Biography
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Born
14 December 1964 (age 59)
Ron Jarzombek is an acclaimed virtuoso guitarist best known for his work with legendary Austin, TX jazz metal trailblazers Watchtower, 90's madcap instrumentalists Spastic Ink, and most recently technical extreme metal purveyors Blotted Science. He has also guested with a number of artists ranging from fellow guitarists Marty Friedman and Jeff Loomis to German death metal outfit Obscura, and collaborated with Cynic off-shoot Gordian Knot as well as Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler. Ron also works as a much in-demand guitar teacher in his native San Antonio, Texas.
Ron has appeared in major music publications around the globe and was featured in the book 'The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists' (2008) by noted British author Joel McIver who wrote, "Texan guitarist Ron Jarzombek is everything a metal guitarist should be, except incredibly famous (….) He’s the most underrated axemonger ever!" 'Guitar World' magazine hailed WatchTower's 1989 landmark album 'Control and Resistance' as one of 'The Top Ten Shred Albums of the 80's' raving, "Sounding like the twisted scion of Metallica and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, WatchTower was the most brilliant weird band of its time. Guitarist Ron Jarzombek, with his complex harmony solos, strange scales and furious staccato lead bursts, performs tricks on his guitar that will leave you more than sufficiently breathless."
Ron's playing technique is best described as a crossover between Allan Holdsworth/Steve Vai-esque shred-virtuosity and extreme metal, mixed with a considerable amount of his unique humor. While his guitar-playing speed and complexity is more than impressive, he often chooses unusual scenarios for his music: Spastic Ink's debut encompassed tunes like "A Wild Hare", which is a visual-to-music transcription of scenes featuring Thumper from Disney's Bambi, and "A Morning With Squeakie", which tells the musical tale of a squirrel on the prowl for some breakfast. The latter is a clear reflection of Jarzombek's love for cartoon music and composers like Carl Stalling who have been a major influence on Ron's approach to music along with 70's progressive rock giants such as UK, Rush, and Yes he grew up with.
Ron Jarzombek online:
http://www.ronjarzombek.com
http://www.myspace.com/ronjarzombek
http://www.youtube.com/ronjarz
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