Listening to the new Van Halen. The record makes me think of the early 80s and learning how to play the guitar and all the great VH soundtracked-times I had. So this afternoon, I prodded my past with a zapping-stick and searched on my first and only guitar teacher, an acidjazzfusion master named John Macey, whom I haven’t seen or heard from since the late 80s.
Low and beholded, up pops this link from themetalfiles.com blog out of Austin last year. The author talks of his affection for a 1981 record by John called Eclipse, John’s only major label release (CBS’s 51 West Records). Fwiw, I still use notebooks he filled with riffs and every once in a while spin my copies of Eclipse and two independently released records I have of his, an LP called “More Notes For Your Money” and a CD called “Metalbopblues From Mars” (which I shall rip and post soon as a public service). He was very fast, clean and focused and gave me a lifetime of fretted humility.
Turns out, too, that John is no longer with us and that I will not see or hear from him again. So thanks, John, wherever you are in the great beyond.
