Entrevista con - Greg Rapaport

GL - The great Greg Rapaport, thanks for your time!
GR - My pleasure, thanks for asking me!

GL - Please tell us about your personal history and background for the fans at Mexico.
GR - Sure! I grew up about 60 miles north of New York City. My dad owned two rock clubs, one in Portchester NY and one in Stamford CT. That is where I got my first exposure to some great musicians and it's also where I met my guitar teacher, Lou Ubriaco. I started playing when I was 9 years old on a ¾ size acoustic guitar. From there a couple of years later my dad gave me a full size acoustic and then when I turned 12 I got my first electric. I took lessons through high school and then stopped for awhile and concentrated on other things. In my mid - twenties I found the guitar again and began practicing very steadily. I was lucky enough to be able to find my previous guitar teacher, Lou, whom I hadn't seen in over 10 years. I continue to take lessons with him to this day.

GL - What motivated you to want to learn to play the guitar?
GR - Actually my dad gave me Led Zeppelin I and II when I was 9 and ever since then playing guitar and music has been a big part of my life.

GL - I always figured you could play pretty much any style you wanted, but what do you like to play a lot?
GR - My favorites are jazz, metal and funk. In general I like to play things that are challenging for me. I find that if I concentrate on something just out of reach, nail it, and move on to the next challenge you can improve pretty quickly.

GL - Tell us about your technique and how you developed it?
GR - My technique is a weird mix of my present and past influences. Since I started playing at a relatively young age I went through many musical phases so as I got older each one of those phases left its mark on my playing style. As far as development goes that was done through many hours of practice just like anybody else. In the beginning I tried to really concentrate on the basics (alternate picking, sweeping, chord voicings etc) and put down a good foundation. Exploring music theory and integrating it into my practicing has also played a big role in my development. Now I'm concentrating on putting together all the stuff I've worked on and making it sound melodic and interesting.

GL - When you were a kid, did you ever think that you would someday be one of the best new guitar players of the scene?
GR - Nope. There are many excellent guitar players out there who have developed their own sound and technique and have brought it to a much higher level. For me I think I've made some decent progress but there is still much more I need to learn and improve on.

GL - Who are your main influences?
GR - Growing up Led Zeppelin was a major influence. Also I was into (and still am) the old school progressive bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, and Kansas. I've also branched out into progressive metal, fusion and jazz. I'll listen to Opeth then I'll put on a Herbie Hancock disk and from there maybe Pat Martino or George Clinton.

GL -Who is your favorite guitar player?
GR - Tough question, I don't think I have a favorite all around guitar player. Each player has something to offer that really makes them stand out. Like Allan Holdsworth is known for his otherworldly legato technique and Frank Gambale's claim to fame is his sweeping. I also really like Scott Henderson's sense of melodicism and great phrasing.

GL - What projects are you currently working on?
GR - I just wrapped up my new CD Azrael Block a few months ago so now I've been busy promoting it. Also I'm pulling together some new song ideas for my next project.

GL - Do you love doing live performances?
GR - To be honest with you performing live scares the hell out of me. I have gotten much better in the last year or so but a showman is something I'm not.

GL - Let's move on to the "Azrael Block" record. Was this a particularly challenging album for you to make?
GR - This disk was a big challenge in many different areas. Obviously musicianship and composition were the biggest challenge while production and artwork were a very close second.

GL - What´s the meaning of this record to you?
GR - This album is kind of a turning point for me. On previous disks my main concern was musicianship. This time around I wanted to really accentuate composition and production along with musicianship. I wanted to give the listener more than just an instrumental guitar album. I wanted to really try to convey a feeling or a concept through the music. In essence I wanted the listener to somehow connect with the songs.

GL - What´s your favorite song from this new record?
GR - I don't think I really have a favorite. I like 'em all!

GL - Have you ever done a song or album that you wish you could go back in time and un-do? If so, which one, and why?
GR - I treat each album as a snapshot in time of both my musical ability and my skills in production. My goal is to simply make my next album better then the previous. When I listen to my older stuff I get a little bummed out because now I feel I can do a better job but hindsight is always 20/20.

GL - What are your thoughts on the state of instrumental guitar these days?
GR - You always hear how the guitar is "out", people who solo are egomaniacs, shred is dead, etc etc. The guitar took a beating but I think it's on the rebound. The talent out there is mind boggling. Through the internet you're able to explore the underground music scene and locate some great players.

GL - What do you think about the new crop of talented Guitar player's that are currently out there making music?
GR - I am not up on the current scene as much as I should be. As far as mainstream rock goes I think we are in a state of musical flux. It seems like everybody is waiting for the next trend.

GL - When all is said and done, years from now, how would you want people to remember Greg Rapaport?
GR - It would be cool just to be remembered!

GL - What will be next for Greg Rapaport?
GR - I've been getting back into teaching guitar and bass. Also I am going to be teaching production techniques at a local music school. That in combination with starting my next project will keep me pretty busy.

GL - And can we expect to see you in Mexico any time soon?
GR - Oh man, I wish. We have way too much snow up here.

GL - Is there anything else you would like to share with us that I have not asked?
GR - I just want to say thanks for letting independent musicians like myself get some great exposure through your website!

GL - Thanks for your time Greg, I really appreciated it!, we wish you all the best!!

No olviden visitar www.gregrapaport.com