Eagle eyed fans may have noticed a new name in the writing credits for Extreme’s long awaited new release ‘Rise’, that of Jordan Ferreira. In addition to being an in-demand songwriter, Jordan is also a solo artist in his own right. Add to that the guy can really sing and man can he shred; giving him a lot in common with artists like Prince, Lenny Kravitz and Nuno Bettencourt.
Since the age of 11, Jordan has been touring and performing in Europe, the UK and Canada and has worked with and alongside producers Mudrock (Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack) Anthony J. Resta (Elton John, Duran Duran, Nuno Bettencourt) and John Ellis (American Hi-Fi). Jordan’s also a music producer in his own right, making him one of the busiest, hardest working and most talented artists to be featured by Bad Tattoo.
Voodoo
But there’s an even better way to find more about Jordan Ferreira; through his music and from the man himself. So join us on today’s Drop The Needle, as Jordan tells about his latest release ‘Voodoo’, and takes us on a journey through some of his guitar influences…
“I feel like ‘Voodoo’ is the most complete mission statement of me as an artist. Between the retro vibe, guitar playing, soul inspired vocals, production etc. it’s the direction I’d love to take things in the future.
I’m a big fan of Lenny Kravitz & Prince, so it was a bit of a homage to my favorite eras of those two artists. In addition to being great multi-instrumentalists, both of those artists had the ultimate superpower; They were incredible songwriters; at this point that’s my main priority.
I’m also especially proud of the way we cut the vocals. Rich Mouser (Weezer, Tears for Fears, Dream Theatre) produced the track and he’s just brilliant. He was able to capture that soulful motown / soul influence, that I don’t feel I’ve ever really captured on record before.
Influences
Allan Holdsworth was always a favorite guitarist of mine growing up. I got the chance to meet him & saw him play live quite a few times. I was always completely spellbound by how elegant his improvisation was. It all sounds composed. His legato technique was otherworldly, but the sophicastion of his melodies & chord progressions are what really impressed me. He is probably still my single greatest influence on the instrument.
To me some of Allan’s most iconic playing is on the first ‘U.K.‘ album. For any guitar player curious to hear virtuosity & impeccable taste, that album is a masterpiece. There are some clips floating around on the internet of me playing some of those tracks as a teenager in my first band Mindwalk Blvd.
Learning that stuff hugely shaped the way I play & hear music. Shawn Lane was another big one for me. I’m not sure that even now with all the great new guitarists on the scene, that those two have ever really been topped. Guthrie Govan, Ron Thal, Jeff Beck, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale were all big influences on me as well. Each of those musicians have their own innate musical identity & very unique technical abilities. I’ve tried to incorporate different ideas from each of them into my playing.
Paco De Lucia is also one of my favorites. I’ve just started taking Flamenco lessons & I’m excited to incorporate more of that influence into my playing.”
For more on Jordan Ferreira visit:
Recent Comments