Let’s learn a little more about excellent guitarist and podcast-meister, Bruce Forman. Bruce has been very busy with his globetrotting Red Guitar show and hosts a popular jazz guitar-oriented podcast series called Guitarwank.

1. To start off with, tell us about the Red Guitar…

The Red Guitar is a one-man show I have been performing around the world. It combines playing, storytelling and humor. The show is an exploration of a life in the pursuit of sound and deals with the inner (and outer) struggles of the artist lifestyle. It is educational, humorous, probing, inspiring and entertaining.

2. How was Guitarwank born, and what are the best – and worst – parts of the podcasting process for you?
My friend Troy McCubbin joined Scott Henderson and I for one of our weekly breakfasts. He thought the world should hear our rants and observations, so we moved the hang to his studio. The most difficult part is making the time to keep up with the weekly schedule, the most rewarding part is the community we have developed around the world.
3. What Henriksen Amp(s) do you prefer and what settings do you use?
I use The Bud, and just got The Blu, excited to try it out. I find them to be a bit on the dark and midrange side, so I often boost the highs and keep the lower frequencies a bit below 12 o’clock. It has a really great sound on the direct output which makes it great for big shows or recording as well. An amazing invention that amp!!!
4. How would you categorize what you like to play?

While my basic conception of everything comes from bebop, swing and blues (I know, weird for a guitar player), I like playing in diverse settings: stylistically, and from an instrumentation and sonic perspective.

5. What’s the most interesting (good or bad) gig you’ve ever played or episode you’ve ever recorded? Give us the details!

I’ve played a lot of gigs, so that is a tough question to answer…there are so many! I have played with so many of my idols as well, so I feel exceptionally fortunate. But I know what you really want: OK, here’s one that comes to mind, I played with a trio that got hired to play at a swingers party, but they wanted us to wear some funny sleep masks that they provided so we couldn’t see…I’ll bet we all peaked, but we never discussed it.

6. Whats the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten at a gig?

They don’t feed jazz musicians, it just makes us complain more…

7. What’s on the horizon for you personally and for Guitarwank that we should know about?
Well, for GW we have some great guests and also a contest for our 100th episode, kind of Wheel of Fortune meets Jeopardy thing…I think we’re at 99.76, I hope to have 100 before we really hit 200…math is not our strong suit.
Personally, I am doing more Red Guitar shows, and have two new versions in development. I have more with Junkyard Duo on the books, I’ve got my trio and a bunch of interesting collaborations as well. I have some really exciting news, but I can’t divulge it until it is announced….sorry to tease, but please check back in a little while!

Learn more about Bruce and his projects at: http://www.bruceforman.com/

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