September 27, 2016
Frank Gambale headlines Guitar Festival
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Frank Gambale is the headlining guest at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Guitar Festival 2016, Third Edition.
Gambale makes just about every credible list of “fastest guitarist.” He’s invented sweep picking, a fast arpeggio guitar sound that dominates neoclassical metal and heavy metal rock music.
The guitar festival runs Sept. 29-Oct. 1. Gambale is in concert on Oct. 1 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Shryock Auditorium. He’s available for CD signing after the performance. Isaac Lausell, assistant professor of guitar and the artistic director of the festival, and other festival guitarists, will join Gambale in concert.
Lausell said anyone who loves 1980s electric guitar music can thank Gambale for introducing one of the picking styles that makes it possible.
“He’s primarily a jazz guitarist known for playing with Chick Corea,” Lausell said. “He came up with a fingering technique that is a standard sound now in speed metal.”
Lausell said this year’s guitar festival has something of interest for those into musical recording as well: Todd Herremann, senior lecturer in the Department of Radio, Television and Digital Media, will present a lecture on “How to Record the Guitar,” beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1 in Altgeld Hall 117.
Herremann worked in the Los Angeles-area music industry for 20 years as a producer, songwriter, composer, engineer and studio musician. During that time, he worked with Prince, Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck, Adam Ant and other big-name musicians. He holds a Master of Legal Studies degree from SIU with a concentration in intellectual property.
Lausell is a featured performer as well, with his concert “From Renaissance to Electricity” featuring an historical journey of stringed instruments, from the lute through classical acoustic guitar to electric jazz guitar.
The festival schedule is here. Some events are ticketed.