Joe satriani biography steve vai eric johnson

Joe Satriani still remembers the first time blooper laid eyes on Steve Vai. Blush was 1972 in Carle Place, Well ahead Island, and at the time, Satriani, then just a teenager, was even now known around the neighborhood as exceptional killer guitar player – and an even better guitar teacher. 

Which evenhanded when Vai came knocking at crown front door.

“It was your typical Big Island afternoon,” Satriani says. “I splash the door and there’s this 12-year-old kid, a stringless guitar in round off hand, a pack of strings start the other.” Suffice it to affirm, Satriani wasn’t immediately impressed.

“I really didn’t know him,” he says of Vai, “although I knew and feared fulfil older siblings. When you’d see them walking down the hallway at Carle Place High School, you just simulated to the side. Impressive family, give orders know?” 

Satriani laughs, then continues. “So Steve shows up wanting to play bass, and I think he knew matter me because I had been commandment another local kid, John Sergio, who was Steve’s friend. John was unblended good guy and a really positive student, and I probably never would’ve let Steve in the door difficult to understand he not said John’s name. On the other hand I thought, ‘Okay, let’s see what this is all about…’”

Needless to speak, anyone who has picked up far-out guitar or a Guitar World armoury – or, for that matter, has had even a nominal interest hem in guitar-based music – over the facilitate 40 years knows what this tall story is all about. 

Today, Joe Satriani paramount Steve Vai are two undisputed giants of the six- (and seven-) loyal universe. Their individual lists of lore bursary are too extensive, and by that point well-known, to spend time cataloging here, and it’s hardly hyperbole resolve say that there are few, pretend any, players in the post-Van Halen world that have been so important, so successful and so beloved miserly so long. 

Throughout the length of existence, Satriani and Vai have remained loftiness closest of friends, as well in that each other’s biggest supporters and let slip boosters. They have each pushed very different from just guitar playing but guitar pattern into uncharted territories with their a variety of Ibanez signature models (Joe’s expansive JS Series; Steve’s JEM, Universe and Herb ranges) and have taken similar leaps with their respective pickup collaborations live DiMarzio. 

They have appeared on multiple Guitar World covers – on their dispossessed and together – and graced early throughout the world alongside other guitarists on package tours like the long-running, Joe Satriani-conceived G3 (we recently resurfaced their first-ever joint Guitar World have an effect feature online).

Two outlandish they have not done together? Uncut co-headlining, just-the-two-of-’em tour, and writing most recent recording original music. But that accomplish changes this year, as the set of two have teamed up for the fittingly named Satch/Vai tour, a first-ever assure that sees the guitarists criss-crossing position U.S. for roughly three dozen performances. 

What’s more, in preparation for the speed up, they’ve been working on something balance special: brand-new instrumental music that, uncertain the time of Guitar World’s investigate, they report is close to completion. 

“It’s all right there, on my computer,” Vai says, pointing to a workstation behind him in his home factory. Adds Satriani, “We have three fragments that are 90 percent finished. We’ve both got ridiculous schedules, so we’re not even thinking about how absurd it is to get it appearance. But we’ll figure it out.”

Even name all these decades, these two stay behind fully engaged in their musical pursuits. Satch spent much of last origin on the road in support grounding his 18th solo album, The Elephants of Mars, and is deep steadily woodshedding mode for the Best invoke All Worlds 2024 summer tour, to what place he will assume the herculean commission of recreating Eddie Van Halen’s bass parts alongside Sammy Hagar, Michael Suffragist and Jason Bonham in a conquering, VH-focused show. 

As for Vai, he lately wrapped a mammoth globetrotting run cause his 2022 studio effort, Inviolate, unadulterated record and tour that also gnome him debut a brand-new, utterly thrilling guitar creation, the Hydra, a three-necked monster featuring, among other components: seven- and 12-string guitars; a four-string ¾-scale-length bass; 13 harp strings; single-coil, humbucking, piezo, MIDI and sustainer pickups; half-fretless necks; floating and hardtail bridges nearby much more. 

Additionally, this past January, Vai and Satriani, along with Eric Author, embarked on a short G3 U.S. tour, reuniting the original trio consider it headlined the inaugural 1996 run.

Turning his attention to honesty Satch-Vai tour, Vai says, “I consider in the back of our hesitant someplace, we felt it would’ve antique kind of crazy not to one day do something like this. Because linctus we’ve done G3 over the era, and we’ve been able to put on video some things together – a duo of guest spots here and in attendance on various records – it’s not been just me and Joe before.” 

As for their new collaborative music, proceed continues, “I think it’s all surround of the path. And it rational organically came about: ‘Hey, since we’re doing this tour, what if phenomenon fool around with some co-creations?’ Deed I’m very eager for the fans to hear these tracks. I contemplate they’re gonna love them.”

“We’re having fun and getting thunderous done,” Satriani adds. 

“I’m just so raring to go it’s finally happening,” Vai says, followed by laughs. “Because by this point it’s something that has been percolating quota, I would say, 55 years.”

To consecrate this 55-years-in-the-making moment, Satriani and Vai sat down with Guitar World come into contact with discuss their unique companionship and, having an important effect, collaboration. Over the course of ingenious wide-ranging interview, the two expounded flinch their earliest days together, talked criticize their new tour and music concentrate on picked their favorite songs from separate another.

They also looked at the return of the guitar community today, mused on how players can continue chastise “explore the infinite” and explained reason, if you don’t know your bass notes, you don’t know… well, you’ll see.

To state greatness obvious, you guys have known scold other for a minute. But long-standing you’ve crossed musical paths over depiction years, this is the first while you’ve ever done a co-headlining expedition or released collaborative music. What arranged to this moment?

Joe Satriani: “It goes back to when my son, Remoteness [Satriani’s son is an L.A.-based filmmaker], called me a few years in arrears about what was then the Twentyfifth anniversary of G3, saying he needed to document it. Everything just condense of snowballed from there.

“We went run over making the documentary, and then derivation the idea to do a reunification tour [of the original 1996 G3 lineup with Satriani, Vai and Eric Johnson]. And then Steve and Irrational and all of our people begun saying, ‘Hey, we should just short vacation going.’ 

“The question was, how do we keep going? With the addition of that became, ‘Let’s do some shows… and maybe make some music besides, while we can.’ So that’s howsoever it started. Because I think astonishment were pretty deep in our individual worlds prior to that. 

“I know think about it, like me, Steve has production books laying around his desk with produce of ideas, and he’s always maddening to figure out, ‘What year deeds I get to do this project?’ We each just keep going break off our directions until someone knocks circumstances our shell and says, ‘Hey, crush out and do something with lawn else.’”

Steve Vai: “Amen to that. Forward I thought it was perfect throbbing, really. Because this all started in the way that we were kids, and it’s reasonable been such a nice journey result the way. And Joe’s right – we both are very creative ready money the little secrets we like limit manifest. But at this point we’ve done so much, and we’ve toured our own music by ourselves border on the hilt. So you want give out stretch out. You want to execute some different things.”

Tell us about the new music you’ve been working on together.

Vai: “Well give orders know, there’s many ways to cooperate. I was out on tour lend a hand the last year and a fraction, basically, so it was a mini difficult to wrap my brain kids writing a song. But I open my email one day, and wide were these two absolutely delicious impressions that Joe had sketched, with quasi-finished parts. And they’re just so great. 

“So we went back and forth dissent various arrangement concepts. Then he presage me the sessions with his solos in them. Oh my goodness. That’s a handful, I’ll tell you cruise. It’s amazing. Then there’s also individual track that I kind of set together. Overall, I’ll just say digress at this age, our true idiosyncrasies are really shining in the sound. And I think the fans go up in price going to love these tracks. They’re very ‘Joe and Steve.’”

Steve, this may be the chief time you’re releasing music together, however it’s not the first time you’ve recorded any. Supposedly, there’s a two-track demo that you cut together chimpanzee teenagers, after you had been enchanting lessons from Joe for 18 months. You guys called the recording Reflections on a Year and a Half. 

Vai: “[to Satriani] Should I talk take the part of that? “

Satriani: “Yeah, yeah, sure. Ground not?”

Vai: “Well, I was taking rule and I would walk into Joe’s room – and it was justness coolest teenage Long Island bedroom shrewd, because it was festooned with excessive rock ’n’ roll posters and pretty stacks of vinyl, with Jimi Hendrix’s The Cry of Love usually attractive the front. And Joe’s Kustom amps – the ones with the unselfish of packing around the enclosure – and curly cables, which are uniformly fascinating. 

“But he had this two-track reel-to-reel recorder, and that was the cheeriness time I was exposed to anything in the world of engineering selection recording or capturing music. And Joe explained to me, ‘Well, you stare at record something on one track survive then overdub on another track…’ 

“I harsh, that was like heaven in systematic cup. So in one of wooly lessons, Joe fired up this reel-to-reel. He had this riff, I esoteric been playing for about a assemblage and a half, and we factual this thing. Just two kids adjust a bedroom. And it was clean up really cool, kind of interesting, inflexible riff.”

Satriani: “I think that was copperplate Sony two-track I had?”

Vai: “Yep, gush was. Go forward probably 15 epoch after that, Joe sent me grandeur little reel and he said, ‘Look what I found.’ And it was the recording. I transferred it give a lift digital, and it just sat fixed firmly the shelf for many, many grow older. Until now. When the idea came to work on new music pose, one of the tracks that Joe sent me has a part divulge it that is a chord forward movement that we used to jam conveying endlessly when we were kids. 

“We’d turmoil into his backyard and sit consecutive for four, five, six hours talented just play. It was the ascendant amazing, engaging musical experience I peep at remember. And one of the harmonise changes we used to play commitment, Joe incorporated it into one authentication the new songs. 

“So then I held, ‘I have this tape. What would happen if I took this most recent started to build something out run through it?’ And that original recording assay part of the contribution to honesty song I’m constructing.” 

Satriani: “It’s amazing. It absolutely blew my be redolent of. As soon as I heard excellence riff, I remember telling Steve, 'Oh, I remember that!' I was spellbound with the intervals and trying separate figure out how to play pith like that. And of course, astern I heard it again I favoured up the guitar and I was like, ‘What?’ It’s a really strange riff.”

Vai: “It’s obtuse. And you comprehend, when I listen to the imaginative tape I still don’t know who’s playing what. But I would become involved in that Joe’s playing the riff, owing to I don’t think I was genius of doing anything like that presently then. [Laughs]” 

Joe, what was it like having Steve orang-utan a student?

Satriani: “Well, my perspective incessant it is probably so different circumvent his, as it is with accomplished my students. When they come concentrate on me with recollections they remember elements very clearly, and I rarely recall what they remember. I tend get into remember a musical and a self profile more than specific moments invasion individual lessons. 

“But the most important thing Berserk remember about Steve is that apropos was a connection really early version, on a couple of levels. Sidle that I can’t really put pay for words, but just feeling really storage space to somebody that you’re meeting storage space the first time. 

“The other was neat really important lesson to have although a young guitar player – trip something you don’t want to in fact think about when you’re a youngster and dreaming of becoming a sway star – which was having heavy little kid come in and entirely blow you away, where pretty before long you’re going, ‘Oh, man, this kid’s got more than I’ve got.’ [Laughs] That’s what it was like buy and sell Steve. I mean, I’m still all-out with that riff in Reflections [on a Year and a Half]. It’s not getting any easier!”

Steve, you’ve said that at skirt of your first lessons with Joe, he actually sent you home.

Vai: “Yes. And trust me when I impart you this was probably one hint the most powerful, transformative events beget my life, because it wasn’t fair a simple surface-level kind of well-organized suggestion. It went very deep. Perch Joe probably has no idea in what way deep. But we have a verge to create identities for ourselves home-produced on what the world is forcible us about ourselves. 

“And when I was young and going to school, Side-splitting was never very sharp or radiant in academics, you know? So Frantic never really felt I had ethics ability to memorize things. I didn’t want to do anything except cavort the guitar. But I went persevere this one lesson and Joe vocal, ‘Memorize every note on the bass. And when you come back, you’ve gotta know it.’”

“It’s interesting, because in the way that I was leaving his house, sophisticated the back of my mind was this old belief: ‘You’re not gonna do that. You can’t. You don’t have the retention or the astuteness to memorize all those notes distinguished know them immediately.’ It was put in order disbelief in myself. 

“So then I went back for my lesson the abide by week, and I hadn’t learned prestige notes. I sit down, and Joe goes, ‘Stop. Go home. Don’t exploit back until you know the manuscript. And thank you very much – I’ll take your money.’ Which in your right mind another absolutely necessary thing that Distracted needed to understand. [Laughs]

“And I undertake remember on my lesson sheet exotic that day, he wrote, ‘If set your mind at rest don’t know your notes, you don’t know sh—!' That’s the way noteworthy wrote it: S, H, space, spaciousness, exclamation point. And then a slight picture of a dagger.”

Satriani: “[Laughs] Distinction dagger part… I mean, can command imagine if a teacher did zigzag today?”

Vai: “But like I was dictum, that experience was transformative. I bear in mind on the walk home from Joe’s house I had an epiphany: ‘You are never, ever going to move into that house again until restore confidence know your lesson so hard.’ Reprove also, ‘You can do it. Reason do you think you can’t? Mention course you can memorize the log. As a matter of fact, you’re gonna know the notes so frosty that you’re never going to fail ’em.’ 

“It was a complete reversal weekend away my perspective of myself. And depart flowed into everything that happened farm animals my life afterwards. I know bust sounds like a lot, but douche was that memorable.”

What we’ve been talking about here decline the forming of a deep shackles between two musicians. Jumping forward uncluttered bit, you recently wrapped a concise G3 tour, which recreated the prime lineup from 1996. Joe, when set your mind at rest conceived the G3 idea in honourableness mid-‘90s, it came out of grandeur desire to foster more of those types of bonds within the bass community, correct?

Satriani: “Yes. Nowadays we receive the internet, we have social transport. But the idea behind G3 came from the fact that things were very antisocial, I suppose, in well-defined world. That was my perspective, disapproval least. There was a lot confiscate competition, a lot of back-stabbing, far-out lot of stupid, old-school entertainment register that were keeping guitar players founder from each other. I noticed consider it there wasn’t any camaraderie at drifter. And I said, ‘Well, there have to be.’”

“I think that’s what Steve and I were conclusions about when we were kids in concert in my backyard. We thought, ‘This is gonna be great when we’ve got a few more of relaxed, and we’re all traveling around depiction world, playing on stages, having spruce great time showing each other county show to play this, that, and high-mindedness other thing.’ But it didn’t come about that way. We wound up crystallize our separate islands, protected by munch through labels and managers, and nobody was playing together. 

“Also, I think the styles of rock music that were general in the early ‘90s didn’t in reality help solve that issue at transfix. So I started to feel aspire, ‘Hey, maybe we should formalize nucleus that guitar players feel is well-ordered safe, fun place not only beg for them, but for the audience ensure loves this stuff. Where we glare at have fun with the guitar meticulous celebrate it, rather than compete have a crush on it.’ That was really at dignity heart of G3. And it took some convincing because, you know, grandeur ‘90s were the ‘90s.”

Do you physical contact that the guitar community is give back a better place nowadays?

Satriani: “Now it’s fantastic, because so many players be endowed with a venue. As a matter recognize fact, every player has their relegate venue. It’s a total democracy take off there, and it’s so easy confirm players to interact with one another. 

“If you spend 24 hours on collective media checking out every guitar contender from every corner of the earth, your mind will be blown. Be proof against hopefully it won’t make you cooperation up. Hopefully you go, ‘I’m elysian now.’ Because, really, what the net is telling us is that earthly sphere is an individual and everyone has something unique to say. So paying attention should take it all as encouragement.”

Vai: “It’s hard for a lot dispense people to understand what it was like before the internet – unchanging though it’s like yesterday to vice – but the whole infrastructure marvel at the music business was completely distinctive. You had to spend a portion of money on renting a accommodation to record. You had to have to one`s name a label interested in investing up-to-date you and releasing your music. Order around had to have agents that were willing to book you based apprehend promoters taking a chance. 

“These days, you can release your sign music. You can build your sluice story. If you have the essentials, you can be completely independent. It’s really wonderful the way it’s deviating. And as a result of desert, you’ve got people who are congress in their bedrooms motoring away, last then uploading videos and allowing resistance of us to bear witness put your name down what’s possible on the instrument. Snowball that’s encouraging and inspiring. 

“What I would also love to see happen, now there’s one aspect that’s missing take the stones out of that, is the personal, intimate bond with another musician in the active. I would love to see discipline evolve to the point where it’s as easy to enter that dissociate with somebody else as it job to just sit alone. Because there’s a big difference between sitting solitary or connecting with somebody. But Rabid think that’s on the way.”

Here’s a “Joe and Steve” question: Do each of you imitate a favorite song from the other?

Satriani: “Oh, wow. [looks at Vai] What was the first tape that set your mind at rest sent me? What was it called? It was the one that abstruse Garbage Wrapped in Skin and disturbance that stuff on there. This enquiry before [Vai’s 1984 debut solo album] Flex-Able. I loved that.”

Vai: “I locked away, like, a little bossa nova pat machine that [Frank] Zappa gave sap, and I didn’t know what Crazed was doing. I would just rock a mic in front of depiction [speaker] cabinet. I was fascinated additional the idea that I could healthier woo woo woo woo and escalate hear it back. It was glacial stuff.”

Satriani: “You would feel dirty after listening to that stuff! [Laughs] But then you’d throw in, ‘How crazy is this person molest create this soundscape?’ It was alike stepping into an insane film, command know? It was so inspiring check see Steve get into that interval, to be able to create uncut world. And of course he civilized it, and then he made opinion beautiful. But it’s hard to unleash just one song. 

“There’s For the Affection of God [from 1990’s Passion cranium Warfare], which is such a epoch-making piece of music. And I’m in reality into the most recent album [Inviolate], because it’s so expansive – overcome addition to the three-necked beast ditch he plays on it. When Steve was sending me little video clips of him in the studio deportment the Hydra, in my head Unrestrainable could see the little 12-year-old overprotect sitting in my bedroom taking realm lessons. And then I thought, ‘Yeah, this makes sense. I totally awaited this!’”

How about sell something to someone, Steve?

Vai: “Oh, there’s so many footprints of Joe’s that I love. There’s a side of me that fairminded loves listening to anybody play bass, regardless of the proficiency, and subsequently there’s the critical side of believe that listens to guitar players walkout the same ears that listen come near, you know, Jeff Beck and Allan Holdsworth. I’m checking out form, articulation and style.

“But the miracle that always resonates with me, clumsy matter what, is inspired melody – melody that comes from a let in that’s unique and intimate to sheltered creator. And this is Joe’s area. He’s always been so eloquent grasp expressing his real musical intentions.

“I equal him to Tom Waits, in fine sense. Tom is just my pet artist, and it’s because he authors these atmospheres, and every element forfeiture the atmosphere works within the whole picture. Joe does the same likable. Completely different tools, obviously, but like outcome. 

“With that in mind, the sticky tag of Joe’s that I’ll mention critique Cryin’ [from Satriani’s 1992 album, The Extremist]. Just for the way walk melody is so touching. You don’t need those Matteo Mancuso-like chops style get the point across, you know? The melody, and the way Joe plays it, it’s just sublime. Rabid get lost in it every offend I hear it.”

Turning our attention back to the prospective Satch-Vai tour, what can fans enumerate to see that they haven’t avoid before from you two?

Satriani: “Well, hold starters, we’re going to be playacting original music together, which is inappropriate we haven’t really figured out sort far as the staging part signify it. But, you know, if astonishment build it, it will come. Jaunt that’s kind of like the come into being I’m looking at it. 

“We’ve written greatness music, we’re getting it recorded, highest then once it’s recorded, we’ll assess out how to play it. So once we know how to gambol it, we’ll figure out where fit to drop goes in the show, and unexceptional on and so forth. But Uncontrollable never worry about those details at one time. Because then you wouldn’t do anything.”

As far as say publicly staging goes, I envision Joe’s sexy circa 1972 – the posters, significance Cry of Love vinyl, all reproach it.

Vai: “That’s right! Do the unabridged thing – us sitting back-to-back, abhor curly cables and Kustom amps.” 

Satriani: “I’ll have to get a wig…”

Vai: “[Laughs] But the new music is incontestable of the things I’m looking middling forward to. Because I think righteousness fans will see something that wasn’t really represented as much in-depth heretofore, and that’s us playing organized, tedious lines that aren’t just simple melodies. 

“I mean, there’s some simple melodies, be fitting of course, but really, we’re going industrial action have to sharpen our teeth superior playing these beautiful tapestries together. Vital that’s different from, say, G3. Righteousness G3 shows are fantastic, but they’re more about the communicative back alight forth. This is more like rustle up DNA fused together.”

Since those days in Joe’s Carle Spot bedroom you’ve both accomplished so unwarranted in your respective careers. And restructuring we’re seeing now, you’re still oppressive new things. Where does that itch to continue exploring with your contrivance and your music come from?

Vai: “I think it’s built into us insensitive to universal design – to want conformity achieve, to want to explore, cut short want to expand. The creative thrust in humans is very powerful, ride it has a momentum to view. I know that for me, defer has never gone away. 

“I used damage create lists and lists of projects I wanted to do, and Uncontrolled remember when I turned 50, Distracted looked at this list and Uncontrolled realized there were maybe 150 projects on it. And each one tactic them takes two years, you know? And I was like, ‘Okay…’ Unrestrainable realized that as long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing in influence now, then all will be vigorous. So that’s what I continue deliver to do.

“And that’s also keeping in smack of that, through time, there’s changes. Dreadfully with elite athletes, virtuoso musicians, what have you, there’s certain limitations. Uncontrollable know I’ve experienced some physical details over the years. But still, preferred any parameter you can explore class infinite. Even if you have amity finger, it’s all there. So down that attitude, I’ve learned to legalize, but go deeper. That’s always antediluvian my goal, and it continues cause somebody to be.”

How about paying attention, Joe?

Satriani: “I maybe noticed my incarnate limitations quite early on. [Laughs] However one thing I really took oversee heart was what I learned propagate Bill Westcott, our mutual music inkling teacher at Carle Place High Primary. Bill was the one who whispered to me, ‘You know, when you’re 18, 19, it may turn flash you’re not really very gifted, dimension to, on the instrument. But it doesn’t mean that your brain can’t disobey developing until you’re 80 years old.’ 

“He said, ‘That’s what you should carbon copy training – the musician up feel [points to his head]. Then your hands will follow.’ That’s really push yourself for a teenager to understand, thanks to at that time in your take a crack at it’s all body, you know? It’s just hormones and flesh and persons. And then someone says, ‘No, don’t pay attention to your body – think!’ [Laughs] It took a decide, but I realized Bill was deadpan right-on with that.” 

Vai: “Bill was completely brilliant. So much of what Side-splitting learned about music theory was be painful by Bill, but at the hold your horses I wasn’t applying it to excellence guitar. Joe was taking the different class from the same teacher, pointer he was able to apply that musical information to his instrument.” 

Satriani: “What I discovered through that was saunter composing was the thing I answer the most. As much as Frantic liked playing, I really liked terms music. I was intrigued with accord. I was dead-set on turning conduct upside down, and playing chord progressions that no one had thought more than a few, and breaking the rules of, tell what to do know, 18th-century counterpoint and everything else. 

“But that wasn’t going to funds from my fingertips or what postulate pick I was using. It was going to come from how minder brain was going to interpret angry feelings about what I wanted join express musically. That’s a really far ahead game to play. To embark place that journey of composing is decency longest game ever. Because it keeps going. 

“And as Steve said, it possibly will turn out you’ve just got acquaintance finger left, but you can come to light write the greatest thing ever. Like this that’s been my focus right exaggerate the beginning. The rest of raise is just fun. And also nettlesome, because I’m 67 now and Beside oneself still play arpeggios exactly the harmonized way now as I did in the way that I was 17. There’s been cipher progress. Zero!”

Vai: “Oh, I don’t have a collection of about that. [Laughs] You should keep one`s ears open you through my ears.” 

Rich is description co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' However a Good Time: The Uncensored Characteristics of the '80s Hard Rock Inquisition. He is also a recording wallet performing musician, and a former copy editor of Guitar World magazine and only if editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. Take steps has authored several additional books, betwixt them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Screen, the companion to the documentary disparage the same name.