Jason Becker

Jason Becker is the protagonist of one of rock & roll's most tragic and inspiring stories, refusing to give up his joie de vivre or his inspirational muse despite being struck down by A.L.S. almost 15 years before this particular release, 2002's The Blackberry Jams. Of course, the fact that Becker's difficult condition has made it impossible for him to pick up, much less play, a guitar in over a decade, predicates that the 31 solos and song-snippets collected here were all committed to tape a long time ago, mostly between 1987 and 1988.

Warmth in the Wilderness: A Tribute to Jason Becker features a large cast of musicians performing some of Jason Becker's best-known songs. Some of the performances include Stormwind's version of "Little Ain't Enough," Torben Enevoldsen's version of "Altitudes," and Evolution's version of "Go Off." Some of the featured songs document Becker's work with David Lee Roth – "Little Ain't Enough," "It's Showtime," and "Drop in the Bucket" – and there are several of the songs co-written by Mary Friedman – "Eleven Blue Egyptians," "Go Off," "ESP," "Black Stallion Jam," and "Concerto." This tribute will be best appreciated by Becker fanatics who also enjoy the work of the featured performers.

Perpetual Burn is the first studio album by guitarist Jason Becker, released in 1988 through Shrapnel Records (US) and Roadrunner Records (Europe). The album was released around the same time as Dragon's Kiss, the debut album of fellow Cacophony guitarist Marty Friedman, who also co-produced and performed on Perpetual Burn.

Cacophony guitarist Jason Becker's all-instrumental solo album is a winner. On Perpetual Burn, Becker gets to stretch out and really show his talents, whereas in Cacophony, with fellow virtuoso Marty Friedman sharing the spotlight, some of the subtleties of Becker's style are lost amid the cluttered speed metal maelstrom. Floating in on a bed of ethereal keyboards, Becker's guitar opens the album with a lyrical solo on the stately "Altitudes." His compositional skills allow the piece to build naturally and make it a coherent, satisfying statement rather than a jarring collection of unrelated ideas.

Jason Becker’s story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the legendary shred duo Cacophony (with his great friend Marty Friedman).

The first release done on BlackNote Records, with Kofi Baker (son of the famed Ginger Baker from Cream) on the drum throne. This record was a combination of new and old, as the liner notes suggest. Much light and darkness in the lives of all those concerned, reflected in the colors of the music. “Tara”, and “Tattoo” were long part of the OHM set. “Spun” inspired by a movie, “Joog” a tongue-in-cheek title from some of our Armenian fans, “Williams'” by a friend, “Rooms of Telemetry” by a tragic loss in the family.

Just when progressive rock and fusion fans thought they've heard it all, OHM: came along to change their perspective on progressive instrumental music and to prove how good it really can get. Since 1997, OHM: has been breathing new life into the L.A. rock fusion scene by writing, recording, and performing with a highly original and captivating brand of instrumental music, inspired by the likes of King Crimson, Return to Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as progressive rock and metal.

Chasing the Sun is the second studio album by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, released in 2000 through Grooveyard Records (United States) and Mascot Records (Europe), and reissued on March 16, 2004 through Rotten Records. Greg Prato at AllMusic gave Chasing the Sun 3.5 stars out of five, calling it "a mixed bag of tricks" and likening it to early albums by guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, albeit with an emphasis on "jazzier sounds".