13 QUESTIONS with ALEX SKOLNICK of the ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO (formerly of TESTAMENT, SAVATAGE)

If you're a pointy guitar-playing shred-head, or if you WERE at one time, you know who Alex Skolnick is. He made his metal album debut in TESTAMENT at the ripe age of 18 and toured the world the likes of MEGADETH, SLAYER, JUDAS PRIEST, WHITE ZOMBIE, just to name a handful.

Skolnick has written for Guitar World, Guitar Player, and Guitar magazines, and in 1992, he left Testament when the band told him his playing was too melodic. He didn't abandon the rock/metal scene entirely, but he did spread his wings creatively after that. He played with SAVATAGE, Les Claypool of PRIMUS, OZZY OSBOURNE, as well as ATTENTION DEFICIT and SKOL PATROL. in 1998, he moved himself from west coast to east coast, is now based in New York, and has recently been spotted in the ranks of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, and with his own jazz trio (yes, JAZZ TRIO), THE ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO. He has also become active as a composer; with credits including pieces for the EA video game "Hot Wheels Turbo Racing", the USA Network's broadcast of the 2002 Westminster Dog Show (a big band jazz piece), and the MTV series "Makin' The Band."

Because we have very little else to do with ourselves, we were compelled to track Alex down and pick his brain...with chopsticks. He was a very good sport when we sent of our stupid questions (admittedly, they're not as stupid as they could have been), and the answers looked something like this:

SteveC: Goodbye To Romance: Standards For A New Generation by The ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO features some re-worked hard rock classics as well as a few of your own songs. Which, if any, classic (or current) rock tracks do you think would benefit from an acoustic jazz trio overhaul?

Alex Skolnick: Well, as far as classics, there are several which are already being worked on for our next album. I'd rather not say which ones yet. It's really important that the tunes that have strong, interesting vocal melodies; that was what helped the older popular songs become 'standards.' I think there are some more recent tunes out there that can work. Brad Mehldau, who is one of the greatest jazz pianists of our generation, has done great versions of several RADIOHEAD tunes. Someone could do FOO FIGHTERS, but it's not really my generation so I'll let some kid do that. (Wow... He said 'Kid'... Man, I'm starting to feel OLD)

SC:You opted out of this year's TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA tour, a tour that would potentially attract substantial crowds, especially around Christmas, and pay you a nice bit of cash to buy Christmas presents, pay rent, etc. You claim that you " feel a serious need to be connected to my own music on a deep level". Being the cynics that we are, we don't believe you. We think you got low-balled on the money. Was the offer that unattractive?

AS: Is this Howard Stern?! That's funny. But it's the honest truth that I need to concentrate on my trio. After I get off the road with TSO, it takes several weeks or even a couple of months before things start coming back to normal. On my first couple trio gigs I feel awful, as if I've never swung in my life. I saw an old interview with Branford Marsalis after he'd done the Sting tour in the late 80's and he said basically the same thing. And this time, I really need to do a new album. I prefer to do that while the trio and myself are 'well oiled' than to be in a place where I feel like I'm starting over. I didn't even get into negotiations about money because that's not the issue. (Ugh... he thinks we're Stern. Pay no mind to all of the Opie and Anthony shit that's plastered all over this beast of a website)

SC:You're now on staff at the American Institute of Guitar in New York. Fifteen years ago, you could go to a place like AIG or Berklee up in Boston, throw a rock, and hit thirty technically proficient guitar players. What's the state of vituoso guitar playing these days considering that much of popular music is not as guitar-intensive as it was in the late 80's and early 90's?

AS: It's definately changed. It's too bad in a way. Not that 'shred' guitar was always musical (some of it was, some of it wasn't), but it often led young guys (like myself) to check out other music. In my case, one of my metal heros mentioning Al DiMeola got me to check him out and through him I discovered John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and their mentor, Miles, who really opened me up to things. Not to sound like I'm old or anything, but today's heavy music just doesn't inspire the same musical curiousity. But there are young players that are exceptions that somehow, who through some means other than media (older brothers, friends, whatever), manage to get turned on to great guitar music and become technically proficiant and (more importantly), musical. They're out there, just in smaller numbers.

SC:You're playing in a Jazz trio now, but you occasionally get to rock out with other rock acts (all-girl IRON MAIDEN tribute bands downtown, TSO, even your old cronies in TESTAMENT on First Strike Still Deadly). Are these periodic collaborations enough for you, or do you ever get the urge to 'rock out with your cock' out for shit money, sleep in Motel 6, hump chubby gals (yes, we see the wedding ring. Humor us), and/or bathe at truck stops? (ie; do you miss the 'rock star' thing at all?)

AS: As far as rock/metal as a style of music, the collabarations are enough for me. As far as the other stuff you mention, I'm not sure what the difference is. The trio is on the road a lot. True, there's no 'humping chubby gals', but we're driving around in a van, completely rocking out during the show, staying in motels and stopping at truck stops (but not bathing at them). And believe it or not, the money for jazz isn't always very good! Sure, the musical and personal situation is much more fulfilling musically and artistically at this point in my life, but in certain ways, it's not that different. A lot of the same fans are coming out too, only this time they're not watching me from a mosh pit, they're sitting at tables with their wives and girfriends enjoying a glass of wine and listening.

SC: Hypothetical Situation #1: An A&R guy from a major label takes a trip downtown to see you play with the Alex Skolnick Trio and offers you a three million dollar deal to record a disc. The catch is this: You can't record any of your own material. You'll only be playing revamped current popular rock tracks (ie; LINKIN PARK, SUM 41, P.O.D., and tracks from METALLICA's 'St. Anger')... AND you have to tour behind the disc for one year. Do you take the money, or tell this A&R Weasel to scratch your ass?

AS: Are you kidding? Take the money!! Let's put it this way: 3 Million dollars would enable me to do anything else I ever decided to do (jazz albums aren't that expensive to make). I would certainly do this, make the best of it for a year and use the money towards future albums. The fans would understand and I'll bet I could find a way to make those tunes work somehow, at least for something acceptable. A better question would be: 3 Million dollars and KENNY G is to guest and produces the album to be released on Arista. I'm signed for multiple albums and can only do 'smooth jazz' as approved by the A&R department. Then I'd tell the A&R guy to go fuck himself. (You know, he's right. I didn't think that through at all and I was WAY too generous. Fuck me. What a moron I am. Bah.)

SC: Fans at heavy metal shows have a tendency to throw objects of various size and shape (bottles, lighters, quarters, cigarettes, and of course...bras and panties) at bands while they're playing. What was the worst thing you were ever hit with while playing on stage with Testament, Savatage (or any band for that matter...although we seriously doubt that people at jazz clubs throw shit on stage)?

AS: True, it hasn't happened playing jazz...yet. The worst thing I was hit with was a shoe. Whoever threw hit had perfect aim because it hit my guitar right when I was playing a delicate lead and made me flub the lick. (Shit, we need VIDEO of that. Anyone happen to be in the crowd videotaping that night?)

SC: You left Testament because your playing was becoming too melodic for the rest of the band, especially on The Ritual (which some could argue was one of the band's best discs... some of us are partial to Low as well). Do you think if you had been able to spread your wings musically with those guys that you would have stayed, or would it just have been putting off the inevitable?

AS: I think it would have been putting off the inevitable. At that point I was clearly headed into other territory, although I wasn't sure where. I tried to make it work doing both but realized it wasn't possible.

SC: What song (from any band you've played in) was the most irritating to play live, or better yet, which song were you most sick of playing live (considering that you have to play the same songs over and over, night after night)?

AS: There is one song called "Find Your Way Home" (from TSO) which isn't a bad song, but the guitar does nothing but play long, slow power chords. It takes place at the end of the set which at that point, has gone on for more than two hours, so by then, you're exhausted and just want to get off stage.

SC: Hypothetical situation #2: You're walking through midtown Manhattan after a grueling day of teaching eager young guitar players the ins and outs of being a rock and roll god, and while you're crossing 54th, a crazy immigrant Iranian cab driver blows a red light, hits you, and sends you flying 50 feet up in the air. When you land, both of your arms have been broken beyond repair. What is Alex Skolnick going to do (other than sue the shit out of the cab company) to support himself after such an unfortunate incident?

AS: I would become a writer. With no arms, I'd have to get someone to dictate for me, but I could make it work. (Actually, you'd have to get someone to TAKE dictation, but getting someone to dictate to a fella with no working arms would really be funny... watching you try to clunk out words on a keyboard with your tongue... wakka wakka. The fact that he didn't flinch when I mentioned being mowed down by an Iranian cab driver means he really lives in New York, and has seen these wackos out there...operating vehicles)

SC: What qualities should a professional musician look for in buying a guitar (now vs. 1985)? Tone? feel? type of wood? thickness of neck?... or pointy with airbrushed tits?

AS: I think one should be wary of massproduced guitars (not naming any brands here!). In 1985, there were plenty of good guitars on the marked that were mass produced but the standards were higher. I think you're either better off buying one from a small company that makes them all by hand, or a used one. It has to feel great when you play it, like you can really do your thing with it. (I'm still holding strong with 'pointy guitar, airbrushed tits... or a dragon... or some skulls. Yeah, dragons and skeletons are cool...and I'm trapped in 1989)

SC: In this often shady business of making music for a living, I'm sure you've been offered tons of unsolicited advice. What is the BEST piece of advice you were ever given while trying to make your way through this business?

AS: "You should move to New York."

SC: OK, now what's the WORST, most idiotic piece of advice someone has thrown at you?

AS: "New York?! Why? You'll move back. Trust me."

SC: Testament's first disc was released when you were eighteen years old, so it could be argued that you spent many of your formative years in the ranks of a thrash metal band. During this time, how many times did you:
A) Drink yourself stupid and have sex with a fat chick?

AS: None. Drank myself stupid, yes, a few times. Fat chicks? Never. Sorry ladies.

SC: B) Tear apart a hotel/motel room?

AS: None. Can't say the same about a certain other band member... (bah! Dammit! I need to know who he's talking about! Anyone got any scoop?)

SC: C) Get into a physical confrontation with one or more of your bandmates

AS: None. Verbal confrontations only. (Hmmm... again, we need more info here. I'm betting on Chuck Billy and/or Eric Peterson, but that's pure speculation)

SC: D) Urinated or moved your bowels somewhere you shouldn't have?

AS: Urinated only. Too many times to count, usually on the side of the road. Almost got in trouble for that recently with the trio outside Chicago: nowhere to stop, we all had to go, cop car pulls up asks what the hell we think we're doing. I assured him it was an emergency and we were, um, leaving town, right this second, Officer. He was silent as he pointed his finger towards the highway as if to say "Get the fuck out. Now."

Thank to Alex for being cool with some reasonably dumb questions, and some fairly normal ones as well. If you'd like to check out Alex's new band, THE ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO, then check out his official website:
ALEXSKOLNICK.com

Also, don't forget to check out 'Goodbye To Romance: Standards For A New Generation', his latest CD with the Alex Skolnick Trio (features jazz versions of AEROSMITH, KISS, OZZY, SCORPIONS, and more)

FOR ALEX SKOLNICK TOUR DATES, CLICK HERE

...and of course, if you want him to teach you how to really play your ass off, CLICK HERE