The Guitar Player's Resource
Headline grab your attention? Guitarist Joe Pinnavaia's project band is called Test Tube Rhino, and he submitted a CD-R with three tracks from his upcoming In Vitro Fertilization release. Rock guitar instrumentals designed to showcase both fierceness and sweetness, they allow for plenty of solo space, multi-layered esoterica, melodic richness, over-the-top shred, liquid legato lines, torrid tapping - in short, an outlet for the "experimental and selfish side of my playing," as Pinnavaia describes it. You won't feel cheated on song length either; Pinnavaia devotes a good six to seven minutes to many of his tunes to ensure adequate development. He's in a number of bands and projects, so this is one of many irons he has in the fire.
Interested in music at an early age, it wasn't until age 13 that Joe started with formal guitar lessons. During his high school years he would typically practice 3 hours a day on weekdays and 6 hours a day on weekends in order to improve his technique. Joe later went on to study with Tony Scozzaro (GIT graduate, member of Gamalon), and at Villa Maria College, as well as the University of Buffalo. He released a CD with the band Toxic Love (featuring his sister Leah on vocals), before the two started the group Cosmic Stepping Stones, who have released four albums and have received national airplay.
Pinnavaia is also in the band Breakerbox (with Scott Calandra and Christina Reilly), who are completing tracks for their upcoming release in the spring of 2006, and are playing at showcases in New York City.
Joe Pinnavaia
United States
Web site: www.breakerboxmusic.com