How I Met Ted Greene: by Rich Severson

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I first met Dale Zdenek when I was 21 and I asked him to sit in with my band. I was very impressed with his playing. Dale was a great blues player with a very soulful touch. I think we both respected each other as serious players. I was playing at the Rocket Bowl in Chatsworth, CA. Dale liked my playing and asked me to teach at his Ernie Ball Guitar Studio. That’s where I first had the privilege of meeting Ted with his crazy, hippy hairdo (he looked just like the picture on the cover of his Chord Chemistry book). I could not believe his 355 that had more switches than the space shuttle. He was like no other player that I had ever heard. Ted was infatuated with every aspect of music, which included orchestration. I learned so much from Ted, he would show me things between students when we were teaching at Dale’s store.

This is around the time of the first printing of Ted’s Chord Chemistry book by Dale’s new publishing company. Not too long after that Dale hired me as a staff writer at which time I wrote my first three books which Dale published. I also worked for Dale Zdenek Publishing Co. I would read all the manuscripts that were sent to our office (which was at least one a day) this kept me very busy. When I read one that I felt was worth publishing, I would mention it to Dale. He trusted my judgment enough to say lets go for it. I also would proof read all the books that were in print. Dale’s authors would write books that (at the time) needed a vinyl sound sheet. I would engineer and record these sound sheets at my home recording studio.

During this time, it seemed as though I had the best job in the world. My heart is in my music as a musician and what a better job than to produce more musicians. I also had the opportunity to help produce and engineer the Joe Diorio Bonita album. It was a great time in my life, truly inspirational and motivational. I am so fortunate to have known and worked with Dale, and some of the guitar greats like Ted Greene, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Diorio, Ron Anthony and many more great Musicians / Guitar Players that I had the privilege to hang out with.

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© Dale Zdenek 2007
dalezdenek@tedgreenebookeditions.com
Published March 5th. 2009