Acclaimed guitarist Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG, RACER X) recently announced the first annual Paul Gilbert’s Great Guitar Escape, set for July 9th - 13th, at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, NY. He discusses the event in a new interview with Music Radar; an excerpt is available below:

Q: How did the Great Guitar Escape come together?

Gilbert: "The venue where it's taking place is the Full Moon Resort, and they do a lot of music camps there. A guy from the resort contacted me, and I took a look at the photos on their website, and the place looked amazing.

Besides that, I was excited to put together a great group of teachers. Guthrie Govan and Tony MacAlpine are both well known and have incredible depth as musicians. Scotty Johnson is a guy who I've worked with on a lot of my tours and albums, and I'm always blown away by his musical knowledge and playing. And I'm really excited about Kid Andersen. His vocabulary in blues and rockabilly is just ridiculous.

And I've been checking out Sam Coulson on YouTube for a couple of years now. He's got some of the best vibrato that I've heard, and can play ridiculously fast and clean lines as well. Sam didn't start playing guitar until he was 16, so I'm curious to talk to him and see how he could progress so quickly.

Also, you've got to see my rhythm section! Rodney Holmes is just crazy-good. He has blistering technique, but he can also just hold down a wicked groove. He's played and recorded with Santana and jazz legends like Randy Brecker. I've got Kelly LeMieux on bass. Kelly played in my live solo band before and he also has that rare combination of great technique and love of a simple groove.

I've also got my long-time engineer and friend Tom Size to run sound and give a crash-course seminar on live and studio mixing. I'll also have some top-notch guitar techs there to give some insight to the nuts and bolts of the instrument. Overall, I wanted to make a week of workshops and performances that will be life-changing to those who attend."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Guitar players of all ages, levels and styles are invited to join Paul Gilbert and other expert musicians for this 5-day experience focused on the techniques, styles, and life of the modern working musician.

"The concentrated guitar-power that I have assembled for The Great Guitar Escape could light a city the size of San Antonio for the next 1000 years,” says Paul Gilbert. “But more importantly, the workshops, nightly concert jams, and interaction with the pro musicians and fellow music lovers will give you inspiration and memories to last a lifetime. If you are a guitarist, bassist, drummer, or thinking about becoming one, don't miss this amazing camp!"

Although the focus of the camp is the guitar, there will also be workshops from world-class pros on drums, bass guitar, sound engineering, and guitar tech skills. Every evening will culminate with intimate, once-in-a-lifetime jam sessions.

Featured instructors at Paul Gilbert’s Great Guitar Escape include: guitar virtuosos Guthrie Govan (The Aristocrats, Dizzee Rascal, Asia, The Fellowship, The Young Punx), Tony MacAlpine (CAB, Planet X), Chris "Kid" Andersen (Rick Estrin and The Nightcats, The Terry Hanck Band, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop), Scotty Johnson (Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Paul Gilbert, Robben Ford’s Fords and Friends, The Ford Blues Band, The Blindside Blues Band) and Sam Coulson.

Other distinguished guest musicians include bassist Kelly Lemieux (Goldfinger, Electric Love Hogs, 22 Jacks, MD.45, King Of Clubs, Fear), and drummer Rodney Holmes (Rodney Holmes’ Lithium Tree, Santana, Steve Lukather, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Rob Thomas), as well as Sound Engineer/Producer Tom Size (Sammy Hagar, Aerosmith, David Lee Roth, Huey Lewis, Eddie Money, Mr. Big, Y&T;, Europe, Steve Miller Band, Joe Satriani, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Pass).

"I am extremely proud of the musicians who will be teaching at The Great Guitar Escape,” Gilbert notes. “I looked for people with not just stunning musicianship, but also the ability to communicate musical and technical ideas in a clear and interesting way. When I'm not teaching, I'm going to sneak into the back of the classes and learn some licks from the other teachers!”

“Every successful musician has certain defining moments in their musical lives - a concert, a meeting with a musical hero, some words from a great teacher at the right moment. The Great Guitar Escape is built to maximize these moments."

From platinum album sales and #1 chart success as a founding member of Mr. Big, to frightening the guitar community with new levels of ferocious picking technique with shred-pioneers Racer X, to exploring punk, pop, classical, blues, jazz, and progressive instrumental styles in his solo career, Paul Gilbert has recorded a massive amount of stunning guitar music, all while circling the globe playing sold-out arenas from Japan to Jakarta. Paul’s guitar style stands out for its rare combination of accuracy, creativity, and power - all which are balanced with Paul’s sense of humor and pure love of music.

In addition to his daily Rock Master Classes at the Great Guitar Escape, Paul has set aside additional classes specifically to help beginning guitarists get on the right track for technique and practicing. These classes (personally taught by Paul) will focus on helping guitarists become comfortable with making music in minutes.

Paul remembers, “I took my first guitar lessons when I was six years old. My teacher taught me ‘by the book’ and I ended up quitting from boredom and frustration. It was years before I finally started again. I wish I could go back in time and teach myself the basics of how to play the guitar. It would have put me years ahead at such an important time of my life. If guitar is taught the right way, it can be surprisingly easy. No boring exercises. Just music! I’m excited to give you the start that I wish I’d been given.”

Paul Gilbert’s Great Guitar Escape packages start at just $999, including lodging, access to all workshops, seminars, gourmet meals, performances, and camp activities. Full Moon Resort features an eclectic array of comfortable, rustic country-inn accommodations as well as luxury and primitive camping. The grounds offer one hundred acres of meadows, forests and streams providing a natural backdrop for an unforgettable, enriching experience. Guests can enjoy the spring-fed swimming pool, on-site access to the Esopus Creek, and explore the splendors of the Catskills on the nearby network of hiking trails. For those who prefer in-room wi-fi, air conditioning, television, and daily housekeeping service, Slide Mountain Forest House and The Alpine Inn - located approximately a mile and a half from Full Moon Resort - are available as an all-inclusive camp package.

For full details about Paul Gilbert’s Great Guitar Escape, visit this location.

(Photos: Simone Cecchetti)