Concert Preview: JOE SATRIANI
Special Guest:  LESLIE WEST & MOUNTAIN
University of Buffalo Center for the Arts
Sunday October 12^th

     SATCH IN BLACK…..The purpose of this particular visit is to Rock the foundation at The University of Buffalo this Sunday Night as SATCH will be dishing out a hearty course of shredded string at the Center for the Arts. Hairs will be splitting on this double bill as guitar maverick JOE SATRIANI and immortal road warriors MOUNTAIN featuring LESLIE WEST and CORKY LAING will unleash a stratospheric fury celebrating two generations of perpetual guitar Rock.
     SATRIANI- spent the summer abroad in support of “Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock” released this past April. The string sorcerer and his band, drummer Jeff Campitelli and bassist Matt Bissonette are road tested and ready to serve up a savory selection of songs as they kick it into overdrive surfing the states through November on the second leg of their tour.
     The Rock Rapport was fortunate enough to catch SATCH on a brief visit home in sunny California.
     Ross CAT- Hello Joe Thanks so much for your time great to talk with you again we really appreciate it, I know fans in Buffalo are thrilled to see that you will be returning to the U.B. Center for the Arts this week.
     SATCH--Fantastic, we really had a great time on the first leg of the tour over the summer in South America and Mexico and we are equally  excited about bringing the new material to the States.
     Ross CAT- Lets dive right into the latest album of arresting songs titled "Profosser Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock", that’s quite a mouth full.
     SATCH- Yes it is; it’s an album that I went into with this crazy idea of not having a title so that the musicians wouldn’t be adversely influenced with this preconceived notion of how I wanted them to play.
     When we finished the record I suddenly realized that we didn’t have a title so I frantically began searching for ideas for a name. When going through the song titles I came to the realization that the album was so eclectic that I couldn’t effectively find a song that could be a sort of flagship song. I started just taking all the titles and mashing up the words and names to see if I could come up with something and Professor Satchafunkulus and the Musterion of Rock came together almost as if I meant to do it or it had some kind of special meaning but it doesn’t its just an accident of words.
     Ross CAT- I found it interesting that the origin of this album came from a piano chord instead of a guitar chord, kind of ironic considering your legendary stature as a guitar instrumentalist.
     SATCH- I do a lot of my writing on keyboards although I’m not very good. I’m one of those guys that can see music on the keys in my head; In my mind I’m one of the best keyboard players ever but my body just doesn’t cooperate (laughter). I end up just plunking down chords with my right hand and playing bass notes with my left; I love the sound of the piano and the fact that it has such huge range which really helps me get a handle on the arrangement of a song. More importantly it allows me to step outside the guitar which helps me to not repeat myself.
     Ross CAT- The beauty of the instrumental music you create through the finesse of your fingers is that it leaves the music open for interpretation. When it’s time to put a title on an instrumental piece do you worry how it translates the purpose and meaning of the song?
     SATCH- You always hope that the story being told from the heart is going to somehow reach the listener.  I certainly don’t do it alone, I write the songs and come up with what I think are the best arrangements and ideas for recording them. Then I invite my producer John Cuniberti in to sort of Rock the boat a little bit; maybe he’ll hear something I may have missed, or he may approach a certain arrangement from a different point of view. Actually letting other people in to help out is really an important step in the production process.
     You know what Ross I have someone at my front door can you hold on for just a second.
     Ross CAT- Absolutely, take your time.
     SATCH- Hey there I’m back, sorry about that.
     Ross CAT- Not a problem. Tell me I just hit the Rock ‘n’ Roll Jackpot  and that was SAMMY HAGAR, MICHAEL ANTHONY and CHAD SMITH at your front door ready for rehearsals for this new SUPERGROUP everyone it talking about?
     SATCH- (Laughter) No sorry not today, the guys and I will be heading into my studio in a few days. Don’t scare me like that my schedule is so tight; if any of those guys showed up “Right Now” it would be utter chaos.
     Ross CAT- Before I hit you up for the Supergroup scoop, I want to talk about a couple of the tremendous tracks on the new album.
     “I Just Wanna Rock” is a walloping rocker with lots of cool nuances and will surely take its rightful place next to “Crowd Chant” from “Super Colossal” as an amplifying anthem at stadiums and arenas around the globe.
     SATCH- Yeah I’m glad you like that; it started out as a funny little idea of what it would be like if a Robot was let loose on a small town and came across a Rock Concert.
     I kind of built that song backwards by recording the Robot voice first using a FRAMPTON Talkbox that I actually purchased from PETER years ago. I had been waiting for the opportunity to use it without it just being an imitation of PETER who revolutionized this amazing tool. I also wanted to make sure it wasn’t a copy of something that JOE WALSH or RITCHIE SAMBORA had already done. I thought if I wrote this from a Robot’s perspective it would provide me with a  unique musical forum to use the Talkbox because the premise is kind of a tongue and cheek and sounds nothing like FRAMPTON. Ultimately it allowed me to put in a gutsy guitar performance with very little intellect which was a blast.
     Ross CAT- “I Just Wanna Rock” has a comically cool video which can be viewed at (www.satriani.com).  Speaking of your website kudos on being so interactive with you fans. You really open the lines of communication offering podcasts from your studio, guitar lessons and all kinds of really amazing swag at Club Joe. Do you find it beneficial to have this type of direct connection with fans?
     SATCH- Your absolutely correct, without having lyrics in my music I’m at a slight disadvantage.  Instrumental Rock is a very small sub category and those podcasts really help people understand what’s going on in our heads and helps us to relate.
     Ross CAT- Like all SATRIANI music it comes from the heart and that always leads you back home to your family. "Revealation” is a intensely soulful song and taps into the emotions involved when losing someone close.
     SATCH- That song actually was written about a friend’s father passing which lead me back to my own feelings about my father who passed away ten years ago. When your willing to reveal yourself, which for me is through music, the creative journey allows you to open up the heart and soul. In many ways "Revelation” was a small cathartic event for me.
     Ross CAT- Sticking with the SATRIANI family theme your son ZZ gets his groove on playing sax on "Professor Satchifunkilus”. He also dusted off one of dear old Dads fifteen-year old tracks “Come on Baby”, once again like every SATRIANI album you profoundly profess the unwavering love and devotion you share with your wife RUBINA.
     SATCH- That’s right, its no secret that a lot of my inspiration comes from family. ZZ has been playing guitar since he was three years old, he just picked up the sax about a year ago and he’s a natural.
     The track came about after he and I where listening to MOS DEF and he made a comment of how cool it would be if I did an instrumental with a similar kind of vibe.
     One evening I got him out of doing his homework for about a half hour; we sat in the studio and I said just play whatever you want to play. He came up with those strange fluttering sax sounds you hear on the intro, he’s a very creative kid that way.
     And Thank You very much for the kind words about my wife, I’m truly blessed to have the love and support of my wonderful family.
     Ross CAT- I would be off my Rock Rapport Rocker if I didn’t try to pump you for some info on what’s going on with SAMMY, MIKE and CHAD on the highly anticipated project tentatively and thankfully known as CHICKENFOOT.
     SATCH- Yeah I guess I’d have to say I’m surprised at how people are jumping all over this thing but I guess I shouldn’t be. We had spent some time playing together on stage and we really clicked as a band.  SAMMY and I have written 2 albums worth of material already and  we will be heading into my studio to polish up the arrangements in a few days.
     Needless to say it’s a really high energy band as you can imagine; SAMMY alone is a volcano ready to erupt at any time and MIKE and CHAD are always ready to jump in.
     It’s been a fantastic few months for me on so many levels especially having a specific band to write music for, they are a bunch of talented guys who really just want to Rock Hard.
     I know SAMMY took some heat for a comment that was taken just a  little to serious when he compared this band to LED ZEPPELIN. As a musician when your influenced by bands like ZEPPELIN and JIMI HENDRIX and you’ve played with bands like VAN HALEN and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS it’s interesting to see where you go when you step outside of that. This project is a musical release, its given us a uniquely  creative outlet which has generated a combustible intensity that is very exciting. I’m looking forward to finally getting this thing down on tape as they say.
     Ross CAT- So this collaboration will definitely result in a new record, will we see this prolific group take the new material out on the road in 2009?
     SATCH- Yeah everything seems to be on schedule to have a record out before the end of the year. As far as touring goes, that really was the ultimate goal when we started jamming together. SAMMY keeps saying “this is a stadium band so let’s not think about anything else”. SAMMY has a personal energy that is so huge that he can take a song and just blow it up. Besides having an absolutely amazing Rock ‘n’ Roll voice there is a incomparable quality about SAMMY’S live performances. He touches people with his contagious spirit, personally I can’t wait to be a part of that raw energy and enthusiasm on stage.
     Ross CAT- Have you come up with a permanent name for the band yet?  Last report on the Rock Wire was that it was going to be called “Blue Mercury”.
     SATCH- Really I haven’t heard that one yet.  There are a bunch of names  floating around amongst us and they are all very secret.  What I can tell you is that it won’t be called CHICKENFOOT.
     Ross CAT- Sounds like you’ve got a full plate through next summer, what does the future hold for the G-3 tour and who might we see participate in that venture?
     SATCH- Those tours take about 9-12 months to plan out because of everyone’s schedule. We really try to keep a tight wrap on whose going out with us on the G-3 tour but I can promise you it will happen sometime next year.
     The Rock Rapport would like to thank SATCH for his time as well as Melissa Dragich-Cordero of MAD, Ink PR for setting us up.
     Check out the University of Buffalo Center for the Arts website at www.ubcfa.org for tickets to other great upcoming events like SUSAN TEDESCHI on Tuesday October 14^th and the DEREK TRUCKS BAND on Sunday November 2^nd. Tune in as the Rock Rapport will feature interviews to preview both these amazing shows.

**********PEACE & Harmonies**********