Alex Machacek
Born in 1972, Machacek grew up in Vienna, where he began studying classical guitar at the age of eight and continued for six years. While his early interest in guitar outside the classical field tended toward rock (Queen, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden), he later gravitated toward jazz, with a particular interest in jazz guitar great Joe Pass. “I was pretty much a straight ahead player back then because that was what the people played around me. I learned the Great American songbook and just played as much as I could. When I was 13 or 14, somebody gave me a Joe Pass record and I became the biggest Joe Pass fan in the 14th district of Vienna. I fell in love with this guy’s playing.”
At age 16, Alex enrolled at the Conservatory of Vienna, where he studied jazz guitar. “Usually you go to school until you’re 18 and then enter the Conservatory,” says Alex. “But I convinced my mother to let me quit school so that I could attend the Conservatory earlier.” During that time, he gained invaluable bandstand experience in a wide variety of groups, from Dixieland to pop cover bands, big band to musical theater, singer-songwriter to contemporary classical as well as sitting in on jam sessions.
A turning point in Machacek’s development came after he encountered the music of guitar god Allan Holdsworth. “I was so attracted to his playing because I had no clue what was going on. All I knew was it was different, it was great and I wanted to figure out what he was doing. And I have to admit, I definitely became a Holdsworth addict. And while I don’t want to deny my influences, I’m also trying to get something identifiable happening in my playing.”
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Album Review
- 24 Tales by Ian Patterson
October 01, 2014
Jan Rivera's "Advanced Rhythmic Concepts For Guitar" -- Foreword By...
January 10, 2014
Gary Husband And Alex Machacek's Release "Now" on Abstract Logix
June 19, 2010
Guitarist Alex Machacek Interviewed at AAJ...And More!
September 22, 2007
Guitarist Alex Machacek, Bassist Matt Garrison and Drummer Jeff Sipe...
January 01, 2007
Guitarist Alex Machacek Interviewed at AAJ
October 23, 2006
Three Free MP3s from Abstract Logix: Scott Kinsey, Alex Machacek &...
August 14, 2006
Alex Machacek/Terry Bozzio "[SIC]" Releases on August 15
July 21, 2005
DVD Release From Terry Bozzio, Alex Machacek and Patrick O'Hearn
Machacek’s remarkable blend of advanced composition, masterful technique, and total musicality makes [sic], quite simply, an instant classic that transcends genre-typing, and one of the best records of the year. John Kelman, AllAboutJazz.com
Over the course of a whole lifetime as a passionate observer and chronicler of the music scene, with a particularly keen interest in guitarists of all stripes, I have been blown away innumerable times by extraordinary players who bring something remarkable and personal to the table
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