Born in rural Victoria in Australia, Brett Garsed began playing guitar at the age of 12. He started to teach himself the instrument (after initially receiving lessons), after which he formed a local band which allowed him to play live. His early influences include Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page and Dave Gilmour which later expanded to include Rory Gallagher (a big influence on his slide playing) and Eddie Van Halen. After playing for about 5 years, Brett took classical guitar lessons which allowed him to develop his finger-picking technique, an important aspect of his developing style.
However, it was the discovery of the music of Allan Holdsworth that was to radically alter his perception of the instrument. Garsed's playing to this point had been more geared towards the legato style, a technique that was natural to him, so Holdsworth's playing was a revelation. From this point he started getting into fusion players like Larry Carlton and Scott Henderson.
Until then Brett had been working as a licensed plumber but when he was featured in Mike Varney's Guitar Player's "Spotlight" column in 1985 -- a column which exposed new guitar talent -- Brett started sending demo tapes to record and management companies. One of these led to an audition for a short tour with Australian superstar, John Farnham. Brett then went on to play on Farnham's Whispering Jack CD which became the biggest selling album in Australian history.
In early 1989 he was invited to the US to audition for Nelson, an outfit led by brothers Matthew and Gunnar. The resulting album, After The Rain, sold in excess of 3 million copies and resulted in a number one single, "Love and Affection". In early 1990 Brett contributed leads to Mark Varney's Centrifugal Funk project, which featured scorching solos from such master musicians as Shawn Lane and Frank Gambale.
However, it was through a chance meeting with the equally talented, 8-finger tapper, TJ Helmerich that he was finally able to record the sort of material he really enjoyed. 'I met TJ while we were recording the Nelson album at Cherokee studios in Hollywood,' explains Brett. 'TJ had just graduated from MI (Musicians Institute) and was working there as a tech when he happened to hear an outro solo I did for the song "Everywhere I Go". I was really happy with that solo but the best parts of it ended up being edited out! I remember us jamming for the first time at TJ's apartment and for some reason I didn't find it surprising that he was a sensational player. I just seemed to know that we'd hit it off as mates and we did! After much procrastinating about doing our individual solo albums for Legato, we approached Mark Varney with the idea of a collaboration and he was up for it.'
The resulting album, Quid Pro Quo (1992), was a beautiful selection of intricate and melodic counterpoint ideas set in the framework of real songs. Although ostensibly an instrumental release (Brett and TJ sing on a number each), the solo parts weren't allowed to swamp the music and each player complemented the other perfectly. The same was true of their next release, Exempt, released in 1993.
'I think the popularity of Quid Pro Quo and Exempt lies in the emphasis on melody. We saved the chops for the solos which were also very concise so they didn't bore the non musicians but still had enough balls to get the guitarists' attention. We both have a very pop song approach to instrumental music which is probably because both of us were originally in vocal bands.
'We're both inspired by literally any kind of music', continues Garsed, 'as long as it's done with conviction. TJ usually comes up with riffs and parts while I tend to write complete tunes, almost like solo acoustic songs, which TJ then adds his ideas to. We'll both be involved in the process till the end. We never write songs separately which is why they have a good flow and sense of continuity. The end result is a blend of the spontaneous (TJ) and the orchestrated (me). I know "orchestrated" is a terribly pompous word but I can't think of a more descriptive one right now! I'd definitely be up for doing another Garsed/Helmerich album. For now we've got the vocal album that we did with Virgil Donati so we may end up releasing it ourselves'
The 'vocal album' he's referring to his the third Garsed/Helmerich CD, which to date remains unreleased. It's a fascinating album, not at all what you would expect. This time the tracks are more experimental, less immediate and often downright bizarre! It features many different styles, from rock and jazz to dance and ... some very ... uh ... odd material. However, if you're lucky enough to hear it you'll probably be impressed by its sheer audacity, warm humour and, of course, fine playing. This time all the vocals are handled by TJ though there are still a number of impressive instrumental tracks. The album also features Virgil Donati on drums and Richie Garcia on percussion; the combined effort of all the participants results in one of the most imaginative and unusual CD's I've heard in a long time.
Garsed's unique legato style is a welcome alternative to speed picking, a technique much overused in 80s and 90s instrumental music. But how does he view his style and its relevance to the next decade? 'I view myself as a rock guitarist whose influences are rooted in 70s blues rock (I know, it's not what people would think); but I've also taken a phrasing and improvisational influence from jazz and fusion. I enjoy both instrumental and vocal music and interestingly enough, I actually do like a combination of the two as it's rare to find musicians who are accomplished enough to have a unique style at both. It's a shame that people aren't more open-minded and realise that some guitarists are amazing singers and vice versa. Apart from TJ, I also know a couple of Aussies who are phenomenal.
'I think teaching at MI has really helped in that it's reminded me why I became a musician and particularly a guitarist in the first place. I just love playing and if fame and fortune happen as a result of that then so be it. But first and foremost I love the guitar and I love being around people that feel the same. When I finish a day of teaching at the school I honestly feel like I'm 19 years old again!'
What does he think of the so-called 'technique-based' player or 'shredder'? Does this describe his playing at all? And are there any players in particular which inspire him today?
'The instrumental guitar scene seems to be fairly healthy with a lot of new faces as well as the more well known people still regularly releasing material. I personally like anything as long as it's done with conviction so if I see someone shredding, having a ball doing it and kicking arse into the bargain then it's OK by me! I don't really consider myself a shredder as my chops are strictly my own and are very natural for me. It'd take me years to even get close to playing some of the things the shredders are doing. I have a bit of technique, almost by default, but, like I said, I just do the things that come naturally so I don't feel I have astonishing ability.
'I'm more into melody than technique so that requires that I play a lot slower than most. Maybe one day I'll be able to shred and "sing" at the same time. I'm inspired by almost everyone I hear out there. I'd run out of room if I even tried to name them all. Just seeing someone doing what it takes to get their music heard is an inspiration.'
Nowadays Brett lives in Los Angeles where he teaches at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. He plays regularly with local band Jenna Music, whilst working on projects with TJ and fellow Aussie, Virgil Donati. However, Brett has many more ambitions musically and no shortage of ideas for the future. 'I'm always playing guitar and I like to just let it go where it wants to stylistically. I'd like to do a lot more slide playing as I feel I'm doing some unique things with it. I still work hard on my singing and one day hope to have it as strong as my playing. I'd really like to do my own album which would be a mixture of vocal and instrumental tunes and make it available for free download over the web. I'd rather have total control over the content than argue with some label guy about whether I'm playing too much or not enough. It'd be great to let people just judge the music without having to decide if it's worth the money they paid for it. It's a dream at the moment but stranger things have happened!'
Email: brett212@pacbell.net
***Newsflash!*** Purchase Brett & TJ's new CD, Under the Lash of Gravity online from www.mp3.com.Matt's Playlist:
Brett Garsed/TJ Helmerich - Under the Lash of Gravity
Vinnie Moore -- The Maze
Max Steiner -- King Kong (1933) (soundtrack)
Talisman -- Truth
Vital Tech Tones -- Vital Tech Tones (feat. Scott Henderson)
Matt's Mind|Matt's Music|The Modern Guitarist
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