Joey Tafolla
Encyclopedia
Joey Tafolla is an American
guitarist
. Initially a member of the heavy metal
band Jag Panzer
from 1984 to 1985, he joined Mike Varney
's Shrapnel Records
label soon after; releasing his debut album Out of the Sun
in 1987, alongside the releases of other shred
players such as Marty Friedman
, Jason Becker
, Paul Gilbert
, Richie Kotzen
, Tony MacAlpine
and Vinnie Moore
, among others. His second release in 1991, Infra-Blue
, was a noticeable departure from the neo-classical
stylings of his first album, and demonstrated a more standard instrumental rock
-orientated sound.
Tafolla currently owns JTM Merchandising, an apparel and gear manufacturing company located in Huntington Beach, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. Initially a member of the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Jag Panzer
Jag Panzer
Jag Panzer were an American power metal band from Colorado Springs, Colorado.-Biography:Jag Panzer came together in late 1981, being inspired by the onslaught of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
from 1984 to 1985, he joined Mike Varney
Mike Varney
Mike Varney is an American musician, record producer, music publisher and impresario. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label...
's Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records is a guitar-oriented record label started in 1980 by record producer Mike Varney. Guitarist Marty Friedman , one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album Unsung Guitar Heroes II in 1980 with the band Vixen. Vixen would later change their name to Hawaii...
label soon after; releasing his debut album Out of the Sun
Out Of The Sun
Out of the Sun is the first studio album by guitarist Joey Tafolla, released in 1987 through Shrapnel Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Joey Tafolla – electric guitar*Paul Gilbert – additional guitar solos...
in 1987, alongside the releases of other shred
Shred guitar
Shred guitar or shredding is lead electric guitar playing that relies heavily on fast guitar solos. While some critics argue that shred guitar is associated with "... sweep-picked arpeggios, diminished and harmonic minor scales, finger-tapping and ... whammy-bar abuse", several guitar...
players such as Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (guitarist)
Marty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...
, Jason Becker
Jason Becker
Jason Eli Becker is an American virtuoso neo-classical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Mike Varney-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988...
, Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
, Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
, Tony MacAlpine
Tony MacAlpine
Tony Jeff MacAlpine is an American guitarist and keyboardist. Having released ten studio albums over a career spanning more than two decades, he is best known as an instrumental solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in the form of guest appearances and...
and Vinnie Moore
Vinnie Moore
Vinnie Moore is a guitarist and a member of the English hard rock band UFO. Along with Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine, and others, Moore is known as one of the most influential guitarists to emerge out of the shredder boom in the mid 1980s.-Biography:Moore was born in New Castle, Delaware...
, among others. His second release in 1991, Infra-Blue
Infra-blue
Infra-Blue is the second studio album by guitarist Joey Tafolla, released in 1991 through Shrapnel Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Joey Tafolla – electric guitar*Kee Marcello – additional guitar solos *Jesse Bradman – keyboard...
, was a noticeable departure from the neo-classical
Neo-classical metal
Neo-classical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that is heavily influenced by classical music. It refers to a very technical performanceExact quote from the french text: "L'arrivée du néoclassique remet au goût du jour la virtuosité et le travail de l'instrument", « Les secrets du metal-...
stylings of his first album, and demonstrated a more standard instrumental rock
Instrumental rock
Instrumental rock is a type of rock music which emphasizes musical instruments, and which 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, most notably Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Link...
-orientated sound.
Tafolla currently owns JTM Merchandising, an apparel and gear manufacturing company located in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
.
Solo albums
- 1987: Out of the SunOut Of The SunOut of the Sun is the first studio album by guitarist Joey Tafolla, released in 1987 through Shrapnel Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Joey Tafolla – electric guitar*Paul Gilbert – additional guitar solos...
- 1991: Infra-BlueInfra-blueInfra-Blue is the second studio album by guitarist Joey Tafolla, released in 1991 through Shrapnel Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Joey Tafolla – electric guitar*Kee Marcello – additional guitar solos *Jesse Bradman – keyboard...
- 2001: Plastic (Joey Tafolla album)Plastic (Joey Tafolla album)Plastic is the third studio album by guitarist Joey Tafolla, released in 2001 through Mascot Records.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Joey Tafolla – electric guitar, production*Billy Batte – keyboard, synthesizer*Allen Less Silva – keyboard sequencing...