Speaking with Rock 100.5 - WNNX-FM, guitar icon Uli Jon Roth discussed his current 50th stage anniversary tour, what he believes is lacking in today's guitar players, the musical face of guitar players in the '70's vs the present day, why it's difficult for him to get inspired by today's music, and his belief that the music industry is singles driven in 2019.

Uli Jon Roth is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever. He is one of the last greats who is still around to present his magical style of playing which he already forged in the late Sixties when he was still in his teens. Uli played his first ever show in  December 1968 - at the age of 13 - and to celebrate his 50th Stage Anniversary, he is performing concerts across North America this spring.

The two hour-plus programme consists of carefully selected highlights from Uli’s entire musical career, which - by now - is spanning no less than 5 decades! The amazing thing is that Uli Jon Roth keeps on getting better, as we have seen amply demonstrated by his astonishing and powerful recent appearances at the G3 Tour of Europe and the UK with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci.

As a logical continuation of Uli’s journey into his own musical past he is reconnecting with the second very important part of his unique musical journey - that of his ground breaking Electric Sun period - during which he took the art of electric guitar playing to a completely new and unprecedented level. In those early days, Uli was already forging the path and laying the ground work for later virtuosos such as Malmsteen, Eddie van Halen, Vai, Satriani, Jason Becker and a generation of younger players who came after him, with his novel use of highly melodic, classically inspired arpeggios and scales.

Virtually singlehandedly, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which - for the first time in the history of the electric guitar - combined complete technical mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal.

As a guitar player and artist, Uli Jon Roth is in a league of his own as legions of guitar players will attest. Joe Satriani has recently stated in one of his interviews that - of all the guitarists who ever played in the G3 - Uli impressed him the most. Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker and other top-league players agree. Uli’s playing and onstage presence is always inspirational and each concert is a unique event, because of his ability to make his instrument soar and sing emotionally and his spur of the moment improvisations. His musical scope is enormous and ranges from vintage Jimi Hendrix and Cream to the technically much more demanding world of classical music, yet somehow Uli manages to create exciting bridges between these seemingly musical opposite languages. Uli has written classical concertos and symphonic pieces and is equally at home in both worlds, which makes him a unique phenomenon and very rare breed among guitar players.

Remaining US tour dates are as follows:

May
3 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theatre
4 - Louisville, KY - Diamond Pub Concert Hall
5 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt
6 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery
9 - Dallas, TX - Trees
10 - San Antonio, TX - Rockbox