Blues Musician, specialized in playing resonator guitars and slide blues.
Michael Messer is a virtuoso slide guitarist whose playing encompasses the entire history of the style, but at the same time, is totally individual and contemporary. Born in 1956 in England, Michael Messer is slide guitar master.
His obsessive appetite for knowledge of the art is virtually unequalled. The Amarican magazine, “spirit” listed Messer as one of the greatest slide guitarists ever, alongside Duane Allman, Debashish Bhattacharya, Bob Brozman and Ry Cooder.
他追求藝術造詣上的態度是無與倫比的。在美國雜誌“Spririt”上的，Michael Messer與Duane Allman, Debashish Bhattacharya, Bob Brozman 和Ry Cooder一起被列為最棒的滑棒大師之一。
Michael Messer是一位痴迷於布魯斯並成為大師的人，與Eric Clapton等大師不同的是，他更專心於滑棒。 可能國內很少有人熟悉Michael Messer，網上可以下載到的專輯也寥寥無幾。這位1956年出生於倫敦Middlesex的滑棒大師，少年時代鐘情於搖滾樂，二十出頭開始混跡於Nashville，參與Roy Acuff、Hank Snow、Johnny Cash等人的家庭音樂聚會。回到英國後，他開始埋頭鑽研三角洲滑棒布魯斯。
1979年，他買了他的第一支National共鳴器吉他。
1985年，他組隊建立The Michael Messer Band，第一張專輯《Diving Duck》被《Q magazine》評價為：“《Diving Duck》幹了Ry Cooder該幹的事兒。 ” 1999年出版的專輯《Slidedance》為他贏得了B.B.C.音樂獎的年度最佳原聲布魯斯藝人。 專輯： 1988 DIVING DUCK (vinyl LP) - PT Records 1990 SLIDEDANCE - Minidoka 1990 DIVING DUCK (CD) - Minidoka 1990 HUMMINGBIRD (CD single) - Minidoka 1993 RHYTHM OIL - Minidoka 1995 MOONBEAT - Appaloosa 1996 NATIONAL AVENUE - Scratch 1998 SLIDEDANCE (re-release) - Koch 1998 RHYTHM OIL (re-release) - Koch 2001 KING GUITAR - Catfish 2003 SECOND MIND - Catfish 2006 LUCKY CHARMS - Cooking Vinyl 2006 LUCKY CHARMS (single) - Cooking Vinyl 2006 SECOND MIND (re-release) - Cooking Vinyl 2006 KING GUITAR (re-release) - Cooking Vinyl 2007 SECOND MIND - Soyuz (Russia) 2007 KING GUITAR - Soyuz (Russia) 2007 LUCKY CHARMS - Soyuz (Russia)
成就及榮譽
Michael Messer’s accolades including a US ‘Living Blues’ number one album with ‘King Guitar’ (2001), and the award for ‘Best international Blues Guitar Album’ with ‘Second Mind’. Michael is included in the ‘Virgin Encyclopedia of the Blues’ where his name appears alongside many of the blues masters that inspired him as a young man. Johnny Cash was a fan of Messer’s music and wrote the liner notes for this album ‘Rhythm Oil’. Michael has appeared in his own blues guitar episode of the BBC TV series, ‘Zingzilla’. He also has his own successful brand of guitar products, including ‘Michael Messer Resonator Guitars’ and ‘Michael Messer National Guitar Strings’.
Michael Messer：
美國’Living Blues’第一名，得名專輯《King Guitar》(2001)
“全球最佳藍調吉他專輯”，得名專輯《Second Mind》(2003)
“維京百科全書-藍調”上，Michael Messer與那些激勵他的老一輩藍調大師們齊名。
Johnny Cash是Michael Messer音樂的冬粉，並為其專輯《Rhythm Oil》撰寫了文字。
“In the hands of Jerry Douglas, Michael Messer & Stacy Phillips, the resophonic guitar has journeyed light years from its country-blues roots.” Guitar Buyer magazine.
“To say that Messer is a slide guitarist is like describing Mother Theresa as a nun! One of the best slide guitarists Britain has ever produced”. Time Out magazine.
Hi Michael, Great honor to have this opportunity to make an interview with you.
您好，非常有幸能邀請到您，並接受這次專訪。
It is my pleasure to do this interview for you.
我也非常高興能接受這次採訪
Since you are an expert on playing resonator guitar, could you give some advices to new players who would like to play resonator guitars?
Michael
您在藍調吉他方面是一個不折不扣的專家，能不能給我們這些想學藍調吉他的愛好者一點這方面的建議呢？
Resonator guitars are wonderful acoustic guitars. They were invented in the 1920s by John Dopyera, as a mechanical system for making loud acoustic guitars. This was back in the 1920s before electric guitars and electric amplifiers were invented. They are fun to play in any music style, but they are most famous for playing Slide Guitar in Blues and Country music. Some people think they are more difficult to play than other types of acoustic guitars, but that is not true. A resonator guitar is a beautiful instrument to own and play. A resonator guitar is a beautiful object and will always get people's attention!
Since when you started to play resonator guitars? Any story?
您是何時開始玩藍調吉他的？能否分享下您的故事。
I started to play resonator guitars in the late 1970s when I was in my early 20s. I had played guitar since I was a child, but until I discovered resonator guitars my life was not complete! At around 20 years old I became obsessed with listening to the blues, and in particular, it was the sound of slide guitar that captivated me. I bought a resonator guitar and started to teach myself to play slide guitar. This was the most exciting thing I had ever done and I became completely crazy about slide guitar! I studied many types of music, including - Blues, Country, Rock, Reggae, Folk, Jazz, Hawaiian, African and Indian music. By the time I was 26 years old I was a professional musician and had played slide guitar on a couple of LP albums (before CDs!!!!). In the 35 years since I started playing slide guitar, I have become a famous and respected musician and have made many CDs. I am very proud of my achievements with music…..especially playing my resonator guitars!
you have been invited to many music concerts or shows, which one gives you the deepest impression?您被邀請參加過非常多場次的演奏會以及音樂表演，有沒有特別令你印象深刻的?
This is a difficult question because I have played many concerts in many places for many people. I think the concerts that gave me the deepest impression, were playing with one of my heroes, the legendary bluesman, Louisiana Red. I have played in large concert halls, on enormous festival stages, and even in a cathedral in Italy - all of these concerts leave a deep impression on me. Every concert I do, whether it is with my rhythm guitarist for the past 30 years, Mr. Ed Genis, or with my band, Michael Messer and the Second Mind Band, leaves a deep impression on me because I give everything to the music and the audience.
Have you ever count, how many concert have you involved in?
您有沒有計算過，一共參加過多少場音樂會？
I have never counted….but it is many thousands of performances!!!!
I hope someday to be able to play my music for audiences in China.
我從沒數過，但至少有幾千場了。我希望有朝一日能為中國觀眾呈現我的音樂。
Any big problems you ever meet when playing resonator guitars, have you ever think stop? What did you do to conquer it?
在彈奏藍調吉他的過程中，有沒有碰到過任何挫折和障礙？有沒有想過退縮？你是怎么克服的？
No, never any problems - I love my resonator guitars, they have been an important part of my life for 35 years. They bring me great pleasure and enjoyment. Some people believe they are only to be played in Blues & Country music, but this not true, they sound fantastic in any style of music, even Rock and Pop music. The only problems I ever have with resonator guitars is that I have so many in my collection, that they don't all fit in my house!!!!
Lots of friends want to know, does it cost a lot on playing resonator guitar?
許多朋友想知道，玩藍調吉他需要花費很多錢嗎？
When I first started playing resonator guitars, the only instruments available were very expensive antique resonator guitars from the 1920s and 1930s. These days, since I started producing Michael Messer Resonator Guitars, people can buy a beautiful instrument for a very reasonable and affordable price. This was my ambition, to design and manufacture a high quality professional musician's resonator guitar that everybody can afford to buy. I truly believe that Michael Messer Resonator Guitars are the best budget-priced resonator guitars in the world. I am very proud of my Michael Messer 'MM' Resonator Guitars! So the answer to your question is ......'no it does not cost a lot. Once you have bought your resonator guitar, it will last you a lifetime, and because it is very loud, you will not need to buy an amplifier or any other equipment'.
The role of resonator guitars has changed in recent years. I believe that in the future we will hear them played by young musicians playing Pop, Jazz, Folk, and Rock, as well as Blues and Country music. Their role in music will expand, but for many people they will always be the 'classic' and in some ways, the 'classical' guitar of the Blues. They have become so identified with the Blues that the two things, 'Blues' and 'Resonator Guitars' have become joined together forever.
I am also interested to see how they develop in your country, China, because I believe that some traditional Chinese Folk and Classical Music would sound wonderful played on Resonator Guitars. I hope that next time I visit your country I can help people get interested in playing resonator guitars.
