Adrian Legg is one of the most unique musicians that you will come across in this lifetime.
I came across Adrian in a very unexpected way, when I went to see the Cleveland date for the inaugaral G3 tour which featured Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, and Steve Vai. I figured that Eric Johnson would be the odd man on the bill that night, and I would soon be proven wrong on that, as Adrian Legg came walking out on stage with merely an acoustic guitar in hand. Adrian's performance had the effect on me, that it has had on so many: I was instantly converted and went out to acquire the entire musical output from this guy that I hadn't heard of prior to that evening.
You have to experience Adrian Legg live to really get what he is all about. This much was true, prior to the release of this new album, Inheritance, on Steve Vai's Favored Nations label. Legg has this to say about Inheritance: "This is the first time my current stage sound has been recorded directly as it sounds live," he adds. "'Nail Talk,' 'The Good Soldier,' 'Decree,' 'Emneth' and 'Psalm Without Words' were done this way in single takes, the guitar and the synths (the latter played simultaneously, directly from the guitar) all down at once exactly as they work on stage."
That's a huge stamp of approval, coming from Legg, who will make sure to tell you at least once during a live concert, how much he detests going into the studio to record albums. Legg has always been most at ease in the live setting, and that's interesting, because in my opinion, I have always felt that his material translates very well in the studio. When you see it live, you just add in the sense of disbelief, finding it hard to believe that he could possibly be creating the aural soundscape coming through the speakers with merely his guitar and the unique style of playing applied to it. Satriani has been quoted on Legg's style, "He's simply the best acoustic guitar player I've ever heard, & he plays like he has hammers for fingers."
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
Legg is a fantastic guitarist. i put him in with a group of players who, while maybe not stylistically similar, go together because they sound like they're playing with more than 10 fingers.
but it's not only chops. they do something interesting with it....so the group would include people like Michael Hedges and Leo Kottke.
2 - Matt Wardlaw
Mark,
agreed. Adrian is in a class by himself, and definitely can be mentioned in the company of the players that you mention above.
One of the coolest things that I ever saw, was when I saw Adrian open up for Eric Johnson on a solo tour after the G3 tour, and Eric and his band came out during Adrian's set to join him for one of his songs - it was SO cool to see all of them up there on stage picking acoustically on Legg's material.
3 - Eric Olsen
this fine review selected for Advance