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Premier Guitar

Hi, my name is Cory Wong. This is my podcast. I'm going to talk to your favorite artists as they discuss their personal tricks of the trade, never-before-heard stories, and the proper response when Sinatra wants to peep your master tapes.

Wong Notes

Bluegrass music is bigger than a genre. It’s become an entire world of ideas and feelings in the popular American imagination. And musician Jerry Douglas has been a key part of its celebration and revival over the past 30 years. “It's an old form of music that came from people in the south playing on the porch and became this juggernaut of a genre,” says Douglas. “It’s a character. It's a physical music.”

Douglas has racked up an impressive cabinet of accolades, including Grammies, American Music Association Awards, and International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. He’s been dubbed the CMA Awards’ Musician of the Year three times, and played with everyone from Allison Krauss and Elvis Costello to Bela Fleck and John Fogerty. He’s an encyclopedic guide to contemporary American roots music, and on this episode of Wong Notes, he walks Cory Wong through the most important moments in his 50-year career.

Tune in to hear Douglas’ assessment of bluegrass’ demanding nature (“Honestly, there's not so many genres nowadays that require as much technical facility as something like bluegrass”), what’s required of roots players (“Get it right, get it fast, make it hook”), and why the O Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack connected with so many listeners. Wondering how to get involved with session work? Douglas says there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, and what worked for him might not work today. The key is to be dynamic—and know when to keep your mouth shut.

There are plenty of gems in this interview, like Douglas’ thoughts on what makes a good solo, but the most significant might be Douglas’ big takeaway from decades of sitting in on communal roots-music sessions. “We can play in all genres,” says Douglas. “We just have to listen.”

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Visit Jerry Douglas: https://jerrydouglas.com/

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“Get It Right, Get It Fast”: Jerry Douglas on Bluegrass History, Technicality, and Session Secrets

Mike Stern has been around the block. The jazz-guitar virtuoso earned his stripes through the ’70s and ’80s in New York’s jazz scene, playing 6-string with drummer Billy Cobham before tapping in with artists like Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius—even at a time when guitar wasn’t necessarily a cornerstone piece of a jazz outfit. In this episode of Wong Notes, Stern fills Cory Wong in on the ups and downs of 50 years spent in one of the most complex and underappreciated music genres.

Stern made the leap to New York from Boston when Davis invited him to join his band (back when jazz was the pop music of the day, notes Stern), but it was a rocky ride—Stern says he and many other musicians were “bottoming out” from addiction, until a friend went sober and convinced them to give sobriety a try. Stern talks about Miles’ hidden love for the guitar, and how he succeeded in fitting into non-guitar environments.

Wong and Stern touch on the decline of arts spaces and cultures in America (thanks, Stern says, to misallocated funding), playing gigs where the band outnumbers the audience members, the benefits of running the same rig in every room, and how to pick the right pick—for Stern, that involves a bit of wig glue. Tune in to get the details, and be sure to check out our 2018 Rig Rundown with Stern, too.

Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong

Visit Mike Stern: https://www.mikestern.org/

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The Journey of Jazz Guitarist Mike Stern

You might not know Greg Koch, but we’ll bet your favorite guitarist does. In 2012, Fender called the Wisconsin blues-guitar phenom one of the top 10 best unsung guitarists, and in 2020, Guitar World listed Koch among the 15 best guitar teachers. He’s been inducted into the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Hall of Fame. Koch is a bonafide midwest guitar god.

He joins Cory Wong on this round of Wong Notes for this meeting of the Middle-America minds, where the duo open with analysis of music culture in Wisconsin and Minnesota—Koch taught at Saint Paul’s now-shuttered McNally Smith College of Music, which Wong attended. Koch and Wong zero in on the blues roots of most modern music and talk through soloing theories: It can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be, but Koch shares that he likes to “paint himself into a corner,” then get out of it.

Koch and Wong swap notes on the pressures of studio performance versus the live realm, and how to move on from mistakes made onstage in front of audiences. Plus, Koch has created scores of guitar education materials, including for Hal Leonard. Tune in to find out what makes a good guitar course, how to write a guitar book, Koch’s audio tips for crystalline live-stream sessions, and why he still prefers tube amps: “I like to crank that sh*t up!”

Visit Greg Koch: https://www.gregkoch.com/

Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

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Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Additional Editing by Shawn Persinger

Presented by...

“Crank That Sh*t Up!” Greg Koch on Teaching, Mistakes, Modeling, and Modern Blues

Grace Bowers just released her debut record, 2024’s Wine on Venus, with her band the Hodge Podge, but she’s already one the most well-known young guitarists in America. On this episode of Wong Notes, Bowers talks through the ups, downs, and detours of her whirlwind career.

Bowers started out livestreaming performances on Reddit at age 13, and came into the public eye as a performer on social media, so she’s well acquainted with the limits and benefits of being an “Instagram guitarist.” She and Cory talk about session work in Nashville (Bowers loathes it), her live performance rig, and Eddie Hazel’s influence.

Bowers plugs the importance of networking as a young musician: If you want gigs, you gotta go to gigs, and make acquaintances. But none of that elbow-rubbing will matter unless you’re solid on you’re instrument. “No one’s gonna hire you if you’re ass,” says Bowers. “Practice is important.”

Tune in to learn why Bowers is ready to move on from Wine on Venus, her takes on Nashville versus California, and why she hates “the blues-rock label.”

Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong

Visit Grace Bowers: https://www.gracebowers.com/

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

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Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Additional Editing by Shawn Persinger

Presented by DistroKid

Don’t Call Grace Bowers a Blues-Rock Guitarist

Here's a taste of what's coming up this season. WE GOT BENSON!

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IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod/

Produced by Cory Wong and Jason Shadrick

Presented by Fender

Welcome to Wong Notes

Joe Satriani is one of the most successful instrumental rock guitarists of all time. His latest album, Shapeshifting, was just released in April and is full of speedy legato runs and otherworldly rock jams. Cory and Joe discuss how to get in a performance-based mindset, Satch's famous guitar students, and advice for breaking through the noise of the modern music scene.

Check out Joe here: http://satriani.com

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

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Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Presented by Fender

Joe Satriani

John Scofield has been a trailblazer for over 30 years. He's played with everyone from Miles Davis to Medeski, Martin, and Wood. He's full of stories and is a true ambassador of the guitar. His latest album, Swallow Tales, is available on June 12. Head over to http://johnscofield.com for more information.

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Presented by Fender

John Scofield

Molly Tuttle is a fiery picker, dynamite singer, and incredible songwriter. She meets up with Cory to discuss her unique clawhammer style, developing a repertoire, and playing rhythm guitar in bluegrass and old-time music. 

Her latest album is called When You’re Ready and is available at mollytuttlemusic.com. 

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com 

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong 

Presented by Fender #wongnotes #premierguitar #johnscofield

Molly Tuttle

A true guitar hero, Eric Johnson discusses sage advice he received while touring with B.B. King, his approach to refining his voice, and how he uses the piano to cop new guitar voicings. Bonus: Cory makes a shocking gear confession.

Check out Eric Johnson: https://ericjohnson.com

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com 

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong 

Presented by Fender

Eric Johnson

Over the last 20 years, Rob has been holding down the guitar chair in Jamiroquai. He’s known as a go-to session player with credits on albums by Katy Perry, Kanye West, Robbie Williams, and many more. 

For more information about Rob, visit http://robharrismusic.co.uk

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com 

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong 

Presented by Fender

Rob Harris of Jamiroquai

The Tedeschi Trucks Band frontwoman shares her approach to sitting-in and how the band “family” is working through the pandemic.

Visit Susan Tedeschi: https://www.tedeschitrucksband.com

Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com

Visit Cory: https://www.corywongmusic.com

Visit Premier Guitar: http://premierguitar.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wongnotespod

IG: https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod

Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong

Additional Editing by Shawn Persinger

Presented by Neural DSP

Susan Tedeschi on Why Last-Minute Jams Are the Best

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