Nostalgia, Anniversaries, and Shramsburg Blanc de Noir

Feeling nostalgic this week as my wife and I celebrated our 36^th anniversary. In honor of that, I’m revisiting some of the guitar greats of the past. The 60s, 70s, and 80s saw some great guitarists hit the stage. Those were boom years when guitar technique blossomed from hard driving rock to shredder to more melodic forms. While everybody has their own opinions, the guitarists listed below can be found on many of the “top 100” lists, including mine. There are some great songs here, too. So, to end your week on a high note, I give you some of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument.

Nancy Wilson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXeb7Ohfkk

Joe Walsh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rlaF16gLF4

Tommy Iommi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9jqcgnpGKw

Brian May:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYabmM-uxdE

David Gilmore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N82TLB03Vk&feature=related

Paul Kossoff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNVMJdqs5XE

Gary Moore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJI1y0i1mk&feature=related

John Sykes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnzfE8war2w

Van Halen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpX3NhpRGdE

Steve Howe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNsbtnMeGbU

Richie Blackmore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFH36je9Hro

Jimmy Page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS5R42ZWe8A

Robin Trower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tLsFsGxLmE

Rory Gallagher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxiEMpcI83E

Duane Allman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6mwOixCObc

Eric Clapton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9N8Qi6zLSU

Leslie West: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMXeZWv6AS0

Alvin Lee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYwfZKl1BzY&feature=fvst

Jeff Beck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZlFTbvfKPE

Celebrated our anniversary with a great champagne. Well, actually it’s classified as a sparkling wine since it didn’t come from the Champagne region of France, but I’m not a snob.  The wine is a Blanc de Noir from California’s Shramsburg Estate. Shramsburg has a long, very interesting history detailed on it’s website, and the estate is actually a state historical landmark. They pioneered Blanc de Noir (“white of black”) made primarily from Pinot Noir, in the U.S. with the first release in 1967. The wine is pale gold colored with aromas of toasted almonds, peaches, and orange peel. It has a creamy texture and subtle flavors of red fruit, orange, and almonds with a citrus finish and perfectly balanced acidity. It’s about $32.00 a bottle, a little above my usual $25.00 limit, but hey, it’s our anniversary, and we’re worth it. So enjoy a blast from the past and try a wonderful sparkling wine to go with it.

Cheers!

Eddie van Halen & Roederer Brut Sparkling Wine

Well, I’m back from the Netherlands where I have an incredibly successful research collaboration. In fact, I’m so pumped, I need a little pump-it-up music, so in honor of the Dutch, I’m featuring one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, namely the flying Dutchman himself, Eddie van Halen.

Born in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Eddie van Halen is the son of a musical father who got him music lessons early in life. Eddie and his brother Alex started playing music together in the 1960s. Eddie played classical piano and later drums, while Alex played the guitar. But Alex wanted be a drummer and it so upset Eddie, that he decided to take up the guitar out of spite.

In 1972 the Van Halen brothers formed a band called "Mammoth" featuring Eddie as lead vocalist/guitarist and Alex on drums. They were joined later by vocalist David Lee Roth . The band later changed its name to Genesis, but discovered the name “Genesis was already being used, so in 1974 they again changed their name this time to "Van Halen". They started out playing backyard parties and on a flatbed truck at Hamilton Park. Van Halen grew the band’s popularity by playing clubs in Pasadena and Hollywood. Gradually they rose to fame on the Los Angeles music scene as Eddie became recognized for his guitar wizardry. They’ve sold over 80 million records and are the 19^th best selling artist/group of all time.

So kick out the jams with some brains-against-the-wall rock and roll!

Jump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlq0lYB3iSM

Tatoo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WfQ-hV3WtA

China Town: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4df49v43Ss

Blood and Fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPWpWvLuJyA&feature=relmfu

Dance the Night Away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOC9PMhB29c&feature=relmfu

Panama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpEM63likgY&feature=relmfu

She’s the woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VANKEZ2auSk&feature=related

Hot for teacher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVMGoKSDFOs&feature=related

Everybody wants somebody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w86uPARykI&feature=relmfu

Live without a net concert:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuwNyR3KYew&feature=related

When a research collaboration goes as well as the one from which I just returned, it calls for champagne, or at least, the American version of champagne. I picked up a bottle of Roederer Estate Brut, the first California sparkling wine produced by the champagne house of Louis Roederer. Roederer is also the manufacturer of Cristal, which goes for about $200.00 a bottle. However this American cousin can be had for $20.00, more my style. This is a delicious sparkling wine with elegant pear, apple, and nutty aromas that rise to the surface on tiny fine bubbles. Roederer Brut is really well balanced with a creamy feel and apple citrus flavors followed by a clean, bright finish. It’s made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir and it’s lip-smacking good. You can find it just about anywhere, so if you’ve got something to celebrate, grab a bottle, put on some Van Halen, and turn up the volume. Enjoy!

Cheers!