Gibson/Baldwin
Moves and Grooves

Guitar Player editors pick Johnny A

Gibson Custom's Johnny A. signature model garnered an Editors' Pick Award from Guitar Player magazine. In a Bench Test review in the December 2003 issue, editor in chief Michael Molenda called it "achingly beautiful." The article included a sidebar with Johnny A. talking about the hollow body, long scale and other unique design features of his creation. Molenda gushed about the guitar to the point of embarrassment. "Now try one yourself," he wrote, in closing his review, "and see if you don't get all geeky about it. I dare ya!"

Diane Schuur releases new jazz album with songs by Manilow

Jazz vocalist extraordinaire Diane Schuur collaborated with pop legend Barry Manilow on her latest release, Midnight, for the Concord Jazz label. Manilow and Eddie Arkin wrote the album's songs and co-produced the project. It features duets with Manilow, Brian McKnight and Karrin Allyson. Schuur will tour with other Concord Jazz artists Allyson, Oleta Adams and Sara Gazarek in 2004. Look for a complete feature on Schuur in the February issue of The Gibson/Baldwin Player.

Click here to see behind-the-scenes audio and video clips from the making of the album.

Piano of Fortune

Look for a red Baldwin piano on "Wheel of Fortune" the week of December 29. Contestants will be spinning the wheel that week for a D.H. Baldwin 562 vertical in a red cherry finish.

Baldwin part of American Ballet Theatre productions

American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Paloma Herrera posed in costume for their all-new production of Raymonda in front of a Baldwin piano. The production highlights the company's 2004 spring season, which runs May 10 - July 3 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Gibson jazzes up Japan

Gibson's Memphis (ES line) division and Montana (acoustic) division sponsored the Gibson Jazz Contest in Japan. The 100-plus entrants played their own personal guitars, about half of which were Gibsons and Epiphones. Motohiko Ichina of Tokyo, whose main axe is a Les Paul Custom, won the Best Guitarist honors, which included a new ES-175 Reissue in Wine Red finish. The Best Guitar Band award went to the A.I.T. Guitar Trio from Kobayashi City, featuring guitarist Hiro Tsutsui, who won a Gibson ES-335 Dot Reissue in Beale Street Blue. Syu Odamura, 16, from Kyoto City, who plays an ES-335, won the Special Judges Award. Japan's Jazz Life magazine gave the contest page after page of coverage, including a cover story feature the 1999 contest winner Yosuke Onuma, who went on to become one of Japan's top jazz/funk guitarists.

Acoustic pick-off, ginza-style

Gibson's Montana (acoustic) division teamed up with the Gibson Japan website (www.gibson.jp) to find the best acoustic guitarists in Japan. Music fans checked out the entries on the website and voted, and the 10 finalists had a "pick-off" at the Yamano music store in Ginza. First prize winner Rumika Nozaki of Kyoto took home a special Gibson Maui Wowie Custom Koa guitar. Second prize went to the duo White Crow of Kumamoto City, who played a Gibson LG-2 and took home a new J-45. Another duo, Big Block and the Fullty (pictured) performed with a J-160E and took home a new Blues King.

Ricky Skaggs DVD recorded at Gibson Showcase

Ricky Skaggs, the virtuoso bandleader who has returned to his bluegrass roots after a highly successful career in country music, has released his first DVD, "Soldier of the Cross - The Concert," recorded live at the Gibson Bluegrass Showcase in Nashville. Skaggs and his band Kentucky Thunder band performed before a sold-out audience at the Showcase concert venue, which is part of the facility at the Opry Mills retail complex that houses Gibson's Original Acoustic Instrument manufacturing operation. Skaggs' 1999 album of the same name won a Grammy.

Sabado Gibson

New Year's Eve is on Wednesday this year, but that's not stopping "Sabado Gigante" ("Gigantic Saturday"), Univision Network's top-rated variety show, from putting on a year-end variety show. Look for a Gibson Honey Starburst in the hands of Chris Perez (Selena's widower) in the Kumbia Kings band. "Sabado Gigante" normally airs on Saturdays, 8-11 p.m., to over 100 million viewers in 42 countries.

Busy holiday season for ZOEgirl

We don't know if ZOEgirl's success is a direct result of the three Epiphone acoustics they picked up on their recent ShoutFest tour (see Nov. Player) but Alisa Girard, Chrissy Conway and Kristin Swinford will be all over the cable networks during the holiday season. The Christian trio is featured on "The Action House Christmas Special," which airs on Sky Angel between Dec. 15 and Dec. 26; on TBN-JCTV on Dec. 20 and 25 at 7 pm (EST); and also on I-Life, Victory Network and TCT. They will also guest on the Hallmark Channel's "Night of Joy," with performances filmed at Disney's Magic Kingdom in Orlando. The two-hour special airs on New Years day at 10 pm and again on Jan. 4 at noon. Look for ZOEgirl on the road beginning in February, headlining FREE Experience events in 40 cities.

Anthony signs a Gibson for Hispanic Scholarship

A Gibson guitar autographed by Latin superstar Marc Anthony highlighted a silent auction (12/15) raising money for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. The auction, along with a benefit concert at New York's historic Beacon Theater, was part of the 110th anniversary of Banco Popular North America, the leading Hispanic-owned financial institution in the U.S.

Back Issues