johnZguitar
the latest / bio blah / gtr lessons / noise / past & pics / tools & toys / linkage / your turn / contact
previous news and stuff '10 - '04....
12 22 '10
next VOLTO! show: Saturday, Jan 8th 2011 @ the baked potato in studio city, ca. *please make sure to reserve your seats online from the baked potato website links, asap!
the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615also, going into our 6th year of monday night jamz at the baked potato, huzzah! y'all can now check out some video clips via the youtube channel here...
http://www.youtube.com/user/johnZguitar
oct 22 '10
next VOLTO! show: friday, nov 12th @ saint rocke in hermosa beach, ca.
*check the club's website @ www.saintrocke.com for more info and tix, asap!*also, be on the lookout for some studio rumbling from VOLTO! very VERY soon....it's happening!
sept 27 '10
VOLTO! show: friday, oct 16th @ the baked potato in studio city, ca. also on monday sept 27th, we are having the monday night jamz "bday bbq bash" for jeorge "way huge" tripps @ the baked potato. starting around 9pm....please join us for a celebration of friends and fun!
feb 6th '10
it's the first post of the new decade, huzzah! we had a great time the past couple of months with some fantastic gigs and shindigs! the new decade rolled in with some great jamz @ the baked potato on monday nights...my bro danny was our guest drummer, and he killed it each night! and VOLTO! had some killer gigs go down too. besides all the crazy namm convention stuff that happened in january, we got to perform at the guitar center drum-off @ the wiltern theater here in LA, with the drummer from Mastodon: Brann Dailor playing with us, which was awesome. what a great time we had in front of the sold out drum monkeys, yeah! speaking of drum freaks, be on the lookout for the next VOLTO! gig @ the potato. plus, the 5th anniversary of the monday night jamz coming up too! also of note, i got to do some really fun soundtrack music recently, with more info to come when the things shall be released. cheers and much thanx!
nov 18 '09
it's coming up on the holiday season out here on the left coast! i sure hope everyone has a fantastic time and brings in the new decade with as much cheer and joy as possible! even with everything that's happened and still happening in the world around us, please look for the good things in life to cherish and care for. thanx and be well!
oct 15 '09
greetings and welcome to fall, a fantastic time of year(including some rain in da mix). we've been working on some new projects lately, both live and recording...everything from live "yoga rock" to proto-spaghetti-western soundscapes, and on top of being back into the teaching mode, here in glendalephia! we're also still having a blast every monday night at the baked potato jamz here in studio city, cali. and speaking of the baked potato....
aug 17 '09
with a farily mild summer here in l.a. winding down....we're ready for more good times and lots of noise coming up! *although, it's a bummer that one of my favorite venues is closing it's doors very soon. knitting factory's hollywood location is shutting down in october. so, VOLTO! shall be rolling in there to do one more big rock show over labor day weekend. if you're around, definitely make it to this one!
VOLTO! live @ knitting factory hollywood main stage w/ gryphon labs(zappa plays zappa members) & nothin' personal on saturday, sept 5th *final show @ the kf hollywood location!
june 17 '09
after all the fantastic gemini bdays that were celebrated during the past few weeks, we're bringing in the summer time, because it's the right time, for some slammin' jamz!
VOLTO! live @ the baked potato on wednesday july 8th
jan 10 '09
happy happy 2009 from beautiful downtown burbank!
and january in the southern cali area means that it's time for....NAMM convention!
it's also time for the machine better known as VOLTO! to fire things up once again!
thursday, jan 15th back at the old homestead, the baked potato...
the party shall be going off huge, and this show is gonna be a total blast!
nov 21'08
way overdue for a little update on gigs and stuff....so here we go!
VOLTO! is playing once again on friday, dec 5th back at the old homestead, the baked potato!
this time we are hitting it with our new bassist, the awesome pete griffin, from the zpz zappa band.
this show is gonna be a blast!friday dec 5th, '08
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
aug 14th '08
it's been a few months since i've checked in, so voila, here we are!
i sure hope all you good folks are having a fun-filled and exciting/relaxing summer!?
to shake things up a bit, it's time to jam out during the doldrums here in good old h-wood with VOLTO!
mar 22 '08
ahhh, spring time in southern cali...oh yeah, smell the.....ehhhhh. VOLTO! is returning to la ve lee(ater also 2 years, wow!) in mid april. also, the monday night jamz @ the baked potato are having a 3 year anniversary....i feel a bbq coming on, dammit! so make sure if you're in the LA area, please cmon out and do some hangin...don't be shy!
jan 3 '08
i hope everyone had a wonderful holidays and also happy new year to all! VOLTO! had an awesome return to the baked potato last month and we'll be back there once again asap! look for my other fusion group Amalgatron to be playing there in the next month of so too. speaking of VOLTO!, looks like it's namm show time once again here in southern cali, so we'll be throwing down the party gaunlet at the knitting factory on thursday jan 17th. it's gonna be a great gig, especially with Gryphon Labs opening up the show. these guys are the members of the Zappa(ZPZ) band....so make sure to not miss this one!(buy your tix from the knitting factory link below)
*VOLTO! is kickin it up for namm week live thursday january 17th '08* @ the knitting factory main space
sept 28 '07
*VOLTO! is hitting once again live friday october 19th '07*
@ the knitting factory main space
7021 hollywood blvd ste 209
hollywood, ca 90028
323-463-0204
and, please check out john Z's other fusion unit Amalgatron, which includes the wonderful tone meister bill steinway on keys, monster drummer glen sobel, and zpz zappa plays zappa bassist extraodanaire pete griffin....this band is a total blast!
coming in november:
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
june 22 '07
*the mighty return of VOLTO! live thursday august 2nd '07*
@ the knitting factory main space
7021 hollywood blvd ste 209
hollywood, ca 90028
323-463-0204
and, Amalgatron:
thursday september 6th '07 @ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
mar 8 '07
hope all is well and rockin along on a great path for everyone in 2007.
it's definitely been an interesting year so far for myself....whoa!
anyways, the monday night jamz at the baked potato have been better than ever! the jammers and the crowds are amazing! so i hope that if you're in the LA area on some monday evening, you'll cmon out and hang, and even sit in if ya want! we hit with an opening set around 9:30 or so.speaking of the baked potato, my classic fusion group Amalgatron will be performing at the potato around the end of the month. i'm really excited to be doing this once again, especially because of the guys that i'm playing with. tone-master bill steinway on keys, monster drummer glen sobel, and the bassist extraordinaire from the zappa plays zappa band, pete griffin. these dudes are crushing!
also, there should be some more VOLTO! action coming up in the near future, which is always a blast. the last show we did at the knitting factory w/the michael landau group was our best gig yet(because of you folks and the great vibes y'all bring to the shows). we can't thank you enough!
*Amalgatron live wednesday march 28th 2007*
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
jan 2 '07
happy new year with some more noise from VOLTO! live:
saturday 1/13/07
w/ special guests The Michael Landau Group
@ the knitting factory main space
7021 hollywood blvd ste 209
hollywood, ca 90028
323-463-0204&
Amalgatron is hitting with new bassist from the ZPZ band pete griffin
thursday 1/04/07
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
nov 29 '06
tis time to spend some holiday cheers with VOLTO! live
friday 12/29/06
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
oct 20 '06
once again, the mighty return of VOLTO! live:
friday 10/27/06
@ the knitting factory
7021 hollywood blvd.
hollywood, ca 90028
323-463-0204&
Amalgatron doing the fusion thing:
thursday 11/09/06
@ la ve lee
12514 ventura blvd
studio city, ca 91604
(818) 980-8158
oct 7 '06
Amalgatron is playing once again this coming thursday the 12th. this time at the luxurious baked potato! we're really looking forward to throwing down 2 action-packed sets of oldschool fusion jams. the new band has been rehearsing some and it's sounding better and better. plus the potato is always a good time blast! so, please cmon out if ya can!
thursday 10/12/06
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
aug 17 '06
i've got my new band "Amalgatron" debuting here in la this coming week. I'm really looking forward to throwing down some more high powered fusion jams with my good bros glen sobel, chris stefanetti, and billy steinway...all awesome players. it should be a total blast. so bring it on!
wednesday 8/23/06
la ve lee
12514 ventura blvd
studio city, ca 91604
Tel(818) 980-8158
jun 20 '06
i'm very proud to continue my hosting duties of the monday night jamz @ the baked potato here in los angeles, as we had reached our 1 year anniversay back in mid april....and we're still going strong(due to the awesome crowds and jammers) who are having a blast, and it's more fun than ever! so cmon out and have a great time on monday nights.
and lest we forget....
the return of VOLTO! live:
thursday 7/20/06
@ the baked potato
3787 cahuenga blvd. w,
universal city, ca 91604
(818) 980-1615
apr 2 '06
april fools went off without a hitch! damn glad about that too!
the knitting factory gig last friday(3/31) was awesome! thanx so much for all the support and coming out to jam with us! one more VOLTO! gig coming this week. then we won't be playing again until mid july. some of the dudes have to go on tour and i'm going to be working on some new stuff, bandwise and also in the studio.
the monday night hubcap jams are celebrating it's 1 year anniversary next week on the 9th with a special party! wow, the crowds have been getting bigger and the jammers showing up to hang out and play are really having a blast and sounding great! so cmon out for some good times on any monday evening.
now make sure to turn those clocks ahead!
mar 4 '06
we're all still waiting for spring time here in LA. hopefully soon dammit!
the poor people of cali are having quite a hard time dealing with the rain...oh boy!
in the meantime, there's some cool gigs going on this month so please check em out.
hey, be on the lookout for my new band that i'm going to be firing up very soon too!
feb 4 '06
how many more weeks of winter?!?!
oh well....things could be worse huh?
at least the namm show is over! but, it was a blast to see so many good friends!
and the gigs are still rocking along.
oct 6'05
*another big show for VOLTO!...thanx so much to everyone who has attended in the past and made all the shows so far a sold out smash! the knitting factory show on sept 28th with the scott kinsey group was especially AWESOME! playing on the big stage with the huge PA was a real treat! we will be back playing there again in nov and dec!
sept 8 '05
hola folks! it's back to school time and that also means it's time to get my teaching schedule back on track...which i have finally done. so if you're interested in taking some guitar or bass lessons and you're in the southern cali area....hit me up and we shall see what we can do! the monday night hubcap jams at the baked potato have been cruising along to great success! there's always a plethora of great talent coming out to sit in and throw down. so please cmon out and have some fun with us..and have a monster spud too! VOLTO! is playing twice once again in sept and i'm really excited, not only because of the new PA system at la ve lee(sept 15th), but also VOLTO! is playing our first time at the knitting factory/main space in hollywood(sept 28th) with one of my favorite bands in the world right now opening up for us....the scott kinsey group. this is a must see show! it's going to be a great gig! so i hope to see you out there while we're making some noise this month....and beyond!
aug 7 '05
howdy! there's been lots of gigs going on so far this summer, and more coming up soon! the monday night hubcap jam sessions at the baked potato have been stellar! many great players and sounds are happeneing each week, so please stop by for some fun! also, revamping the teaching schedule because of summer vacations and gigs. so if you're interested in lessons please get in touch, and if you already have, be patient, it shall be hooked up asap!
may 2 '05
well it's may, summer's coming fast and it's time to kick things into high gear!
lots of live music action happening these days....
every monday night at the baked potato here in LA has been going awesome so far! lots of great players have been coming out to sit in with the hubcap jams! and it looks like the residency there shall continue, so c'mon out if you can! also, it's finally coming up on the big VOLTO! show in the NYC area on the 28th. we are really looking forward to making noise back east for the first time with the band! more gigs and hopefully an album shall be coing from VOLTO! this summer. in between all this, i'm still teaching some guitar and bass lessons, so if i can help you out, please get in touch. rock on!*and a very special show saturday 5/28/05 in the NYC area
VOLTO! is the headline act @....THE MODERN DRUMMER FESTIVAL 2005
mar 19 '05
happy st patty's weekend the all....
i hope everyone drank lots of green beer and got lucky with a 4-leaf clover or two. i'm playing some more live gigs coming up for this springtime here in LA. including the debut of my new band "hubcap jams " and also for you folks back in east don't forget...a big show with VOLTO! at the modern drummer magazine festival in may!
feb 15 '05
greetings from rain soaked la la land! whoa!
so did everyone find their valentine under all this water? indeed i sure wish y'all did! besides continuing with offering private guitar and bass lessons, looks like some extra special cool live gigs are coming up in the near future....even heading back east in a few months for a big VOLTO! show. we're having a blast with some new original material, so make sure to swing out and give it a listen if ya can.
jan 11 '05
happy new year to all!
i hope that everyone finds that 2005 and beyond shall be the best yet to come! on the live gig scene, VOLTO! shall be playing at the baked potato in universal city, cali thursday 1/20/05...it's during namm weekend, so it's gonna be a wild time! if you're in LA, i hope you can make it! wow, i just hope this crazy rain stops by then!
nov '04
hey good people,
it's been a busy october...rainy and cold to boot here in la la land! but, lots of music has been going on! continuing on the path of production/recording with wonderful christine anderson and also working on new material with the pigmys. and speaking of the pigmys, i became webmaster for the pigmylovecircus.com website and i totally redid it, so go check out the "sleek" new look and definitely look forward to lots of fun stuff and tons of updates as we get into 2005!
VOLTO! has been rockin along with it's once a month gigs...and looks like it's gonna keep on truckin! playing last month for the first time at the baked potato in n. hollywood was a smashing success, and V! will be back there once again right before the holidays, on 12/16, which will be lance's big bday gig also! please don't forget to also come out to la ve lee on 11/18 and check out the jams. VOLTO! also has new tshirts and girl's stuff too for sale, so getcha something asap! one more thing.....they are going to be doing originals asap and also recording the gigs, thanx to our soundman rich renkin, for some mp3 releases on the net within the next month!
a new project i've recently become involved with is playing guitar with the amazing singer/songwriter ben sharazi...he is one of my faves and i feel totally honored to be able to back up him and his tunes! there will be live gigs coming in 2005 around the LA area, so i'll keep all posted!
the guitar and bass lessons are still going full force, so if you think i can give ya a helping hand with learning more things on the instrument, please get in touch anytime, and we'll be rockin!
c ya at the shows,
john z
sept '04
greeting friends!
hot hot end of summer here in cali! whoa! this past month(aug '04) saw some cool gig opportunities for me. the pigmys played a killer show in phoenix a couple of weeks ago, which was sponsered by musician's friend. it was a great turnout and the pigmy nation was in full effect! make sure if you haven't joined the nation, please check it out and do so! up next for the pigmys is hopefully more shows and also i have taken over the duties of webmaster for the official PLC site. so i'll be messing with that a bunch in the next few months for sure....while also working on new material with the pigs!
speaking of new material, VOLTO! shall be working on some original material finally. we've decided that we're going to make an album and put it out so people can check out the jams that we are into doing! the show we played last month on 8/19 was reviewed by rachel heller for la splash magazine. thanx a bunch rachel, you're way too kind! now as far as upcoming live gigs for the bros, looks like la ve lee once again on 9/30. also a new gig just booked! our first show ever at the historic jazz club known as the baked potato on 10/28. make sure to wear your halloween costumes for that one! so, if you're into getting pummeled by loud, jamming rock/blues/jazz, in an intimate setting...they we can dish it up for ya indeed! oh, also Vmerch will be available finally....yesssss!
on a side note, if you ever get bored on the internet, go set yourself up with a page on myspace.com! it's a lot of fun and you can meet people from all over the place that are into the same things you are! kinda like a hipper version of friendster. i've been doing it for a while and having a blast! check it out and say hi! the pigmys are on there too!
well, happy times y'all! whether it's back to school, or back from your summer travels. if you make it out to a gig or just wanna drop me a line about anything(got lesson times still available too), please don't hesitate! there is a guestbook too! sign it...if you dare! ;-) take care and see ya!
choice...rock,
john Z
july '04
howdy folks!
there are july east coast shows with pigmy love circus and the video for the single "pistolero sleep", directed by bob sexton, has been completed...check it out!
hey don't forget, VOLTO! has a website too! www.VOLTOband.com
hopefully, the band....danny carey, kirk covington, lance morrison, and myself shall be banging out some sounds once again at the cool club la ve lee sometime in late august and also at the baked potato.....if we can all get our shit together of course! if you're looking for your oldschool rock/jazz/blues fix, played VERY off- the-cuff, then we're the dudes who are delivering it up....nice and loud and proud! the t-shirts and other things are coming soon!
they should be sweet!other projects as of late....
i recently received a copy of a cd i played on for my friends "the last dons". these sessions were tracked back in late may here in hollywood at vocal asylum studios...so it's nice to hear the finished works. i shall be posting clips from the tracks on here asap! these guys a excellent! they do classic sounding rock with a nice modern twist. beautiful vocals and ripping piano too! i am proud to have worked with these dudes!
i've been working on songs with a great friend and fantastic young singer/pianst named christine anderson. i'm very excited about the project and i look forward to playing some shows and recording with this awesome talent in the near future!
this should be interesting... i've also been contracted by a production company here in burbank to score a feature film. it's going to be a horror/suspense picture, which should give me a killer opportunity to create some wicked sounds. i shall be updating this info as the project commences. i'm psyched!
my private lessons still have a couple of 1 hour spots available, so if you're interested in having me mess up your mind....i mean teach you things guitar-ish....and if you think that someone like myself can perhaps help you or a friend here in LA with your guitar playing/musical adventure, then please contact me and i'll be more than happy to hook you up!
c'mon out to the shows and say hi, please get in touch anytime, and also sign up for the new emailing lists! everyone, have a great summer!
take care and cheers,
John Z
june '04
new johnZguitar.com site launched right here! woooooo hooooo! ;-)