"I'm becoming better as an engineer." The sonic spectrum of the recordings! You get better at it, and I love mixing!  

Photos provided by ChipsterPR

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE TAMPA, FL U.S.A.

Sophia Radisch

Sophia Radisch (b. July 6,1998) is a Canadian rocker, singer-songwriter, recording artist and musician. She garnered recognition by the epic and legendary Guitar Player Magazine, and is celebrated in their “50 Year Celebration December 2017 Holiday Issue”. She is a contributing editor for Guitar Thrills Magazine. She has been granted an author credit in Canadian Musician Magazine, where her guitar column “Finding Your Passion” is featured in the March/April 2018 edition. She is a panelist for Canadian Musician Magazine’s guitar feature “The Young Guns” in the May/June 2018 issue. Sophia attended Canadian Music Week 2018, as a part of NWC’s Canadian Musician Magazine team. Sophia has worked and recorded live off the floor with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Rob Fraboni (The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan). She has collaborated with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Narada Michael Walden (Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey). She is a Gibson Guitar, Orange Amps, and GHS Strings endorsee. She is sponsored by American Hat Makers; styled by Ruby Roxanne Designs and Adam Rose Tattoo.

A virtuoso (from Italian virtuoso, Italian: [virˈtwoːzo] or Italian: [virtuˈoːso]; Late Latin virtuosus; Latin virtus; 'virtue', 'excellence' or 'skill') is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, music, singing, playing a musical instrument, ... 

Sophia: Jeff Kollman!  You are a PHENOM! A world class ROCK STAR!  A musician's musician!  A virtuoso!  

First off, congratulations on all your incredible accomplishments and successes!  A metal kid from Toledo, all the way here, a GUITAR GURU!  Jeff, I'm incredibly honored and humbled to have this opportunity to speak with you!  Thank you! 

Jeff:  Well, thank you so much, Sophia! I really appreciate it. And the journey continues!  

Sophia: Absolutely! Your latest instrumental Rock Album Jeff Kollman ‘2023 A.D.’ is epic! Absolutely epic!  The track "2 Years Ago Today" was recorded on October 6, 2022 (dedicated to Eddie Van Halen) and the rest of the album was recorded in 2023, including the opening track "2023 AD" (a tribute to Jeff Beck) The album was released in 2024. Please share the significance for you, recording these 2 tribute songs, and why did you choose to release the album in 2024?  Is there a special significance to the album release date, May 17, 2024?  

Jeff:  You know, as far as the release date, it's a business decision. It takes time to put the right deals together and to plan a proper release. Musicians in general, or anybody who creates any art, you want to release it as quickly as you can. However, that's not good for business. You must set things up in advance. The record was recorded in 2023, and as I was putting things together, things take time, and then you don't want to release stuff too close to Christmas or New Year. Next thing you know...Hahaha!  

We put a deal together with Deko Entertainment and I got Chipster PR on board, who we worked with years ago with Bombastic Meatbats. He's such a good PR guy! So, it took time to put the right team together.  

As far as the significance of the tribute songs, well, Jeff Beck, one of the greatest players to ever play on electric guitar, died in 2023, so that intro piece is a dedication to Jeff. The song "Two Years Ago Today", is a tribute to Edward Van Halen. He died October 6th, 2020. I said to myself, that every year on the eve of his passing, I would plan to be in the studio recording something and just being creative. To honour his legacy, and, not to take music and the gift I've received for granted. So rather than, you know, going shopping or on vacation, or just doing some random stuff, I'm going to be playing the guitar in the studio in honour of Edward Van Halen! That's what I was doing on October 6th, 2022. So, hence, the Two Years Ago Today... 

Sophia: That's a gorgeous story! It's really touching and speaks to my heart. Thank you for that! Your Instrumental solo rock album 2023 AD is original, iconic. You're known for your dynamic and soulful heavy, melodic guitar playing, fusing elements of jazz harmony. This is your iconic brand of rock!  

Listening to your album is hypnotic and captivating, like "surfin' with the aliens! An evocative and ethereal journey. Your latest album 2023 AD is smokin' HOT!  It's cosmic!!! I love it! I think that you most likely can communicate with aliens!  Hahaha!   

Jeff:  Well, thank you so much! Hahaha!  

Sophia: Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) says “Tongs & Thongs" is a ripper. I am honored to be a part of "the amazing" Jeff “the bee” Kollman’s record. Crank it!”  I read that you originally wrote the song "Tongs and Thongs" for your group Bombastic Meatbats.  Why did you decide to include it on this solo album?  

Jeff: You know, that's a good question! When we were writing our third record with Chad, we got together I think once. He started getting busy again with the Chili Peppers. I think it's when John Frusciante was coming back into the fold. So, we kinda put our record on hold and still haven't finished it. We basically had one or two writing days. I had brought that song in for the band, pretty much complete. We played this song a couple times live!  And, when I was recording the record, I had a previous song "Tribal Scream" with the same kinda tuning and attitude. I thought, man, it would really segway great into that song, Tongs and Thongs! So, I called Chad, and I said you know, it would be great to use this on the record and he said hey you wrote it, you know! Why not!  

He offered to play drums on it, and I said great! I'd love to have you as a guest on the record! It's crazy because that week he got busy with Iggy Pop, The Peppers, and doing stuff for Rick Rubin in the studio, and it was looking like he wasn't gonna be able to pull it off. He was just so busy and then he stopped texting me. I thought "ahhh" he's so busy! 

And then, a few days later, he texted me. "Hey! What are you doing at 1pm?" I said, "we're here at Shane's studio, rehearsing for a show tomorrow". He said, "I'll be there!" So, he came by, and did two takes of the song. We ended up using the second take, and that was it! He's great in the studio, you know. He sits down at his drums set; we got great tones set up! He tunes the snare how he wants it and plays right through it! It's like, so easy working with Chad! We spend more time talking and hanging out, you know?  

Sophia:  That's beautiful! I love that. You guys have it! The chemistry in the studio, on stage and just chilling as friends!  

Jeff: Yeah! It's great! I saw him play a little while back! We went to a Chili Peppers show in Cleveland and hung out! Me, my wife, my daughters and Chad. He was great! Hadn't seen him in a little while, since we recorded that track. It was so great to catch up with him!  

Sophia:  What a special moment then, for you and your family to share with Chad Smith! You are absolutely brilliant Jeff! ...Like the GOATS of guitar: Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Alan Holdsworth, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson...to name some other guitar virtuosos!    
 

Jeff: Yeah! They're all my heroes! hahaha!  
 

Sophia:  Yes! I've done my research! Hahaha!  
 
Steve Lukather (Toto) says"Insanely cool tone - chops and originality! Love the tracks and diversity... and man you keep getting better and better!! Your touch and feel is one of a kind. The compositions and playing by all Is world class! 
A must have for all musicians to see how it's done!"...  That's an incredibly priceless compliment coming from Steve Lukather! So, my question for you Jeff, is, I read that you consider this album to be your best sounding solo release; can you please explain what this means to you and describe the significance of the sequencing of your songs on this latest album?   

Jeff: It's interesting because my hearing is always getting worse! Hahaha! You know, tinnitus, playing live shows, you know, as you get older! Hahaha! But I think I'm becoming better as an engineer. The sonic spectrum of the recordings! You get better at it, and I love mixing!  I think some guitar players leave it to their engineer to take care of everything and I kinda like to be hand’s on with everything. So, you know, I'm really proud of the sonic spectrum of the mix and the guitar tones. I think this is a front runner sonically.  And I've bought some new gear to make the next one even better! You know? There are always ways to improve.  As far as the flow of the record, this is an important thing to me. I've always had this with my recordings. As I'm writing, I'm always thinking about what songs fit and then the flow of the whole thing. It must flow a certain way and feel right. The segway into the next song, and this sort of thing.  For instance, "2023 A.D.", the opening track, has the same chord changes, and you wouldn't even notice it, as the following song. Those intro chords are right in the next tune. So, subliminally, I think people might hear it, but they won't even realize it. That it's related to "Tribal Scream". And then, "Tribal Scream" into "Tongs And Thongs" is a similar tuning. I have, what I call, the culmination tuning. It's a low C, then a G, and then standard D, G, B and E string. And then you know, as you listen to it, you think okay, what should go next?  

And the layers felt good. As a melodic vocal kind of lyrical guitar melodic idea. I think it's important to listen to the record in order. I think with any artist. Some, you'll find better than others, but I grew up on things like, you know, Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall.  I couldn't imagine listening to those recordings on shuffle mode. Everything runs together in a beautiful way. It's like watching a movie! That's why I love vinyl. You're forced to just listen and let the thing run. It's so important!  

Sophia: It is so important! You have an impressive ear for sequencing and that's a whole other talent. I applaud you for it and respect your gifts!  

Jeff:  Well, thank you so much! I really appreciate that, Sophia. You know, I think I've had one or two interviewers who didn't even listen to the album! They started interviewing, and It's like, what's the point? Hahaha! 

Sophia: Right! What's the point? That's a good question for them! Hahaha! You’re Livin' the RocknRoll DREAM Jeff!  Blessed! Your track "1979" is a bonus track on your vinyl release.  Can you please share the significance of this song and why you chose to add it as a bonus track?  

Jeff:  Okay, so, there's actually three bonus tracks to the vinyl. "1979" is one song, and there's a song called "Friends", a duet piece. And then, the "Tribute For Tommy". So, there's three separate tracks.  

What happened was, as I was realizing the idea of making a vinyl, this CD is 49 minutes long. Which really, if you divide up the sides, you have three sides of the four-sided album. A double album. Because it's too long for a single vinyl record. You really can't go more than 22 minutes a side. You start getting sound degradation. I didn't want to start on eliminating songs to have a vinyl record. I thought that would be horrific! Haha! Then I realized, you know, I'm too short for a double album. So, in the 11th hour, I was like, oh I need a couple more songs! Haha!  

"1979”, the significance of that, is that was the year I started playing guitar! That's how old I am! Hahaha! It's a great era, Edward Van Halen came out in 1978. So, then I found this classical guitar. This nylon string, Jose Ramirez, with Brazilian rosewood. A really gorgeous, sought after classical guitar in Japan. It was built in 1979, which is the year I started playing. So, that opening piece "1979", that's the reason why I named it that. It has a nice classical intro. I don't know if you got to hear that, because those are bonus tracks for vinyl only. It's kinda the highest level I can play, as a classical piece. And it goes into a full song, but the intro is like a 2-minute thing. And then, piano player Guy Alisson did this beautiful orchestral arrangement around my solo improvised intro. Which made it sound a lot more meaningful, when you add violins and cellos. It sounds so much more purposeful.  

For that track, I was able to bring in Ric Fierabracci who's played with everybody. He's a neighbour of mine. I bought a second house outside of Chicago, and he moved like, five minutes from me! Such a great talent to have close by in the midwest! It was great to get him on the record, because I always wanted to have him on the album. And you know, the CD was done,and he wasn't on there. Then, he moved near me, so it was a great opportunity. Guy Alisson kinda ran with the arrangement of that song. So, it was a true collaboration between Guy and I.  And then "Friends," which is a two-guitar thing, is melancholy and has a vibe. It was really nice to get some more acoustic stuff on the record.  And of course, "A Tribute For Tommy" is a solo acoustic piece. I had that for a while and never released it. I thought it would be a great way to end the double vinyl.  

Sophia: That's a super profound way of ending the double vinyl. I'd say it's the perfect way to end it! It's a really great idea! Magical!   Thanks for sharing this with your fans, Jeff!   

Jeff:  It's such a fulfilling thing for me to release something new. And, to have a complete album you can be proud of. I like releasing singles, but it's a nice complete package! I guess that's how I grew up, listening to the full release of an album. Especially on vinyl! I think it's a wonderful thing! 

I was doing an interview with Hugh Syme. And it turns out that he had done all of these wonderful vinyl covers, and he asked me, how important is the artwork on a recording to you, and I remember looking at RUSH All The World's A Stage. I couldn't stop looking at that cover, with all the equipment on stage! And it just so happens he did that cover! He said they shot that from the balcony. He's the art guy that did all those record covers!  Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures. He did all those record covers! You know, read all the liner notes, you really take your time. Just the physical size of the vinyl; it's a whole process! I think the younger generation is starting to get into it now, which is great! Vinyl is coming back! I'm really excited about that.  

Sophia:  I'm so happy and excited for you! And I agree. It's absolutely the very best thing that could happen in this era of music is to have vinyl come back.  

Jeff:  Yeah! I agree! You know, a really exciting moment for me on the recording was to get Jimmy Johnson, the bass player from Allan Holdsworth.  The track "Cosmic Dust". I kinda wrote the song, you know. Alan is a big influence of mine, and I had these interesting chord changes underneath my fingers for a while, and I was trying to figure out how I wanted to lay it down on a recording. And, you know, how it should be.  

It's one thing to have an idea under your fingers.  It's another thing to realize it as a piece of music, you know, with a trio. And I sent it over to him and you know, Shane and I had tracked it, and I played the bass on it.  And, then I brought in another bass player that didn't quite play what I wanted.  And I thought, you know, I should just go to the source. I was thinking about Jimmy Johnson when I wrote this.  So, I emailed Jimmy, and I met him through Michael Landau.  Mike and I are friends. I'm a big fan of Mike's work.  And, so I said, Jimmy, I'm hiring you to be you. Don’t overthink it!  

Just, just play, how you play! And he sent me the recording back, and it was perfect! The first time. I mean, every note, and it's just a real highlight of the record for me. A song called "Song For James,"and Jimmy just played so beautifully.  And he's one of my favorite bass players. It was an honour!  

Sophia: You have Rock 'n' Roll Royalty on your album! Chad Smith, Drums (Red Hot Chili Peppers)  Guy Allison, Keyboards, (The Doobie Brothers 1996-2015)  Shane Gaalaas, Drums, (Cosmosquad, Diesel Machine, B'z, MSG, Yngwie Malmsteen) Jimmy Johnson,  Bass ( James Taylor, Allan Holdsworth) Kevin Chown, Bass ( Steelheart, Sebastian Bach, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, Steelheart, Sebastian Bach and Ed Roth and Robbie Krieger)  Ric Fierabracci, Bass ( Chick Corea, The Beach Boys)  Luke Oswald, Drums (The Innocence, FormerlyThree)  Ed Roth, Piano & Organ ( Burning Rain, California Transit Authority, Driver, Impellitteri, Laudamus, Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, Mirror) So, what did the recording process look like for you, and when did you know that your album had finally come together for its release date, May 17, 2024?  

Jeff: You know, it's interesting.  

And then, you know, I had the rest of the record basically ready to go except for, like, one or two things.  One song, the bass player from Alan Parsons, his name is Guy Erez. The song "Battle of the Bulge". We kind of jammed that together in the studio. And, laid that down. I ended up repainting the base myself because I changed a bunch of parts and then he was busy. So logistically, he helped jam it out, but he wasn't there and available to play on the final recording.  So it all happened pretty quick, I think, over, like, a six week period. Besides the bonus final tracks which came later. And, the tribute to Edward Van Halen, which happened October 6th, 2022.  It was all ready to go! I spent a lot more time mixing the record. You know, when you have time, you'll just keep remixing and remixing. I look at the time I started mixing and then recalling mixes, it's like eight months can go by and you get obsessed! Haha!  

Sophia:  And did you have anyone you could bounce those mixes off of and get feedback?  

Jeff: I do! I send them back over to Shane, and he's got great ears! And another buddy of mine, Alex Garcia. He’s a wonderful guitar player!  

Sophia: Your music video, "Tribal Scream" is Badass! It's a DYNAMITE song!   YOU kill it with your Gibson Custom Flying V! HOLY TOLEDO JEFF!  So explosive, yet such incredible technical control. Killer Riffs! 

Your video also features: 

Guy Erez (Bass) 

Shane Gaalaas (Drums) 

Ed Roth (Organ) 

So, how much fun was it to shoot that video?  How long did the video-recording session take?  

Jeff:  I think we were only in there for about an hour, you know, besides setup.  And then in and out, and that was it!  

I remember having my friend, Dan, there. We were drinking some beer and, you know, I always find it a little tricky, because we're not playing live in the studio. We were playing along a recording track.  But I always find it tricky, you know, when you're not playing loud in the room. To, "fake it" for lack of a better word. To mime what you already play is very tricky to me. When you're doing it in the studio, you're like, improvising. So, it's like you must remember an improvised thing! And I don’t love it, but I think people like to have a visual of your song, of what you do.  So, you know, we'll do it occasionally! So, I drink a few beers and have fun with it and loosen up! Haha! 

Sophia: Love your honesty! Hahah! Yeah, and you should! That’s the way it should be. Just have fun with it; recording your music video!  

Jeff:  I'm doing a full vocal album next, and I'm gonna hire different singers for different tracks!  

"Tribal Scream" is gonna have a vocal version called, "Silent Scream". And it’s done! I'm gonna rerecord it, with Robbie Wyckoff. And he was the singer that was on the Roger Waters Wall tour. The big Wall tour that Roger did over, like, two or three years. Robbie sang all the David Gilmore parts!  

So, he's gonna be one of the singers that'll be on the new release that I'm just kinda starting to work on now. So, there'll be another version of that song!  I have like 27 songs or ideas so that’s really exciting for me!  

Sophia: That's Absolutely BRILLIANT!  What an incredible concept and project to be working on!  Love it!  Thanks for sharing this with Guitar Thrills MAG! 

Going back to your instrumental rock album, I'm curious, Jeff, do you have a favorite guitar solo on this album? 

Jeff:  Well, as far as in your face shredding, I would say the solo for "Battle of the Bulge".  

And then, for a kind of melodic, soulful, you know, touch and feel, I would say the last song on the CD, "Blue For Miles" would be my favourite!  

And, it's interesting because on tribal scream, I thought, well, should there be a guitar solo that's flashy? And, you know, I never felt it. What happened was what was supposed to happen. The song didn't call for that. It's just more of a cinematic moody, pounding kind of thing. What’s your opinion on it?  

Sophia:  I agree! It could have been considered cliche or overpowering of the music that's already so awesome and, you know, you wanna just listen to what's already there and that could have just, maybe, ruined it somehow. Or, it could have become somehow over the top. 

Jeff:  Yeah! You’re right. It would take away from the feel. What happened was supposed to happen.  

Sophia: Yes! Amen to that! You're currently touring with famed producer Alan Parsons (Pink Floyd, Beatles) with The Alan Parsons Live Project!  How did you connect with Alan Parsons and get that 'nod' of approval? Such a sacred space I imagine, to work with the likes of Alan Parsons.   

And, what's it like to tour and do shows with Alan Parsons and the all-star "rock star" line-up? 

Jeff:  When I first got the gig with him, it was through David Pack, who's the singer for Ambrosia.  He made a lot of hits back in the day. And, he's a wonderful singer and guitar player. I had done a couple shows with him too. 

And so, Alan was looking for a guitar player right at the beginning of 2017. And, he had a tour, like, ten days later! David told him that he should go with me. He said Jeff Kollman is the guy and you don't need to look any further. But you know, if I didn't sing at all, I wouldn't have the gig.  

Alan wants somebody that can sing and play guitar.  So, that's an important part. As a guitarist, you add more value to the artist and to the audience if you can sing and play. So, that was one thing he shared with me. Everybody in the band is so different.  

A couple guys from Nashville, and, we have the bass player from Israel. The drummer's a rocker who came from Scott Weiland's camp, from Stone Temple Pilots. And I’m the kid from Toledo. Alan's British, you know, proper English gentleman royalty.  

So we all complement each other really well!  

I mean, we hang out together! Last night, we went to dinner together all laughing and drinking and having fun. We have so much fun on and off stage! Alan has faith in each musician that they're gonna pull through and make it sound great, and he's just happy. We rehearse things at Soundcheck because we're sound checking, but we really don't even rehearse. We just play! It’s different than other gigs.  

He really allows you to do your thing.  I pay tribute to Ian Bairnson, the guitarist that had played on those original recordings.  He was such a great lyrical kinda guitar player. And some of those solos, you don't wanna change them. You wanna play them note for note because it's such an integral part of the song.  Then, there are some songs that Alan allows me to take liberties and do whatever I want. 

 Sophia: I love it! Thanks Jeff! Your stories are a source of great inspiration to me and thousands more the world over. I'm thrilled to have shared this journey with you today, and to have had the fabulous opportunity to chat with you about your latest album release and your undeniable rocknroll legacy!  Thanks, ROCK STAR! 

Do you have any words for your tremendous fan base?  

Jeff:  I think it's important to figure out a way to stay inspired.  And, I’ve found over the years, by meeting fellow musicians they can kinda lose inspiration.  And, sometimes it's just a matter of going to see a certain player play. I remember, just being completely reinvigorated when I met Tommy Emmanuel and had a play with him in Australia.  And, I would go see him in concert, like, fifteen times over, the next ten years after that. It gave me so much fire to practice and play. But, you have to find new inspirations all the time.  

So, I'm always telling people, man, stay inspired and stay focused and, you know, enjoy yourself and enjoy the ride!  

 Sophia: Thanks Jeff! You're very inspirational! 

Along with your solo work, you've created your own brand of rock with your prog fusion trio, Cosmosquad, and as a member of Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats.You've performed with the Japanese legend Eikichi Yazawa, Asia F.J.P., Steel Pulse, Chris Isaak, Jason Mraz, Lou Gramm (Foreigner), and producing rock legends Phil Mogg(UFO), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), and Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow). 

Amazing! Can you share any teasers with Guitar Thrills MAG about what we might expect from you in the coming months or year(s) ahead?  

Jeff: Well, in two days, I'll be playing live with Lou Gramm! Haha! That's the immediate future! Hahaha! In fact, after we hang up, I'm gonna start practicing Foreigner songs. But, I think I have that show down.  

I have a few more with Alan, then I'm going out with Yazawa, EI-Chan, the Japanese artist, for two months in Japan.  So, that'll take me up to Christmas, and then, at that time, I wanna really get started on this new vocal record. This September and October, anytime I have, I'm gonna try to start getting tracks together for that.  

Then next year, there'll be a lot of bookings: a bunch of solo shows playing these songs, a new record in my catalog with my trio. And, you know, there'll be a lot of stuff with Alan next year.  

And depending on Chad's schedule, It would be great to start another Bombastic Meatbats record, and Cosmosquad, depending on who's available. Chad's been so busy over the last 2 years with the Chili Peppers. So, we’ll see!  

But, I love doing the Cosmosquad thing because Shane and I and Kevin, we just get in the room and jam and the ideas come out. And, I'm really proud of that last record we did, Morbid Tango.  

You should pick that album up and listen to it! Pretty ferocious drumming on that album.  

And Shane's Canadian, like you! Kevin Chown is from Escanaba, Upper Peninsula of Michigan. So, I guess he’s almost right there, in Canada. too! Haha! 

Sophia: You know, as Canadians, we're just happy to be here! Hahaha! 

Jeff: Yeah! hahaha! And, I think when the weather isn't as favorable as, let's say, Southern California, you stay inside! So, I grew up in Toledo, you know, so the weather was horrible. It makes you wanna stay in the house and practice all day. Haha! 

Sophia: That’s a good thing! Hahaha!  

Jeff: I think that’s why there’s so many great Canadian musicians!  

Sophia: I never thought of it that way! Haha! Thank you! It means a lot!  

Jeff:  When it's cold outside, just stay in and play. haha!  

Sophia: Funny! Thanks for that Jeff! YOU rock! You're livin' the rock star rock 'n' roll dream! Rock on Jeff Kollman!   

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