Neil Zaza is an American

guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...

known for his

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes musical instruments and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental rock can be found in practically every subgenre of rock, often from musicians who specialize in the style. Instru ...

compositions as well as his adaptation of classical works by

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

and

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

into his own blend of neo-classical, melodic,

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

Biography

Neil Zaza was born in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...

and began playing the guitar at the age of 10. He went on to study classical guitar at the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

under Stephen Aron. Before beginning a solo career, Neil Zaza formed the rock band ZAZA in 1987. The band toured the U.S. and released an album called ''Party With The Big Boys'' in 1991. After his second solo album, Zaza was as a guest soloist with ''The Hartford Symphony Orchestra'', performing “1492” and a guitar interpretation of “West Side Story”. His CDs often include guest appearances by veteran musicians including: *

Jordan Rudess Jordan Rudess (born Jordan Charles Rudes; November 4, 1956) is an American musician, software developer and composer best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive metal supergroup Liquid Tension Experime ...

- keyboard player from

Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...

appears on his ''

When Gravity Fails ''When Gravity Fails'' is a cyberpunk science fiction novel by American writer George Alec Effinger, published in 1986. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1987 and the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1988. The title is taken from ...

'' CD; * Michael Anthony - bass player from

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

and

Chickenfoot Chickenfoot is an American hard rock supergroup formed in 2008. The group consists of vocalist Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen and - Montrose), bassist Michael Anthony (also ex-Van Halen), guitarist Joe Satriani, and drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili ...

appears on his ''When Gravity Fails'' CD and his current studio project in progress; *

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics * Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager * Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...

and

Ross Valory Ross Lamont Valory (born February 2, 1949) is an American musician who is best known as the original bass player for the rock band Journey from 1973 to 1985 and again from 1995 to 2020. Valory was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a ...

- from

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

appeared on his '' Staring at the Sun'' CD. He has also shared the stage with notable guitarists such as

Joe Satriani Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956)Prato, Greg"Joe Satriani – Music Biography, Credits and Discography". ''AllMusic''. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved May 28, 2014. is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and guitar teacher. Early in his ...

and

Michael Angelo Batio Michael Angelo Batio (), also known as Michael Angelo, Mike Batio or MAB, is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. He was the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles-based glam metal band Nitro (b ...

. He holds an annual concert called ''One Silent Night'' at the Palace Theater in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

with the backing of the 60 piece Cleveland Rock Orchestra and features his adaptation of popular

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

songs to his melodic style. Zaza is known for dramatic entrances, often suddenly appearing from behind projector screens to provide his signature brand of neo-classical guitar virtuosity. In 2006, Zaza contributed his song "Fargo" to the album project Artists for Charity -

Guitarists 4 the Kids ''Artists for Charity - Guitarists 4 the Kids'' is a compilation album which was produced and arranged by Slang Productions in 2006. Over 18 international artists contributed to the recording project to assist World Vision Canada and their philanth ...

, produced by Slang Productions, to assist World Vision Canada in helping underprivileged kids in need.

Discography

With ''ZAZA''

* ''Maybe Tomorrow'' (7" single, 1988) * ''Just Get It!'' (1989) * ''Party With The Big Boys'' (1991)

Solo albums

* ''Two Hands One Heart'' (1992) * ''Thrills & Chills'' (1993) * ''Sing'' (1996) * ''Staring at the Sun'' (2001) * ''One Silent Night... Volume 1'' (2002) * ''One Silent Night... Volume 2'' (2002) * ''Melodica'' (2004) * ''When Gravity Fails'' (2006) * ''212'' (2011) * ''Clyde the Cat'' (2012) * ''Peach'' (2015) * ''Vermeer'' (2022)

Live albums

*''Snap, Crackle & Pop...Live!'' (1998) *''Neil Zaza's One Silent Night...A Night At The Palace'' (2007)

Compilation albums/appearances

*''Distant Thunder: Sounds Of The Cleveland Metal Storm'' (1990) - Guitar, Songwriting on "Climbing The Alps" *''Rewind: The Definitive Collection'' (2005)

Collaborations/guest appearances

*''Ten Zen Men Project'' (1997) - Guitar, Producer *''Lords of Karma: A Tribute To Vai/Satriani'' (2002) - Guitar *''Warmth In The Wilderness: A Tribute To Jason Becker'' (2002) - Guitar *''Guitar Center Volume 1'' (2004) - Guitar *Mistheria -''Messenger Of The Gods'' (2004) - Guitars on track 2 *''

'' (2006) - Guitar *JRZ System - ''Cosmic String Theory'' (2008) - Guitar

References

External links

Neil Zaza Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaza, Neil American rock guitarists American male guitarists Living people 1964 births