Rob Balducci

Latest Lick of the Week (LOTW)...To purchase Color of Light, click on Album Cover.... To purchase Mantra, click on buy now.To purchase Balance, click on Album Cover....HI MY NAME IS ROB BALDUCCI I AM A GUITARIST/COMPOSER FROM NEW YORK! WELCOME TO MY MYSPACE PAGE AND I THANK YOU FOR VISITING. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING THE GUITAR SINCE I WAS 11 YEARS OLD. I WAS INTRODUCED TO IT BY MY OLDER SISTER BARBARA. GUITAR AND MUSIC MEAN SO MUCH TO ME, WHILE GROWING UP IT WAS MY ESCAPE FROM THE WORLD AROUND ME AND GAVE ME A VOICE OF MY OWN WHICH SEPERATES ME FROM OTHERS AND GAVE ME AND STILL GIVES ME MY INDIVIDUALITY. I STARTED TEACHING GUITAR AT AGE 14 AND I STILL TEACH GUITAR TODAY. I LOVE TEACHING AND HELPING OTHERS REACH THERE GOALS. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING CLUBS SINCE 14 YEARS OLD, I OWE ALOT TO MY FATHER WHO USED TO DRIVE ME TO ALL MY GIGS AS A TEENAGER BECAUSE I WOULD NOT BE ALOUD IN TO PLAY IF I DID NOT HAVE HIM WITH ME. WHEN I AM NOT RECORDING OR TOURING WITH MY BAND I TEACH, DO SESSION WORK AND CLINICS FOR THE COMPANIES WHO SUPPORT ME. I HAVE THREE SOLO CDS OUT, BALANCE WAS MY DEBUT CD AND THEN I RELEASED MANTRA AND THE COLOR OF LIGHT ON FAVORED NATIONS ENTERTAIMENT WHICH IS STEVE VAI'S LABEL. I PLAY THROUGH OUT THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS TOURING JAPAN, EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA. MY MUSIC IS INSTRUMENTAL BUT I COMPOSE IN A WAY THAT THE GUITAR IS A VOICE. I AM ABOUT MELODY AND I JUDGE MY SONGS ON HOW THE MELODY WILL STAY WITH YOU LONG AFTER YOU LISTEN TO IT. EACH SONG ON MY CDS MEAN SOMETHING IN MY LIFE AND THE EMOTION I PUT INTO THEM COMES ACROSS TO PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO IT. I APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR ON THIS PAGE PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINKS TO BUY THE MUSIC. MY MAIN WEBSITE PAGE IS WWW.ROBBALDUCCI.COM I HAVE A FORUM THERE WHICH I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN. I ALSO HAVE A VERY COOL FEATURE CALLED THE LICK OF THE WEEK. I PUT UP A NEW VIDEO UP EACH WEDNESDAY OF THE WEEK SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT..... SEE BELOW FOR THE OFFICIAL FN PRESS RELEASE.A Press Release from FavoredNations.com -THE COLOR OF LIGHT (Favored Nations), Rob Balducci's third album, is an ambitious collision of inventive songwriting, versatile guitar playing and a modernistic sonic framework. "I came up with the title of the album while watching a documentary about the painting styles of Picasso and Matisse. They came up with this term, 'the color of light,' which had to do with how they used shade in their paintings. I thought it was a very cool title. Music is related to painting in the sense that you're starting out with a blank canvas and then you create your own structure with musical colors just like a painter does." Having played guitar for the past 24 years, the Queens, New York bred musician spent years dedicated to mastering his instrument. These well-spent years of woodshedding, and perfecting his technique would pay off handsomely. In 1990, Balducci would go on to win a local contest sponsored by Guitar For The Practicing Musician proclaiming him New York's best guitarist. Balducci also furthered his six-string education, earning a degree in music performance and theory from CW Post. Balducci's previous two guitar instrumental albums, his debut CD, 1995's BALANCE and 2002's MANTRA, both reaped unanimous praise from press and guitar enthusiasts alike heralding this promising new talent. His stellar guitar stylings can also be heard on "Rewired: A Tribute To Jeff Beck," "Crushing Days: A Tribute To Joe Satriani" and a forthcoming salute to Carlos Santana. A native of New York, Balducci's music is drenched in layers of sonic colors, each representing a tangible emotion, desire, depth, feeling, thought and mood. "There's this cliche that instrumental guitar music has gotten to be too much of a vehicle for soloing and showing off technique. That's completely the opposite of what I'm trying to do. My music is really like vocal songs with the guitar taking place of the vocal. I'm going for musical and emotional songs that have meaning." Through such highlights as "RU Divine" to "C.O.L.-Frequency Of Twilight," THE COLOR OF LIGHT introduces a wide-range of stylistic signposts that penetrate the musical fabric, providing a cohesive glue that ties everything together seamlessly. An exceptionally gifted guitar player, Balducci approaches the music found on THE COLOR OF LIGHT with a deftness of style, spirituality, and musical sophistication. "I think the songs on my album take the listener on a journey," said Balducci. "Because this music is instrumental, there are no language barriers. Music can bring all cultures together." "Falling Water" sets the stage for the album perfectly, framed by sleek, modern production, an aggressive "in your face" melody and corrosively brutal guitar work. "The Alchemist" continues the hard-hitting assault on the senses, its muscular axe stylings riding on a fiery, volcanic groove. "That song is one of my favorite tracks on the record. It features me playing 7-string guitar. The heavier stuff I do is inspired by groups like Dream Theater, Tool and Perfect Circle." Not content to harvest the same musical field over and over, as repeated spins of THE COLOR OF LIGHT will confirm, Balducci is clearly a seasoned pro, well versed in a multitude of styles. He's equally comfortable shredding notes faster than the speed of light (check out "Black Garden") and then slowing down the gears completely on the same track with an intricately executed parade of well-chosen notes and robust nuances. "The way this record was recorded was that a lot of the music was improvised," Balducci explains. "I didn't go in there with a set solo guitar break on any song. It's funny, when the record was done I had to go back and learn some of the guitar parts because there was a real sense of spontaneity behind the creation of the record." Opening with an imaginative flurry of complex chording reminiscent of prime Jimmy Page, "Queen Of Cups" lifts off like a rocket ship, sweetly cushioned by a stunning interweaving guitar line, intriguing percussion and jangly bells. "That song was inspired by my Mom. The title 'Queen Of Cups' is a tarot card and the meaning behind that is unconditional love, rooted from our Earth and shining forth on the family. Not surprisingly, my Mom loves the song (laughs). She was touched by it." Another track that allows Balducci to flex his musical muscle is the wah-wah flavored, "Of The Earth-A Vampire Love Story." With a haunting, Hendrix-ian inspired opening that sounds like it was recorded underwater, the song is an atmospheric jewel, driven by a warm and subtle rhythmic foundation and fluid guitar prowess. "The inspiration behind that song comes from the Anne Rice book, Interview with the Vampire. The character has a lonely existence and he's trying somehow to fill that void in his life. I was trying to capture that desolate vibe with the music." The album, produced by Ethan Meixsell and Balducci, was recorded at New York City's Midtown Sound. "Ethan knew my style and was a fan of the music so we worked well together, bouncing off ideas." Featuring Balducci on all guitars and electric sitars, he's ably supported by a musical team that includes Meixsell, drummer Rob Stankiewicz (Haji's Kitchen), keyboardist Maria Dessena and Jim Pegg and Ben Whitman on percussion. What remains a constant about THE COLOR OF LIGHT is the intoxicating cinematic scope of the sounds, skin-tight arrangements and Balducci's extraordinary six-string dexterity. And the musical community has also taken notice of this new guitar giant, with scores of global publications here and abroad loudly singing his praises (most notably Guitarist UK, Guitar World, Young Guitar, and Burn). Music is a highly personal experience for each and every listener, a uniquely exotic adventure conjuring up a kaleidoscope of different emotions and feelings. Like a master snake charmer, Balducci's music seduces, inspires, challenges, and ultimately takes you onto a new dimension of light and shade. "I'm very excited about the music on the record. It covers a lot of ground and I think it'll touch people's hearts when they listen to it." Surrender to Rob Balducci's THE COLOR OF LIGHT, and bask in the sonic glow.