Joe Satriani

One of the most influential and respected instrumental rock guitarists to emerge in the past three decades, Joe Satriani is that rare “musician’s musician” who’s crossed over into the mainstream with music sublime and complex, appealing to a wide variety of tastes.

A true master of the six-string, Satriani worked as a guitar teacher in his early career, with a number of his students—among them Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde, David Bryson (Counting Crows), Charlie Hunter and more—achieving their own considerable successes.

While in considerable demand as a sideman throughout his career—he’s toured with Mick Jagger, Deep Purple and many others—Satriani has pursued his own musical vision over the years through a series of instrumental rock albums (many of them Grammy nominated) which chronicle his evolution as an artist and his eloquence as a guitarist.

A tireless performer who draws strength and inspiration from live shows, Satriani is consistently one of the world’s top concert draws. He is a core member of the rock supergroup Chickenfoot (with Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith) as well as founder of the highly successful G3 tours, each teaming Satriani with a pair of top-flight guitarists with shows often featuring special guest artists and other musical surprises. A nearly annual event, G3 launched in 1996 with Steve Vai and Eric Johnson and has showcased a wide variety of axemen over the years including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robert Fripp, John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Neal Schon, Brian May, Billy Gibbons, Steve Lukather and many others. Most recently, the G3 tour played South America in 2012.

Over his career, Joe Satriani has earned 15 Best Rock Instrumental Performance Grammy nominations alongside Platinum (Surfing With The Alien, Flying in a Blue Dream) and Gold (Surfing With The Alien, Flying in a Blue Dream, The Extremist, Time Machine) certifications for his solo recordings. He also racked up Gold and Platinum certifications for the DVD Live in San Francisco and 2 G3 DVDs, G3 Live and Live in Denver.

Neal Schon

I’ve had the pleasure of playing with Neal Schon quite a bit over the years; he’s been really generous, jumping onstage at G3 concerts. He always plays differently, always has the right attitude. It’s been such a thrill to become his friend and to watch his genius at work.

Neal Joseph Schon was born at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the son of Matthew and Barbara Schon. He is of German ancestry. Schon first picked up the guitar at “around the age of five.” A quick learner, he joined Santana as a teenager at 15. Schon has said he was asked by Eric Clapton to join Derek and the Dominos, but that he joined Santana instead, performing on the albums Santana III and Caravanserai. Schon also played in Azteca before moving on in 1973 to form Journey, a group he has continued to lead to the present day.

Schon’s guitar style has been described as soulful, taking inspiration from 1960s-era soul singers such as Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, and blending it with blues runs similar to B. B. King. He was influenced by guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Wes Montgomery.

In addition to his five solo albums and 14 studio albums with Journey, his work also includes: a pair of albums with keyboardist Jan Hammer, short-term collaborations with Sammy Hagar (HSAS and Planet Us) and Paul Rodgers, stints with Bad English (a supergroup that featured Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain’s former Babys bandmates John Waite and Ricky Phillips) and Hardline (which also featured Deen Castronovo). Even as Journey’s latest lineup plays to a still-faithful body of fans, Schon has immersed himself in side projects such as Piranha Blues (1999) and “Black Soup Cracker” a funk outfit that features former Prince associates Rosie Gaines and Michael Bland, and more recently Soul SirkUS with Jeff Scott Soto.

Schon can be heard on other albums including three tracks on Michael Bolton’s The Hunger, with the Schon sound most recognizable on “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”. He also joined Larry Graham to play in an all-star band for cult funk artist and ex-wife of Miles Davis, Betty Davis. In addition, Schon (along with then Journey manager Herbie Herbert) also contributed to Lenny White’s 1977 album Big City, specifically the instrumental jam “And We Meet Again”.

Rick Nielsen

I’ve only met Rick Nielsen one time and it was actually a really traumatic event. We were both playing at the same festival and a tornado struck, collapsing Cheap Trick’s stage! Luckily no one was hurt, everyone escaped with their lives, but that was the last time that I spoke to Rick. So I’m going to be very happy to see him under calmer, more musical, circumstances. Indoors, with no tornados.

Carlos Alomar

Bumblefoot and Carlos Alomar are completely different players but they share the experience of having toured in the largest way, with the most famous artists of the day. I actually recommended Bumblefoot to Guns n’ Roses and I was so glad he go the gig. He’s a phenomenal guitarist, one of those freak players that seems to have no technical barriers whatsoever.

After 32 International gold and platinum records, Carlos Alomar’s place in music history is secure. The legendary guitarist burst upon the rock scene with David Bowie in the mid-1970s, when he, Bowie, and John Lennon co-wrote the hit song “Fame.” Over the course of the next 30 years, Alomar would record and tour the world as Bowie’s music director. His ability to play R&B, Philly soul, hard rock, and ambient music meant that he was always in demand – and able to keep up with Bowie’s quicksilver changes of musical persona. He also co-wrote Mick Jagger’s first solo effort, “She’s The Boss,” Iggy Pop’s comeback hit “Sister Midnight,” and played guitar for a Who’s Who of pop/rock royalty –some notables…Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Simple Minds, Yoko Ono, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Graham Parker, Mark Ronson “featuring Bruno Mars”, Mystikal, Duran Duran, …(see discography for more).

As a rare Latino musician in the rock scene, Alomar also occupies a singular place in Latin music history. Over the years, as a producer, co-founder of the National Rock Movement of Puerto Rico, and advisor to the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS, the organization that does the Latin Grammy Awards), he has championed Latino rock musicians.

As a producer Alomar maintained an involvement with the Latin music scene, producing the Argentine band Soda Stereo’s Doble Vida (in which he plays guitar – and raps). And as part of the National Rock Movement of Puerto Rico, he traveled throughout the island, producing and recording local rock bands. “Everyone just expected Puerto Rican musicians to play salsa,” he recalls. “So I came back with these incredible Rock tapes, and I brought them to the various record labels. And the response was amazing: NO.” Puerto Rican music, he was told, was salsa. Not rock. The irony of telling this to rock’s most successful Puerto Rican musician seems to have been lost on the label chiefs.

This may seem like a surprising detour from a road that began with David Bowie’s Young Americans, but the whole of Carlos Alomar’s career has been a surprise. It’s the story of a Puerto Rican-born minister’s son who became the music director of some of the world’s most lavish and legendary rock tours; it’s the story of a musician who has stubbornly refused to be put in a box. “a box?…..Musicians don’t think that way,” Alomar says. “We have been impacted by everything we hear; we don’t put music in a box.”

Lari Basilio

Lari Basilio was born into a musical household in São Paulo, Brazil. Her father is an accomplished singer and acoustic guitarist. One of her father’s songs had some intricate and very emotional guitar phrasing in it and it touched Lari in a deep way. From that point on, Lari wanted to learn all she could about playing guitar.

One of Lari’s greatest influences is Andy Timmons. “The first time I listened to him was remarkable and made me want to play more and more.” Timmons later returned the compliment, referring to Lari’s music as “soulful and melodic.” John Mayer, Richie Kotzen.

In 2011, Lari started working on her instrumental five-song Extended Play (EP), named, simply, Lari Basilio, which features Felipe Andreoli, bass player in the popular Brazilian band Angra. The EP was produced by five-time Latin Grammy winner Lampadinha.

Her most recent original work, the CD and DVD “The Sound of My Room”, was released in August 2015 at Cine Belas Artes in São Paulo. “The idea of taking instrumental guitar music to a movie theater proved (to be) a creative initiative (equal to) the compositions of Lari Basilio,” said Guitar Player Brazil magazine in its October 2015 issue. The 10-song package includes a mini-documentary and behind-the-scenes footage on the DVD.

Lari won the instrumental category of the Samsung E-Festival in 2014 and performed for a crowd of 15,000 alongside Keb’ Mo’ and Quinn Sullivan at the Samsung Best of Blues Festival in Brazil. She has also opened for guitar clinics by Paul Gilbert and Andy Timmons and recently appeared at the; Malibu Guitar Festival in 2017. The online video of her jam with Steve Vai is something no fan should miss.

Lari has been featured in national and international media including a story in Guitar Player Brazil (February 2016), the cover of Guitarload (March 2016) and Guitar Fair Magazine (February/2018) from Spain and in an interview published on Guitar World’s website.

Currently, Lari is living in Los Angeles, exploring new opportunities in music and completing a new album as well as working as a producer and arranger. She continues to tour both Brazil and the USA, and her instructional videos can be found on JamTrackCentral.

Bumblefoot

Bumblefoot and Carlos Alomar are completely different players but they share the experience of having toured in the largest way, with the most famous artists of the day. I actually recommended Bumblefoot to Guns n’ Roses and I was so glad he got the gig. He’s a phenomenal guitarist, one of those freak players that seems to have no technical barriers whatsoever.

Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, producer and world-renowned guitar virtuoso, with over 25 years of releasing music, playing international festivals and headlining tours, and gracing magazine covers as a solo artist.

Bumblefoot is a member of progressive rock group Sons Of Apollo (featuring Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan, Derek Sherinian and Jeff Scott Soto). Formerly a member of rock groups Art Of Anarchy (2011 – 2017, including STP/Velvet Revolver vocalist Scott Weiland, Creed vocalist Scott Stapp and Disturbed bassist John Moyer) and Guns N’ Roses (2006 – 2014), Bumblefoot toured sold-out shows all over the world, headlining festivals with crowds up to 150,000. Bumblefoot’s unique ‘fretless guitar’ can be heard throughout Guns N’ Roses’ 2008 Chinese Democracy album.

Bumblefoot’s most recent Little Brother Is Watching album is an eccentric, upbeat collection of epic, modern rock with haunting melodies, huge choruses and witty lyrics about life in the digital age and beyond. The album was composed, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Bumblefoot at his own studio, and includes a crowd of 100 fans stomping, chanting and singing backing vocals recorded at a listening party in New York. The album peaked at #4 on Amazon.com Rock charts globally. The album is released on David Ellefson’s (Megadeth bassist) EMP Record Label, now available in retail on CD and vinyl.

Bumblefoot is also an accomplished composer whose music is often heard in TV, film and video games, including the theme song to VH1’s “That Metal Show“. Bumblefoot has worked as an adjunct Professor at SUNY Purchase College teaching music production, works with U.S. Embassies around the world on cross-cultural music programs, has his own line of award-winning hot sauces, and works with dozens of international charities visiting orphanages and children’s hospitals around the world with guitar in hand.

Kiko Loureiro

I first met Kiko in São Paolo, Brazil when I was on tour; we did a TV appearance together. It was really cool to meet him; he’s a super great guy and an absolutely amazing player. Most people might know him for his playing in Megadeth but he has a great solo career and he’ll have a lot to tell everybody based on all of his experience.

Kiko Loureiro was born in Rio de Janeiro but grew up in São Paulo, the largest metropolitan city in South America. His love for music came naturally, and at an early age, he was already a curious listener who loved spending time in the school library, consuming its vast music collection.

At the age of 11, he started having lessons on the acoustic guitar, but it was a few years later that he found his calling when he discovered the world of progressive and heavy rock, jazz and fusion. Kiko was fascinated by the music of many musical heroes such as Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Paco de Lucia, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Astor Piazzola, Hermeto Pascoal and bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Van Halen. They inspired him to embark on a journey that would make him an incredibly versatile musician, endless hours of practice leading to his unique style.

At the age of 21, Kiko Loureiro along with his band Angra released their debut album ‘Angel’s cry’. Recorded in Germany and released worldwide, the album went gold. Since 1993 Angra has released eight studio albums, three live CD’s, two live DVD’s, six EP’s, received two gold records and toured extensively around the world. The band is one of the most important Brazilian metal bands of all time.

Kiko Loureiro launched his solo career with the release of his debut solo album “No Gravity” in 2004. Kiko plays all instruments with the exception of drums on the album.
In 2006, Kiko released his second solo album, “Universo Inverso”. It was an album recorded in only three days, featuring some of the best jazz musicians in Latin America. In the same year, Kiko Loureiro was voted the ‘Best guitarist in the world’ by the Japanese press.

Three years later, a new release: Kiko’s third solo album, ’Fullblast’, a heavy and progressive piece, described as “a great instrumental journey for the fans of Satriani and Santana”. In addition to the release of “Fullblast” in 2009, Kiko Loureiro also presented his fusion project: Neural Code in which the band explores rock and jazz, fueled by Brazilian rhythms.

“Sounds of Innocence”, the fourth solo album, was released in 2012. The album combines prog metal, jazz, rock, blues and is again rich in Brazilian rhythms.
In 2013, Kiko records his first solo DVD “The White Balance” at the prestigious performing arts theater of São Paulo, Brazil, the ‘Auditório Ibirapuera’. The evening consisted of three sets, each set representing one of Loureiro’s preferred styles – the rock and metal, the acoustic guitar, and the Brazilian fusion.
Besides music, Kiko also began to devote himself to studying and teaching about the music business, marketing, and career development, speaking in events in major Brazilian cities for musicians and corporations.

The year 2015 came with big news: Kiko was invited to join the band Megadeth, one of the greatest metal bands of all time and one of the thrash metal’s Big Four, along with Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer. Together with Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson and drummer Chris Adler, Kiko recorded Megadeth’s fifteenth studio album in Nashville, Tennessee. Dystopia had its release in January 2016, and Megadeth is currently touring worldwide with full energy.

Throughout the world, Kiko has received highest rankings in countless polls as “Best Guitarist” and landed the front covers of the major guitar magazines, such as Young Guitar, Guitar Player and Guitar World. But it was in early 2017 that he got the greatest recognition in his career, and Kiko became the first Brazilian musician to receive a Grammy Award from the Recording Academy by playing in a rock/heavy metal band. At the awards ceremony, which takes place annually and unites the biggest names in the music industry, Megadeth won the Grammy Award in the category “Best Metal Performance” of 2016 with the single “Dystopia.” After a career of almost 25 years, Kiko Loureiro shows that he is a tireless and complete musician who is constantly looking to push his limits and discover something new.

Bryan Beller

Bryan Beller has maintained a multi-faceted career as a bassist, composer, writer and clinician for over 20 years, earning his reputation as a uniquely talented yet supremely tasteful team player for instrumentally-minded artists. He’s been Joe Satriani’s touring bassist since 2013, and tracked several cuts on Satch’s Shockwave Supernova album; 2018 will see Beller join Satriani for his What Happens Next/G3 world tour, also featuring John Petrucci, Uli Jon Roth and Phil Collen. In the power super-trio The Aristocrats (with uber-players Guthrie Govan on guitar and Marco Minnemann on drums) he’s a part of one of the hottest acts in rock/fusion today; their latest release Tres Caballeros (2015) dropped jaws around the world. He was Steve Vai’s choice for the 2009 live CD/DVD Where The Wild Things Are, and he also toured and recorded in the “band” Dethklok, a tongue-in-cheek extreme metal band borne of the hit Cartoon Network “Adult Swim” show Metalocalypse. He’s been a musical partner of freak/genius guitarist Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa) for over 20 years and 10 albums. On his own, Beller’s released three solo albums (2003’s View, 2008’s Thanks In Advance, and 2001’s Wednesday Night Live) and an instructional DVD to widespread acclaim, and he’s currently working on a two-disc progressive concept album, his first solo work in 10 years. As a pure player, a masterclass clinician (sponsored by Mike Lull Basses, Gallien-Krueger Amps & D’addario Strings), a former Contributing Editor for Bass Player Magazine, and a former VP of SWR bass amps, Beller brings a global perspective to the world of bass.

Mike Keneally

Long acclaimed as one of the world’s most creative and intense guitar and keyboard players, Mike Keneally’s talents as a vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist are nearly unequaled in rock music.

Keneally has released 24 albums of his original music since 1992, and has built a body of work of remarkable inventiveness and originality.

Keneally played in Frank Zappa’s last touring band, performing as a vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. He’s appeared on many Zappa albums, is currently a touring member of both Dethklok and the Joe Satriani Band, and has also recorded or performed with Robert Fripp, Wayne Kramer, Kevin Gilbert, Solomon Burke, Steve Vai, Chickenfoot, Bear McCreary, Henry Kaiser, Michael Manring, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Andy Prieboy, Mullmuzzler, The Persuasions and many others.

Known for his innovative, unpredictable live shows, Keneally has played extensively in the United States and Europe, in contexts ranging from solo and duo concerts to performances with large-scale orchestras. His 52-minute orchestra-with-guitar suite The Universe Will Provide received its world premiere in 2003 by Keneally performing with Holland’s Metropole Orkest; the US premiere of Universe occurred at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in 2011.

2012’s release was Wing Beat Fantastic: Songs Written by Mike Keneally & Andy Partridge, a collection of material written with ex-XTC leader Andy Partridge; the album was widely acclaimed, ranked highly on several critics’ “Best of 2012” lists, and spawned the early 2013 release Wing Beat Elastic: Remixes, Demos & Unheard Music.

Keneally’s most recent album is You Must Be This Tall, featuring Mike playing all instruments on several pieces, as well as performances from Marco Minnemann, Bryan Beller and Andy Partridge.

Time Out New York says, in reference to the Mike Keneally Band, “this band, with such a peculiar genius leading it, is a thing to savor.”

Joe Travers

Grammy award winner Joe Travers has been playing drums in the Los Angeles area for twenty-five years. A Berklee College Of Music graduate, Joe moved to LA in 1992 and by March 1993 he had landed the gig with Dweezil & Ahmet Zappa’s group “Z”. Since then Joe has gone on to play for many acts over the years including Duran Duran, Lisa Loeb, Rich Robinson (The Black Crowes), Billy Idol, Zappa Plays Zappa and Eric Johnson.

When Joe is not on the road, he spends his time being the “Vaultmeister” for the Zappa Family Trust. This entails being in charge of archiving and preserving the legacy of legend Frank Zappa, working closely with the Trust co-producing and supervising future projects. Joe continues to play with The Mike Keneally Band, and most recently will be touring with guitar legend Joe Satriani.

Stig Mathisen

Stig Mathisen is a guitarist and educator from Northern Norway, currently residing in Los Angeles. Stig has a Masters and a Doctoral degree in guitar performance from University of Southern California, where he graduated with numerous awards for outstanding achievements. He studied Classical guitar at Tromso University for over 6 years, and has worked extensively as a freelance guitarist and University lecturer in both Norway and in the US. An eclectic guitarist by nature, Stig is equally comfortable with rock, jazz and classical music, and has rubbed shoulders with numerous world-class musicians over the years. A passionate explorer and a relentless seeker of all knowledge pertaining to guitar, improvisation, composition, music history and music philosophy, he has been on a quest since his formative years to discover the inner mechanics and the deeper secrets of music. Stig is currently the Chair of the Guitar Program (GIT) at Musicians Institute, in Hollywood, California, and he has written several of the books currently in use as core curriculum at the college.

Doug Doppler

With a disc out on Steve Vai’s esteemed Favored Nations label, tours supporting the likes of Michael Schenker, and a session background that includes Guitar Hero, Doug Doppler clearly took the lessons he learned as a student of Joe Satriani to heart. In 2014 Doug launched GearTunes.com to connect the dots between gear, demos, and dealers. The GearTunes marketing platform helps brands get their message to market by engaging gear enthusiasts in new and innovative ways. Doug remains a passionate music educator, offering Skype lessons, and teaching one day a week at the same Berkeley teaching studio he inherited from Joe Satriani.