Artists and Bands

Joe Satriani Interview

On the eve of the new G3 2007 tour, this time with fellow virtuoso guitarists Paul Gilbert (of Mr Big, Racer X and solo fame) and John Petrucci (from progressive metal titans Dream Theatre) Joe found time to give Alloutguitar an update on life as arguably the premier instrumental guitarist of the last two decades.

Did you grow up in a particularly musical family or environment?

In conversation with Mike Blackburn from 1998 – This interview was recorded when I met Joe on March 25 1998 and was never published in it’s entirety, although some sections and quotes were used in various issues of ‘Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles’, a Toronto based heavy metal monthly of which I was the ‘riff meister’, interviewing guitarists and reviewing guitar oriented releases.

The Dave Martone Interview

Dave Martone is probably Canada’s best guitarist right now and likely the best guitarist you have never heard of. Blossoming out of fruit and wine country (the Niagara Peninsula) in Ontario Canada, Dave initially took the serious studied approach to the instrument before discovering rock music quite late by the standard of any era. Dave’s quest took him through a recording degree and a scholarship at the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Ed Box first came to my attention back in 2000 when his track ‘130R’ was featured on the Guitarist magazine CD. Hurrah! A British rock guitarist virtuoso who possessed not only world class chops, but also a supreme melodicism, silky touch and a sinous lyricism redolent of prime era Warren Di Martini and George Lynch – Ed was a refreshing breath of fresh air in those dark virtuoso guitarist unfriendly days of the late 90’s/early noughties.

Part One of ‘Bernie Marsden – Blues Rock Survivor’ looked at the teenage years and Bernie’s first musical exploits, his first steps as a professional guitarist, touring Europe in the early 70’s and left things just as Bernie arrived back in London in 1974 to find a rather attractive new job maybe on the horizon for him…

Shades Of Purple

Hollywood action star and martial arts legend Steven Seagal may, at first sight, appear a strange choice of interview to open 2007 with; however he is a very accomplished traditional blues guitarist with a history in this genre stretching back many years. Seagal has graced the stage – and been friends with – such luminaries as Bo Didley, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, John Lee Hooker and BB King amongst many other genuine 20th century blues legends.

Bernie Marsden is a true blues rock survivor, with a career stretching back almost 40 years. Primarily known today as a driving force behind what many feel to be Whitesnakes halcyon period, Bernie was the main writer of some of their very biggest hits including ‘Here I Go Again’ and ‘Fool For Your Loving’. Bernie has also had an exceptionally varied career outside of his time with David Coverdale and the boys.

In this epic three-part interview, Bernie gives AOG the full run down on his career from the nascent Blues Rock scene of the mid 1960’s right up to the present day.

Francesco Antonio Marino was born on November 20, 1954 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. One of five children (Frank is number three, right in the middle) Frank left formal education behind after the 7th grade and a very short stint in military school. “Those years were the middle to late sixties and everyone was into the hippie peace movement and we were so busy getting stoned that we certainly didn’t want to attend school.

Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York. Early March 2006. Southpaw is an efficiently laid out rock club, quite large for a New York venue. The club is half-empty but the small audience seems excited and full of expectations. The atmosphere is familiar, people seem to know each other, and apart from the usual rock crowd you can find a few children as well as some potential grandparents in the locale.

Rob Harris has built up an enviable track record as a consummate professional pop and funk guitarist: an active session player and sideman and also band member of some of the pop world’s biggest names.

Rob is best known as the guitarist in arguably the world’s biggest funk band Jamiroquai; but has also worked on countless sessions with artists spanning the globe, including Kylie Minogue, Take That’s Mark Owen, Gary Numan, Beverly Knight and The Pasedena’s…