Hours before hopping a plane to Switzerland to perform with Alice Cooper, Orianthi — who graces the cover of the April 2013 issue of Guitar World — celebrated the release of her new album, Heaven In This Hell, by playing to a sold-out crowd at the Grammy Museum LA Live in downtown Los Angeles.
Prior to performing five songs off the album (which was released March 12), Orianthi sat down with Scott Goldman, vice president of The Grammy Foundation and MusiCares, for a 45-minute Q&A. Michael Bearden, music director for Michael Jackson, joined Orianthi and Scott on stage to share the story of how she was chosen to be the lead guitarist for the ill-fated "This Is It" tour.
Orianthi and her three-piece band (Brian Chiusano, guitar; Vivi Rama, bass; Mike Baker, drums) kicked off the performance portion of the event with the title track, "Heaven In This Hell," a blues-rooted rock song that features swampy guitar riffs with an edgy Zeppelin-esque vibe. For the album's first single, "Frozen," Orianthi was joined by Jimmy "Z" Zavala, a blues harmonica and saxophone player who spent more than a decade touring with Etta James in her Roots Band.
Her friend, collaborator and Heaven In This Hell producer, Dave Stewart, surprised guests by playing with her on "How Do You Sleep," a bluesy ballad, and "Filthy Blues," a track laden with crunchy riffs and guitar solos. She closed the show with "Sex E Bizarre," a bonus track that will be released in the US this spring.
Heaven In This Hell, which Orianthi describes as a "stylistic mix of voodoo rock blues, with a bit of country," was released March 12 on Robo Records (distributed by Universal/Fontana). It's available at Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Amazon.com and digitally at iTunes and wherever digital music is sold.
For more about Orianthi, visit her official website and Facebook page.
Photo (above): Robert Knight
For much more Orianthi, check out the April 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine, which is available now at the Guitar World Online Store.
“It was very simplistic compared to my later compositions”: It may have been inspired by the Kinks, but Al Di Meola's Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is one of the great virtuoso displays in guitar history. Watch the maestro play it with Steve Vai
“I don't think I want to go on tour anymore. I hate to say that”: Sammy Hagar reveals his touring days are over
