Mike Bax at Canada's Lithium Magazine recently caught up with guitar legend JOE SATRIANI to discuss his new album, Unstoppable Momentum. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Mike: Unstoppable Momentum feels like there was an effort to explore some musical genres. I can hear some jazz, blues, soul, and even some contemporary sounds in these songs.

Joe: "I'm very happy to hear you say that. I think you’re being very perceptive. I definitely wanted to make the album more melodic than anything I've ever done before. I was looking to do exactly what you mentioned, which was to reach into some other genres which I thought were fun and evocative, and which would really help all of the songs to work together as a group."

Mike: Now that it's out and you can look at it a bit more subjectively as a complete unit of material, what are your feelings towards the album?

Joe: "Well, it’s funny. When we were setting up for rehearsals, of course I listened to the album very carefully. I had to play it for everybody in the band as we were working on things. And then once we got on tour, I forced myself not to listen to it because I had to relate to the live sound which is always completely different. You don't know how stuff is going to work on stage. You’re dealing with fewer instruments and everybody has to work pretty hard at making magic out of some of these parts. So I hadn't listened to it in quite a while until today. Just before I spoke to you, I was doing a 45-minute podcast that is run in front of a live audience and they played songs from the record, so I was listening to the music over the phone and it was very eye opening to hear the record coming at me from that direction. To me, it sounded pretty exciting. I was very happily pleased."

Click here for the complete interview.

Satriani recently confirmed LIVING COLOUR to the bill supporting the West Coast leg of his upcoming US tour. Living Colour will join the guitarist when he hits Seattle, WA on October 22nd and will continue through Salem and Paso Robles before winding up on October 26th in Satriani's home base, in the Bay Area, with a show at the Fox Theater in Oakland.

The US tour launches on August 29th in San Diego with STEVE MORSE as support on the first leg. Joining Satriani on the road are veteran band mate Mike Keneally (FRANK ZAPPA, STEVE VAI) on keyboards, along with an entirely new rhythm-section, featuring bassist Bryan Beller (DETHKLOK, DWEEZIL ZAPPA) and drummer Marco Minnemann (ADRIAN BELEW, STEVE WILSON).

Satriani has just concluded his hugely successful two-month European tour, the critical praise is overwhelming. Hitting seventeen countries in all, the tour has played to sold-out venues throughout the continent. It was also recently announced that Satriani will be honored to perform the National Anthem at this year’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The multi-platinum guitarist is set to serenade the grid this year as he performs the Star-Spangled Banner at the Red Bull US Grand Prix on Sunday, July 21st. Satriani will perform from the track just prior to the three-day event’s premier contest, the MotoGP World Championship race.

Joe Satriani’s Unstoppable Momentum Tour itinerary:

August

29 - Balboa Theatre - San Diego, CA *
30 - Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort - Las Vegas, NV *
31 - Orpheum Theatre - Los Angeles, CA *

September

1 - Talking Stick Resort Ballroom - Scottsdale, AZ *
2 - Kiva Auditorium - Albuquerque, NM *
4 - Historic Paramount Theatre - Denver, CO *
5 - Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center - Midland, TX *
6 - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie - Grand Prairie, TX *
7 - House of Blues - Houston, TX *
8 - Austin City Limits – Moody Theatre Austin, TX *
10 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA *
11 - Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, FL *
12 - Parker Playhouse - Ft. Lauderdale, FL *
13 - Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL *
14 - Saenger Theatre - Pensacola, FL *
15 - Symphony Hall - Atlanta, GA *
17 - War Memorial Auditorium - Nashville, TN *
18 - Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL *
19 - Lakewood Civic Auditorium - Lakewood, OH *
20 - Taft Theatre - Cincinnati, OH *
21 - Wings Stadium - Kalamazoo, MI *
22 - Macomb Music Theatre - Mt. Clemens, MI
24 - Carolina Theatre - Durham, NC *
25 - Warner Theatre - Washington, DC *
26 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY *
27 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA*
28 - Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, PA *
29 - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead - Munhall, PA *

October

1 - Center for the Arts - Buffalo, NY *
2 - Palace Theatre - Albany, NY *
3 - State Theatre - Portland, ME *
4 - Casino New Brunswick - New Brunswick, NB
5 - Rebecca Cohn Auditorium - Halifax, NS
7 - Le Capitole De Quebec - Quebec City, QC
8 - National Arts Centre Southam Hall - Ottawa, ON
9 - St. Denis Theatre - Montreal, QC
10 - Centre in the Square - Kitchener, ON
11 - Massey Hall - Toronto, ON
14 - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB
15 - TCU Place - Saskatoon, SK
16 - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium - Edmonton, AB
17 - Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium - Calgary, AB
19 - Vogue Theatre - Vancouver, BC
21 - The Fox Theater - Spokane, WA
22 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA **
23 - Historic Elsinore Theatre - Salem, OR **
25 - Vina Robles Amphitheatre - Paso Robles, CA **
26 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA **

* featuring Steve Morse Band as support through Portland, ME

** featuring Living Colour as support on the west coast

Go to Satriani.com for individual markets on-sale and ticket information.

(Photo: Christie Goodwin)