Stevie Salas, a Mescalero Apache born and raised in San Diego, he moved to Los Angeles where his musical journey begins in earnest. Life on the streets of LA, crashing on studio couches and constant playing guitar in search of a gig. In walks George Clinton and he needs someone to play chords on a song he's recording.

In not too long Stevie's resume expands to include the likes of Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, George Clinton, of course, and Bootsie Collins. He fronted tours w/ Joe Satriani and Steve Vai among a list of many respected musicians both performing and session fellas. Despite this Stevie remains relatively little known in certain circles and solid international recognition is slow in coming.

With his career continuing to blossom he explores Native music and musicians for a time. Stevie does proud the tradition begun by people like Jesse Ed Davis (brilliant Native rocker who also toured with Rod Stewart/1975.).

Stevie's developing style is showcased in a two CD set titled The Sun And The Earth ??“ The Essential Stevie Salas/Vol. 1. Stevie's playing is clean, crisp and precise. Unlike a lot of guitar players he doesn't abuse the use of effects and the recording quality is excellent. 

Stevie has earned the respect of his peers by continuing to move forward and improve his playing and his sound.

There is a wonderful production quality here. The cover art is good and the insert contains autobiographical material in Stevie's words and his thoughts on each track, a short bio and several photos reflective of his development.

The song sequence is ideal and these CD's flow beautifully together.

On Disc 1 the first track starts with Tell Your Story Walkin' a good hard dark punk funk growler, the anthem of the genre' and his top 10 hit.

Right away he follows with the second track Pumpin' It Up (Featuring Koshi Inaba, Rob Lamouth & Bernard Fowler) and he establishes the dark punk funk, his signature style.

Two Bullets & A Gun (Featuring Bootsy Collins) Who knew Bootsy had it in him? This song has a really hard, beautiful guitar hook. An interesting perspective on "Love"! for a sentiment and the guitar solo here is something special.

The song Hots On For Nowhere (Nicklebag-Featuring Bernard Fowler & Ronnie Wood) is tight and precise. Beautiful guitar work at all levels. Stevie continues to pay respects to the African American rock guitar players. Nice slide work. Very exciting to hear this done this well. 

On the second CD in Soul Ecstasy (Featuring Jerry Cantrell) there is a connection with the disco genre but the things he does with the form are tasteful and mature. It's a nice sound.

The CD starts to get to be real fun when he moves through a very soulful Jimi Hendrix blues inspired vamp with the flanger on and segues very nicely into the Stevie Wonder hit, I Was Made To Love Her (Featuring Glenn Hughes). Outrageous and beautiful. Very nicely done. From there he slides into a very cool low slow soulful vocal riff. This is what I'm talking about. There is no way to be Stevie Wonder, but done with respect, maturity and grace this song becomes a Stevie Salas song. If you can dig that. He's even got the soul sista' chorus in there. This is really fun. It's inspired. Brilliant rhythm section. Brilliant guitar work on all levels. It's really excellent vocally as well.

Also on Disc 2 we are treated to three songs that are certainly reflective of Mr. Salas's journey down the red road.

Indian Chief has a raw deep bottom. This is some 3.2 joint deep in Indian country and the gig is drums and guitar with a microphone that's plugged into the guitar amp. Two couples grope around on the saw-dusty dance floor. Could be a crossover Indian country hit or should at least be getting some native radio airplay.

Trail Of Tears,an instrumental, is a sad beautiful melody that evokes the grief of the experience.

Indian Friends is another top 10 indian country hit. I dig this song the most of 'em all. Its got great soul. Is this spoken word or this just might cross over into some hip-hop thing goin' down here. Talkin' his blues. But it rocks. He ends with the message, "I walk through the valley of death with a smile, 'cuz all I see are my indian friends and she's waitin' for me there, yeah, she's waitin' for me there." Better than clever. Beautiful. Done with enough lightness to convey a sympathy with this sentiment. We can relate. This song has greatness written all over it.

I can't wait for his national tour. When he comes to town I think I might have to drink me a couple a shots a jack, chased with an ice cold beer, sit down in the front row, rock my soul free 'til my ears bleed.

Reporter
Jamison Mahto

Indigenous Internet Chamber of Commerce

Considered by many to be one of the top fifty guitarists of all time, Salas has gained the attention of musicians around the world as well as classic rockers like Mick Jagger, George Clinton, Billy Gibbons, Zakk Wylde, Billy Idol, Rick Neilson, and Rod Stewart.

A self-taught Native-American (Mescalero Apache) guitar prodigy and creator of his own rock genre, Salas??™ aggressive dark punk-funk style reflects the journey he's taken from the streets of San Diego to concert arenas. It was a hard stretch of road, but his career took off when funkadelic master George Clinton asked if he??™d sit in as his studio guitarist.

The Clinton connection helped pave the way to a recording offer from Island Records - the most attractive in the company's history. Salas soon became an item in the music world and was embraced by fellow musicians Bootsy Collins, Was (Not Was), and Eddie Money. It wasn't long before young Stevie was flying around the world in the private jet of classic rocker Rod Stewart.

Then, Mick Jagger rang him up for another unbelievable romp in stardom.

Stevie??™s first solo outing, Stevie Salas: Colorcode (1990) shows heavy classic rock influences with is heavily influenced by a broad spectrum of early rockers. His second CD, Back from the Living (1994), outran big guns like the Stones and Aerosmith on the Japanese music charts.

Today, Salas music resum? lists 18 solo albums and his contributions to a series of compilation works as a guest artist. Modern Guitars caught up with singer-songwriter-producer Stevie Salas after he landed from a bit of surfing in Costa Rica and laying down some new tracks for his next CD that he tells us will be called, Stevie Salas: What It Was to Be, What It Is.

Tell us the circumstances when you first realized that music was more than a passion. Where you realized it was going to be a career.

Stevie Salas: When I was fifteen and in high school in Oceanside, California, I had no idea what I was gonna do with my life. I was thinking about the Coast Guard. I loved the ocean. But, I got a guitar that my brother-in-law made and it just fell into place. I played my first party that summer and started playing high school dances and clubs. That was the first step. Then, after high school the hardest thing to do was to realize that my super popular local band had no future.

I had to look at it realistically and leave the comforts of home for Los Angeles, where I went from somebody to nobody. In LA, I had no choice but to focus and make it. Thank God I got lucky!

What artists did you listen to growing up that influenced you to play guitar and develop your own style?

But I also played sports in high school and the black kids would say, "Hey, check out George Clinton, he's like the Kiss of Funk music!" I never dreamed that in a few years I would be recording with George and hanging out with
Jimmy Page and Paul Stanley and opening for Aerosmith! I ripped all those guys off!

When I got back to L.A. I knew that I would never be as good as Eddie and I loved rock, but I aslo loved funk, like Earth, Wind and Fire. By the way, Eddie is the funkiest brother out there! So, I decided to find some middle ground and fill a void by mixing rhythms and a heavy sound.

Growing up I never cared about guitar players unless they were from a band with great songs. I like bands that use the song as a vehicle for the guitar to stand out.

What gear do you currently use on stage? In the studio?

SS: I have so much stuff in the studio. I always use a '65 Fender Deluxe Reverb and some old Marshalls. But I also use a Cornford, Ashdown, Boogie cabs, Yorkvilles Sound cabs and for guitars I'll use anything for a tone, from a ten dollar garage toy guitar to a $100,000 Les Paul.

I think I've around sixty to eighty guitars now, includng Gibson, Fender, Music Man, Aparision, Washburn, Cort, James Trussart and tons of others. I think that the tone comes from the hands, but unique guitars and amps help bring it.