Ty Tabor! Best modern guitarist in the last 20 years?
Jul 07 '03
The Bottom Line If you like the Beatles/Brian May/Clapton & Hendrix then Ty Tabor should strike a chord with you!
Ty Tabor? Who?
Underrated guitarist? Wow, I bet we all could give a list about a mile long. I actually wrote an article about Gary Richrath a while back. I’ve been thinking for some time about another guitarist that really has influenced me about as much as any of my main guy’s (Hendrix/Clapton/Santana/Page) has. His name is Ty Tabor and he has been the lead guitarist for Kings X for over 20 years.
Born September 17, 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, Ty started playing guitar at a very young age in about 3rd or 4th grade. He played in many garage bands, like us all but magically hooked up with Doug Pinnik (bass & Lead vox) & Jerry Gaskill (drums and vox) around 1980 and have been pounding out amazing albums and tunes since.
Ty’s first Kings X album debuted in 1988 called “Out Of the Silent Planet”. Since Ty and Kings X have released 11 studio albums with the band and 3 solo albums of his own. Also working with other side musicians & projects.
Ty's Major Influences:
Bluegrass - Ty grew up playing bluegrass music in and around his hometown of Pearl, Mississippi. His father was an accomplished bluegrass musician. ~www.kingsx.net
The Beatles –Early childhood to the present, Ty has been hooked on the Beatle sound. It was John Lennon's voice and the Beatles Harmonies that he was taken by most. "I still listen to Beatle vocals and it does more for me than anything else," says Ty. "That happens to be the type of vocals I love." Ty Tabor~www.kingsx.net
Micky Pogue A childhood neighbor and babysitter of Ty's, Pogue played guitar and too was a Beatles fan. "He would bring his guitar and play Beatles songs and late-60's rock. It would sound better to me than the records because he had such a gifted touch."
(Ty Tabor -Guitar Player 91)
Brian May - Ty's fluid touch and phrasing for vibrato ("shake," as he often reefer’s to it) comes from the guitarist of the band Queen. ~kingsx.net
Ace Frehley (Kiss) - Ty: "I thought he had a great shake and played so melodically. I'd learn his leads, too." (Ty Tabor- Guitar Player 1991)
Alex Lifeson - The guitarist of legendary rock band Rush also is mentioned. "He inspired me many years ago to figure out ways of doing that type of thing, having some mammoth riff with open strings." (Ty Tabor-Guitar Player 1994)
Phil Keaggy - A veteran in Christian rock, Keaggy's guitar made a big impression on Ty, who claims to be a longtime fan. Keaggy formed the band Glass Harp in 1970 and cut three albums with them before going solo. In 1980, Ty met Doug and Jerry who were both were playing in the rhythm section of Phil Keaggy's band. ~www.kingsx.net
C.S. Lewis – The many writings of author and Christian philosopher have had a strong effect on Ty. "A lot of my inspiration to play and write comes from books instead of music. I've been so inspired by Lewis that I had to pick up my guitar. “Even the Bible, I've read passages that have almost forced me to do something musically."
(Ty Tabor -Guitar Player 1991)
Comments from other famous People
Carmine Appice= esteemed rock drummer. "Ty is one of the best guitarists to come on the scene in the last ten years," says Appice. "Every guitarist who made it in the 90's from bands like Pearl Jam to Soundgarden have listened to Ty. Ty is one of America's premier guitarists and always will be." ~www.kingsx.net
I have also heard interviews on the internet and VH1, seen advertisements in guitar mag’s and read many interviews with these people stating Kings X & Ty tabor as a big influence! And to the fact of them (Kings X & Ty) influencing the Heavy “dropped D” tuning grunge style.
Alice In Chains, Collective Soul, Fates Warning, Galactic Cowboys, Living Colour, Yngwie Malmsteen, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Third Day, and 24-7 Spyz, among many others.
King's X was also included in VH-1's Top 100 Hard Rock Acts Of All Time. The show interviewed guitarists Ritchie Blackmore, guitarist for Deep Purple and Vernon Reid guitarist for Living Color and Niles Rogers Producer/Guitarist who regarded the music of King's X as both groundbreaking and influential.
Ty’s comments about this from www.popmatters.com
“Well, it's a great honor! We're very lucky that within the industry, people have just held us with great esteem over the years. I didn't even know that Ritchie (Blackmore) liked us. I had talked to a couple of other guys in (Deep) Purple before, like Roger (Glover), the bass player and he had expressed huge admiration for the band, which just bowled me over.I was just stunned that Ritchie had even heard of us in the first place.”
Ty’s singing is great too. I love his sense of melody & harmonies! And yes there is a big John Lennon/Beatles vibe to what he does. Whether with Kings X or on his solo material he brings a smooth, very melodic approach to everything.
Although I haven’t read yet…..????? (I’ve read so much) or heard him actually acknowledge Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, but…………but to me, in my opinion his playing sounds a lot like Hendrix/Clapton and Brian May from Queen, all rolled up in one.
Closing
If I would happen to “get stuck” on a deserted island, and could only listen to one guitarist, it would definitely, hands down, be Ty Tabor. To me, he encompasses all the major elements I love to hear played and sung and written from over 30 years of Rock, Blues and Pop music. It’s all there and I strongly recommend you check Ty Tabor & his band Kings X out!!
See some of these sites:
www.kinsxonline.net = Band site
www.tytabor.net = Ty’s Site
www.kingsx.net= fan site
Thanks
Mark Darnell
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