Wow...

[jaxadam]

So I just went to a clinic to see Jennifer Batten. I've heard of her before, but never really payed any attention. Well, she absolutely blew my mind. I don't even know how to describe it, just go to her website and listen to some of the audios, like Whammy Damage or Cruzin the Nile. She's not a shredder by any means, but she came up with some phrases that blew me out of the water. Needless to say, I was pretty impressed and will definitely be purchasing her new CD.

 

[jazzbo jim]

You don't get the Beck gig by simply looking good!

 

[tommyindelaware]

got news 4 ya.....
she CAN shread your brains out if she has a mind to.......

 

[SteveB]

Jennifer Batten could shred back in the 80's. If she's not doing it now, it's probably by choice. She played for Michael Jackson for a while back in those days, on tour I think.

The lady can play!

 

[GWDavis28]

Oh yah I saw her on one of his video's she was awesome!!!!!!

Glenn |B)

 

[Adwex]

Yes, she toured with Michael J. for a while, and I saw her backing up Jeff Beck.

 

[PugNinjas]

I have an old video called "Hot Guitarist" and besides featuring an interview with Nuno, there's a segment on Jennifer and she is shredding away effortlessly. Granted she was sporting hair that rivals Steve Stevens in height, but that was back in the Aqua Net lovin' 80's

 

[Hookpunch]

Absolutely, if you think Jen is not a shredder you have not listened to Above , Below and Beyond. She has lost the big hair but strangely looks a bit like Rik Emmet did back when he was with Triumph.

Anyway anyone remember her at the Superbowl half time show with Jackson. At least she actually played the guitar, Jacko lip synched.

 

[Jonny Dubai]

I love her. A woman who knows guitars and can shred........

 

[jaxadam]

I actually liked what she was playing a lot more than some of the mindless shredding that is becoming popular these days. She definitely had some quick runs, but the phrases, scale and note choices were what was very, very impressive. And she really used the effects to her advantage, making sense out of them, which was also what was really cool. She would actually do some multiple finger tappings, and use the whammy pedal as a pitch shifter, mimicking a trem, and that made a very cool sound. She has definitely been doing her homework.

 

[rrhea]

If you can even find "new talent" today that actually shreds (there are a few, I suppose), I guess you could make the argument... but other than people like Batten, Vai, Satch, JP and others that came from that era, I think that shredding is the exception these days and not the norm.

To me, what is mindless, is the crap played on the radio that just about any kid with 2 years (or less) of self-taught guitar playing could bang out. With more and more producers writing hit songs for bands and setting the bar very low in terms of skill-level, it really has become a pretty sad affair. People used to play their instruments and actually write their own music and people bought it!

Nowadays we have Switchfoot and Ashlee Simpson. Sad, indeed. Thanks Clear Channel!

There seems to be a very fragil trend among youngsters toward learning how to really play the guitar again... let's just hope it takes off. I'm sick to death of hearing barred drop D riffs on the radio that even my non-guitar playing buddy can learn and play in about 5 mins.

RR

 

[jaxadam]

I hear that. That's why I don't even listen to the radio. Actually never really had. I actually really like progressive house and trance. I get a lot of melodic appregio ideas from some of the better electronic music. I've always been a huge appregio and sweep picking fan, and believe it or not, there is some really good melodic structures to some of that music. I'm sure I might get bashed for liking that stuff, but there really is (believe it or not) some good underground stuff out there. I actually almost fell out of my chair when even Jennifer Batten herself said that she liked and sampled stuff by AK1200! (a drum and bass group) to use in her own music.

 

[rrhea]

Hey, I'm with ya dude. I pretty much checked out of the rock music scene during the ninties with all that grunge shiite.

So I turned to Jazz, Latin music and Electronic music for my listening enjoyment. I love techno and trance! I always thought it was cool that Rob Zombie was so into mixing metal and techno (even though his music isn't that great ).

So I agree wholeheartedly!

DOWN WITH CLEAR CHANNEL!

RR

 

[jaxadam]

Aren't you the guy who was having problems with your trem on your Jem from over at Jemsite?

 

[rrhea]

Actually it was my RG1520. I thought my acidic skin was causing the metal on the trem breakdown. But it's really just the finish on the trem itself (which I already knew would happen).

Too bad they don't make their trems out of real metal, like EB does.

But, I do think it's me you're talking about.

RR

 

[jaxadam]

Yeah, that was it. I'm waiting for mine to do the same thing.

 

[mesavox]

Not a shredder by any means?

Oh my goodness no... She is a MONSTER SHREDDER.

Flight of the Bumble Bee played with ALL 8 finger tapping. That debut album of hers is jaw dropping to say the least when it comes to shredding.

She's a GIT grad by the way. Her favorite teacher was Joe Pass who is of course a Jazz legend and in those terms quite the shredder himself.

 

[jaxadam]

I guess I just don't lump her into the "shredder" category, and it's a good thing, because I think her playing is better than some of the retarded shredding out there today. I consider people like Joe Stump, Rusty Cooley, etc. shredders. I think she would have a hard time with hanging with some of those speeds, but she definitely IS a great guitar player.

 

[mesavox]

Have you heard her first album? I don't see in any way that she would have trouble keeping up with Rusty Cooley at all.

I agree though, she is a fantastic player and definately way original. She's interesting in the Vai sense where the shredding is there but the most fantastic thing is the sense of the insturment being part of thier anatomy.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I met Jennifer on a couple of occasions at Guitar shows and the like. An amazing talent, and also a really nice person.