Welcome to Borrowed Music, Volume 3! Join Alex as he dives into another fascinating mix of music "inspired by" others, uncovering hidden connections across genres from classical and country to iconic film scores, TV themes, and radio hits we all know and love. Alex illustrates the threads binding songs and styles—hear how Nazareth and Heart share an unexpected arrangement, how Van Halen took a cover song to new heights, and how a classic TV theme inspired a reggae legend. As always, there are...

In this episode, Alex visits the iconic Carmine Street Guitars in New York City with his bandmates Percy Jones and Tim Motzer from PAKT. The shop, established by Rick Kelly, crafts distinctive guitars from reclaimed wood salvaged from the city's historic buildings. These guitars, known for their unique sound, have caught the attention of celebrated musicians such as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Jim Jarmisch, Jamie Hince, and Daniel Kessler, to name a few. During their visit, Rick Kelly and his...

Al Di Meola is a pioneer of blending world music, rock and jazz. His ongoing fascination for complex rhythmic syncopation, combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony, has been the heart of his music throughout a celebrated career that has spanned over four decades. In this incredible episode, Al joins Alex to talk about his musical journey, the evolution of his guitar vocabulary, and the importance of work ethic. Alex and Al discuss the impact of technology on...

In this episode, Alex welcomes filmmaker Adam Dubin, whose work includes iconic music videos by the likes of the Beastie Boys and Metallica, as well as documentaries such as Murder in the Front Row, about the SF Bay Area thrash scene of the ‘80s and “A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica.” Adam discusses working with his former NYU roommate, producer Rick Rubin, and the creative process behind projects with both The Beastie Boys and Metallica. Adam and Alex explore the intersection of...

Mohini Dey is a renowned bassist, producer, and vocalist who has gained international recognition for her extraordinary talent and versatility. She joins Alex to talk about growing up in an independently-minded musical family, the challenges she faced as a female musician in India, and the difficult decisions she had to make in the early days of her career. Mohini discusses the lessons she learned from her musical elders, explains her approach to teaching young musicians, and provides a...

In this first episode of 2024, Alex welcomes a trio of guests who are among the most important and influential players of electric guitar - Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson. They are also the original lineup of the iconic G3, a tour organized in 1996 by Satriani that has featured legendary players like Robert Fripp, Ynwgie Malmsteen, Phil Collen, and many more. Ahead of this year’s tour, they sit down with Alex to discuss the origins of G3, what they’ve learned from the experience of...

Legendary bassist Stu Hamm joins Alex on this episode to talk about Hold Fast, Stu’s latest album, on which Alex is a featured player. Recorded in Estonia during Stu’s Bass Oasis, the two discuss the tracks on the album, the role of bass in musical composition, and Stu shares his approach to playing and collaboration. Alex reflects on the first time he saw Stu perform and how he handled auditioning to tour with Stu, and the two reminisce about touring together in the nineties.  Stu Hamm is...

On this episode, renowned guitarist and improviser Adam Levy joins Alex at a cafe in Brooklyn to talk about the incredible list of artists he’s worked with, including Norah Jones, Tracy Chapman, and Ani DiFranco. The two discuss his approach to playing as well as the styles of the world-class musicians they both know and love, and the instrumental project that Adam led during the pandemic that inspired some of Alex’s new music. Adam and Alex dive into the early days of Adam’s career, and Adam...

Karina Rykman plays bass, sings, jumps around, and laughs a lot. Straddling the worlds of jam rock and indie pop drenched in psychedelia, Karina’s effervescent presence comes to life in musical form. She joins Alex on this episode to talk about the making of her debut album Joyride, learning to hustle as a musician at a young age, and the impact that Pat Metheny had on her playing. Karina tells Alex about working with Trey Anastasio on the new record, and the unexpected moment that led to a...

Four-time Grammy Award winner Antonio Sánchez joins Alex to talk about his latest release, Shift, and how he connected with the incredible list of musicians who contributed to the album. The two discuss Antonio’s recent move to Spain, his approach to building drum parts, and where he got the inspiration to use the term “Bad Hombre”. Antonio Sanchez began playing the drums at age five and performed professionally in his early teens in Mexico’s rock, jazz and latin scenes. Since moving to New...

Chris Shiflett is best known as the lead guitarist for the Foo Fighters, but he’s also an acclaimed solo artist and longtime podcast host. On this episode, Chris joins Alex for a conversation about guitars and the players that have influenced him, from Randy Rhoads to Mattias Jabs to Nile Rodgers. The two discuss why evolving as a musician means pushing boundaries, the importance of being exposed to different genres, and agree that it’s a good move to be the worst player in the band. Follow...

Eric Johnson, the prolific Grammy-Award winning, Austin-based songwriter and guitarist, joins Alex to talk about his latest release - two separate albums: The Book of Making and Yesterday Meets Today. Alex and Eric discuss the process behind the making of the albums as well as the music that influenced his sound early on, the impact that Jeff Beck had on the world of guitar, and how he created the iconic opening to Cliffs Of Dover. Eric Johnson has been traveling on a prolific odyssey over...

"He's one of these guys who's not necessarily a household name to music appreciators, but among people who were in the game and really know their stuff, there's a universal respect. It goes without saying that Vic was the real thing.” - Scott Metzger In this jam-packed episode, Alex remembers the late Vic Juris with special guest Kate Baker, who was Vic’s musical partner and wife. Kate discusses her partnership with Vic, how he approached working with other musicians, and the two discuss the...

In this episode, Alex takes us on another journey into songs that sound the same. Borrowed Music, Volume 2 showcases tracks that possess similar musical qualities from artists like Nirvana and Yes, Leonard Cohen and Pink Floyd, Metallica and King Crimson, Phish and Pantera, and other combinations that will surprise you. As in Borrowed Music Volume 1 (Episode 20), Alex compares and contrasts the tracks throughout the episode and provides analysis on what makes the elements of the songs...

In this episode, Alex chats with guitarist Jim Campilongo, who has been called a “Master of the Telecaster”. Jim and Alex discuss what it means to be a musician in New York, their shared influences and how the standards of guitar playing have evolved, and Jim tells Alex about the time that he ended up walking home with Lou Reed after a gig. Jim then flips the script and asks Alex some questions, and shows Alex a few tricks that he uses to get his unique sound, including one inspired by Johnny...

Over a remarkable 50-year career, Jeff Beck’s style of guitar playing reshaped the world of music. One of the essential guitarists of the British Invasion, Beck possessed a mercurial, lyrical style that sounded equally at home in thunderous blues-rock and soft-focus fusion. He played both styles in his long career, channeling psychedelia, heavy metal, and jazz-rock as he did so.  In this episode, Alex pays tribute to the late, great guitarist with a few special guests. Vernon Reid joins to...

This week, Alex visits Roger Sadowsky of Sadowsky Guitars, one of the preeminent names in handmade guitars and basses. As they walk the shop floor, Roger shares stories of some of his famous customers, explains the challenge of using endangered woods in the process of instrument building, and discusses the moment when he decided to make the shift from repairing guitars to building his own. Bassists Tanya O’Callaghan and Nathan Peck also drop into the episode, to talk about the instruments...

Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger join Moods & Modes this week to talk about the making of their latest album, Back From The Dead. Lzzy and Joe discuss their approach to writing songs in response to the pandemic, and explain some of the “happy accidents” that occurred during recording, including the broken tuning mechanism that turned into a riff. Lzzy recalls some of the emotionally charged moments she had in the studio, and explains the “Miller Halftime Show” moment that happens...

Before heading out on tour with Jane Getter Premonition, Alex sat down with Jane to talk about her new album Anomalia, the diverse musical influences that are woven into her music, and the evolution of her sound. Jane reminds Alex of the time when he taught her how to play metal and shares the story of the New York moment that inspired the song Train Man, from her album “On”. NYC-based Jane Getter is a “triple-threat” (Geoff Wilbur)—guitarist, singer, and award-winning composer. Getter’s 6th...

In this episode, Alex finally gets the chance to sit down with Nite Bob, whose job titles include sound engineer, guitar tech, tour manager, and production manager, to name a few. His 45-year career in the music industry is legendary as are many of the artists he’s worked with, including Steely Dan, Aerosmith, Iggy Pop, Emerson Lake & Palmer, KISS, The New York Dolls, R.E.M., and many more. Recorded over lunch at the Ear Inn, one of New York’s oldest pubs, Nite Bob shares stories from...

In this episode, Alex visits Brooklyn Lutherie, the only woman-owned and operated guitar shop in New York City. While there to pick up his double SG, he chats with Mamie Minch, the shop’s co-founder, about the repair on his guitar and learns something new about it in the process. Alex, Mamie, and co-founder Chloe Swantner discuss what it was like to start a guitar repair business in what has traditionally been a very male-dominated field, and how Brooklyn Lutherie is changing the ratio. Mamie...

In this episode, Alex continues the journey into the life of Les Paul, from his close relationship with Django Reinhardt to the time he performed for Eisenhower and Nixon at the White House and demonstrated the Les Paulverizer; his love-hate relationship with the SG, and so much more. You’ll hear a fantastic story about the time that Les went to see Eddie Van Halen perform, and the moving eulogy that Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki wrote for Les’s funeral. Les Paul was best known as a skilled...

Les Paul was an inventor, an award-winning musician, an innovator and a creative genius. In this episode, Alex pays tribute by taking us on a journey through the life of Les Paul - his music, his inventions, and the recent recovery of one of his missing Gibson Les Paul prototypes. Alex visits Mahwah, NJ with Benny Goodman, host of The Neurotic Guitarist, and musician Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, where they meet Jim Wysocki, mayor of Mahwah and longtime friend of Les Paul. Jim - a former police...

At the tail end of the 60s, an unlikely meeting took place in Chicago between some prominent traditional blues artists and a chart-topping rock band from the UK. The results would reverberate for decades to come. In this episode, you’ll hear a discussion on the importance of this session along with further insights into the impact of the late, great Peter Green with guests Dave Rubin (author of Guitar Method) and Andy Aledort (Guitar Magazine). Peter Green was a British blues rock guitarist...