It’s been a while since I last sent out a newsletter…my bad! So the excuse??? ;) Well, I have been updating my twitter, Facebook and myspace pages regularly so the newsletter kinda slipped through the net for a while – but I’m back on track – hopefully!!! If you want to find me on the various sites to get regular updates here are the links:
‘Circle of Fire’ - Work on the new CD has been progressing really, really well and I’ve had a number of tracks come in over the last couple of months with vocals so a lot of time has been spent in the studio. Pete Newdeck has again stepped up to the plate and delivered 3 new songs – yes, 3 more songs that he sings on – and they all sound fabulous! In fact he was at Sacred Sound in April recording the vocals for ‘Walking In Circles’. Check out the video...
Andreas Novak from Mind’s Eye also sang on a song for the album – we co-wrote lyrics to the song ‘Test of Time’. In still in recording and production mode so there in more to come in the next few weeks so stay tuned…
A couple of slots have opened up for guitar lessons so if anybody is interested in signing up then drop me an email at studio@jayparmar.com or check out www.jayparmar.com/gtr.html for full details. I teach 1-to-1 and over webcam so fear not if you are not in the immediate vicinity of Sacred Sound Recording Studio!!! My lessons focus on what the student wants to learn and right now I am teaching everything from George Lynch’s ‘Mr. Scary’ to Brian Setzer Rockabilly to Disturbed to Allman Brothers :)
The 1st and 2nd of May saw the first Lifestival Event take place at the Saltdean Lido. It was a health and wellbeing show that was organized by my wife Bindi (www.anamaya.net) and our friends Mark and Amanda Laffoley at D-Stress and Go (http://www.dstress.co.uk/). The show brought together a variety of exhibitors who offered treatments, therapies, readings, talks and demos. It was a great event and it was an absolute pleasure being part of it. The show was supporting the Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice and we raised £750 for the charity. Chestnut Tree House is a really fantastic organization and you can check it out at the following link - http://www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/.
I was in Bologna a few weeks ago to watch the Ultimate World Guitar Festival which was a really amazing event. George Lynch, Doug Aldrich, Yngwie Malmsteen, Glenn Hughes, Jennifer Batten, Stef Burns and even Seymour Duncan – it was awesome. It rained all day and all night but Piazza Maggiore was packed right the way though the show which featured individual sets by the artists and then a huge jam at the end where all of them, joined by Seymour Duncan, played ‘Smoke On The Water’. It was just an incredible night of music and hanging out with amazing musicians against the backdrop of a stunning city. There are lots of vids on Youtube right now so check it out…
George Lynch is running offering the chance to name his band!!! The lineup of Souls of We has changed as have the dynamics, so he is looking for a new name. If you want to give it a shot then head over to www.georgelynch.com and give it a go…
OK, the sun is shining and the beach beckons…see you next month!!!
Keep on rockin!!!
...J...
March Newsletter...
19 March 2010
Hi Guys and Girls,
I’ve had an incredibly interesting month!
The end of Feb and first 2 weeks of March 2010 saw the first Rottingdean Spring Music Festival. There were a variety of shows over the two week period ranging from classical to jazz to blues to Latin to folk, and it was a great success for the organizers and the musicians that performed. I was lucky enough to see a few of the shows, and was asked by the organizers to record 3 of the classical shows. I had the pleasure of recording the Hungarian Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra (directed by Peter Kovats) with Graham Caskie on piano (www.grahamcaskie.com) and conducted by Stephen Ellery; the Rottingdean Festival Choir with Sopranos Kathryn Sargent and Margaret Ferguson and Tenor Robert Little (directed by Dr Roy Wales); and the St Stynhians Male Choir and Brighton Male Voice Choir, with mezzo-soprano Sally Porter Munro. The music included pieces by Vivaldi, Mozart, Chopin, Purcell, Handel and many others. The recordings came out great and I was really pleased with the results!
A big thanks goes out to the organizers, Roy and Christine Wales for the enormous amount of hard work that they put into the festival and asking me to capture such fantastic shows. It was a real pleasure to work for them.
A huge thanks also goes out to Craig Dunsmore at Red 5 Audio for the microphones that I used to record the show. Craig shipped the mics to me really quickly and on short notice. As you probably know from my website and studio page, I have been using Red 5 Audio mics for some time now and they have been doing an incredible job. To capture the delicate sounds and dynamics of an orchestra and choir I added a pair of RV85s to my collection of mics, and together with the RV15 tube condenser, and occasionally the RVD30 dynamic, I was able to capture even the faintest sounds made by the orchestra (and some coughs from the audience!). Red 5 make some incredible equipment so check out their website for more details: www.red5audio.com.
My solo CD is gathering pace as well – 3 tracks are currently out with singers and I’m looking forward to hearing the final versions and releasing some sound-clips as well. I have also started working on some of the solos and have a surprise guest solo coming up as well. You’ll have to wait for details of that one though, but trust me, it will be an awesome addition to the CD! ;)
Work on revamping Jay Parmar.com will be starting later this week, so check back soon for updates and the new look!!!
Have a great weekend and keep on rockin!!!
...J...
Vengeance VS1-JP...
14 January 2010
Hey Guys and Gals...
Details of my Vengeance VS1-JP signature series guitar are now on my website...check out the page at the following link :)
Rick Stewart makes gorgeous and amazing guitars so check out the Vengeance Guitars website for more details. For those of you who are going to NAMM this week you can check out the Vengeance VS1 at the Egnater Amps booth 5952 Hall B...
Peace...
...J...
Happy New Year! 2010!!!!!
12 January 2010
Happy New Year Groovers and Shakers!
It's been an electric start to my year :) Hope it's been the same for you. I have a lot planned for 2010 so stay tuned!!!
You'll notice a shiny new button on the navigation bar on the left marked 'Studio'. Click on it to find out all about Sacred Sound :) There are some soundclips of tracks produced in the studio as well as prices and info...
I've been in the studio and recording over the last couple of weeks. Lots of new material is being created and will be available very soon...
Have a great year!!!
...J...
Sacred Sound Recording Studio...
19 October 2009
Hi Guys and Gals,
I've just set up a page for my studio, Sacred Sound, with details about the studio, rates and sound clips. Links will be on the navigation column in the next few days but in the meantime check it out at the following link...
Any Qs please email me. The studio is now available for recording and production!!!
Enjoy!!!
...J...
Eden's Curse December 09 Tour...
29 September 2009
Howdy Rockers and Rockettes!
I will be touring with Eden’s Curse on the road again in December.
We are playing at Hard Rock Hell III (Friday 4th December) and following on from that show we will be touring the UK with Scottish metalheads ALESTORM, and extreme metal band The Rotted. Dates and venues are as follows:
I’m back from touring the UK with Eden’s Curse. We had an amazing time on the road and had a great response from the crowds at every venue. We had an awesome time meeting and speaking to all of the fans. Thanks for coming to the shows and supporting us!
We are looking forward to coming back and playing longer sets next time around.
A tour diary is being put together at the moment will be up shortly. You can check out the reviews of the shows at the following links…
Huge thanks goes out to the Firewind guys…we had killer time hanging out with them – and sharing a stage with them! And Stratovarius for the support slot…
Pictures and more details will be up on my website shortly so check back soon!!!
…J…
Ready to hit the road!!!
11 May 2009
Hey Rockers!
Eden's Curse rehearsals are going incredibly well. the band is sounding very tight and we will be rockin' the UK in a couple of days...
Check out the dates below and see you there!
Keep on rockin!!!
...J...
Curse Tour Approaches...
2 May 2009
Hey Guys and Gals,
Well, I leave for final week's rehearsals for the Eden's Curse tour in just under a week. The band and I will be locked in a room for 7 days before embarking on our UK tour with Stratovarius and Firewind. My gear have been checked out (Randall had a health check and the effects loop was modified) and is working amazingly well; I have added an extra pedal to the board (a clean boost pedal called the 'Afterburner'); guitars are locked and loaded (my Micah Atwell custom serpent strap being sported on my ESP Serpent); and I'm ready to go...
I'll see you on the road!
...J...
Nottingham Show...
22 April 2009
Hi Everybody...
Just a quick update of the Eden's Curse Tour. The venue for the Nottingham show on the 16 May has been changed to The Rescue Rooms...
Full info of the venue can be found at the following link...
I finished building my pedalboard last night...check out the pic!
The effects chain is fairly simple. My guitar signal will go into a Boss TU2 tuner, then a custom Screamer pedal which I built from a kit from www.musikding.de, the Screamer goes into a Boss Chorus, then my Artec Resovibe, and finally an MXR Smart Gate (the Boss tuner and chorus are courtesy of my friend Tim Wallace). An Artec Analog Delay will run in the effects loop of the amp. The channel selector switch for mt Randall will be on the board as well.
The whole pedalboard is wired with patch cables made from Elixir's superior grade cable to insure that there is no loss of signal.
All of the pedals will be powered via a Gator G-Bus 8 which is an extremely quiet PSU.
My Randall is flight cased and ready for action as well!
See you on the road!!!
...J...
Eden's Curse Tour...
9 April 2009
Prep for the Eden's Curse tour are going great! The shows are set to be awesome and I am really looking forward to being on stage and seeing you guys at the various towns and venues that we will be coming to...
Tour spec flight cases for my Randall and pedalboard have arrived, both coming from The Flightcase Warehouse. They provided an absolutely brilliant service so check out their website...
My pedalboard will also feature a custom build Tube Screamer pedal from German company Das Musikding. It is a stunning sounding pedal which adds a lot of body and depth to my lead tone as well as pushing the preamp into 'Insane' mode.
Pictures of my pedalboard will be up in the next couple of weeks so check back soon!
...J...
Sacred Sound Powered By Red 5 Audio...
1 April 2009
I was lucky enough to discover Red 5 Audio microphones some weeks ago and I decided to contact them to provide mics for Sacred Sound. They have arrived and they are absolutely fantastic! The RVD30 dynamics are doing an incredible job capturing the dynamics, drive and punch of my Randall, while the RV15 tube condenser mic is just the sweetest, warmest sounding microphone I've tried. I'll be using it to record vocals and acoustic guitar in the coming weeks so come back soon for some sound clips...
A huge thanks goes out to Craig and the team at Red 5...
If you want amazing sounding mics then check them out. You will not be disappointed...
...J...
EDEN'S CURSE TOUR CONFIRMED!!!
4 March 2009
Hey Rockers,
It's confirmed! Eden's Curse will be touring this May and I'll be playing guitar with the guys. It's gonna be a real honor and blast playing live with the guys. Huge thanks to EC bass player Paul Logue especially as he asked me a while back to be the second guitarist in the touring line up; Many thanks to Michael, Thorsten, Ferdy and Pete. Check out the official press release...
Metal Mayhem Music recording artists Edens' Curse are delighted to announce that they will be touring the UK & Ireland in May 2009 as opening support band to Finnish Power Metal sensations Stratovarius. Also featured on the bill as special guests are Greek Melodic Metallers Firewind.
The dates are :-
Friday, 15 May 2009 - Wolverhampton, England, UK / Wulfrun Hall Saturday, 16 May 2009 - Nottingham, England, UK / Rock City Sunday, 17 May 2009 - Glasgow, Scotland, UK / Cathouse Monday, 18 May 2009 - London, England UK / Islington O2 Academy Tuesday, 19 May 2009 - Manchester, England UK / Academy 2 Wednesday, 20 May 2009 - Dublin Ireland / Button Factory
For direct links to purchase tickets please visit www.EdensCurse.com and click on the Tour section.
The band are also in the process of lining up several headline appearances, either side of the tour, so keep an eye on their official sites for details.
Bassist Paul Logue beams "Our number one aim for this year was to establish the band on the live circuit. Whilst we've had plenty of offers it's purely been a case of waiting for the right offer to come along, and that day is finally here! I'm extremely delighted on a personal, as well as a business level, to be sharing a stage with the sensationally talented Stratovarius, and one of my current favourites Firewind. Gus G and Thorsten on the same bill - guitar enthusiasts please bring your own bib"!
The band are also delighted to confirm that English guitarist, and their long term friend, Jay Parmar will be joining them on the tour as an additional secondary guitarist.
Logue comments "Unknown to many people, Jay has been in place for well over a year as our secondary guitarist and has learned both albums inside out. He's a great player and guy, and has already struck up a rapport with Thorsten, so it all makes perfect sense! We're delighted he's coming on the road with us".
If you can make it to a show it will be very cool to see you there...
...J...
Sacred Sound Recording Studio!!!
2 March 2009
Hi Guys and Gals...
Sacred Sound is now officially open for business!!! I have completed construction of my studio and it's a fab place to work. I love being here and working in this environment! Photos don't seem to capture the studio as I'd like them to so I put together a video tour for you guys to check out...
I will soon be kitting out the studio with some new gear. For the time being, my Randall has a nice new home to scream and shout in!
Watch the whole clip for a sneak preview from my next album...
I have some tour news coming up in the next couple of weeks so check back soon!
Enjoy!!!
...J...
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
2 January 2009
Happy New Year groovers and shakers! 2009 is set to be an amazing year. I have a lot going on in the coming month and will be bringing you updates regularly. You can look forward to some new music, some new video clips and lots more...
Have a great year!!! :)
...J...
Guitar Lessons!!!
14 December 2008
Hi Everybody...
As a lot of you know, I teach guitar as well and as my studio, Sacred Sound, is nearing completion I have started giving guitar lessons again in-person and over webcam. For more details email me at gtrlessons@jayparmar.com. My rates are as follows:
Guitar and Pro-Audio Lesson Rates
One-on-One Tuition:
Personal tuition between myself and one student – lessons can be in person or over webcam (please ask for further details about webcam lessons). A “Taster” session is also available for the first lesson.
“Taster Session” (first lesson): £20.
Single Lessons: £30 per hour. Book 5 lessons: £140 (£28 per lesson). Book 10 lessons: £250 (£25 per lesson).
Group Lessons
Group lessons are provided to a minimum of 2 students and a maximum of 3 for guitar tuition and 4 for pro-audio tuition. Recommended for beginners.
2 students: £17 per student, per hour (£85 for a block of 5 lessons). 3 students (up to 4 for pro-audio): £15 per student, per hour (£75 for a block of 5 lessons).
For all group lessons if you wish you can book the first lesson as a single test lesson, and then all subsequent lessons are booked in blocks of 5 lessons.
Gift vouchers are available. Please ask for further details.
I am also starting a new recording project with a good friend of mine who is an amazing guitar player. More details on that coming very soon!!!
Keep on rockin!
...J...
Vengeance Guitars...
26 November 2008
Aloha Groovers and Shakers!
Hope you're all doing great. I have been locked away in my house building my studio. Steep learning curve as I was doing all the work myself (with the help of some others now and then...). I'm happy to say that I have completed most of it and am writing to you from the control room of Sacred Sound!!!
I have some great news which couldn't wait till the next big update...I have been speaking with Vengeance Guitars for quite a while now about joining them. Well, we finally made all the arrangements and JP model 1 is being built as we speak. It will be am amazing guitar...I won't give away all of the details, but it will have the Vengeance carbon fiber neck which is incredibly stable. It will truly be a one off I promise...Huge thanks to Rick Stewart at Vengeance.
More news and pix of the studio to come very soon...
Keep on rockin!!!
...J... Jay Parmar
Studio Build Has Started!!!
23 September 2008
Hi Everybody...
The build of my studio, Sacred Sound, started yesterday. I have a very full week of work ahead of me but I'm really excited about the build and getting it up and running...
I am photographing the build and will post some pix as soon as I can...
Check back soon for more...Bye for now!!!
...J...
New House, New Studio...
10 September 2008
Hello Groovers and Shakers!
I have been absent for a while as I didn’t have access to my main computer and the internet because I was moving to the south coast of England. I am now living in a great little village just outside Brighton and have a gorgeous view of the sea from my back window. I totally love it!
I have designed a studio for the new place and will be starting the build process next week. I’m looking forward to getting it up and running. More news on that (and pictures) as the project progresses…
The London International Music Show a few months ago was a great success. It was a privilege playing for Elixir Strings and Cables and talking to people about the awesome products that Elixir make. Since the show I have replaced all of my studio connector cables with Elixirs and the difference in delivered sound is astonishing. There is a clarity and lushness to my guitar tone that was missing in the previous set up. Of course, when the new studio is up and running I will be using Elixir cables throughout to achieve the best possible recorded sound.
A couple of video clips were also captured from the show and are up on Youtube…here are the links…
I also have a deal with a guitar company in the works right now which I am really, really thrilled about. I am finalising details so will let you all know when it is all signed and sealed…
Take care and be good ;)
...J...
London International Music Show - Elixir Strings and Cables...
9 June 2008
3 days to go for the London International Music Show 2008! You can come and see me playing live at Elixir Strings and cables, Booth B16. Show times are as follows:
Friday 13 June: 12:15 and 2:15
Saturday 14 June: 11:15 and 2:15
Sunday 15 June: 11:15 and 4:15
Elixir's make excellent products, come and check us out.
...J...
London International Music Show
13 May 2008
Hi Guys and Gals...
Just a quick one to let you know that I will be playing for Elixir Strings and Cables at the London International Music Show at Excel, London on 12-15 June (stand B16). I will also be at the Alloutguitar.com stand as well where the gang is going be having a jam!!!
I’m really happy to announce that after meeting with then at MusikMesse, I have a deal with Line 6.
I have been using the POD amp modeller for many years and have recorded pretty much everything I’ve done using it in some way.
I am now using the POD x3 Live, which is an amazing piece of hardware. Line 6 have incredible products which deliver the sound that I need in the studio and live and it will be a real pleasure working with then.
Huge thank you to the team at Line 6.
...J... Jay Parmar
New Gear...
27 March 2008
Hey Everybody...
I've been changing up a few things in my set up lately to improve tone.
First, my Randall modules have been changed to the George Lynch signature series Super V and Brahma (I've had the Mr. Scary for a while). The attention to details and tone that Randall has injected into the modules is incredible. They switch has made a good tone and even better one...
Elixir have designed a guitar cable. I've been luck enough to receive one prior to release for testing and I must say that it is unbelievably good. It is an ultra low capacitance cable which allows the true tone of the guitar to be heard. A lot of cables (even high end cables) have the effect of changing the tone a tiny bit. The Elixir retains a purity of tone which is unmatched by any of the previous cables that I've used. I've been a long time user of Elixir strings and I'm happy to say that the cable has become my mainstay as well...Check them out...
The awesome folks over at Best-Tronics Manufacturing Inc have hooked me up with some Evidence Audio Siren II amp-to-speaker cable as well (on it's way to me). They have a great range of cables at really reasonable prices so check them out...
I've read a few reviews of the Siren II cable, which has a solid core and transfers more of the signal from amp to speaker cab. The sound difference is noticeable across the frequency range. I'll post a full report when I have the cable and have tested it...
And lastly, I have finally changed my faithful old Line 6 POD 2.0 over to Line 6's latest flagship, the POD x3 Live. POD 2.0 still lives with me, but is semi-retired ;) The X3 is an amazing piece of equipment and gives me a lot more tone options to play around with.
I'll be posting pictures and details of all the new gear very soon...
Bye for now...
...J... Jay Parmar
Three Ages of Lynch - Part III...
25 March 2008
Hey Rockers and Rockettes...
Part III of my "Three Ages of Lynch" articles has been posted on AllOutGuitar.com...It includes a clip from my next album! Check it out...
MusikMesse was incredible. It was HUGE! And I had a great time. A big thanks is extended to Carsten Schulz, Stefan Seeger and Phillippe Van Eeke for showing me around. I got a lot done and I have some announcements coming up so check back soon for all the details…
I was lucky enough to meet up with Eden’s Curse guitarist Thorsten Koehne as well. He is an amazing player and watching him jam was inspirational.
I’ll post a full report as soon as I can…
Be good!
…J… Jay Parmar
I got married, New CD, New Articles, New Guitars, New Amp, New Effects, New live dates, MusikMesse!!! And iTunes…
25 February 2008
Hey Groovers and Shakers!
It’s been a while since I’ve been on the website to update everybody. Been a very busy time for me as I was tied up getting married late last year – yes, finally a beautiful woman managed to slay me and literally tied me up!!! Kidding…I’m very happy to be married to such a wonderful girl…
I have also been very busy working as well and as you will probably notice I have changed my news page so that I can bring you regular updates of what is going on in Jay’s world…
First up – work is well under way on my new CD. Guitars for most of the tracks are pretty much done and some vocals are currently being laid down. Carsten Schulz from Evidence One (www.carstenschulz.com) sent me the vox for a track called “Guilty”. He is an amazing vocalist and did a really stellar job. Wait till you hear the track, it sounds great and will blow you away (sound clips will be posted very soon)…
I am now one of the contributors at www.alloutguitar.com. I met the guys at the London Guitar Show last year. All Out Guitar is a great website which combines guitar lessons with great reviews and interviews of the world’s greatest guitarists. It’s a pleasure working with Owen and all of the other guys at AOG as they are brilliant musicians and such a diverse gang. I’m learning a lot from them and having a lot of fun putting together articles. My first series of articles is on one of my favourite subjects – George Lynch. Check out parts one and two of the six part series entitled “The Three Ages Of Lynch”…
Part 3 is being worked on and will be on Lynch Mob and will be posted soon so check back soon for more info. Check out the rest of All Out Guitar as well as you’ll no doubt pick up lots of tips from the lessons and in-depth interviews.
I have a new guitar in my collection. My very, very good friend Mike Spaccarotella (http://www.archangel.ms/) sent me a beautiful Warmoth Guitar as a wedding present. It has an alder body, maple neck, Seymour Pickups. It is by far one of the best guitars I have ever played. It feels a lot like my ESP Skull’n’Snakes, the neck is sublime, and as you can imagine, I’m using it all the time now! Huge thank you to Mike for such a wonderful instrument. Mike will also appear on my new CD. He is one of my favourite guitar players and I know that you’re gonna dig his playing.
My Randall RM100 is now kitted out with three George Lynch signature series modules. I have the Super V, Brahma and Mr. Scary preamps. All of them sound amazing. The attention to tone and details really blew me away. The Super V is a wonderful shimmery clean channel. However, there is plenty of overdrive on tap just like on the Vox AC30 on which it was based. The Brahma is simply Marshall Plexi heaven! Modelled on George’s favourite ’68 Marshall 1959SLP, it has a lovely medium overdrive sound with a wonderful gritty break up which is perfect for rhythm work. I’ve been using the Mr. Scary for a while now and it is my favourite…it is like a cross between a modded Marshall and a Soldano SLO. It is the perfect tone for me…I am using the amp for all of my recording now. The variety of tones that it delivers makes it very versatile.
The latest addition to the rig has been a Line 6 POD x3 Live. I decided to upgrade to the x3 live as it had a built in pedalboard which I will be setting up to switch the channels on my amp (as the Randall has midi switching). The sound of the x3 is spectacular. It is very organic sounding and I’m enjoying playing around with the palette of tones and effects that are available. As well as using it as a DI for the Randall the amp models are very useful as well. The sheer number of amps is overwhelming and there are some real gems in there.
I will be playing live later this year. A couple of dates have been pencilled in already. One of the dates is at a rock festival so check back soon for full details.
MusikMesse takes place in Frankfurt in a couple of weeks time and I’ll be making my first trip over to Frankfurt to check it out. I have heard that Messe is even bigger then NAMM so it will be an interesting adventure. If you are around and want to touch base I will be there for most of the day on 14 March.
And finally, my CD “Strange Day” is now available to purchase on iTunes…So if you don’t have it already what are you waiting for? Follow the link…
