Guitar Garden
The SECRET SPACE CD (2006 release)
If you like daredevil guitar work, then Guitar Garden is for you. On its brand-new CD, SECRET SPACE, the volume is cranked up and the beats are heavier, making for a potent and melodic instrumental experience from Guitar Garden's fiery lead guitarist, Pete Prown.
“I spent a lot of the last year listening to vintage and new progressive rock bands, notably Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, the Flower Kings and the Tangent,” says Prown. “That music is so melodic and cleverly arranged that it drove me to push Guitar Garden in that proggier direction. At the same time, I was also listening to vintage ’70s jazz-rock, like Return to Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and those early, jazz-influenced Santana records. Those bands still blow me away. All of the this gives SECRET SPACE its unique sound...prog-fusion, for lack of a better name.”
Key tracks on the new album include the ferocious guitar rocker, “Evolution X,” which pays homage to great players like Al Di Meola and Carlos Santana in a series of blistering solos from Prown and guest guitarist, Rich Maloof. Meanwhile, the moody title track, “Secret Space (Blues for R.S.),” is an homage to Flower Kings guitarist Roine Stolt. “Roine reminded me that it’s okay to play blues guitar in a prog context. And he does it so brilliantly—he’s such a soulful player. I just had to pay him back, even just a little bit, for that bit of inspiration.”
SECRET SPACE also involves a few “surprise” tracks, like the country-flavored--and wryly titled--“Proggy Mountain Breakdown” (featuring a catchy slide-guitar solo from Rich Maloof), and also “Mandolin Blue,” a refreshing track featuring an angelic mix of mandolin, echo-laden electric guitar, and lush acoustic melodies. In addition, the album includes the beautifully haunting ballad, "Waltz of the Dead," written by guest guitarist, HP Newquist.
On the production end, Prown is especially proud of “War Echo,” which bears its space-rock influence on its sleeve, and slowly builds to a dramatic crescendo and guitar solo. There is plenty of improvisation on the album, too. “Suddenly” was composed of four improvised guitar parts, laid on top of either other, in under an hour. “Everything you hear on that song is either electric guitar or guitar synthesizer—even the piano and string parts,” says Prown.
In all, SECRET SPACE is one of the most compelling instrumental-rock platters of recent memory. Notes Prown, “When I finished the sessions, I realized that no one is making records like this anymore. Most bands seem more concerned with airplay or sales, but I decided to make a record that I would want to listen to in my free time. One that rocks, but at the same time, has strong melodies and dramatic arrangements. I think SECRET SPACE will be the blueprint for all Guitar Garden records to come.”
Guitar Garden
The CHINA ROSE CD (2005 release)
Released in March, 2005, Guitar Garden's CHINA ROSE album captures the new sound of World Progressive music and features Pete Prown on lead guitar, keyboards, guitar synthesizer, and various sound samples, plus former editor-in-chief of Guitar magazine Rich Maloof on acoustic-fingerstyle and electric guitars.
Inspired by luminaries like Peter Gabriel, Genesis, and Pink Floyd, the CD features a striking combination of guitars and inventive keyboard parts throughout CHINA ROSE, not to mention the catchy hip-hop inflected grooves and ethnic beats that propel each instrumental along. But instead of common African or Celtic styles being integrated into the soundscapes, Guitar Garden's debut integrates appealing Asian motifs, providing this provocative CD with a signature prog sound.
In addition to being a noted guitarist, Prown was also the editor-in-chief of the acclaimed Guitar Shop magazine and still writes for Vintage Guitar magazine. He is also the author of well-respected of rock-music reference books, such as:
Legends of Rock Guitar (written with HP Newquist, 1997) * Gear Secrets of the Guitar Legends (written with Lisa Sharken, 2003) * Modal Riffs for Rock Guitar (1995). All available on Amazon.com
Of his guitar approach Prown notes, "Besides the traditional acoustic and electric guitars that Rich Maloof and I play on the album, I sometimes use guitar synthesizers at times to create unique sounds," he adds. "Listen to 'Cloudburst,' where the main solo features acoustic guitar and acoustic piano in perfect unison. That's because I used the guitar synth to double my guitar lines - in real time - with a piano patch."
"There's also a clear distinction between my guitar style and Rich's, which helps broaden our scope. I come from a rock, fusion and blues guitar background, where Rich is fabulous acoustic fingerstyle player--you can hear that in the solos to 'Erhu' and 'China Rose.'"
Guitar Garden's CHINA ROSE CD contains nine tracks of passionate and dynamic World Progressive music. With soul.
Guitar Garden
THE PRIORY (2006 side project)
Available from CD Baby, THE PRIORY is a Guitar Garden side project. Its debut CD, "Grail Song," is a stunning piece of modern songcraft and musicianship. Inspired by recent books and films about the search for the Grail, this album will take you a spiritual journey to help you decipher one of the mysteries of the ages.
"Grail Song" was created by the same studio team that brought you Guitar Garden. THE PRIORY uses lush keyboards and guitar-synthesizer textures (such as Flute Guitar) to create a charismatic blend of Celtic, Jazz, New Age, Electronic and Progressive styles.
The recording sessions for this CD proceeded at a swift pace, and tracks like “Sangreal,” “Sophie” and “Keystone" were largely composed and recorded in an exciting one-week period. Indeed, most of "Grail Song" was completed in under one month. This fresh inspiration gives the album a sense of spontaneity that’s rarely heard these days in instrumental music.