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Along with teaching some of the top rock
guitar players of the '80s and '90s, Joe Satriani is one of the
most technically accomplished and widely respected guitarists
to emerge in recent times. Born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury,
NY, and raised in the nearby town of Carle Place, Satriani — inspired
by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix — picked up the guitar at the age
of 14 (although he was initially more interested in the drums).
Quickly learning the instrument, Satriani began teaching guitar
to others and found a kindred spirit in one of his students, Steve
Vai. By the late '70s, however, Satriani had relocated to Berkeley,
CA. With his sights set on his own musical career, "Satch" kept
teaching others, including such future rock notables as Kirk Hammett
(Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), David Bryson (Counting Crows),
and jazz fusion player Charlie Hunter. In the early '80s, Satriani
got a gig playing guitar with power popster Greg Kihn, doing some
session work and touring with the group (an archival release recorded
around this time, King Biscuit Flower Hour, was later issued in
1996), and issuing his own solo self-titled EP in 1984, financing
and releasing the project entirely on his own. But when Vai hit
the big time as the guitarist of David Lee Roth's solo band in
1986, he offered praise for his good friend and former teacher
in several major guitar publications, leading to widespread interest
in Satriani's playing. The timing couldn't have been more perfect
for Satch, as he'd just issued his first full-length solo album,
Not of this Earth, which automatically made ripples in the rock
guitar community.
But the best was still to come, in the form of his sophomore release,
1987's Surfing With the Alien. Almost overnight, Satriani was
widely regarded as one of rock's top guitarists, as the album
earned gold certification and the guitarist would finish at the
top of guitar magazine polls for years afterwards. He was even
handpicked by Mick Jagger to accompany the famous singer on a
tour of Australia and Japan around this time. A stopgap EP, Dreaming
#11, combed both studio and live tracks and was issued a year
later, and in 1989, Satriani issued his third solo full-length,
Flying in a Blue Dream. Another sizeable hit, the album also marked
Satch's debut as a vocalist on several tracks. His career received
another big push the same year when his song, "One Big Rush,"
was included on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's hit movie, Say
Anything.
The '90s began with Satriani creating his own line of guitars
for the Ibanez company (the JS Joe Satriani model), but it wasn't
until 1992 that he would issue his next solo release, The Extremist.
The double-disc set Time Machine followed a year later (a combination
of new tracks, live material, and the long out-of-print Joe Satriani
EP from 1984), and in 1994, Satch filled in on tour for the departed
Ritchie Blackmore for heavy metal pioneers Deep Purple. Although
he was asked to become a full-time member, Satriani turned down
the offer to return to his solo career.
Satriani issued two more solo albums during the '90s — 1995's
self-titled release and 1998's Crystal Planet, and also started
the G3 guitar showcase tour with Steve Vai in 1996, becoming an
annual event and issuing a live document of the tour's initial
run, G3: Live in Concert, a year later. 2000 saw Satriani issue
his most musically daring release yet, the electronic-based Engines
of Creation, and a year later, the live disc Live in San Francisco.
Engines... was nominated for a Grammy the next year, and after
a successful tour he stepped back into the studio. The results,
Strange Beautiful Music, were released in 2002. In addition to
his own albums, Satriani has guested on several other artists'
albums over the years, including Blue Oyster Cult's Imaginos,
Alice Cooper's Hey Stoopid, Stuart Hamm's Radio Free Albemuth,
Pat Martino's All Sides Now, and Spinal Tap's Break Like the Wind.
This bio courtesy www.allmusic.com
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