Dave Baker
BOOMEROCITY INTERVIEW
PHOTOS - LOW / HIGH RES
PHOTOS - USO
PHOTOS - USO (PAGE 2)
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2014/11/10/nashvilles-th-porter-unveil-mural-wednesday/18809931/
http://www.musicrow.com/2014/09/industry-ink-pla-media-dave-baker-studio-gold-nashville/
http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/web-hordes-december-2009/12898
Guitar Digest
71 South Review & Dave Baker Interview
(Winter 2015 - Volume 29, Number 4)
I first became aware of Dave Baker when he was demonstrating a guitar amp. He whipped off some country chicken pickin' and I thought, hey a guy from Cleveland who can really play country. Next he ran through some smokin' blues licks on the amp. Country and blues I thought, not bad.
Next he played some licks that had a Yngwie feel to them. I think there may have been some Travis style stuff next, but I was distracted thinking about how I was going to stack up my guitars to get the best fire going as I burnt them.
Dave has been a sideman to Kellie Pickler for a while, but now he has moved to the front with his album 71 South. 71 South is an all instrumental album that showcases all of the styles I heard that first time and adds some to the mix.
The album starts out with "Guitar Center Saturday." Don't think Guitar Center when the Saturday wankers are there; think when there is a clinic. A clinic by someone like the above mentioned Yngwie. You get speed picking, sustain and neo-classical licks that might put you in mind of Alex Skolnik. That is followed up by an acoustic piece in an eastern European gypsy style that has a carnival feel to it called "The Brothel." One of my favorites. Next is "Sandy Spit" which is a sunny day at the beach in some Caribbean local. "Spaghetti Western" is self explanatory and showcases Dave as the guitar slinger he is. You'll be looking to get up on your horse and start riding. Be sure and remember to duck when the shooting begins.
"Closer to Home" is a slow atmospheric piece that mixes acoustic guitar with long sustain sweet distorted electric licks. "Baker's Boogie" is a fun swing/boogie woogie piece. If you like Brian Setzer or Reverend Horton Heat you will like this one. Lots of hybrid picking and slapback.
"Nodding" is a tremolo based piece that has a Christmas feel to it. Another of my favorites. "Geneva" is blues based licks, but played over
changes that are more jazz based; not your normal pentatonic musings. "71 South," the a l b u m ' s n a m e s a k e , commemorates the highway
that started Baker on his move from Cleveland to Nashville. It must have been a jazzy ride down there as this one has an old school jazz style. The last song, "Esteban," is acoustic Latin all the way, played way better than the fellow I am guessing it is named after.
Baker is joined on the album by some of Nashville's finest: drummer Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean), bassist Vail Johnson (Keb' Mo' & Kenny G), and multi instrumentalist and producer John Painter (Ben Folds & Sevendust). On 71 South Dave Baker showcases a bunch of different styles of guitar work that should give everyone something to grab onto. He has an amazing grasp of a variety of styles. His tones are superb. His licks are tasteful with the pieces showcasing his talent and virtuosity. Dave is in Kellie Pickler"s band, but if he ever needs a quick resume to look for other work, flipping someone this would surely show what he is capable of. If you are a guitar player, listening to this will either inspire you to practice more and try harder or get you to Craigslist to list your equipment for sale.
71 South to 65 South: Hot Picker Dave Baker
Dave Baker, hailing from Cleveland, but now a Nashville resident, started playing guitar at the age of eight and began his professional career at sixteen. He started out in the bluegrass camp, but has now mastered pretty much every genre of music as his new album 71 South demonstrates. Dave has won scholarships to and attended Berklee College of Music, has studied music composition and theory at Cleveland's Modern Music School with widely known educator, composer and arranger, Phil Rizzo, a former arranger for Stan Kenton, as well as learning a ton from the "on the road" school of music. He also holds a degree in marketing.
Before relocating to Nashville, Dave spent 15 years working in the Cleveland music scene both as a performer and commercially. He has composed and produced commercial music for the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Cardinals, WKYC-TV, Sports Time Ohio, KSDK (St. Louis), KPNX-TV (Phoenix), and Clear Channel Communications. He can also be heard playing guitar on many commercial jingles for McDonalds, Mr. Hero, Pearl Vision, Sterling Jewelers, Matco Tools, Ohio Lottery, and Cleveland State University. In 2010, he earned an Emmy® nomination for musical composition and arrangement.
Baker has performed at the The White House, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Macau, China, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, The Grand Ole Opry, and in December of 2013 completed his second USO tour in Afghanistan and Kuwait.
Since moving to Nashville, Dave has played with the likes of The Line, Luke Bryan, Thompson Square, Josh Thompson, Ashley Gearing, Darryl Worley, Justin Moore, Laura Bell Bundy, Randy Houser, Craig Campbell, Rodney Adkins, Brett Eldridge, Kip Moore, The McClymonts, Eric Paslay,
and Kalisa Ewing. Since 2012 Dave Baker has been a member of Kellie Pickler's band. Probably should also add he's a nice guy too. Oh, and he has his picture painted on the side of a building in Nashville at 12th and Porter.
Marc Wayner: Your album is titled 71 South. Is that a reference to your move from Cleveland to Nashville? It's 71 South to 65 South right?
Dave Baker: Yes, the album title is in reference to the highway I drove from Cleveland to get to Nashville. Of course I pick up 65 South along the way in Louisville.
MW Did you go through any culture shock with the move?
DB Moving to Nashville was scary and exciting all at the same time. I barely knew anyone and basically had to start from scratch. I forced myself to go out almost every night and network. I'd sit in with bands and shake hands and give out my number. I also kept going back to Cleveland to work (play, teach, record) for about 2 weeks a month for the first 6 months I lived here. After the first 6 months, I landed my first artist gig. It gave me the confidence to finally sell my condo in Cleveland and stop the commuting back and forth thus focusing on Nashville
exclusively.
MW What do you miss from the Cleveland area?
DB I miss all the great things about Cleveland: family, friends, familiarity with the region. I miss the seasons, especially Fall. I miss going to Cavs' games.
MW Can't shortchange Nashville, what have you found there that you would miss if you left?
DB Nashville is full of culture. I'd certainly miss the diversity in music, art and people here. I'd also miss the amazing musicianship and work ethic. The players here are the best, per capita, in the world.
MW What made you decide to do an instrumental album?
DB I've been writing/producing jingles for the last 15 years. My album was greatly inspired by the diverse musical situations I've been in along the way. Often times I'm writing a Latin piece or a Calypso arrangement. Sometimes I'm asked to produce a spot that has a "heavy metal" feel. After a number of years being forced to wear different hats, not only did an instrumental album make sense, but a completely musically diverse album spoke to me as well.
MW The album really is a tour de force of different styles and genres. Do you have a favorite style of playing?
DB I enjoy all styles of music. On the album, I really like the "bluesier" stuff; "Baker's Boogie," "71 South," even "Spaghetti Western" has an underlying blues feel.
MW The first cut is titled "Guitar Center Saturday." The Guitar Centers in Nashville must be different than the ones I've frequented. What I've heard there on a Saturday sounds no where as good as what's on the cut.
DB "Guitar Center Saturday" is supposed to be an inside look at the atmosphere of a music store on a Saturday afternoon. Lots of different sounds, noises, songs being played in a hectic background wash. It also pays tribute to the stereotypical music store guitar hero. The guy who plugs into a modeling amp and plays his favorite Yngwie licks to draw attention from innocent patrons. The song, like many songs on the album, is very "tongue in cheek."
MW Any plans to shoot the movie that goes along with "Spaghetti Western"? Who do you see as the star?
DB No plans to shoot a movie for "Spaghetti Western." I would however like to pitch it to Quentin Tarantino for one of his upcoming films.
MW I know they are all like your children and you really don't have a favorite, but what are the cuts on the album that you find the most interesting or enjoyable to listen to or play?
DB The most enjoyable song for me was probably "The Brothel." It has a great old school, Eastern European flavor that really speaks to me. John Painter (Nashville producer, Ben Folds) played trombone and tuba which gave It a "circus like" feel. The song is especially special to me because I used my grandmother's 1938 Martin acoustic on it. She used to perform on a weekly radio show playing and singing. She also had
backed up Roy Rogers on several occasions. The guitar was given to me after she died and it had the perfect tone for "The Brothel."
MW Can you give us a rundown of the guitars, amps, effects and such on the album? Sounds like a nice variety to my ears.
DB I used a Tele for a lot of the album along with a Strat, 335, and my favorite guitar, a PRS David Grissom gold top. The PRS is incredibly versatile and easy to play. I can't say enough great things about it. I use it on the road as well as in the studio. For most of the album's electric tracks, I used a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia. The Ghia has been my "go to" amp in the studio. It's impossible to get a bad sound out of it. And often times, I use it with no effects; straight in! My effects on the album were minimal. At times, I used a Wampler compressor, Wampler delay, Pinnacle distortion, and an Xotic BB plus.
MW You're on the road with Kellie Pickler. What's that gig like?
DB Playing with Kellie has been amazing. She is a great boss who is extremely humble and gracious. She treats her band with the utmost respect and is always upbeat and positive. She has been inspirational as an employer and a person. Her band, my road brothers, are great people and have become some of my closest friends. The Pickler camp, from management to crew, is amazing!
MW What do you see as your role in her band?
DB My role in the band is playing electric, acoustic, mandolin, and lap steel. I also sing backup vocals. I juggle instruments all night long, but I really enjoy the instrumental diversity.
MW Since our readers love equipment, have to ask what is your rig for her shows?
DB My live rig is a Dr. Z Z Wreck amp and Dr. Z 2x12 cabinet. I mostly play my PRS Grissom model and my McPherson Camrille acoustic. I also use a McPherson mandolin (prototype). My pedalboard consists of Wampler pedals, and I use a Line 6 M9 for modulation effects.
MW How did you first get interested in playing the guitar?
DB I first started playing when I was 8 yrs old. Everyone on my father's side of the family play and my Uncle Mike first introduced me to the wonderful world of bluegrass. Uncle Mike taught me bass/chord accompaniment. He was an incredible mentor who used to take me to his bluegrass gigs and let me play with his band. I guess it was kind of a novelty to see a young kid playing guitar with bluegrass veterans.
MW How did you learn? Lessons, self taught (I really hope not since that would mean there is no hope for me), a combination?
DB For the most part, I am self taught. I did take guitar lessons when I was young. I learned how to read music (not enough to hurt my playing however). I learned the most from hanging out and jamming with other players. I attended Berklee shortly in my early 20's and won a scholarship to finish out a four year term. But, as fate would have it, the country music scene blew up around '94/'95 and I was gigging four nights a week playing Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn, and Merle Haggard, thus passing on the collegiate route and taking advantage at what I would call a "paid internship" where I was forced to learn and execute Brent Mason, Vince Gill, and Ray Flacke licks. I'm happy I chose the right road for me.
MW Now for some quick ones. Of course, what was the first song you learned to play?
DB First song I learned was probably some bluegrass tune. "Dueling Banjos?" "Salty Dog?" "Rocky Top?"
MW First guitar?
DB First guitar, Stella acoustic?
MW Amp?
DB First amp, Dumble. Just kidding!
MW You have both electric and acoustic guitars on the album, do you have a preference or one you feel you play better?
DB I'm most comfortable playing electric.
MW Do you do any work on guitars? What sort of stuff do you do?
DB I can do a simple setup on my guitars. But anything that requires surgery, like a refret or even fret crowning, I'd prefer to leave to an expert.
MW Are you a collector or do you own equipment as tools for your trade?
DB I mostly own guitars that are my tools of the trade. However, I have acquired quite an impressive vintage collection over the years. I have a few mid '60's Teles, a '57 LP Jr, '70 LP Custom, a few others as well.
MW Can you give us some of your influences musically and perhaps intellectually?
DB Some of my guitar influences include, in no particular order: Roy Buchanan, Carlton, Roy Nichols, Malmsteen, Beck, Page, Clapton, Mike Campbell, Gilmore, DiMeola, Lukather, Robben Ford, Hendrix, Jay Graydon, Tedesco, Verheyen.
MW What do you look for in an instrument?
DB I look for resonance within the wood. That's all that matters. You can always tweak other nuances. But the marriage of the wood between the neck and body is what gives a guitar its "mojo."
MW Do you have a guitar that you keep out around the house to play? What is it?
DB I usually play a Tele around the house. It's just easy to grab.
MW Excluding the people you are playing with at this time, can you give us your dream five or six piece band assuming you are on guitar? You can have another guitar player.
DB My dream band: Roger Daltrey, Ron Wood, Steve Jordan, John Paul Jones.
MW Best Rock and Roll Song of all time?
DB A best a rock song? That's a hard one... How about my top 5 fave albums: Who's Next, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Back in Black, Revolver, Disraeli Gears.
MW Best guitar line?
DB "And Your Bird Can Sing" (the Beatles), "Love and Happiness" (Al Green), "Green Onions" (Booker T), "Just like Heaven" (The Cure), "Mama Tried" (Merle Haggard).
MW Favorite Christmas song?
DB "The Christmas Song."
MW Any hobbies, interests or passions outside of music?
DB Golf, gun range, folding laundry.
MW How can our readers find out more about you and your music?
DB For more info, please visit my website www.davebakerguitar.com All my social media is linked within my website.
MW Thanks.
Review and Interview by Marc Wayner
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