Meet our director, Steve Flack
A musician who learned from musicians.
Steve aquired his skills and deep love of the classical and jazz guitar from the many renowned musicians and teachers with whom he has studied and played.
- Peter Calvo, founder of the Australian Institute of Music, who was himself a student of Len Williams, father of Australia's John Williams.
- Greg Pikler, who teaches at the NSW Conservatorium of Music and is one of Australia's most highly regarded classical guitar teachers.
- Dulcie Holland, noted Australian composer and educator.
- Ike Isaacs, one of England's great exponents of jazz guitar - from whom Steve gained his great love for Jazz.
- Experienced players and teachers, based in New York, such as Bucky Pizzarelli who played guitar in place of Charlie Christian in Benny Goodman's band.
Steve Flack holds
A.Mus.A with the Australian Music Examination Board (A.M.E.B)
L.T.C.L (Licentiate Trinity College London) for classical guitar
Recording - jazz, jazz and guitar.
Steve has recorded 2 CDs of well-known tunes - jazz standards.
- The first with Ron Martin, a Sydney based upright bass player who boasts being the first bass player to play electric bass guitar in Australia
- The second with another legendary Australian bass player, Steve Hunter
Ike Isaacs
Had a stellar recording and performing career doing everything from James Bond soundtracks to recording with stars like Petula Clark and Leo Sayer, backing acts like Frank Sinatra and touring the world with Stephane Grappelli.
Steve's current performing and recording project is a show called Steve Flack's Guitar Heroes that celebrates guitar greats with high profile Australian guitar players, guesting on the CDs and in his shows.
The show is a tribute to his first inspiration to take up the guitar, the blues rock guitar players of the classic rock era, guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Carlos Santana.
Ron Martin
Played with Johnny O Keefe and Frank Ifield among others but was a jazz player at heart and played with everybody in the Australian jazz scene including Graham Bell, Don Burrows and John Sangster. He also had a vast experience having backed overseas acts such as Shirley Bassey, Josh White and Billy Eckstein.
Playing and backing great musicians.
Steve has played with long line up of great Australian musicians, including Ian Moss (Cold Chisel), Pete Wells (Rose Tattoo), Phil Emmanuel, Phil Manning (Chain), Dennis Wilson (Kharvis Jute), Dai Pritchard (Billy Thorpe and Rose Tattoo), Les Gock (Hush), Jake Lardot (Lee Kernaghan’s band), Jim Kelly (Crossfire) and Dom Turner (Backsliders).
Steve has backed Angry Andersen, and played with drummers and bass players from bands such as Split Enz, The Angels, Rose Tattoo, Dragon and Swanee.
Steve Hunter
Band leader and bass player in the jazz rock fusion genre who has played with an enormous array of people including Chick Corea.
One of the highlights of his work with musicians was to have played on stage with Seymour Duncan at the AMAC (Australian Music Association) at the Gold Coast in 2006.
Always another project.
Teaching music and the love of the guitar and jazz holds equal part in Steve's heart.
Two of Steve's current projects relate to his teaching persona.
- Steve is creating a series of instructional DVDs to help students undertake self directed learning of guitar, at home, using the web. In other words - learn guitar online.
- He has also been engaged by Australian Guitar Magazine to create a regular tuition column and guitar lessons for their DVD insert.
Steve's third project is creating an online library of interviews with leading guitar musicians, such as, most recently, with Albert Lee, one of the world's greatest country and rock and roll guitarists, who has played with Eric Clapton, Emmy Lou Harris and others.
Read past interviews at www.guitarheroes.com.au.