From the first listen, Out to Sea is captivating as it is different. In the album bio, Perdomo is quoted saying “This record is a tribute to the sounds that made me the person and musician I am today.” Congrats to Fernando Perdomo for having a vision and seeing it all the way through is such glorious fashion. Definitely pick up this album.

Released on Feb 9th, 2018

Key Tracks: Out to Sea, De Boerderij

“Out To Sea” Track Listing
Side 1
1. The Architect (Tribute To Peter Banks)
2. Out To Sea
3. De Boerderij (tribute to Focus)
4. Roses Spread All Over The World
5. The Future According to Roye (Tribute To Roye Albrighton)
Side 2
6. The Dream
7. Sonja
8. Dreaming in Stereo Suite

“Out To Sea” Credits
All songs written by Fernando Perdomo
All instruments by Fernando Perdomo
Drums on “The Dream” by Eddie Zyne
Produced and Engineered by Fernando Perdomo