On the sound stage with his ESP bass, getting ready to shoot another scene with Gwyneth Paltrow for the movie Country Strong.
We may all be acting, but the fact that more musicians have successfully worked in film than actors have successfully launched careers in music suggests that, of the two disciplines, music is more challenging.
In Gwyneth Paltrow's current movie, Country Strong, writer/director Shana Feste wanted as much realism as possible, so she stacked Gwyneth's band with Nashville regulars, including Jim Lauderdale on acoustic, Bucky Baxter on steel, yours truly on bass, and a few other recognizable faces in the country-music scene filling out the rest of the band. The entire gig consisted of us playing a few concerts, with the band faking it onstage to pre-recorded tracks while Paltrow sang live.
Paltrow has a compelling voice and sang really well both live and in the studio. I've worked with many major-label acts that would not have sounded nearly as good under these circumstances. During a break, I asked, "So, if you end up having a big ol' hit song from this movie, would you tour?"
She thought about it for a few beats, then smiled and said, "I really like singing, but . . . I don't know." I appreciated her hesitance, because it revealed a deeper understanding of what it means to be a musician. Paltrow's husband fronts the mega-selling band Coldplay, so she gets it. For most of us, music starts as a quaint hobby. But, like all addictions, it subtly begins to grow under your skin and eventually fuses with your identity.
But, lacking this awareness, many actors see music as a yet-to-be-exploited revenue source. They look at their trophy case and think, "A Grammy and a platinum record would look nice next to my People's Choice and Emmy. I'll just call my manager and have him arrange it." These actors have this incredible, unwavering belief that because they are successful in one area, they can do anything. This kind of self-confidence produces some interesting work.
William Shatner's 1968 album, The Transformed Man, remains one of my desert-island records. To hear him emote with immeasurable conviction, shouting "Mr. Tambourine Man" as if he is teetering on the head of a pin, madness on one side, agony on the other—well, that's just pure Shat. One has to admire his confidence.
Leonard Nimoy's 1968 album, the ironically titled The Way I Feel, does not connect emotionally (which is to be expected from a green-blooded Vulcan), but remains a joy to hear. His somewhat subdued performance and lackluster sales did not prevent him from making another five albums. When it comes to music, the crew of the Enterprise boldly goes where no man has gone before.
David Hasselhoff displays definite Shat-esque confidence with his music, the kind of confidence that enables a man to do a photo shoot wearing nothing but a Speedo, an open leather jacket, a thick mane of chest hair, and a "Come hither" glare. The Hoff enjoyed two No. 1 hits in Germany and just released his 17th album, A Real Good Feeling. For me, hearing the Hoff evokes a real good feeling much like hearing the Shat. Part of that feeling may be envy for their unwavering self-assurance and thick head and body hair. Check out the music of Steven Seagal—it, too, is pure Shat that will make you shiver.
But one can't really applaud the actor/musician who lacks conviction—those of the Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Joaquin Phoenix variety. It doesn't matter that they can't sing or rap—plenty of platinum-selling acts can't. But clearly these forays into music began with a PR team hounding the media while pounding the 'net, and then ended in damage control, redirections, and, in Joaquin's case, leaving himself an ambiguous out: If the music career works, great, he's an artist. If not, it's an edgy hoax and you're too stupid to get it.
I admire the actors who, like many of us, love playing music but don't make a big deal out of it. Gary Sinise, a long-time bass player, is a passionate supporter of American troops. He wanted to help, so he started his "Lieutenant Dan Band" and has since performed at military bases around the world. After a lifetime of playing music for fun, Jeff Bridges has started doing shows on the strength of his film Crazy Heart. Nothing heavy or ego driven—just a dude and his friends who put their band back together. I know a couple of the guys who play in Kevin Costner's band. They say it's a fun, no-pressure, feel-good gig—often with excellent catering.
Undeniably, showmanship usually helps a music career. When a musician works the stage, trying to connect with the audience, isn't that acting? I don't think B.B. King is honestly moved by all of his solos, but if you watch his face you'd swear every note slashes a razor across his heart.
As the bard said:
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.
—William Shakespeare, from As You Like It
We may all be acting, but the fact that more musicians have successfully worked in film than actors have successfully launched careers in music suggests that, of the two disciplines, music is more challenging.
[Updated 8/18/21]
- Last Call: John Bohlinger on Broadway - Premier Guitar ›
- Workin' Man Blues: Moving into the Country - Premier Guitar ›
- Last Call: Neal Casal and the Dangerous Thing We're Afraid to Talk ... ›
Ferocious fuzz forces, a +/- 2-octave range, and the capacity for odd intervals make this menacing machine almost as much synth as dirt device.
Keeley Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz Pedal with Polyphonic Pitch Shifting
Octa Psi Transfigurating Fuzz PedalD'Addario's new Bridge Pin Puller and Tour-Grade Peg Winder are designed to make string changes a breeze.
The Bridge Pin Puller is designed to be the fastest, easiest, and safest way to remove bridge pins from an acoustic guitar. Small enough to fit in your pocket, the standalone bridge pin puller is a great way for acoustic players to avoid fumbling with bridge pins during string changes and maintenance. The ergonomic design comfortably fits in hand but won’t place extra pressure on the instrument or bridge during use. Best of all, the clamp design encloses the pin, keeping it secure inside the puller until it’s released.
The Tour-Grade Peg Winder offers next-level performance for luthiers, techs, or anyone who wants to change strings with maximum speed and ease. The multi-tool design brings together a ball bearing, non-damaging socket for smoother winding, molded grips, and a spring-loaded bridge pin puller, delivering an all-in-one option to handle most standard string changes.
From the straight-forward simplicity of the Bridge Pin Puller to the all-around convenienceof the Tour-Grade Peg Winder, D’Addario has your string changes covered.
For more information, please visit daddario.com.
Friends and guitar legends in the making Tom Bukovac (left) and Guthrie Trapp map out some recording strategy for In Stereo, with an acoustic guitar and air drums.
Nashville session and stage MVPs craft an aural wonderland with their genre-defying instrumental album, In Stereo.
Working from a shared language of elegance and grit, Nashville guitar domos Tom Bukovac and Guthrie Trapp have crafted In Stereo, an album that celebrates the transcendent power of instrumental music—its ability to transport listeners and to convey complex emotions without words.
In Stereo also honors Trapp and Bukovac’s friendship, which ignited when Trapp and Bukovac met over a decade ago at Nashville’s 12 South Taproom eatery and club—an after-hours musician’s hangout at the time. They also sometimes played casually at Bukovac’s now-gone used instrument shop, but when they’re onstage today—say at Trapp’s Monday night residency at Nashville’s Underdog, or at a special event like Billy Gibbons’ BMI Troubadour Award ceremony last year—their chemistry is obvious and combustible.
“Guthrie is very unpredictable, but for some reason our two styles seem to mix well.”—Tom Bukovac
“It’s like dancing with somebody,” Bukovac says about their creative partnership. “It is very easy and complementary. Guthrie is very unpredictable, but for some reason our two styles seem to mix well, although we play very differently.”
As Pepé Le Pew probably said, “Vive la différence.” While they’re both important figures in Nashville’s guitar culture as badass, in-demand session and live players, Trapp also points out that the foundation of their respective careers is on opposite swings of that pendulum. Bukovac’s reputation was built on his studio work. Besides his touring history, he’s played on over 1,200 albums including recordings by the Black Keys, Glen Campbell, Keith Urban, Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger, and Hermanos Gutiérrez. And Trapp considers himself mostly a stage guitarist. He emerged as a member of the Don Kelly Band, which has been a Lower Broadway proving ground for a host of Nashville 6-string hotshots, including Brent Mason, Johnny Hiland, and Redd Volkaert. In recent years, you may have seen him on the road with John Oates. It’s also possible you’ve heard Trapp on recordings by Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, and Roseanne Cash, among others.But back to In Stereo. “This record is truly for the love of music and not giving a shit what anybody else is going to think about it,” relates Trapp, as he, Bukovac, and I sit and talk, and they noodle unplugged on a Danocaster and an ES-355, respectively, in the warm, instrument-filled surroundings of the Cabin Studio in East Nashville. The album was recorded there and at another studio, simply called the Studio, with Brandon Bell engineering.
“When we started working on the album, it was very loose,” explains Bukovac. “I never wanted to bring in anything that was complete because the key is collaboration. So, I knew better than to come in with a complete song. And Guthrie didn’t do that either. We would just come in with a riff for an idea and then let the other guy finish it—and that’s the best way to do it.”
“It’s got enough humanity—real playing—mixed with the cinematic side of it.”—Tom BukovacAll of which helped make In Stereo’s 11 compositions seamless and diverse. The album opens with a minute-long ambient piece called “Where’s the Bluegrass Band,” which blends acoustic and electric guitars, feedback, and keyboards with generous delay and reverb—telegraphing that listeners should expect the unexpected. Of course, if you’ve been following their careers, including their estimable YouTube presence, you’re already expecting that, too. So, a soulful composition like “The Black Cloud,” which builds from a Beatles-esque melody to a muscular and emotive power ballad of sorts, comes as no surprise. “Desert Man” is more of a mindblower, with its dark-shaded tones and haunting melodies. “Cascade Park” is an unpredictable journey that begins with delay-drenched piano and leads to Trapp’s acoustic guitar, which evolves from contemplative melody to feral soloing. And “Bad Cat Serenade” and “Transition Logo Blues” balance the worlds of country and jazz fusion. Overall, the music is timeless, emotional, and exploratory, creating its own world, much as Ennio Morricone did with his classic film soundtracks.
Tom Bukovac's Gear for In Stereo
Tom Bukovac and his ’58 Les Paul sunburst—one of just a handful of guitars he used to record In Stereo.
Guitars
- 1958 Gibson Les Paul ’Burst
- 1962 Stratocaster
- Harmony acoustic rebuilt by James Burkette
- Jeff Senn Strat
Synth
- Roland XP-30
Amp
- Black-panel Fender Princeton
Effects
- Nobels ODR-1
- Strymon Brigadier dBucket Delay
Strings & Picks
- D’Addario NYXL’s (.010–.046)
- Fender Mediums
“It’s a lot to ask somebody to sit and listen to an instrumental record,” Bukovac offers, “so I was just trying to make sure—and I know Guthrie did the same—it doesn’t get boring. When I finally sat and listened to this thing in its entirety, which was many months after we actually recorded, I had forgotten what we’d even done. I was overwhelmed. I love that I never got bored. It moves along and has moments where it gets into sort of a trance, in a good way, but it never stays there too long. It’s got enough humanity—real playing—mixed with the cinematic side of it.”
Trapp picks up the thread: “If you’re in Nashville for a long time and you’re paying attention at all, you understand this is a song town. No matter how you slice it, it’s all about the vocal and the lyric and the song. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re making an avant-garde instrumental guitar record. That influence is pounded in your brain—how important it is to trim the fat and get down to the song. A song is a song. It doesn't matter if it’s instrumental or not. It’s a ‘Don’t get bogged down and get to the chorus’ kind of thing.”
“A song is a song. It doesn’t matter if it’s instrumental or not. It’s a ‘Don’t get bogged down and get to the chorus’ kind of thing.”—Guthrie Trapp
Which alludes to the sense of movement in all these compositions. “It’s very important that every section of a song delivers every transition,” Bukovac adds. “When you go into a new room, when you open that door, it’s got to be right. That’s what I think about records. And there’s a lot of shifting on this record. We go from one field to another, and were very concerned about making sure that each transition delivers.”
Guthrie Trapp's Gear for In Stereo
Guthrie Trapp recording with his Danocaster Single Cut, made by Nashville’s Dan Strain.
Guitar
- Dan Strain Danocaster Single Cut
Amps
- Kendrick The Rig 1x12 combo
- Black-panel Fender Princeton
Effects
- Strymon Brigadier dBucket Delay
- Strymon Lex
- Nobels ODR-1
- Xotic RC Booster
- T-Rex Tremster
- Boss TU Tuner
Strings & Picks
- D’Addario NYXL’s (.010–.046)
- Medium celluloid
That kind of thoughtful development—the set up and delivery of various compositional sections in songs—isn’t exactly a lost art, but it’s certainly rarer than in earlier decades. Listen to Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road to hear how Davey Johnstone sets up verses, choruses, and bridges—or anything by David Gilmour—for reference. It’s also a goal best accomplished with a team of exceptional players, and, of course, Trapp and Bukovac enlisted some of Music City’s finest. The cast includes steel-guitar legend Paul Franklin, keyboardist Tim Lauer, bassists Steve Mackey and Jacob Lowery, and drummers Jordan Perlson and Lester Estelle.
“Don’t tell my mom, because of course we all want to make a living, but playing music that has integrity is at the top for me.”—Guthrie Trapp
“We recorded the basics—really, most of the tracks—live on the floor,” says Trapp.
“We kept a lot of the original throw-down/go-down solos,” Bukovac adds. “There were very few fixes and overdubs. One of the best moves we made was letting an outside person objectively sequence it, because you can get a little bit too inside your own thing. It’s like … if you’ve ever done a photo shoot, if you let somebody else choose the photo, it’s never going to be the one you’d choose, and it’s probably a better choice.” That task fell to Nick Govrik, another friend and engineer.
The terrain Bukovac and Trapp cover on their first album together is expansive and transporting—and packed with impressive melodies and guitar sounds.
The shipment of In Stereo’s vinyl arrived shortly before Trapp, Bukovac, and I talked, and while Bukovac released his first solo album, Plexi Soul, in 2021, and Trapp put out his releases Pick Peace and Life After Dark in 2012 and 2018, respectively, they seemed as excited to listen to it as teenagers in a garage band unveiling their debut single. That’s because, despite their standing and successes, playing guitar and making music is truly in their blood. What they play is a genuine expression of who they are, ripped from their DNA and presented to the world.
“Don’t tell my mom this, because of course we all want to make a living, but playing music that has integrity is at the top for me,” says Trapp. “These days, with AI and people worried or insecure about where the music business is going, and all these Instagram players who just are fixing everything with Pro Tools so they sound like they’re in a studio, I don’t worry because we’re not selling bullshit. We have 35 years of real experience between us, and when we do social media, we’re just reaching for a cell phone and posting it. It’s organic. That, to me, is a big difference. At the end of the day, I can sleep well knowing that I have earned the respect of the people that I respect the most. It’s just authentic music made for the very reason we got into this in the first place. We love it.”
YouTube It
Guthrie Trapp and Tom Bukovac practice their live chemistry together at Trapp’s standing Monday night gig at Nashville’s guitar-centric Underdog.
Orianthi is partnering with Orange Amplification to release a travel-friendly amp designed to be both functional and reliable.
The new Limited Edition Orianthi Crush 20RT has been played by the respected guitarist, singer-songwriter, in the studio and at live gigs.
The white Tolex-clad, solid-state signature Crush 20RT offers some of the most distinctive tones available in its price range. With the gain turned down, the amp delivers a versatile crystal clean tone. The “dirty channel” can be selected to unleash high levels of detailed creamy distortion to full saturation. The Crush 20RT offers a wide range of sonic possibilities courtesy of an 8”, custom-designed ‘Voice of the World” speaker. From modern sonic punch to vintage tones, this incredibly portable amplifier also includes a 3-band EQ, built-in “spring-inspired” reverb and chromatic tuner.
“I wanted a portable amp I could use anywhere. There’s a soaring tone you get from this amp despite its small, compact size”, comments Orianthi. She continues, “Plus this amp is really diverse - from the clean channel to the dirty channel - there’s warmth and there’s grit, it’s really quite incredible. I think everyone is really going to dig it!”
To experience the new Limited Edition Orianthi Crush 20RT visit your favourite authorised Orange retailer, or learn more online at orangeamps.com.