Alex Skolnick Trio 09/13/2002 – Chicago, IL [MP3] [Stream]
The Alex Skolnick Trio is a jazz project put together by heavy metal guitarist Alex Skolnick who is best known for his work as the lead guitarist for the legendary metal band Testament. Skolnick, who was a student of guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, left Testament in 2002 and joined prog metal gods Savatage to record one studio album and a live release. In 2004 he joined on as a member of Trans Siberian Orchestra and started putting together various projects including the Alex Skolnick Trio.
“The Trio” is a really killer mix of two great things that don’t always go great together: Heavy Metal and Jazz. Skolnick has revisited some his favorite metal classics and returned them with jazz interpretations that will just plain out rock your face off. Taking songs such as No One Like You by the Scorpions and Detroit Rock City by KISS, Alex & Co. tastefully bring them into the jazz world while totally maintaining the integrity and melody of these classic numbers. This is definitely a great listen. Doing these kinds of interpretations can be tricky. Pulling them off without trying to sound “funny” or “humorous” can be a tough task. The goal here is to deliver the songs with a jazz flare and not to mock the originals and the band has done just that. If you’re not a fan of metal at all but love some great jazz playing, this will still find a place in your collection but if you are a fan of these songs and bands already, it makes the listening experience that much sweeter.
For more from Don, be sure to check out The Great Southern Brainfart.
3 Responses
happy 420!
Thanks Alex! And a happy day to you all. Thanks for all the great, positive comments. Keep them coming. Got some more gems for you all so stay tuned! This AST show is just amazing. Without a doubt one of my all time faves!
ok