The String Revolution Struts into MoMM in Carlsbad

By John Roos

A revolution can be a tricky thing. It’s not easy or simple to pull off a sudden, radical or complete change. But for Janet Robin, who formed the String Revolution quartet several years ago to further her evolution as a professional guitar player, the time was right.

Robin learned to play the guitar as a young girl in North Hollywood from Randy Rhoads, then in Quiet Riot before becoming lead axe-grinder for Ozzy Osbourne. This led to her forming the `80s all-female rock group Precious Metal at age 16; she progressed nicely years later to do session work for Lindsey Buckingham, Meredith Brooks and Michelle Shocked, among others. More recently, Robin was hired to teach guitar playing to actress Jennifer Jason Leigh for her role in Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” Toss in numerous solo records, studio sessions, guitar lessons and touring, and the result is a busy, in-demand singer-songwriter-guitarist.

Yet Robin yearned for something new and different so she placed an ad in Craig’s List to recruit guitarists with far different styles than her rock/pop leanings. Sounds and people she didn’t know to push Robin outside of her comfort zone. This led to her forming the String Revolution, her current side-project featuring international guitar players from diverse genres including Daniel Schwarz, Art Zavala Jr. and Markus Illko.

“I was interested in not doing a typical band thing, something where I wasn’t the leader but we focused on playing the guitar in different ways, like as a percussive instrument, using bass lines, and adding a few (sound) effects,” said Robin during a recent phone interview from her home in Los Angeles. “I don’t need to play the lead parts or solos because we’re all committed to playing whatever role works in creating the best possible song. There really is no ego or drama here like you find in typical rock bands.”

The diversity within this quartet is quite striking. Robins naturally brings her rock ‘n’ roll chops and has been acclaimed as one of the “Top 10 female guitarists” by Guitar World Magazine. Austrian nylon-string guitarist Markus Illko adds elements of drama and romance with his soulful flamenco flourishes. Swiss producer, songwriter and guitarist Daniel Schwarz is best-known for his slide guitar, dobro and mandolin work. Inland Empire indie artist/guitarist Art Zavala Jr. rounds out the quartet with his quirky, experimental rhythms, textures and tunings.

It all came together in 2016 on the String Revolution’s EP “Stringborn,” a 7-song debut that is somehow both free-wheeling and incredibly tight. Highlights include “Blue Mountain,” a loosely-conceived number born from a Led Zeppelin groove that morphs into a bluesy, mysterious opus; a remarkable cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” which presents a unique vision initially arranged by Illko and featuring the slinky bass lines of Robin; the hillbilly-inspired string pluckin’ that propels “Just Kiddin’” along; and the Spanish-flavored, dance-inducing “La Rosa Negra,” a lovely selection to close the recording in high spirits. For a look and listen, go to www.thestringrevolution.com.

Still, can a group with four guitar players—no matter how diverse, experimental and ego-free—attract an audience beyond like-minded guitar aficianados?

“It’s kind of funny . . . . I’m seeing more interest in the String Revolution than in my playing either as a solo artist or with the bands I’ve previously been in,” said Robin. “We all like melody and I do think we appeal to more than just nerdy guitar players, which is what we’re after. My intent in creating the String Revolution project was to mix together a variety of styles to make our own identifiable sound without appealing just to a limited audience.”

One does hear whispering that the guitar has lost its hold on a popular culture that now embraces loops, sampling, synthesizers and other techno-driven fare over the now-old school strings of this acoustic and electric instrument. But according to Robin, the guitar’s impending death may be premature.

“We have seen a decline of the guitar solo over the past 10 years or so but the guitar is still a guitar,” she declared matter-of-factly. “I have very young students who want to learn to play it, whether they’ve been inspired by “Guitar Hero” (the Play Station music/game series first released in 2005) or maybe got hooked listening to their parents’ Beatles, Led Zeppelin or Nirvana records. It’s not dead yet. I’m doing my part to churn out as many guitar players as possible, male and female.”

*The String Revolution performs Friday at the Museum of Making Music (MoMM), 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, (760) 438-5996; 7 p.m. $20-$25. www.museumofmakingmusic.org.