Often I am asked “who are some of your influences? I kind of laugh because there are 1000’s of musicians whom I admire and have inspired me to play music and better my musicianship and to try and narrow it down to just a few is virtually impossible.
All said and done, here is a “partial list” of musicians in many different genres, styles and periods who have impacted me. The list keeps growing and there are many omissions as there is not enough time in the day to think of everyone… (sorry if I forgot you… LOL)
Influences [in no particular order of preference]
Guitar players:
Steve Howe, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Michael Schenker, Al Dimeola, Ted Greene, Pete Townsend, Richie Blackmore, Alex Lifeson, Jimi Hendrix, Brian May, Django Reinhardt, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, Akira Takasaki, Buck Dharma, Steve Hackett, Julian Bream, Andres Segovia, Carlos Montoya, Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Phil Keaggy, Joe Pass, George Benson, Charlie Christian, Tal Farlow, Wes Montgomery, Lenny Breau, Steve Morse, Greg Lake, Glen Tipton, Frank Gambale, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dave Prichard, Phil Sandoval, Carlos Sanatana, Robert Fripp, John McLaughlin, Terry Kath, Peter Frampton, Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Davey Johnson, Frank Zappa, Johnny Winter, Neil Young, Joe Perry, Rick Derringer, Ronnie Montrose, Eric Johnson, Pat Metheny, Robben Ford, Lee Ritenour, Joe Walsh, Allen Holdsworth, Martin Barre, Tony Iommi, Rick Nielson, Duane Allman, Dicky Betts, Billy Gibbons, Tom Scholz, Mathias Jabs, Uli Jon Roth, Rik Emmett, Neil Schon, Randy Rhoads, Doyle Dykes, Johnny Hiland, Alan Holldsworth…
Bass Players:
Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, John Paul Jones, Stanley Clarke, Joey Vera, Cliff Burton, Mike Rutherford, Ray Brown, Steve Harris, Tony Levin, Jaco Pastorious, John Entwistle, Mike Rutherford, Paul McCartney, Mike Inez
Keyboardist’s:
Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Patrick Moraz, Herbie Hancock, Rick Wright, Jon Lord, Tony Hymas, Edgar Winter, Tony Banks, Joe Zawinul, David Sparkman
Drummers:
John Bonham, Neil Peart, Bill Bruford, Alan White, Cozy Powell, Carl Palmer, Ian Paice, Tommy Aldridge, Billy Cobham, Phil Collins, John Tempesta, Gonzo Sandoval, Roger Taylor, Terry Bozzio, Mitch Mitchell, Gene Krupa, Chick Webb, Buddy Rich, Ed Shaughnessy
Big Band Leaders:
Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, Les Brown, Earl Hines
Horn Players:
Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Harry James, Miles Davis, Al Hirt, Herb Albert, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Bix Beiderbecke, Wynton Marsalis, Ray Anthony, Dave Koz
Composers:
Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Edvard Grieg, Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, Amar Khatchurian, Antonio Vivaldi, Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky, John Philip Sousa…
*** A Special Thanks goes out to Ken Burn’s for his great documentary JAZZ. Now I am an avid Big Band/Swing enthusiast and can add this exciting era of music to my list of influences