Paul Gilbert re-releases his 1991 album Tribute to Jimi Hendrix via Music Theories Recordings / Artone Label Group – celebrating its 35th Anniversary, it becomes officially available digitally for the first time.
Listen to Gilbert’s take on ‘Highway Chile.’ Talking about the song, he says, “When I was 5 years old, my uncle Jimi Kidd insisted that I buy the “War Heroes” album by Jimi Hendrix. I dutifully bought it, and “Highway Chile” quickly became one of my favorite songs.”
Check out Gilbert’s interpretation of ‘Highway Chile’ HERE
It’s the album that almost never was, or never should have been. Picture the scene, it’s 2 June 1991 and Paul Gilbert was invited to the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany to trade a few solos with Albert Collins, who was headlining the festival.
At the time Gilbert was riding high with Mr Big and Lean Into It had not long been released. “I was already in Europe, finishing up a Mr. Big tour, so the travel would be easy. I said, “Yes!,” Gilbert says.
However, shortly after arriving at the venue, Gilbert learned that Collins had suffered a sudden health issue and would be unable to perform. “The promoter was panicking and asked me to be the headlining act instead,” Gilbert says. “I didn’t have a band with me. And I didn’t have any solo material prepared.”
The promoter quickly assembled a backing band using the bassist and drummer from Ten Years After, the group led by Alvin Lee, who were also appearing at the festival.
It was only hours before showtime. “The only thing I could think to do was to quickly rehearse some Jimi Hendrix songs and make the solos long enough to fill up a whole set. I told the promoter, “We only have time to learn 5 songs, so I’m going to have to play REALLY LONG SOLOS.” The promoter said, “It’s a jazz festival! That will be great!”
So the band and Paul jumped into rehearsal, and a couple hours later, did the show with scorching renditions of ‘Red House.’ ‘Hey Joe,’ ‘Highway Chile,’ ‘Midnight’ and ‘Purple Haze’ – “It turned out great,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever played such long solos in my life!”
Track listing 1. Red House 2. Hey Joe 3. Highway Chile 4. Midnight 5. Purple Haze
Paul Gilbert will re-release his 1991 album Tribute to Jimi Hendrix on 12 June via Music Theories Recordings to celebrate its 35th Anniversary, marking the album’s first official digital release.
It’s the album that almost never was, or never should have been. Picture the scene, it’s 2 June 1991 and Paul Gilbert was invited to the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany to trade a few solos with Albert Collins, who was headlining the festival.
At the time Gilbert was riding high with Mr Big and Lean Into It had not long been released. “I was already in Europe, finishing up a Mr. Big tour, so the travel would be easy. I said, “Yes!,” Gilbert says.
However, shortly after arriving at the venue, Gilbert learned that Collins had suffered a sudden health issue and would be unable to perform.
“The promoter was panicking and asked me to be the headlining act instead,” Gilbert says. “I didn’t have a band with me. And I didn’t have any solo material prepared.”
The promoter quickly assembled a backing band using the bassist and drummer from Ten Years After, the group led by Alvin Lee, who were also appearing at the festival.
It was only hours before showtime. “The only thing I could think to do was to quickly rehearse some Jimi Hendrix songs, and make the solos long enough to fill up a whole set. I told the promoter, “We only have time to learn 5 songs, so I’m going to have to play REALLY LONG SOLOS.” The promoter said, “It’s a jazz festival! That will be great!”
So the band and Paul jumped into rehearsal, and a couple hours later, did the show with scorching renditions of ‘Red House.’ ‘Hey Joe,’ ‘Highway Chile,’ ‘Midnight’ and ‘Purple Haze’ – “It turned out great,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever played such long solos in my life!”
Talking about the spontaneity of the situation he says, “The panic that comes from just trying to SURVIVE an unexpected musical situation can bring things out of a musician that would never happen if everything was rehearsed and planned out. As AI figures out how to make perfect productions, it might be a human being’s reaction to unexpected twists and turns that are the most interesting to listen to. At the same time, I do like to have some rehearsal with my band before a tour if I can get it!”
“Around that time, I also had a cover band called, “The Electric Fence” with my friends Jeff Martin and Russ Parrish. When I would get home between Mr. Big tours, Jeff, Russ and I would make a list of 25 songs and challenge ourselves to see if we could learn them in a week. Then we’d do a gig. Most of the songs were Hendrix, Beatles, David Bowie, etc. and I did quite a bit of the lead singing. So hopping up on stage with little preparation was something I was used to and enjoyed a lot!!”
Discussing Hendrix’s enduring influence, Gilbert adds: “Jimi’s songs are such great vehicles for jamming. His writing invites musicians to play with each other and listen to each other. The songs are flexible enough to allow musicians to keep their own style and still make the song work.”
Despite initially feeling worried that a Tribute To Jimi Hendrix feels like an important mission that should take lots of time to prepare and produce, Gilbert now believes the spontaneity of the performance captured the spirit of Hendrix more authentically.
“In the end, the pressure of pulling everything together quickly in front of an audience—and being worry-free about endless guitar jamming—may actually have brought me closer to Hendrix’s spirit than if I had planned everything while sitting in a chair,” he says.
Tribute To Jimi Hendrix will be available on 12 June.
Track listing 1. Red House 2. Hey Joe 3. Highway Chile 4. Midnight 5. Purple Haze
Six-string-wizard Paul Gilbert reveals his latest music video for Keep Your Feet Firm and Even, on the day he releases his brand-new album WROC, on Music Theories Recordings / Artone. You can order and stream the album HERE
WROC is his highly ambitious new conceptual album. WROC, which stands for “Washington’s Rules of Civility,” could very well be the guitar superstar’s most outlandish offering to date. Using George Washington’s Rules of Civility as a conceptual homing beacon, Gilbert has dared himself to think outside the box and use an etiquette guide dating back to the late 1500s as his main source of inspiration.
Keep Your Feet Firm and Even is inspired by Washington’s Rules: 10 and 19: “When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them” and “Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.”
Talking about the song, Gilbert says; “Decades ago, when I first came across the Washington Rules of Civility on my bookshelf, I read the introduction and thought, “I am a civil person. I bet I can follow all these rules easily!” As I read further, I realized that some of the rules might be more challenging than I had anticipated. As I am typing this now, I am in fact “putting one foot on the other and crossing them while I sit.” (breaking a Washington rule.)”
For Gilbert, there was a palpable excitement in resurrecting these 16th Century guidelines for the hyper advanced social order of today’s world. “I’ve never in my life had such a good time writing songs,” he admits. “I would look through the rules, sing them out loud and see which ones worked. Sometimes I’d have to flip something around or grab another rule for a bridge, but a lot of these songs are word for word.”
He goes on to say, “WROC is my first vocal album since 2016. The lyrics were inspired by the etiquette book, “George Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.” I truly enjoyed turning Washington’s Rules of Civility (WROC) into ROCK songs! I hope my vocal and guitar melodies will stir your heart and improve your table manners. Spit Not in the Fire!”
Paul Gilbert knows a thing or two about which rules to follow — and when to break them. In Mr. Big, he was responsible for pioneering pop rock anthems. In Racer X, he pushed the electric guitar to its furthest limits, in a more metallic direction, and as a solo artist, he’s traversed both instrumental and vocal-led sonic landscapes that have crossed over from blues, classical and jazz to straight-up rock.
Other than the lead vocals, the album was recorded live in four days at The Hallowed Halls in Portland with Nick D’Virgilio on drums, Doug Rappoport on guitar and Timmer Blakely on bass. Given how Gilbert has managed to not only exist but thrive in all kinds of musical situations for the best part of four decades, it shouldn’t be surprising how many different styles and sounds are intelligently encased within its 13 breathtaking tracks.
“Maybe I just get bored easily, both rhythmically and harmonically,” he ponders. “With that first song, I took my initial vocal melody and later added some spooky chords, shapes I’d learned from Burt Bacharach songs, as well as Todd Rundgren and The Beatles. It completely changed the emotion and experience, even though the melody was the same. There are AC/DC-style riffs and another that came from The Pusher by Steppenwolf, twisted into 7/8 and other time signatures. The trick was to make it flow. The masters of that are Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Sprinkle in some Burt Bacharach and Todd Rundgren and you’ve got WROC.”
Track listing
Keep Your Feet Firm and Even
Show Not Yourself Glad (At the Misfortune of Another)
Paul Gilbert has released the official video for his latest song, taken from his ambitious new conceptual album, WROC, which will be released on 27 February via Music Theories Recordings. You can watch the official video for “Show Not Yourself Glad (At The Misfortune of Another)”HERE.
WROC, which stands for “Washington’s Rules of Civility,” could very well be the guitar superstar’s most outlandish offering to date. Using George Washington’s Rules of Civility as a conceptual homing beacon, Gilbert has dared himself to think outside the box and use an etiquette guide dating back to the late 1500s as his main source of inspiration.
The first track to be born from the rule was “Show Not Yourself Glad (At The Misfortune Of Another).” For Gilbert, there was a palpable excitement in resurrecting these 16th Century guidelines for the hyper advanced social order of today’s world. “I’ve never in my life had such a good time writing songs,” he admits. “I would look through the rules, sing them out loud and see which ones worked. Sometimes I’d have to flip something around or grab another rule for a bridge, but a lot of these songs are word for word.”
As we launch into a new year, Paul talks about the new song, saying, “Happy 2026! In case you haven’t found a worthy New Year’s resolution, how about: “Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another”? This Washington rule is easier than it looks, as it doesn’t forbid you from feeling glad at an enemy’s misfortune. It just tells you not to show it!”
Continuing, he adds, “If you listen to this new song and my older song, ‘Enemies (In Jail),’ next to each other, they’ll likely cancel each other out, as their messages are pretty much the opposite of one another. In any case, enjoy the crazy chords, the sweeps in the slide solo, and the layered vocal harmonies. This song also contains a second possible New Year’s resolution: “Spit not in the fire.” I predict 2026 will have much less spitting in fires. Happy New Year!”
Paul Gilbert knows a thing or two about which rules to follow — and when to break them. In Mr. Big, he was responsible for pioneering pop rock anthems. In Racer X, he pushed the electric guitar to its furthest limits, in a more metallic direction, and as a solo artist, he’s traversed both instrumental and vocal-led sonic landscapes that have crossed over from blues, classical and jazz to straight-up rock.
Track listing 1. Keep Your Feet Firm and Even 2. Show Not Yourself Glad (At the Misfortune of Another) 3. Maintain a Sweet and Cheerful Countenance 4. Go Not Thither 5. Orderly And Distinctly 6. If You Soak Bread in the Sauce 7. Let Thy Carriage 8. Speak Not Evil of the Absent 9. Turn Not Your Back (To Others) 10. Conscience is the Most Certain Judge 11. Every Action Done in Company 12. Spark of Celestial Fire 13. George Washington Rules
The technical chameleon and guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert today announces his new album, WROC, which will be released on 27 February via Music Theories Recordings. To celebrate, he has revealed the music video for Go Not Thither, which you can watch HERE.
WROC, which stands for “Washington’s Rules of Civility,” could very well be the guitar superstar’s most outlandish offering to date. Using George Washington’s Rules of Civility as a conceptual homing beacon, Gilbert has dared himself to think outside the box and use an etiquette guide dating back to the late 1500s as his main source of inspiration.
He may have wielded a cordless power drill for supersonic tremolo picking and used a slide to summon the voice of Ronnie James Dio in the past. Still, this latest recording is the sound of a musician defiantly broadening himself into new uncharted horizons for his first vocal album since 2016’s “I Can Destroy.”
“Go Not Thither” pairs throbbing vibe pedals with regal harmonies, classic metal riffage and ZZ Top boogie blues. Talking about the song, Gilbert muses, “Hundreds of years ago, everyone must have been walking around kicking the earth. They kicked the earth so much that a rule had to be invented to put a stop to it! Another rule in the song, “Play not the peacock,” is more difficult to follow. I know this, as I can’t resist playing guitar solos while wearing a tricorn hat.”
The idea for the album came to him on the flight home from the last show of Mr. Big’s final tour, where the group bid farewell to a packed house at Tokyo’s Budokan Arena.
“I don’t know why it came into my head,” he shrugs. “But I love using lyrics to build melodies. I think I was looking for my own Bernie Taupin – who writes all the lyrics for Elton John. Neil Peart is another example, as he wrote the lyrics for Rush, while Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee composed the music. I wanted to find my own Bernie or Neil, because while lyric writing is something I’ve certainly done, it’s not really my favorite part of the process. So, I got George Washington to be my Bernie Taupin!”
On further investigation, it became clear that the first president of the United States of America had simply copied an English translation of the “Rules Of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company And Conversation” as a school writing exercise, inadvertently becoming its most widely credited author. Its lineage, however, can be traced even further back to a 1595 French etiquette manual written by the Jesuits.
As someone who has vividly shaped the role of the electric guitar in rock music, Paul Gilbert knows a thing or two about which rules to follow — and when to break them. In Mr. Big, he was responsible for pioneering pop rock anthems that saw the group top charts and headline arenas around the world. In Racer X, he pushed the electric guitar to its furthest limits, in a more metallic direction, leaving listeners and audiences mesmerized by how his compositions could be so technically thrilling and tastefully musical at the same time. As a solo artist, he’s traversed both instrumental and vocal-led sonic landscapes that have crossed over from blues, classical and jazz to straight-up rock.
So, for Gilbert, there was palpable excitement in resurrecting these 16th-century guidelines for the hyper-advanced social order of today’s world. “I’ve never had such a good time writing songs in my life!” he admits.
The album was recorded live over four days at The Hallowed Halls in Portland, Oregon, with Nick D’Virgilio on drums, Doug Rappoport on guitar, and Timmer Blakely on bass. Paul recorded additional vocals at home to sweeten the tracks, but the core energy comes from the live band jamming face to face.
It all kicks off with “Keep Your Feet Firm And Even,” which is based on a Washington rule that Paul finds personally challenging. The hook-laden “Speak Not Evil Of The Absent,” saw Gilbert molding unique phrasing to deliver a rule that’s now 430 years old. “Some of these rules are easy to follow, and others… I don’t know if I could ever do them! But it’s certainly aspirational to think about them,” says Paul.
“I’m really excited to play this music live and see how people enjoy it,” adds Gilbert. “I would say WROC is one of the most musical and listenable albums I’ve ever done. It’s much more than just guitar licks that came from my fingers. The music came from my sense of melody. I’ve been enjoying that pure connection more and more. I feel like this is the most successful journey I’ve made to my Inner Melodic Generator… thanks to the inspiration from George Washington and those who went before him. They were my Bernie Taupins. Overall, the process was so enjoyable, and you can hear that joy in the tracks.”
Track listing
Keep Your Feet Firm and Even
Show Not Yourself Glad (At the Misfortune of Another)
Paul Gilbert’s New Album “The Dio” Album Is Out Now Via Music Theories Recordings.
Paul Gilbert on The Dio Album:
“What a wonderful world, to have larger-than-life heroes like Ronnie James Dio! Following Ronnie’s musical footsteps to make ‘The Dio Album’ brought me constant goosebumps, and reminded how I love heavy metal. Thank you, Ronnie, for the inspiration!”
It was pure chance that led Paul Gilbert to recording the music heard on latest release The Dio Album. The American guitar virtuoso, best known for his masterful fretwork in chart-topping hard rockers Mr. Big and high-octane trailblazers Racer X – as well as numerous solo records – was in his car when he saw something that made his heart start beating faster in a moment of unexpected, unadulterated joy. This was not a high value item of interest or even particularly rare, simply a baseball cap with the word ‘Dio’ emblazoned across the front. Sometimes, even for the biggest of guitar legends, it’s the little things that hit us in the most profound ways.
On his drive home, a plan was being formulated. Why not capture all of that raw energy and excitement on an album devoted to Ronnie James Dio’s most celebrated tracks – spanning across his career from Rainbow to Black Sabbath and the singer’s own solo endeavours? Gilbert is no stranger to instrumental music, but an entire album dedicated to replicating well established and world-famous vocal melodies on his trusty six-string genuinely felt like new territory. This was already shaping up to be a challenge that he would truly relish.
It would be fair to say human voices don’t come much more magical than Ronnie James Dio’s. He was a man who brought a sense of classical finesse to loud and heavy music, ultimately laying down the blueprint for generations and generations of rock singers to come. Taking on the daunting challenge of mimicking those distinguished vocal lines down to a tee – each legendary performance decorated with its own idiosyncrasies and nuances – actually involved unlearning some of the technical precision that turned Gilbert into a household name for guitar players in the first place.
Check out Paul Gilbert’s comments on the album:
The Dio Album consists of 10 standout and career-defining tracks, from “Neon Knights” and “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” to “Holy Diver” and “Man On The Silver Mountain”. As well as analysing Ronnie James Dio’s electrifying vocal melodies, Paul also enjoyed paying tribute to three incredibly talented guitar legends – Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Ritchie Blackmore of Rainbow and Vivian Campbell from the Dio band, who has been a member of British stadium rockers Def Leppard since 1992.
“Playing all these metal riffs like “Stand Up And Shout”, “Neon Knights” and “Kill The King” gave me serious chills,” grins Paul. “The guitar parts of Ritchie, Tony and Vivian brought no small number of goosebumps.” “These amazing riffs are the steel girders of the songs, upon which everything else rests,” smiles Paul. “It had been a while since I’d been this deep into metal rhythm guitar playing, and it felt like I was digging up gold nuggets of fire with a magic platinum shovel. All while wearing a star-covered wizard hat! The guitar solos in these songs came screaming from distant mountaintops. Ritchie, Tony, and Vivian set the standard breathtakingly high.”
Engineered by Zach Bloomstein with Paul handling all of the instrumentation, save for Bill Ray’s inspired drum work, The Dio Album is undoubtedly the most sonically accurate tribute to the songs that made Ronnie James Dio a bona fide rock and roll legend. In order to truly hone in on the late singer’s essence, Paul Gilbert dissected many of the melodies line by line, throwing every inch of himself into the music. It was the only way to capture every ounce of the energy and emotion.
“Just like he sang: ‘The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams… it’s Heaven and Hell!’ Thank you, Ronnie, and long live rock and roll.”
Track list
Neon Knights
Kill The King
Stand Up And Shout
Country Girl
Man On The Silver Mountain
Holy Diver
Heaven And Hell
Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll
Lady Evil
Don’t Talk To Strangers
Starstruck
The Last In Line
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