Man 1: He’s one of the biggies in my book, Billy Joel.
Man 2: Yeah, his songs are unbelievable.
Man 1: His songs are incredible. You know, I was teaching a workshop the other day and people are asking me which guitar players do you listen to? I said I hardly listen to any guitar players. I’m more interested in people whose music moves the world. That’s who I want to follow. I’m not interested in a group of young people playing in their gates and trying to impress their neighbors. I’m interested in moving the world, that’s what I’m interested in. I know I can do it if I get it right because he’s done it. Billy Joel or Stevie Wonder, those guys, the way they write songs their songs speak to our soul and our hearts so deeply. That’s what I’m interested in. If I want to listen to a guitar player that fires me up I always put on Jenga. No one can top him. Nobody. Jenga does it for me every time.
Man 2: There’s no modern music that captures you.
Man 1: I love Joe Soucheray’s music. John Mayor’s music. I listen to everybody really. I don’t listen to things that don’t move me. If I listen to it and it does nothing to me I just switch it off immediately. I don’t want to waste my time.
Man 2: Do you ever write songs for other people?
Man 1: Yes, absolutely. I’ve written songs for Olivia Newton John, Sheila Easton. Doug Patterson recorded one of my songs. I’m constantly trying to write songs that maybe other people would be interested in. That’s why my song writing as a guitar player is different because I’m not thinking like a guitar player, I’m thinking like I’m writing a song for a singer and you’ve got to be able to sing those melodies. [plays some music]
Man 1: I wrote that in ’94 and that is purposely like a song you would sing.
Man 2: Sometimes on the guitar you’ll have a range that is three and a half octaves, of your melody. You didn’t just write a vocal song, you wrote a little symphony.
Man 1: Yes, yes, yes.