Red = Power

I think I want a red guitar. For some weird reason, I like the idea of a bright red guitar at the moment. The missus and I are picking music to bring with us on our impending trip to empower us. It's a funny thing, thinking about music that displays real power, and music that can be a conduit of power. When I think about things that have power it's almost always saxophone music - Trane, Ornette, Wayne, Rollins, Brecker - or rock guitar - Hendrix, Beck, Clapton, Peter Green, Roy Buchanan, Blackmore. The traditional jazz guitar sounds isn't a very "powerful" sound, know what I mean? It's an understated type of power that you hear in Jim Hall or Jimmy Raney, a quiet strength, if you will. The only guys I could think of that play with a clean jazz sound and really evoke power were Benson, Jack Wilkins, Grant Green, and to somewhat lesser degrees Wes and Kenny Burrell (Wes was certainly a powerful improviser). Django had power! Charlie Christian to a degree, too. John McLaughlin is WAY powerful, but not always with a clean "jazz" sound. Metheny and Sco are so important because I think they've found sounds that aren't "rock" sounds, but are powerful enough to stand on the front line with a great tenor sound.

So anyway, I want a powerful red freaking guitar. I think, anyway.