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I'M PLAYING "SATCH BOOGIE" TONIGHT!: Los Angeles, making last minute plans for tonight? Come down to The Whisky for the 10th Anniversary of Ultimate Jam Night. I'll be on two songs, one of which will be "Satch Boogie" with Eric Barnett on guitar and Joe Travers on drums. Funny/cosmic timing considering the news today, but hey, that's show biz! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯![]()
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And it's for a good cause, raising money for the MusiCares Fire Victims Fund. Hope to see a lot of folks I know there. ❤
NOT THE USUAL SATRIANI TOUR UPDATE: As you may have seen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have announced the band lineup for the upcoming SatchVai tour and I won’t be onboard. Followers of Joe’s career can see that he changes up the band regularly, and that’s a part of his artistry. That fact notwithstanding, I have been on every Satch tour for the last 11 years (!) and it’s been a wonderful thrilling ride every step of the way. I have nothing but gratitude for Joe and his whole team, who always treated me like family and created an environment where an incredible show was possible every single night we played. Vibes are great with Joe and myself and you never know what the future might have in store (if I’ve learned anything about this business and world, it’s that!), but that’s what’s up right now. I’m sure the tour is going to be great and incredibly unique, considering the Satch/Vai collab - you can check out Joe’s post to see the big news. ![]()
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So what does that mean for me? I have considerably more to say below if you enjoy reading my longer form. 🙂![]()
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The very first thing I want to say is THANK YOU to Mike Keneally, because he helped in Joe reaching out to me in the first place. Mike has been a part of pretty much every good thing that’s happened to me in this business, and he’s such a dear friend. ![]()
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Now, some real talk from a freelancer. As has been said by some famous movie character quite loudly and slowly: this is the business we have chosen. We work at the pleasure of the artist, full stop. There are a lot of folks who can do any one gig. Whoever the right person is for the right gig/artist at the right time invariably depends on some unpredictable intangibles. In this case, there was a strong desire to have the Satch/Vai band not feel like either Satch’s or Vai’s solo artist bands. That left a certain bassist who had previously (and very recently) toured with both of them in a funny spot, you know? And that happens in this biz.![]()
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Meanwhile, if you want some good old BB bass grooving along with both Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, have I got good news for you: The G3 REUNION album (capturing two LA shows from early 2024) with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and Eric Johnson is out now, and I’m especially proud of the three-song jam set that caps it off. If you trace back my career far enough, there’s a moment where I almost joined Steve Vai’s band in 1996 for the very first G3 Tour, but instead the gig went to the very talented (and let’s face it, just downright handsome) Philip Bynoe. Then I toured with Steve in his 2007-2008 String Theories band, and then Satriani came later in 2013. The G3 REUNION album was a pretty cosmic way to tie all of those threads together, with Philip playing with Steve, me playing with Joe, and everyone jamming at the end. I just love that this musical document exists to show how much “living” goes into a single moment in life. ![]()
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So like I said, it’s been a wonderful ride, and now here we are. ![]()
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A little more freelancer real talk: Magnanimity and actual emotions are not mutually exclusive. Of *course* I would love to be on this tour! Come on, I’m human. (Those who know me well would laugh and say “yes, *very* human!”) But that’s life as a freelancer. If you don’t want to be subjected to the ebbs and flows of it, start your own band. ![]()
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Hey, wait just a minute, I’m in one of those! 😉 The Aristocrats are getting ready to set off for Australia, Asia, Cruise To The Edge, and another USA run. I’ve been posting a lot about that, and I’ll continue to do so. The Aristocrats “DUCK” tour has a long way to go, and I’m looking forward to every step. ![]()
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You know, it’s been so long that I’ve been balancing world tours with Joe Satriani and The Aristocrats (and as much Dethklok as possible, though that got challenging on the calendar!) that I’m sure people just look at me online and go “he’s the busiest guy ever”, and for the better part of 11 years that’s been true. Perceptions baked in over years can be hard to change, which is one of the reasons why I’m doing this post. That’s a good chunk of calendar space that just opened up. I think you can pick up what I’m putting down here. 😉![]()
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And meanwhile, NAMM starts in just two days. Some interesting things have happened there in the past. ![]()
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I’m a dyed in the wool Gen X’er, but on this occasion I’m going to borrow the millennial saying: ![]()
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Let’s go. ![]()
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📸 Jon Luini / chime interactive - from the 2018 "G3/What Happens Next" tour
MAKE THAT ALBUM!: The bass tracks I do for folks making their first album are just as crucial as the "name" sessions, because it's no small thing to decide to make your own album and I want to honor that! Ray Carrano's album "Out Of The Ashes" is now available on Bandcamp and features me, Derek Sherinian on keys, and Marco Bicca on drums. It's good old fashioned unapologetic instrumental guitar rock and I'm here for it. Thanks to Ray for having me on!![]()
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Thinking about making your own album or even just a couple of tracks? I say do it. 🤘❤![]()
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9 track album
SINGAPORE ON DECK: The Aristocrats will be coming back to Singapore in March! Details below in the poster graphic. Can’t wait to see our fans there once again!
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