Ella Feingold's guitar chops have graced the records (and stages) of many big-name artists, including Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Erykah Badu, and Janet Jackson, to name just a few.
And with a new album of duets with jazz icon Charlie Hunter and a solo project in the pipeline, Feingold took the time to reflect on her roots and the guitarists who inspired her.
“Everyone should be familiar with Curtis Mayfield,” Feingold tells Guitar.com when asked about which up-and-coming players should listen to.
“He influenced Jimi Hendrix, Prince… so many more. John Mayer once told me, ‘Yeah, you just play how you are,’ and Curtis Mayfield played in a really gentle soft-spoken kind of way while addressing some hard truths that are still relevant today.”
Mayfield may be somewhat of an unsung hero, but his inventive rhythm playing, wah-laden guitar passages, and alternate guitar tunings set the stage for what many associate with the ’70s: slick funk with a socially and politically conscious soul.
“There is his ‘Black Key’ tuning of F#-A#-C#-F#-A#-F#, using the Maestro rhythm and sound effects unit – all that cool stuff,” explains Feingold, pointing out Mayfield's overarching legacy. “There’s something familiar and comforting about his playing. I think my favourite thing with musicians is their touch.”
As the story goes, Mayfield started to teach himself guitar in his teens, and with no one to guide him, began tuning the strings to the black notes of his mom's piano – F#-A#-C#-F#-A#-F# – giving rise to the Black Key alternate tuning.
In more recent Ella Feingold news, the Grammy-winning guitarist talked about her experience auditioning for Prince – and why he said she was “too funky” on guitar.
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