Joseph Satriani is an American rock musician, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former students achieving fame, such as Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie Hunter, Kevin Cadogan, and Alex Skolnick; he then went on to have a successful solo music career. He is a 15-time Grammy Award nominee and has sold over 10 million albums, making him the best-selling instrumental rock guitarist of all time.
Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes musical instruments and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style. Instrumental rock was most popular from the mid-1950s to mid-1960s, with artists such as Bill Doggett Combo, The Fireballs, The Shadows, The Ventures, Johnny and the Hurricanes and The Spotnicks. Surf music had many instrumental songs. Many instrumental hits came from the R&B world. Funk and disco produced several instrumental hit singles during the 1970s. The Allman Brothers Band feature several instrumentals. Jeff Beck also recorded two instrumental albums in the 1970s. Progressive rock and art rock performers of the 1960s and 1970s did many virtuosic instrumental performances.
Allan Holdsworth was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer.
Surfing with the Alien is the second studio album by American rock guitarist Joe Satriani. It was released on October 15, 1987, by Relativity Records. The album is one of Satriani's most successful to date and helped establish his reputation as a respected rock guitarist.
GTR were a British supergroup rock band founded in 1985 by former Yes and Asia guitarist Steve Howe and former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. Though the band's leaders were known as progressive rock musicians, GTR appealed to album-oriented rock radio stations. The band lasted for two years and one album. Hackett subsequently criticized the project, though not necessarily the other musicians involved in it.
Crystal Planet is the seventh studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on March 3, 1998 through Epic Records. The album reached No. 50 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for eight weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in five other countries. "Ceremony" was released as a single, reaching No. 28 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and featuring Satriani's first recorded use of a seven-string guitar, namely the Ibanez Universe. "A Train of Angels" was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards; this being Satriani's ninth such nomination.
Kevin Rene Cadogan is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and guitarist. A founding member of the band Third Eye Blind, he performed with the band from 1993 to 2000. He co-wrote some of Third Eye Blind's most notable hits, including "How's It Going to Be", "Losing a Whole Year", and "Graduate", 10 of the 14 songs on their debut album Third Eye Blind as well as six of the 13 tracks on his final collaboration with the band in their second album Blue.
The Extremist is the fourth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on July 21, 1992 through Relativity Records The album is one of Satriani's most popular releases and his highest-charting to date, reaching No. 22 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remaining on that chart for 28 weeks, as well as reaching the top 50 in six other countries. Three singles reached Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart: "Summer Song" at No. 5, "Friends" at No. 12 and "Cryin'" at No. 24. The Extremist was certified Gold on December 22, 1992. and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards; this being Satriani's fourth such nomination.
Time Machine is the fifth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on October 13, 1993 through Relativity Records and reissued in 1998 through Epic Records. It is a double-disc album: the first disc contains a selection of new tracks, outtakes and unreleased studio recordings, while the second disc is composed of live recordings from 1988 and 1992.
Flying in a Blue Dream is the third studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on October 30, 1989 through Relativity Records. It is one of Satriani's most popular albums and his second highest-charting release to date, reaching No. 23 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remaining on that chart for 39 weeks, as well as reaching the top 40 in three other countries.
Engines of Creation is the eighth studio album by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on March 14, 2000 through Epic Records. The album reached No. 90 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for three weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in three other countries. "Until We Say Goodbye" was released as a single and received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards; this being Satriani's tenth such nomination.
Dreaming #11 is the second EP by guitarist Joe Satriani, released on November 1, 1988 through Relativity Records and reissued on May 27, 1997 through Epic Records. The EP reached No. 42 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for 26 weeks. Its sole studio track, "The Crush of Love", reached No. 6 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1990 Grammy Awards; this being Satriani's second such nomination. The remaining three tracks were recorded live during the Surfing With the Alien (1987) tour. The title track, absent on the EP, would later be released on Satriani's 1993 compilation album Time Machine. Dreaming #11 was certified Gold on August 15, 1991.
"Friends" is a single by guitarist Joe Satriani, released in 1992 through Relativity Records. The single contains two instrumental tracks from his Grammy-nominated fourth studio album The Extremist, with "Friends" reaching No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Elias "E.Vil" Einari Johannes Viljanen is a Finnish musician from Tampere, Finland, known for being the guitarist for Sonata Arctica since 2007. Viljanen joined Sonata Arctica in spring 2007 in order to replace Jani Liimatainen, who left the band in August 2007 to fulfill his civil duties in Finland. The decision was only made official on 8 August 2007, but Elias Viljanen had been known to replace Liimatainen in concerts during the spring and summer tour. Viljanen cites KISS, Metallica, Slayer, and Whitesnake as his musical influences.
Bryan Beller is an American bass guitarist known for his work with Joe Satriani, The Aristocrats, Dethklok, Mike Keneally, Steve Vai, James LaBrie of Dream Theater and Dweezil Zappa, as well as his four solo album releases, View (2003), Thanks In Advance (2008), Wednesday Night Live (2011), and the progressive double concept album Scenes From The Flood (2019). He has been Joe Satriani's touring bassist since 2013, encompassing the Unstoppable Momentum tour (2013–14), the Shockwave (2015–16) world tour, and the G3/What Happens Next tour (2018), in addition to featuring on the Shockwave Supernova record. Beller is also the bassist of the rock/fusion super-trio The Aristocrats, and he managed the band from 2012-2018. The Aristocrats have released four studio albums, along with two live releases documenting the band's world tours in support of their debut album The Aristocrats and sophomore album Culture Clash. Their most recent studio album You Know What... is the focus of their current world tour, which began in the summer of 2019 and will extend through to late 2020.
Chickenfoot is a hard rock supergroup formed in 2008. The group consists of vocalist Sammy Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, and drummer Chad Smith. Due to Smith's consistent recording and touring commitments to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kenny Aronoff joined the group in 2011 as a touring replacement drummer. While the band has not formally announced a breakup, in June 2016 Smith said that he had doubts about its survival due to their busy schedules.
Bald on the Inside is the debut album by session guitarist Tim Scott, first released on 23 June 2003. First digitally released on iTunes, with an updated cover image, on 9 November 2009. Scott wrote, recorded, and produced the album at Acer Studios, his self built recording facility in much the same way as Mike Oldfield's – Tubular Bells and Jean Michel Jarre's - Oxygène. It was mastered by Roger Boden at The Cottage Group Studios, Macclesfield, Cheshire. 4:AM (4am And I Can't Sleep ) was released as a digital single on 30 November 2009.
Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide "Tosin" Abasi, is a American musician, best known as the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. He has recorded and released four albums with Animals as Leaders: a self-titled debut, Weightless, The Joy of Motion and their most recent album, The Madness of Many. A guitar virtuoso, Guitar World ranks Abasi at #97 on their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of all time.
The Aristocrats are a rock supergroup formed in 2011. The instrumental power trio consists of Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller, and Marco Minnemann. The group name is inspired by the Aristocrats joke and consequently the song titles on their debut namesake album–a progressive rock compilation–are rife with salacious double-entendres.
"Summer Song" is a single by guitarist Joe Satriani, released in 1992 through Relativity Records. The Australian edition of the single contains two instrumental tracks from his Grammy-nominated fourth studio album The Extremist, with "Summer Song" reaching No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. A music video was also released, where Satriani is seen playing the guitar with his band, while people dance.
