Bob ‘Wineshank’ Wijnschenk has been playing music since he was 15, when he first picked up his dad’s 1959 Hofner acoustic guitar. Now, at 72, he’s just released his second album.
The Wine Pourer’s Tales, which Bob describes as “a personal exploration of love, loss, family, friendship and hope”, is a “sonic shift” from his debut album. “I focused heavily on rich guitar tones, utilising the Roland VG-99 – an advanced V-Guitar system and multi-effects processor – and open tunings to craft unique, melodic textures.
“I dug deep into the creative process with this one and tapped into some hidden emotions,” he said. “Lyrically, the songs blend real-life experiences with abstract fictional storytelling – like Roo Girl, a tale of a girl protected by kangaroos in the Australian scrub; and Shadow, a complex dynamic between mother and son.
“Developed over seven years, I really wanted this collection to create surprising, engaging moments for the listener, inspired by the songwriting approach of artists like Sting and Eric Johnson.”
Bob recently retired from teaching guitar at public schools in and around the Peninsula to focus on writing music, his love of playing having stayed with him from those early years where the sound of the Fender Stratocaster and the emerging Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton heavily influenced his playing and songwriting.
Shagrat and Outburst, with Bob on bass, were his first “serious” bands, Outburst appearing a few times on Channel 9’s New Faces. He eventually left to focus on playing lead guitar, and during this time wrote many songs and started to develop his own distinct style.
During his 30s, Bob studied with influential Melbourne jazz guitarist Bruce Clarke. “I started to take music theory more seriously,” he said. It was during his jazz phase that he was introduced to US guitar great Pat Metheny, whose Bright Size Life album had a huge impact on him and a great bearing on his songwriting style. Other influences included Queen’s Brian May; much of Bob’s legato style was inspired by May’s lead lines on Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack.
The Wine Pourer’s Tales features collaborations with US singer Drew Tyler, Melbourne-based keyboard whiz Phil Turcio, New Zealand-born bassist and former Little River Band member the late Roger McLachlan, and highly regarded session drummer Gerry Pantazis, who said it was “a pleasure” to play on the album. “Bob has put together a unique collection of songs showcasing his diverse musicality and songwriting style,” Gerry said. “I sincerely hope you check these out and enjoy them; you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
The album is available for download at wineshank.com/store; you can also access Wineshank’s music on Spotify and all major streaming platforms.
