Dweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor. He is the son of musical composer and performer Frank Zappa. Exposed to the music industry from an early age, Zappa developed a strong affinity for playing the guitar and producing music. Able to learn directly from guitarists such as Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen, Zappa released his first single at the age of 12.
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American hard rock and heavy metal guitarist. He is the co-founder of the band Mr. Big, and was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums. In 1996, Gilbert launched a solo career, for which he has released numerous solo albums, and featured in numerous collaborations and guest appearances on other musicians' albums.
William Sheehan is an American musician known for playing bass guitar with acts such as Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Niacin, and The Winery Dogs. He is also known for his "lead bass" playing style, including the use of chording, two-handed tapping, "three-finger picking" technique and controlled feedback. Sheehan has been voted "Best Rock Bass Player" five times in Guitar Player readers' polls.
Michael Stephen Portnoy is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.
Derek Sherinian is an American keyboardist of Armenian descent who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Joe Bonamassa, among others. He was also a member of Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999, is the founder of Planet X and also one of the founding members of Black Country Communion, Sons of Apollo, and Whom Gods Destroy. He has released nine solo albums that have featured a variety of prominent guest musicians, including guitarists Slash, Yngwie Malmsteen, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Lukather, Joe Bonamassa, Michael Schenker, Steve Vai and Al Di Meola, and extensively drummer Simon Phillips.
Steve J. Morse is an American guitarist, best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs and as the guitarist for Deep Purple from 1994 to 2022. Morse has also enjoyed a successful solo career and was a member of the group Kansas in the mid-1980s. Most recently, Morse became a member of the supergroup Flying Colors.
G3 is a concert tour organized by guitarist Joe Satriani featuring him alongside two other guitarists. Since its inception in 1995, G3 has toured most years and has featured many guitarists, including Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Paul Gilbert, Steve Morse, Steve Lukather, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Schenker, Adrian Legg, Phil Collen and many other special guests, including Tony MacAlpine, Johnny Hiland, Keith More, Chris Duarte, Andy Timmons, Neal Schon, Gary Hoey, Brian May, Billy Gibbons, Johnny A, George Lynch, Patrick Rondat, Guthrie Govan, Alejandro Silva, and Eric Sardinas.
Gregg Bissonette is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David Lee Roth's first three solo albums.
Gary Hoey is an American hard rock and latterly blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He has recorded over 20 albums.
Brian Tarquin is an American jazz fusion guitarist, recording artist, sound engineer, record producer, and composer. He is best known as a guitar instrumentalist with several Top 10 radio hits in various genres as Smooth Jazz, NACC Loud Rock & Jam Band charts. He also is an established composer having won Emmy awards for "Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series". Brian Tarquin He owns BHP Music-Guitar Trax Records and Jungle Room Studios which specializes in guitar instrumental music. He specializes in guitar instrumental music and smooth jazz. Throughout his career he has recorded with and produced projects with Larry Coryell, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Jean-Luc Ponty, Robben Ford, Gary Hoey, Hal Lindes, Chuck Loeb, Steve Morse, Billy Sheehan, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Leslie West, and Mike Stern.
Summer Days is the ninth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on July 5, 1965, on Capitol. The band's previous album, The Beach Boys Today!, represented a departure for the group through its abandonment of themes related to surfing, cars, and teenage love, but it sold below Capitol's expectations. In response, the label pressured the group to produce bigger hits. Summer Days thus returned the band's music to simpler themes for one last album, with Brian Wilson combining Capitol's commercial demands with his artistic calling.
We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year is an album of Christmas songs played by an all-star collection of hard rock and heavy metal artists released on October 14, 2008. Each track puts together a unique supergroup playing a traditional Christmas selection.
Ronald Jay Blumenthal, better known by his stage name Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal or simply Bumblefoot, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. He adopted his nickname from the bacterial infection of the same name, which he learned about while helping his wife study for her veterinary exams. The name went from being just the name of an album, to the name of a record label, to a band name, to eventually his name as a solo artist. He was one of two lead guitarists in Guns N' Roses from 2006 until 2014 and performed on their sixth studio album Chinese Democracy. He was the guitarist for the supergroup Sons of Apollo and currently with supergroup Whom Gods Destroy; and served as the guitarist and vocalist for the band Asia from 2019 to 2022.
Billy Highstreet Samba is an album by saxophonist Stan Getz which was recorded in Paris in 1981 and released on the EmArcy label in 1990.
This is a select discography for Brian Tarquin, the American guitarist who has recorded and produced numerous albums featuring solo guitar, smooth jazz, as well as charitable compilations in collaboration with various artists.
Fretworx is the fifth solo studio album by guitarist Brian Tarquin, released in October 2008 on Nu Groove/BHP Music distributed by RED Distribution. All tracks were recorded in New York, at Tarquin's Jungle Room Studios. Guest musicians on the album include Billy Sheehan, Frank Gambale, Steve Morse, Max Middleton, Chuck Loeb, Hal Lindes, Andy Timmons, and Will Ray. The album also featured bonus tracks from Steve Vai & Randy Coven, Carlos Santana and Tommy Bolin. The entire album was engineered, produced, and composed by Tarquin with the exception of the bonus tracks.
Smooth Jazz Cafe is the seventh solo studio album by guitarist Brian Tarquin, released in October 2014 by Cleopatra Records/Purple Pyramid. The album was recorded at Tarquin's mobile Jungle Room Studios in the New York Catskill Mountains at a 200 year old Farmhouse. Additional recording was done in the quaint town of New Paltz (village), New York. Tarquin reached out to some old guitar friends to guest with him on the album, Chuck Loeb on Zoot Suit, Hal Lindes on The Big Sleep & Birdbrain, and Denny Jiosa on Hipster & Chrome Dome. The entire album was engineered, produced and performed by Tarquin. Most of the album is new material with exception of 4 songs, Peg, Swift Kick, Yorkville and Spanish Harlem.
Psychotic Symphony is the debut studio album by American supergroup Sons of Apollo. It was released on October 20, 2017. The album was produced by drummer Mike Portnoy and keyboardist Derek Sherinian under the name "The Del Fuvio Brothers" a nickname they adopted during their time together in Dream Theater. All band members were involved in the creation of the songs. Portnoy and Sherinian were the main songwriters. The album was released as CD, digital download, vinyl and a special edition containing a bonus disc with instrumental versions of the songs and an alternate mix of "Opus Maximus." The band began touring to promote the album in early 2018.
Orlando in Heaven is the eighth solo studio album by guitarist Brian Tarquin, released on June 9, 2017, by Cleopatra Records. It peaked #6 on the Relix Jam Band Radio charts October 2017. All tracks were recorded at Tarquin's Jungle Room Studios in Merritt Island, Florida. Being especially moved by the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, Tarquin composed and produced the songs especially for those victims. It features guest guitar icon Larry Coryell, vocalist Phil Naro, Grammy jazz guitarist Mike Stern, fretless bass player Tony Franklin, Chris Poland (Megadeth), Hal Lindes, Will Ray, jazz keyboardist Bob Baldwin (musician) & Grammy nominee Denny Jiosa. A portion of proceeds is donated to Catholic Charities of Central Florida. They provide case management and supportive services for victims and family members of the Pulse shooting in Orlando.
Band of Brothers is the ninth solo studio album by guitarist Brian Tarquin, released on July 7, 2017, by Cleopatra Records. It peaked #21 on the Metal Contraband Radio charts September 2017. All tracks were recorded at Tarquin's Jungle Room Studios in Merritt Island, Florida and first predominantly vocal album recorded by Brian. Tarquin composed and produced the songs especially for military veterans along with singer Phil Naro from Billy Sheehan’s band Talas. It features guest appearances by singer Jeff Scott Soto, Steve Morse, Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal, Trey Gunn, Jeff Watson, Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake), Gary Hoey, Tony Franklin and Tina Guo. Partial proceeds from the sales go to the Fisher House Foundation, who supplies housing to veterans' families while they are hospitalized.
