Joe Rodriguez (Antares)

UPDATE!!!
Joes music is being used on ESPN's NFL Blast and selected cuts will air on future episodes of MTV's Road Rules. Joe is also touring with 'Flock of Seagulls' in the US and abroad filling the lead guitar slot.

I have recently obtained a copy of Antares second CD, "The Grandesign". Antares is Joe Rodriguez, an Orlando guitar player who has been featured in national guitar magazines, won Jammy Awards (Orlando Florida Music Magaizine) , and often plays in the local area. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. . This CD does not sound like a local effort. The production is excellent and the packaging is professional which does not mean anything if the music sucks. I can say that this CD does NOT suck. It's excellent with lots of melodic guitar lines, stylistic mixtures from Satriani and Vai(The Granddesign) to Metallica (Hemisfear II) to very tasteful classical nylon string guitar (Diamonds in the Dirt) along with a lot of good rock guitar.. This is not to say that it sounds like every other guitar player, with lots of notes thrown in just to show off being able to play a lot of notes. It is in fact quite the opposite. Everytime I listen to it, I hear other bits and pieces that make me think...."Hey..thats really good...". What is even more impressive is that this was basicly done by one person with some guest appearances by Dave LaRue (Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse Band), Chris Charles, Scott Stover and David Cowen and engineering by Jon Smith.

Murf Says "Check it Out". You can purchase the CD for $12.00 + $2.00 shipping/handling from:

Antarian Music
P.O. Box 300944
Fern Park, FL 32730

That said, I really would like to see musicians with talent like Joe's be sucessful rather than some of the current successful bands that brag about never practicing, or knowing anything about the instrument that they play and without any apparent level of skill. (My complaint of the day!!!)

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