Gibson/Baldwin
Moves and Grooves

New movie "School of Rock" features Gibson SG and Flying V guitars

The new Paramount Pictures comedy School of Rock was No. 1 in movie theaters over the weekend after its debut October 3. Funnyman Jack Black stars as guitarist Dewey Finn, who impersonates a substitute teacher and turns a fifth grade class into high-voltage rock and rollers. Black jams on a Gibson SG Standard in the film; other Gibson guitars are featured including a cherry sunburst Les Paul Standard and a white Flying V. The zany Joan Cusack portrays the straight-as-an-arrow Principal Mullins, who loosens up when she sings Stevie Nicks' "Edge of Seventeen." Director Richard Linklater is known for his work on pop culture films including "Slacker" and "Dazed and Confused." Two SG Special Fadeds signed by Jack Black will be given away in separate promotions at fuse.tv.com and rollingstone.com. To view the "School of Rock" trailer, go here.

Keb' Mo' to host "The Blues" radio series on Public Radio International

Grammy-award winning artist Keb' Mo' (Kevin Moore), who plays Gibson, Epiphone and Original Acoustic Instruments, will host "The Blues," a 13-part radio series on Public Radio International in conjunction with the PBS blues television festival "The Blues." The radio series will air on more than 230 radio stations around the U.S. According to the web site, "Each program breathes life into blues history and culture with new and archival interviews from prominent artists, historians, and record producers, as well as historic and modern-day blues recordings." The series began airing on September 26 and will continue through December 19, 2003. For more information and to get a list of participating stations, go here. Moore was a featured performer in "Feel Like Going Home," the first TV segment of "The Blues" directed by Martin Scorsese. He also has an individual artist companion CD to the series, Martin Scorcese presents The Blues: Keb' Mo', which was released September 9, along with CDs from other blues greats including BB King, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters and Son House. The Gibson/Baldwin Player will have a complete feature on Keb' Mo' in the November issue.

Blues icon B.B. King has Birthday Bashes in Nashville for grand opening of new club

Legendary artist B.B. King proved that the thrill is still there when he played two blowout gigs celebrating his birthday (King was 78 on September 16) at his new B.B. King's Blues Club in Nashville on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 29 and 30. Guests included actor cum guitar slinger Steven Segal, Steve Cropper, Elvis' former guitarist James Burton, and songwriter Tommy Simms. Gibson guitars and Goldtone amps, Slingerland drums, Trace Elliott amps and a "Beale Street Blue" Custom Baldwin R-1 Artist Grand piano are featured as key design elements of the new Nashville club. Slingerland drums are placed throughout including one of the first Slingerland kits built in the U.S. in "Beale Street Blue" on the main stage, Slingerland Import drums downstairs on the rock stage, Slingerland cymbals used as indirect ceiling lighting covers, as well as Slingerland cymbal clocks. Two signed Lucilles are on display in the Nashville and Memphis Blues Clubs. King will sign another, which will be on display in the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville.

Bette Sussman gets primed with Baldwin for Bette Midler's national tour

Bette Sussman, musical director for Bette Midler's upcoming "Kiss My Brass" tour, recently spent 10 days working on arrangements and rehearsing with Midler's backup singers, The Harlettes, at The Hit Factory in the Gibson New York Showroom. Sussman is playing a Baldwin SF10 Artist Grand for the rehearsals. Midler's tour debuts December 4 and Sussman will play a midi-equipped SF10 equipped with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) for the shows.

John Ratzenberg of "Cheers" hosts "Made in America" segment on Gibson

John Ratzenberger, who portrayed "Cliff" the mailman on the "Cheers" sitcom, was in Nashville on Friday, Sept. 5 to host an episode on Gibson Guitars for the program "Made in America" on The Travel Channel. The Travel Channel taped the feature at three locations, the Gibson Custom, Art and Historic Division, Gibson USA and the Original Acoustic Instruments (bluegrass) divisions. Roots rock artist Steve Earle - a Gibson player for many years - was interviewed during the Custom Shop segment, and country artists Joe Diffy and Dan and Jim Seals were interviewed at the Gibson Bluegrass Showcase, where the OAI division is located. Gibson Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz was also interviewed at Gibson Musical Instruments corporate headquarters. The show will be the Premiere Episode for the season.

Billy Bob Thornton performs at Gibson Lounge in Memphis

Actor, director and singer Billy Bob Thornton, best known for his roles in the movies "Sling Blade" and "Monster's Ball," did a gig at the Gibson Lounge on Beale Street in Memphis Friday, Aug. 22. Thornton's first band, Tres Hombres, once opened a show for Hank Williams Jr., and in an interesting twist of faith his daughter, Holly Williams, opened Thornton's show. He is currently touring to promote his new album Edge of the World released September 23 on Sanctuary Records. Thornton began his career in music as a drummer and a singer. The show was the first major concert to take place at The Lounge after the storm damage in July that crumbled parts of the exterior walls and blew out windows.

UK Band The Darkness set to take America by storm

Gibson artists The Darkness recently played their first two stateside shows - a sold-out performance September 18 at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, and September 22 at The Roxy in Los Angeles. Their debut album, Permission to Land. topped the album charts in Great Britain and was released in the U.S. September 16. Justin Hawkins, lead singer and guitarist, is a died-in-the-wool Les Paul enthusiast who has been all over the British press wielding his Les Paul '57 Goldtop reissue; he also plays a white Les Paul Custom, a black Les Paul Custom and a black Les Paul Standard. Guitarist Dan Hawkins (Justin's brother) plays a Sunburst Les Paul Standard and a black 3 PU Les Paul Custom. Bassist Frankie Poullain plays Thunderbird basses in white and sunburst. Drummer Ed Graham rounds out the foursome, who have been compared to Queen and Aerosmith.

George Lopez gets down at Gibson booth before Latin Grammys

Funnyman George Lopez hosted the Latin Grammys on Wednesday, Sept. 3, and he stopped by the Gibson Guitar booth just prior to the show to lighten up and have a "Gibson moment."

The stars come out for Nordoff-Robbins Benefit

Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson Chairman and CEO, joined a host of musical talent including Norah Jones, Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson and Tony Bennett in honoring Bruce Lundvall, president of Blue Notes Records, at The Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation Award Dinner Monday, Sept. 8 at the Essex House in New York City. Lundvall is on the Foundation's Board of Directors and has been a force in the music industry for over 40 years. The Foundation provides funding to support the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Center at New York University. The Center treats children with autism and other severe physical, intellectual and emotional disabilities using a technique based on the belief that music provides a universal language and that every human being has the capacity to respond to music. It is devoted to providing the highest caliber of music therapy services to help a broad range of individuals to overcome the barriers imposed by physical disabilities and trauma. Juszkiewicz is an honorary member of the Nordoff-Robbins Board of Directors.

Bam! Valley Arts guitar to be played on Emeril's cooking show

Mark Horne, guitarist for country artist Trace Atkins, will jam with a Valley Arts T-series guitar on "Emeril Live," the cooking show of New Orleans master chef and restauranteur Emeril Lagasse. The episode will air on the Food Network in November.

Actress Gina Gershon signs Voodoo SG for movie promotion

Gina Gershon stopped by Gibson's New York Showcase at The Hit Factory to sign a Gibson USA Voodoo SG for a guitar giveaway surrounding her upcoming movie Prey for Rock and Roll. Gershon plays Jacki, the singer/guitarist for a contemporary L.A. all-girl rock band. The cast is rounded by Lori Petty (who plays lead guitarist Faith), The Soprano's Drea De Matteo (bassist Tracy) and Shelly Cole (drummer Sally). Visit the official web site here.

The O'Jays backed by Baldwin for surprise performance at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Soul luminaries The O'Jays, who are starring in the upcoming Paramount Pictures film The Fighting Temptations, did a surprise gig in the 4th Floor Theater at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland after the movie screening. The trio performed several of their R&B classics while being accompanied on a Baldwin piano.

Sheryl Crow plays Gibson bass during 2003 Farm Aid Concert

Sheryl Crow played a custom Gibson USA EB-3 bass with the Farm Aid logo for the Farm Aid 2003 benefit concert Sept. 7 at the Germain Amphitheater in Columbus, Ohio. Farm Aid announced recently that the concert will be telecast as a 2-hour special on Thanksgiving evening, Nov. 27. The program will air in prime time, reaching TV viewers across America. At the concert, family farmers and their supporters joined Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, Crow, Brooks & Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Hootie & the Blowfish, Trick Pony, Billy Bob Thornton, Daniel Lanois, Los Lonely Boys, Titty Bingo and Aaron Brotherton. Nelson, Young and Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land.

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