Steve Lukather

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For a while I had a discussion about the guitarist Steve Lukather with a friend of mine and I have discovered that Steve is not the most well-known guitarist, although he has played on over 1’000 albums in the last years!

Some information about

 

WIKIPEDIA /

 

Steve “Luke” Lukather (born October 21, 1957) is an American Grammy Award winning guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto.

Lukather has also released several solo albums and, as a studio session guitarist, has arranged, composed, and recorded on over 1000 albums.

Lukather was recently voted #1 guitarist worldwide in over 40 countries at VoteNumber1.com.

While his work with Toto is predominantly based on pop rock music, Lukather’s solo work spans many genres including rock, prog, jazz and funk.

Lukather has been nominated for a Grammy twelve times, and has won five awards.

[…]

Influenced by blues-rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, jazz guitarists such as Larry Carlton, and jazz fusion players such as Al Di Meola and Frank Gambale, Lukather is known for fast, melodic lines that often combine blues phrases with jazzy ‘out’ notes.

His vibrato is very pronounced and his exaggerated wide bends are instantly recognizable.

Well versed in theory, Lukather can follow chord charts and changes as a jazz musician would, and this enhances his value as a session musician. In interviews, he has explained how he thinks of the guitar in a “chordal cluster” format, and not the typical “linear scale” format.

 

INTERVIEW /

 

You said many times that your heros are Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Harrison and so on… You also got to work with Jeff Beck at one point… I just wondered if you ever got to meet these “heros” you’ve mentioned as being so important in your (musical) life and how it was to finally be “face to face” with them?

Luke: All these players are so awesome and have inspired me more than words. Jeff Beck… I have known him and played with him many times. We did a record together that never came out ’cause he wanted to get into electronic music but he’s a main influence and a great friend. Jimi… Well I never met him but if he was alive I would most certainly know him. Major influence. Clapton… I did his Behind the sun record and played live with him with Elton John at the Hollywood Bowl. WAY cool. Jimmy Page… What a gentleman. He made a point to take me aside and tell me that he really dug my playing, I have never worked with him but I would love to sometime. I felt up my first girlfriend summer of 1969 listening to Led Zepplin 1, hahaha. SRV… never met him but I LOVE his touch. What a player! George Harrison… Well HE is the reason I play the guitar. I met him right after we lost Jeff Porcaro and I talked him into playing with us at the tribute at the Ampitheatre in L.A. What an honor. He took me out to dinner that next year and Bob Dylan was there, Jim Keltner, Jeff Lynne and we had a jam at Jeff Lynne’s house after. What a trip that was.

 

SHORT-LIST OF ARTISTS HE PLAYED WITH/FOR /

 

Among others, he has played with/for:

  • Jimmy Cliff
  • Alice Cooper
  • Gilberto Gil
  • Elton John
  • Eric Clapton
  • Lee Ritenour
  • Barbara Streisand
  • Aretha Franklin
  • Donna Summer
  • George Benson
  • Al Jarreau
  • Quincy Jones
  • Herbie Hancock
  • Michael Jackson
  • Joni Mitchell
  • Lionel Richie
  • Diana Ross
  • Joe Cocker
  • Paul McCartney
  • Chet Atkins
  • Rod Stewart
  • Trilok Gurtu
  • Van Halen
  • …

 

PART OF HIS DISCOGRAPHY /

 

http://www.stevelukather.net/Discography.aspx

 

SOME INTERESTING VIDEOS /

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