Sunday, April 12, 2009

Meet Guitarist Audley Freed

This is a,once upon a time, Raleigh,NC guitarist,Audley Freed.He now lives in Nashville.He is one of the very few guitarist from my area that moved to Nashville and did not come back with his "tail between his legs" :-) !I know of him through guitar friends who were into the local rock scene a little more than me at the time.I was of course out gigging and not home to keep up with all the happenings.Anyway,this guy played with a local band in Raleigh named Cry Of Love.He has since played or toured with Jimmy Page,Peter Frampton,The Dixie Chicks,Joe Perry,The Black Crowes and others.His style and tone is very ...hum...earthy,for lack of a better word.His feel is really great, very soulful and bluesy,with an edge to it.And he really knows how to package the whole rhythm/fills style of playing,ala Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix.
This first of six videos,he talks about his career and the guitarist and bands he has played with...

The second video he gets into the sound of his style.And may i add the Matchless 15 watt amp,he is using with Peter Frampton tour,sounds killer.So he talks about getting the sound HE hears in HIS head.This is a good video for a beginner and intermediate to watch. He has some good tips on tone and sound.And his licks are not shabby!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTA0CV6ULtU

In video three he talks about one of his rigs he used and the effects.He is though,more or less,a minimalist type guy,guitar and amp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_P9WVHxM-E

On Video Four...the playing begins about 3:30 into the video....nice stuff!A great feel ha has.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNf6Mhn5-lY

On video five,my favorite, it gets better with his idea on the minor pentatonic scale and the twist he puts on playing it,along with adding a b5 note and some others.And focusing on the 2 and 6 notes also(the Dorian mode),his style is soulful and funky.Check it out around the time of 4:45 into the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGdhEEGs8lQ

And now video six...gets into some more licks along the lines of BB King,Steely Dan and Jerry Garcia and more.He combines these styles into licks consisting of Blues and Jazz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHha7QhAWC8

Cry Of Love band..this video has some-what bad audio,but his cool style shows up well in it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPMYVb1ItOc

So,just giving you the scoop on some local talent that is or was from my area.Hope you get a few cool licks and tips from Audley Freed,his feel and playing is so soulful,not rat-a-tat-tat or type writer style,like so many others today....there is absolutely no feel to those styles!It's simply execution with no feeling involved!So...apply some of Audley's thinking,that is,learn the scale and technique,then...sit down and make something interesting sounding out of the two.Put a twist on an otherwise mechanical sounding lick or phrase....

4 comments:

pastor mark said...

Happened across this page while doing a search on Audley...absolutely phenomenal guitarist. BTW, 'Cry Of Love' only put out one CD to my knowledge: "BROTHER". IMO it was the only one they needed to put out! Still one of my all-time favorites.

Anonymous said...

cry of love put out 2 cd's brother 1993 and diamonds and debris 1997...both killer albums. two different lead vocalists, both are also amazing vocalists.however kelly holland gets my vote from the first record ,and audleys tone and chops.....well,he is a GOD!

Anonymous said...

Make that 2 CDs, diamonds and debris being the follow-up album with new singer...

Steve said...

Actually, two cd's the other was Diamonds and Debris with a different vocalist Robert Mason. Audley is even better on it.

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