Reprinted from PROGRESSION MAGAZINE
Issue 34, Winter/Spring 2000

INFECTIOUS LICKS AND CONTAGIOUS GROOVES
Guitarist Jaye Foucher definately isn't 'one of the guys'
By John Collinge, Progression Editor

Let's talk image. When it comes to achieving lasting credibility in the male-dominated world of gymnastic fret-bending, guitar heroine Jaye Foucher has found gender bias an obstinate foe.

Of course, she was quick to seize on the novelty of being a woman in a musical arena where women are seldom seen, much less heard. "It can be a marketing advantage," recognizes Foucher, 33, a Massachusetts resident and graduate of California's esteemed Guitar Institute of Technology. "There are not a lot of female players and that makes me stand out a little more with the thousands of guitar players out there."

It's an advantage that only goes so far, however. The bottom line for Foucher (pron. foo-shay) is that her femaleness remains problematic, at least among her peers. Despite proven training, ability, and two solo albums to her credit, Foucher has been denied auditions based solely on gender. There is no Affirmative Action in music, especially around the testosterone-drenched world of guitar histrionics. Because of this, Foucher has gravitated toward the progressive end of the rock spectrum, where attitude and image remain secondary to chops and compositional acumen.

At least for now, Foucher is content to live by the old Popeye credo, "I yam what I yam."

"There are still a lot of people, unbelievably, who feel a girl can't play guitar as good as a guy. I still get people who are amazed; they've never come across a girl who can play guitar really well," she says. "Because of this, I've flip-flopped a lot with the image thing. I've gone through periods where I've really tried to downplay it and dress more like the guys, trying to be 'one of the guys,' you could say. Now, I'm currently on a 'if it works for Shania Twain it can work for me' kick. I'm trying to go more with a 'hey -- I am a girl' type of image."

Just close your eyes, and the ears will "see" far beyond Foucher's flowing locks, curvy frame, and unassuming nature. Give the woman a six-string and she kicks unqualified ass. For proof, check out her debut disc Infectious Licks and the recently released Contagious Grooves, both on Foucher's own independent Fuism Records label.

The former, released in 1997, features stylistic variations on progressively structured arrangements -- a little funk here, a little fusion there, prog-rock and metal sprinkled in-between, with myriad meter changeups and positively blistering chops. Foucher performs keyboards in addition to guitar, and also sings on two songs. On the new album, Foucher believes her songwriting has evolved considerably. "It is very similar to the last one, but I think there are more progressive tunes on Contagious Grooves," she says. "You'll hear a wide mix of influences. In addition to the Dream Theater type stuff I'm always into, I've also been fascinated lately by things like Tool and Creed."

"I have a seven-string [guitar] which contributes to a couple of very low, dark tunes. The other good thing is I have a live drummer [Matt Scurfield, from Massachusetts prog-metal group Event], which we didn't use on the first album. On Infectious Licks, we did have a drummer do cymbal overdubs, because the biggest drawback from using drum machines is how bad the cymbals sound -- that was our way of compensating for it."

Though she has gigged with metal and progressive metal bands over the years, Foucher considers herself first and foremost a progressive rock guitarist, noting that "more than half the songs I do fall into the progressive rock category." And what makes her playing "progressive"? Time to pull out the guitarspeak dictionary.

"I'd say that what makes my playing 'progressive' is I don't use a lot of strict diatonic stuff. I use chromatic licks, interval jumping, and I do some odd phrasing," Foucher explains. "Of course, a lot of my songs have time signature changes all over the place; tempo changes every couple of measures. I particularly happen to like odd time signatures. It makes it more challenging to play."

Foucher is particularly impressed by Dream Theater, and considers herself a huge fan of the band's guitarist John Petrucci. She admires his sense of melodicism, and says she shares much with Petrucci stylistically. "When I first started learning some of John's solos, I noticed a lot of the licks he used were similar to the ones I used. That made me an even bigger fan, as we seem very similar in style," she says. "He uses a lot of the same stuff; chromatic stuff."

Looking back at her musical roots, Foucher says she came upon guitar relatively late. SHe started out being classically trained on piano as a child. Coming from a very musical family (her mother taught music in the local public school system), Foucher dabbled with various instruments during school vacations -- trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, flute...even accordian. "Whatever happened to be laying around, I'd give it a try," she recalls.

At the age of 17, she had a month off from school one summer and happened across an acoustic guitar. The rest is history.

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