Artists confirmed and appearing on stage on behalf of Jason Becker on November 13th 2011!
Guthrie Govan (UK)
http://www.guthriegovan.co.uk/
Guthrie Govan (born December 27, 1971 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is a guitarist known for his work with the bands Asia (2001-2006), GPS, The Young Punx and The Fellowship as well as Erotic Cakes (a vehicle for his own music). He is a noted guitar teacher through his work with the U.K. magazine Guitar Techniques, Guildford’s Academy of Contemporary Music and currently the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. He is also a former winner of Guitarist Magazine's "Guitarist of the Year" competition.
Michael Lee Firkins (USA)
http://www.michaelleefirkins.com
Michael Lee Firkins was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1967. Born to musician parents, his father was a lap steel guitarist and his mother a pianist, he started playing acoustic guitar at the young age of eight. Mostly self taught, he also took lessons at a local Omaha music store. Learning the songs of the times, Michael was heavily into Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath.
By 1979 Michael had a Gibson SG and a Fender Princeton Reverb. Electrified, he soon played in local bands and in church from the age of 12 until 18. In 1985 Michael started touring the country in cover tune bands. Frustrated with cover tunes, he eventually went back to Omaha and began teaching guitar.
For the next few years, Michael's musical influences were expanding. Jerry Reed, Chet Atkins, Albert Lee, and Danny Gatton were among the list of new favorites. As Michael continued to grow musically, he recorded a 5 song demo of instrumental guitar tunes that showcased his guitar playing. The 5 song demo was sent to Guitar Player Magazine talent scout Mike Varney who signed Firkins immediately. A release of his first album was soon to follow.
In 1990, Michael released his self titled debut album on Shrapnel Records. This release showcased Michael's signature sound of rock blended with country, blues and jazz. With the strength of this album, and the help of an international advertising campaign from YAMAHA GUITARS , Michael's first release sold more than 100,000 copies. This well received album also landed Michael the winner of the "BEST NEW TALENT" reader's poll in Guitar for the Practicing Musician and also runner up in Guitar Player Magazine's "BEST NEW TALENT" readers poll. He was also hailed as "ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PLAYERS OF THE NEXT TEN YEARS" by Guitar for the Practicing Musician. As Michael's music was also popular in Europe, Firkins won the Edison Award, which is Holland's version of a Grammy
Stuart Hamm (USA)
http://www.stuarthamm.net
Born in New Orleans, Hamm spent his childhood and youth in Champaign, Illinois, where he studied bass and piano, played in the stage band at Champaign High School, and was selected to the Illinois All-State Band. Hamm graduated from Hanover High in Hanover, New Hampshirein 1978 while living in Norwich, Vermont. Following high school, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he met guitaristSteve Vai and, through him, met Joe Satriani. Hamm played bass on Vai's debut solo album, Flex-Able, which was released in 1984.
Hamm has performed and recorded with Steve Vai, Frank Gambale, Joe Satriani and many other well-respected guitarists.
Mattias IA Eklundh (S)
http://www.freakguitar.com
Imagine a musical frontier with no boundaries, no limitations, no restrictions. Allow us to unveil that very record---Freak Guitar-The Road Less Traveled, a new Favored Nations release by Swedish guitarist Mattias IA Eklundh. It's a six-string tour-de-force of insane explorations of sound that consistently presses the musical envelope. Crammed with 23 jaw-dropping tracks, all displaying Eklundh's imagination, seasoned versatility and fiery virtuoso technique, Freak Guitar-The Road Less Traveled is like nothing you've ever heard before. "The thing I'm most proud of with the album is I gave the record time," remarks Eklundh. "I think time is the key word for trying to break new ground. That's what it's all about. I'm influenced by the same guitar players as everybody else but I tried to walk the road less traveled, to grow my own mustache so to speak. I'm from Sweden and I do everything backwards. I'm left handed and I use no effects whatsoever. The guitar itself contains so many sounds you can use. I have very liberal ears and I wanted to make a listenable, unorthodox party CD."
Marco Sfogli
http://www.marcosfogli.com
Born in 1980 he started playing music since he was 4. He got his first electric guitar at the age of 9 and started playing along his heroes like Van Halen and Europe, just to name a few. In 1992 he switched to drums which helped him a lot in rhythmic knowledge. He switched back to guitar at 16 and never looked. He has worked as session player in Italy for a lot of artists and was part of one of the top World Music bands ever, “Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare”, touring extensively with them around the world. Nowadays he is the guitar player of Dream Theater’s vocalist James Labrie, for which he recorded guitar tracks on his latest solo album entitled “Elements of Persuasion”. He took part to the following "Persuasion" world tour. Since then he had the luck to record and/or appear on records with such names as Simon Phillips, Greg Bissonette, Matt Bissonette, Jordan Rudess, Adam Nitti, Alex Argento, Matt Guillory, John Macaluso, Vitalij Kuprij, Randy Coven and many more. When not touring or recording he teaches extensively in his area. Several times has been labeled as one of the hottest guitar players of the next generation, being proficient in almost every genre from straight pop tunes to mind blowing fusion songs.
Daniele Gottardo
http://www.danielegottardo.com
Daniele Gottardo was born on August 26th 1983 in Rovigo, Italy and is a talented guitarist and composer. Daniele started playing the guitar at the age of 14 and was inspired by his father's red Fender Stratocaster, which is still his favorite guitar.
In 2004, Daniele started his experience as lead guitarist for the international pop singer Alexia and toured accross the globe. In four years later, Daniele won the "Guitar Idol Award" and the Steve Vai Award for his two hand tapping technique. Frenzy of Ecstasy is Daniele's first studio album where he displays his amazing jazz, nu-metal and classical music influences"
Kiko Loureiro
http://kikoloureiro.com.br
In March 2007 Kiko Loureiro was voted “Best Guitarist” by respected Japanese music publication BURRN. Quite an achievement for a guitarist from Brasil whose meteoric career has spawned numerous studio and live albums with ANGRA, as well as solo albums “No Gravity” and “Universo Inverso”.
Beginning his musical studies at age eleven, Kiko has never stopped evolving both as a musician and as a composer. Today, at age 34, he is in the enviable position of being respected, well-known and influential worldwide.
Kiko was just 19 years old when he was invited to join the newly-formed ANGRA. Before then he studied with Mozart Mello and played with various local groups in his hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Kiko's solo career has developped parallel to that of ANGRA.
In March 1993 Kiko filmed his first instructional video. Shortly thereafter he travelled to Germany to record ANGRA's debut album “Angels Cry”. The album's overwhelming success opened many new markets to the band, such as Europe and Japan.
Joop Wolters (NL)
www.joopwolters.com
Joop Wolters was born on 08-06-1971 in a Middelburg, Netherlands and is fast gaining a reputation as one of Europe’s finest new breeds of virtuoso guitarists. Having been involved in the music scene on a recording level since 1995 with numerous solo albums and band projects under his belt, Joop’s trademark style is fast gaining a solid fan base around the world and with his latest solo album "False Poetry" (January 9th 2011), Joop has raised his performances to even greater levels.
Marcel Coenen (NL)
http://www.marcelcoenen.com
| B | orn in the hospital in Sittard, The Netherlands, on the 21st of September 1972 just a few minutes before midnight.
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When Marcel had lessons for almost a year and a half he joined his first band called |
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Atma Anur (USA / drums)
www.atmaanur.com
The great well respected master drummer Atma Anur, who played in Cacophony, recorded with guitar masters like Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Greg Howe, Tony MacAlpine, Richie Kotzen, just to name a few. He recorded over 270 albums so far!
Atma will be present in Amsterdam and play the drums for some of the artists that will be performing that night for Jason Becker’s cause.