Joe Satriani is a guitar virtuoso, well known as San Francisco's ultimate guitar teacher during the early 1980's. Recognized for the quality of his pupils Kirk Hammett [Metallica], Larry LaLonde [Primus] and Steve Vai, Satriani did not begin recording his own work until 1984 and has since released tracks that reflect his confident, creative style and amazing technical ability. Regarded as "the guitar player's guitar player," his 1987 "Surfing with the Alien" was one of the first all-instrumental albums to reach the Top 40. Born in Boston in 1956, the naturalized West Coast musician continues to record and tour. Satriani's "Crystal Planet," released in 1998 and featuring his signature power ballads, was greeted with reviews confirming his guitar hero status.