Episode 48. John Etheridge (Guitar) - 'Killer Joe'

John Etheridge has one of those musical lives that only makes sense when you hear it out loud: a British jazz guitar legend and composer who starts with Hank Marvin’s look, gets knocked sideways by Django Reinhardt, then hunts for a sound that can hold both jazz harmony and rock electricity at the same time. Geoff meets John at his place in Hampstead, North London, and they talk through the moments that shaped his playing, from discovering John McLaughlin to learning how to be “the in-between guy” who never quite fits the neat labels but ends up building a voice that bands actually need.We go deep on the practical side of being a working guitarist: tiny amps, the old suspicion around pedals, and how different venues can make your instrument feel either effortless or impossible. From there we jump into jazz standards and the reality of learning tunes before the Real Book era, plus what it’s like to catch up on theory in your thirties while already gigging. If you care about jazz guitar vocabulary, you’ll enjoy John’s take on chord tones versus scales, why bebop is not “just scales”, and how modal thinking changes the way you hear the same notes. John treats us to an impromptu improvisation of the 60’s Benny Golson standard ‘Killer Joe’ - accompanied of course by the Quartet app.There are stories too: playing with Stéphane Grappelli, recording alongside Tony Williams, the love and hate around the Miles Davis album ‘In a Silent Way’ (1969), and the unique challenge of collaborating with classical guitar icon John Williams, where written precision meets improvisation. We finish with quick-fire favourites, a couple of gorgeous chord choices, and John’s philosophy on keeping Soft Machine fresh without turning the music into a museum.If you enjoy jazz standards, British jazz, jazz fusion, guitar tone and real-world improvisation, hit subscribe, share this with a guitarist friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.Presenter: Geoff GascoyneSeries Producer: Paul SissonsProduction Manager: Martin SissonsThe Quartet Jazz Standards Podcast is a UK Music Apps production.