April, 2002


Having just completed the recording sessions for the new album with his jazz-fusion power trio, McGill, Manring & Stevens — guitarist Scott McGill was in a buoyant mood when we spoke on March 20, 2002. One of the best of the new breed of electric guitar players on the 21st Century jazz-rock scene, McGill breaks musical ground on the soon to be released Controlled by Radar — the next M/M/S double disc that features some of his most ambitious electric and acoustic guitar playing to date. McGill's guitar playing evokes sound images of fusion favorites like Allan Holdsworth, Robert Fripp, John McLaughlin and Canterbury sound stylist Phil Miller. Covering an incredible range of post-modern guitar styles and influences, McGill makes sense of it all — tweaking it with a new American prog-fusion perspective that can stand up with the best of them. During the 90's, McGill recorded several instrumental solo albums as well as taking part in album releases with his group The Hand Farm and prog-rockers Finneus Gauge. Exemplary projects all, but the freshly recorded set with bassist Michael Manring and drummer Vic Stevens is positioned to take the McGill guitar sound to new peaks. The new one is just in the finishing stages now — but after hearing the early album mixes, it's clearly a worthy successor to the trio's 2001 release on Laser's Edge/Free Electric Sound Records, Addition by Subtraction. In this revealing one-on-one interview, Scott McGill provides a cogent snapshot of his current musical frame of mind — discussing the acceleration of McGill, Manring & Stevens, his gear breakdown, while waxing sentimental on his own musical spirit.

20th Century Guitar (TCG): Hi Scott, it's great to be able to speak with you over the net. I'm a fan of your group Hand Farm and I also still enjoy listening to the first 2001 album you made with McGill/Manring/Stevens. The new M/M/S CD — Controlled by Radar sounds like the band is stretching out even more with some amazing guitar-based fusion improvisation. How do you feel the M/M/S sound has matured since the first CD — Addition by Subtraction?

Scott McGill (SMG): Thank you for the kind words. Yes, our new double CD will be called Controlled by Radar and is due out in the fall of 2002 on the Free Electric Sound label. I think the band's sound has expanded in every way — timbre, texture, form, harmony, melody, dynamics — an expansion on all fronts. We are developing a highly evolved and unique musical idiom. We were definitely looking for a new sound but it wasn't contrived, but rather a natural melding of our different personalities into one unique and strong sound.

(TCG): The first McGill/Manring/Stevens album features contributions from keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Were there any guest artists or keyboardists on the new M/M/S album or do you prefer the guitar trio sound?

(SMG): There are no guests on this new release. I like the trio format because it forces me to cover a lot of ground and at the same time, gives me a greater appreciation for space and silence. The trio structure can allow for all different combinations of instruments quite easily as well. Having said that, playing with gifted and talented keyboardists is a real thrill. So far, the role of keyboards in our music has been that of a guest due to time and scheduling constraints. For this new release, we had to finish two CD's worth of music in six days, so we were really under the gun. Playing in this trio, one can only grow and learn with that sort of time frame.

(TCG): From a guitar perspective, how do you balance the free form modern jazz sound which you're so well known for, with the more progressive rock inclinations as it relates to your guitar style?

(SMG): That's a good question. I would say that all of those elements play a role in creating a homogenous approach to the instrument rather than being separate, disparate entities and treating them as such. For me, in a lot of cases it's the blending of sounds and approaches that creates a new way whether we're talking about a style of guitar playing or a musical movement or genre. I never wanted to choose what "style" or "what type of player" I wanted to be labeled as and that philosophy carries over to the musical syntax I use as well. I tend to stay away from traditional scales and chords in favor of scales and chords of my own invention. That way, it's my own distinct language.

(TCG): How did you meet up with bassist Michael Manring and how long have you worked with drummer Vic Stevens? Is there a group leader as far as the songwriting and has M/M/S done a lot of live concerts?

(SMG): Vic, Ken Golden and I were thinking about bassists for the last CD Addition by Subtraction and the question kept popping up "If we could get anyone, who would it be?" and Michael kept appearing at the top of the list so we contacted him. Yes, Michael has done some amazing work and it just gets more amazing all the time! He really has changed the way people play and approach the instrument both in ensemble and solo playing. He's had quite an impact and it's an honor to work with him. Well, I wrote most of the tunes on Addition but on the new CD, we all wrote and improvised the music as a group, so I would certainly not style myself as the group's "leader." I have a hard enough time keeping up with these guys! I met Vic through a jam session that I was invited to at his studio back in 1997 and was just blown away by his playing, and I figured I could learn quite a bit from playing with him. When I was ready to do my second solo disc Ripe, I immediately asked him to do the date and recorded it at his studio as well. Since then, we've done all the discs at his place. Vic is a brilliant drummer deserving of wide recognition. As for shows, we did a number of them in 2000, including an appearance at the annual NAMM convention in Anaheim, CA. We're planning more shows in the not-too-distant future.

(TCG): How has your guitar sound and guitars changed since the days of the early albums you made with Hand Farm and your ealier group Finneus Gauge?

(SMG): It's changed quite a bit, especially as of late. For amps I used some banged up Marshalls for the first Hand Farm CD, which tended to be inconsistent in terms of sound and reliability, so I went to new solid state Peavey's and an old ADA preamp for the Finnues stuff and Ripe. Budget-friendly stuff for sure. Back then, I went with three basic sounds. The guitar was an old Strat-style custom guitar with Bartolini pickups. Since then, I've expanded my guitar selection to include fretless instruments and more acoustics. I think that my sound has become more varied and dynamic. Having access to better gear doesn't hurt, either!

(TCG): How much of the McGill/Manring/Stevens sound is based on composed or pre-arranged music, as opposed to improvisation?

(SMG): On the new CD, we came to the studio with no tunes written beforehand. We established a few basic parameters or designations up front such as "Heavy and Slow," or perhaps a phrase or drum motif, and then go from there and immediately record. This doesn't mean the music is formless — quite the contrary. New forms were created to fit our new aesthetic. A lot of what you'll hear are first takes that captured the moment really well. This time around, we wanted to establish an even higher concept of group improvisation. That seemed to be the natural direction for the band to go in.

(TCG): I know you've got an endorsement with Brian Moore guitars. Are they still your choice guitars, and what other guitars, electric and acoustic guitars, do you prefer at the moment? Do you remember your first guitar?

(SMG): Yes, the Brian Moore's are my favorites. My main guitar is their C90-P, and I also have an i8. They play really easily and have a strong, clear, even sound that works well for pretty much all possible applications. And they look very sharp as well. In addition, I have my old white Strat-style guitar which is now converted to fretless. For acoustics, I have a Godin nylon string classical, an Alvarez-Yairi Jumbo 12-string, an Epiphone Chet Atkins nylon string that's been converted to fretless, and a Takamine steel string acoustic. Oh yes, I remember my first guitar. It was called an "Audition" and had a sort of Strat-style look to it. Must have been made by Sears of something. The action was a time-zone off the neck, I had no amp, and no knowledge of how to tune it, let alone play it. But I flailed away at it constantly!

(TCG): Your guitar work on the two McGill/Manring/Stevens albums sound very heavily processed. What are your favorite guitar effects and pedals, as well as amps?

(SMG): I'm using quite a bit of stuff now, but I look at it like a synth player. Why buy a nice instrument and only use one patch — why not use all the different sounds possible? From my guitar, the signal goes to a Boss volume pedal, a Boss Super Shifter pedal for raising and lowering the notes an octave and whammy effects, a Line 6 Filter Modeler pedal for analog synth and filter sounds, a Line 6 Modulation Modeler for phasing, chorus Leslie speaker, and ring modulator sounds, and a Line 6 Delay Modeler pedal for delays and loop sounds. From there it goes to a rack with a Rocktron Intellifex for harmonizers and reverbs, and finally into a Koch Multitone 100-watt head and Koch TS 2X12H cabinet. The Koch gear is really excellent — great tone and plenty of lows. My "basic" tone now is an overdriven sound with a phase shifter. I find that for chords you can play contrapuntally and use dissonant harmonies and still hear every note, and for single lines, the phaser tends to compress the notes a little to make it really pop out strong. I'm a 70's throwback at heart!

(TCG): The upcoming soon-to-be released McGill/Manring/Stevens album is a double CD set that features a mix of both electric and acoustic playing. How do you balance your acoustic guitar work within the context of the more cutting edge, electric jazz-rock sound M/M/S are so well known for?

(SMG): Although I would definitely consider myself primarily an electric player, I love playing acoustics. I approach them essentially the same way in terms of aesthetic concept and technique. I think we do some really unique and expressive acoustic music on the new CD. A good deal of the acoustic music we created is very intense and like the electric stuff; it runs the gamut from quiet and introspective to intense and aggressive. I like the electric for its power and sustain, and I like the acoustic for its intimate directness. It's so unforgiving and brutally honest. It lets me know how bad I am immediately.

(TCG): For a young guitarist, you've absorbed so many musical influences really well. When I mention your name people offer comparisons to masters like John McLaughlin and Allan Holdsworth. Who woud you cite as being among your prime guitar influences and do you have any favorite guitar albums you'd like to mention?

(SMG): On electric, I would say Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, and Pat Martino are some guys who made a big impression on me. On acoustic, again I like John McLaughlin, Anres Segovia, and Michael Hedges. For me, all of these men are innovators and had a single-minded purpose to pursue excellence and stretch their talents to their very outer limits. And, of course, they have such a unique sound — one can't help but admire them. As for albums, Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys, Mahavishnu Orchestra's Birds of Fire, Pat Martino's Conciousness, and Allan Holdsworth's Road Games really woke me up. Brilliant stuff. The guitarists that I've studied with really shaped my musicality in a deep way — players such as Kevin Kuhn, Sonny Troy, and Tom Giacabetti really did so much for me. Dennis Sandole, whom I studied with for ten years, had an enormous effect on me as a guitarist, musician, teacher, and human being. What a genius and what a warm man. I still practice his material faithfully every week. I'm also very influenced by pianists and composers such as McCoy Tyner, Art Tatum, Herbie Hancock, Olivier Messiaen, Elliot Carter, and Claude Debussy.

(TCG): Are there other contemporary guitarists who you feel are expanding the boundaries of electric and acoustic jazz-rock, and why? Are there any other artists or groups that you'd like to record with one day?

(SMG): I've heard so many amazing new players who just tear it up, but none that I would say are breaking or trying to break new ground. The trend seems to be towards grabbing a specific player's style and mastering it, which is no easy feat, but it's not an innovative approach at all. There is one player that Michael Manring hipped me to — an Italian fingerstyle player named Paolo Angeli, who's doing some really interesting stuff sonically and musically. He's a guy to check out. Well, I'd love to play with James Brown, McCoy Tyner, Billy Joel or be in Jill Scott's band. It would be cool to play with a metal band like Pantera. I'd love to play duets with Jack DeJonette, Vinnie Coliauta, Elliot Carter, Gyorgi Ligeti, or Herbie Hancock if they could put up with me for a few minutes. There's so many artists I would kill to play with.

(TCG): Your record label, The Laster's Edge/Free Electric Sound, seems like the perfect venue for your exciting fusion guitar extrapolations. How did you hook up with Laser's Edge owner Ken Golden?

(SMG): I agree. The label is the perfect outlet for us. Ken and I met in 1997 when I was in Finneus Gauge. We hung out a bit and talked about doing a CD together which was to become Ripe. He is the cutting edge guy for new and innovative music of the highest quality, and looks after his artists, which is very rare these days. I owe a lot to him.

(TCG): Where are you living now, and how do you spend your time when you're not recording or performing live?

(SMG): I live in Medford, New Jersey, and if I'm not rehearsing or performing I'm practicing and teaching. I also love to read, study Irish history, language, and politics, and get some yoga in there if there's time left in the day.

(TCG): Following the release of the new M/M/S album, do you have any other musical projects, live events or other collaborations, penned in for the immediate future?

(SMG): Yes, there's a big show we're doing on June 28th, 2002, in Trenton, New Jersey, as a prelude to NearFest, a big prog-rock festival. They'll be other shows to come, which I really look forward to. Vic and I just finished playing on a CD for a band named A Triggering Myth on Ken Golden's Laser's Edge label that's due out this summer. I contributed a track for a compilation CD of acoustic guitar solos fronted by Henry Kaiser on Cuneiform Records that's due out this spring. I might be getting together with guitarist Ron Thal this summer to write some material as well. And I'll be chomping at the bit to play with Vic and Michael as soon as possible.

(TCG): Thanks so much, Scott. I know we'll all be hearing about your guitar playing for a long time to come!

(SMG): Thank you, Robert and 20th Century Guitar, for allowing me to share this forum with your readers. I appreciate it!