Moods & Modes

In part 2 of Alex’s conversation with Pat Metheny, the two discuss some of Metheny’s unconventional work, his association with musicians like Jaco Pastorius and Joni Mitchell, the evolution of his synthesizer sound, and why he thinks in visual terms. Pat shares his daily routine, what he does to keep learning after each gig, and explains the natural curiosity that keeps him going. Unlike almost any other modern musician, Pat Metheny remains uniquely unpredictable. His versatility is nearly without peer on any instrument. Metheny has won countless awards, including three gold records for Still Life (Talking), Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He has been nominated for 37 Grammy awards and is the winner of 20; he has also been nominated in 13 different Grammy categories, winning in 10 of them. His new album, SIDE-EYE NYC (V1.IV), an exciting, vibrant and energized new platform for Metheny, is available now. You can read the blog post that Alex references in the episode - "Art Imitating Music" - here, and listen to music from the episode on Spotify. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Metheny, one of the most critically acclaimed jazz musicians in the world, joins Alex to talk about his exceptional career, the enormous range of his playing style, and the idea of music without boundaries. The two discuss the different guitars that Metheny has played over the years, how he found his sound by rejecting the impulse to follow in the musical footsteps of Wes Montgomery, and why the ever-changing versions of Pat Metheny are really just part of the whole. Part one of a two-part episode. Unlike almost any other modern musician, Pat Metheny remains uniquely unpredictable. HIs versatility is nearly without peer on any instrument. Over the years, he has performed with artists as diverse as Steve Reich to Ornette Coleman to Herbie Hancock to Jim Hall to Milton Nascimento to David Bowie. Metheny has won countless awards, including three gold records for Still Life (Talking), Letter from Home, and Secret Story. He has been nominated for 37 Grammy awards and is the winner of 20. He has also been nominated in 13 different Grammy award categories, winning in 10 of them. HIs new album, SIDE-EYE NYC (V1.IV), an exciting, vibrant and energized new platform for Metheny, is available now. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Alex examines songs that exhibit nearly identical musical qualities.He dives deep on classic songs, comparing “Waiting on the World to Change” to “People Get Ready,” “Comfortably Numb” to “Here Comes the Flood,” “Always Somewhere” to “Simple Man” and many others, explaining the elements in the songwriting that were 'borrowed' from other songs.A few examples will definitely surprise you. Throughout the episode, Alex provides musical analysis to compare and contrast the songs, and discusses several of the most controversial musical legal battles over 'who wrote it first', such as “Stairway to Heaven” versus Spirit’s “Taurus” and George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” duking it out against The Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine”. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Moods & Modes, Alex pays tribute to legendary guitarist Leslie West. Leslie is known as the founding member and co-lead vocalist for the groundbreaking hard rock band Mountain. Mountain is often credited as one of the bands that helped influence the development of heavy metal music, and Leslie West’s guitar playing was a massive and oftentimes overlooked influence on guitar players who came after him.Alex discusses how Leslie’s picking attack and natural technique produced smooth, roaring tones without the use of any effects or electronic assistance.You’ll also hear Alex explain West’s profound influence on bands that came after Mountain such as AC/DC and Kiss, and how Leslie’s song “Long Red” left a significant mark on hip hop through songs like “99 Problems” by Jay-Z and “Barry Bonds” by Kanye West.Special guest Brad Tolinski joins Alex to shed light on Leslie’s unconventional amplifier setup and playing style, and you’ll even hear riveting archival interviews with Leslie West himself, including segments where he talks about jamming with Jimi Hendrix, taking LSD for the first Cream concert he saw, and his Sunn Amplifiers PA rig. Leslie West was an American rock guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter best known as a founding member and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Mountain. He also produced two studio albums and a live release with Cream bassist Jack Bruce under the name West, Bruce and Laing. West released a number of solo albums and was highly respected for his guitar work. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alex welcomes Michael League, one of the most accomplished musicians of the last two decades. Michael is best known as the founder, bandleader, and bassist for the New York-based instrumental group Snarky Puppy, and in this conversation you’ll hear him tell Alex about the band’s genesis and musical evolution. Michael tells Alex about Snarky Puppy’s “no power chord” rule, how necessity led to him taking on the role of producer, and why it’s crucial to never “quit failing.”Towards the end of the conversation, Michael tells Alex about improvements to his creative and personal life that he’s enjoyed since moving to Spain, and shares equally important stories of success and failure. Michael League is a 4-time Grammy® Award-winning, 5-time nominated producer and musician based out of Catalonia, Spain. He is the creator and bandleader of instrumental music ensemble Snarky Puppy and world music group Bokanté, founder of the record label and music curation source GroundUP Music, and artistic director of the GroundUP Music Festival. Snarky Puppy has amassed three Grammy Awards over the last 8 years, an incredible feat for a jazz-based instrumental group in the modern musical climate. He has worked with a wide range of legendary artists including David Crosby, Erykah Badu, and Joe Walsh, and continues to push musical boundaries through the endless number of projects that he is a part of. Michael’s new album, So Many Me is available now and you can hear music from the episode on Spotify. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd.To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Alex welcomes bass legend Percy Jones to the podcast. Best known for his work with jazz fusion ensemble Brand X, Percy tells Alex about the evolution of the band, including the period of time when Phil Collins was the drummer. The two discuss the incredible London music scene in the 60's and early 70's, Percy tells Alex how he ended up playing the fretless bass, and shares stories about Brian Eno’s unconventional creative process (and Alex makes a connection between Phil Collins and Brian Eno’s infamous Oblique Strategy cards). Percy Jones is a bass guitar legend, known for his solo work and collaborations with Brand X, Brian Eno, Suzanne Vega and many others. His most recent projects include PAKT and Box Of Noise. Alex performs with Percy on PAKT, available for pre-order here. Check out the episode playlist on Spotify. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rez Abbasi is an accomplished jazz guitarist and composer known for his ability to fuse traditional Pakistani and Indian classical music with modern jazz. In this episode, he discusses his eclectic guitar style, the diverse musical projects he’s contributed to, and the inspiration for his 2020 release, Django-shift, a collection of songs inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt. Rez tells Alex about some of the music he rediscovered during the pandemic (like the band Foreigner) and the projects he’s thinking of working on next. Rez Abbasi has explored nearly every style of music imaginable over the course of his career, having released 15 solo albums and contributing to a number of others. He’s been voted #1 Rising-Star Guitarist in the 2013 DownBeat Critics Poll and subsequently placed in the “Top-Ten Guitarists” alongside luminaries Bill Frisell and Pat Metheny, guitarist and composer Rez Abbasi is one of the most original voices on the current scene. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Brad Stratton. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts To learn more about unique music workshops you can join this summer with Music Masters Collective, visit www.musicmasterscollective.org/modes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arielle is a guitarist, singer, and guitar builder who has risen to prominence in the rock community for her soulful, uninhibited guitar playing and songwriting. Disregarding industry norms, Arielle has forged her own path and as a result, has performed with a stunning list of legendary acts including Brian May, Gregg Allman, CeeLo Green, Eric Johnson, and many others.In this episode, Arielle discusses her diverse musical influences, how she learned to find her voice as a songwriter, and the friendship with Brian May that led to their collaboration on the BMG Arielle guitar. The two discuss her passion for building her own instruments, and Arielle tells Alex about her commitment to replacing the wood that she uses for her guitars by planting trees. Arielle’s album Analog Girl In A Digital World will be released on May 7. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Brad Stratton. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Framptonis among the most celebrated guitarists in rock history. His 1976 album,Frampton Comes Alive!, remains one of the top-selling live records of all time and produced a handful of hit singles that remain in rotation. In this episode, he joins Alex to talk about his exceptional career, from his early days with Humble Pie to his success as a solo artist and the making of his upcoming release,Frampton Forgets The Words. Peter tells Alex about growing up with David Bowie, his reluctance to be a lead vocalist, and the two geek out over Peter’s signature guitar gadget, the talk box. Frampton has collaborated with such legends as George Harrison, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Wyman, and Ringo Starr, among many others. In 2007 he won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album forFingerprints, and in 2014 he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. His memoir,Do You Feel Like I Do, was published in 2020. Moods & Modes is presented by Osiris Media. Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick. Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing and mixing by Brad Stratton. Music by Alex Skolnick. Artwork by Mark Dowd. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. If you like what you hear, please give us a ratand review on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Alex pays tribute to Chick Corea. It’s a journey through the life of the great musician, from his early days in New York, debut as a band leader and first album, to the musicians and cultural movements he inspired. Corea’s ability to reinvent himself musically is showcased throughout, as Alex explores the different recordings and performances that make up his iconic career - with a few surprises along the way. A DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 23-time Grammy winner, and keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea attained living legend status after five decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that is simply staggering. He is the fourth-most-nominated artist in the history of the Grammys, with 65 nominations. From straight ahead to avant-garde, bebop to fusion, children's songs to chamber music, along with some far-reaching forays into symphonic works, Chick Corea was one of the most beloved and decorated jazz artists in history. You can hear full versions of the music played during this episode on Spotify.If you like what you hear, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Moods & Modes is brought to you by Osiris Media.Hosted and Produced by Alex Skolnick.Osiris Production by Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Editing, Mixing, and by Brad Stratton. Music by Alex Skolnick. To discover more podcasts that help you connect more deeply to the music you love, check out osirispod.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.