Roger Placer
I'm primarily a solo artist who focuses on recording and performing my own eclectic, jazz-influenced original music. I play mainly guitar, but also bass, drums, and keyboards. My three albums to date have material that ranges from instrumental jazz to fusion, ambient, progressive pop, and other unclassifiable genres.
Tell me about your history? How did you get where you are now?
I've been playing guitar since I was 9 years old, bass since 16, drums since 28! Since the mid 1980's I've been an avid composer and recording enthusiast. As of early 2006, I have released 3 independent CD's of my original music. Since then, I have been focusing mainly on writing and performing a variety of acoustic music without a recording project in mind.
Have you performed live in front of an audience? Any special memories?
I do, but rarely. I have a repertoire of solo material in the jazz, Brazilian, and "eclectic acoustic" genres.
Your musical influences
Jazz - everything from the 1930s until the 1980s. Brazilian music - MPB, bossa nova, and samba. Lounge and "chill" smooth electronica as well at times.
What equipment do you use?
I have owned nearly 100 guitars in my lifetime so far, but I try focus on a few really good ones now:
Acoustic:
2011 Erich Solomon Imperial archtop
1947 Gibson L-5N
1947 Gibson Super 400
2011 Martin 000-18GE
2008 Anders Eliasson flamenco blanca
Electric:
Chris Forshage "Ergo" (2)
1967 Gibson ES-335TDC
1957 Gibson ES-175DN
Recent Warmoth partscaster Tele
Amps:
'79 Fender Princeton Reverb with 12" speaker
Acoustic Image Clarus 2R into a couple of different cabinets
