Joey Tafolla (born 1965) is an American guitarist known for his work with the heavy metal band

Jag Panzer Jag Panzer is an American power metal band from Colorado Springs, Colorado, formed in 1981. History Jag Panzer came together in late 1981, being inspired by the onslaught of the new wave of British heavy metal. The original lineup consisted ...

and solo

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

releases.

Biography

Born in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, Tafolla is the son of

Rosie Hamlin Rosalie "Rosie" Hamlin (July 21, 1945 – March 30, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter who was the frontwoman of Rosie and the Originals. The group is best known for the 1960 song " Angel Baby", which became a Top 40 hit in 1961 when H ...

and Noah Tafolla, the singer and guitarist of

Rosie and the Originals Rosie and the Originals were an American 1960s musical group best known for their single " Angel Baby". Fronted by lead singer Rosie Hamlin, the group produced two singles (including "Angel Baby") for Highland Records and, like many other mus ...

, respectively. A member of the heavy metal band

from 1984 to 1986, Tafolla has rejoined the band several times over the years for albums and live concerts. Tafolla joined

Mike Varney Michael Varney (born 1958) is an American record producer and music publisher. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records, and Blues Bureau International. He also owns 50% of Magna Car ...

Shrapnel Records Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the ''Shrapnel Records'' record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive ...

label soon after leaving Jag Panzer for the first time and released his debut album '' Out of the Sun'' in 1987, which included Tony MacAlpine,

Paul Gilbert Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966) is an American hard rock and heavy metal music, heavy metal guitarist. He is the co-founder of the band Mr. Big (American band), Mr. Big, and was also a member of Racer X (band), Racer X, with whom he ...

and Wally Voss. His second release, 1991's '' Infra-Blue'', was a noticeable departure from the

neoclassical metal Neoclassical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is heavily influenced by classical music and usually features very technical playing,Stephan Forté, "Metal néoclassique" in ''Guitarist Magazine Pedago'', Hors Série #29, "Les secrets du m ...

stylings of his first album, and demonstrated an intense blues fusion feel

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes instrumental performance and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental music in rock can be found in practically every subgenre of the style. Instrumental rock was most popular f ...

-oriented sound. Tafolla returned to Jag Panzer in 1995, but left again after 1997's '' The Fourth Judgement'' and later again after '' The Deviant Chord''. He released a third solo album, ''Plastic'', in 2001. In 2018, he joined the Graham Bonnet Band and featured on the album ''Meanwhile Back in the Garage''. Tafolla has also toured or recorded with

Quiet Riot Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads, bassist Kelly Garni, and vocalist Kevin DuBrow. The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin Du ...

Michael Sweet Michael Harrison Sweet (born July 4, 1963) is an American musician; he is the co-founder, songwriter, guitarist and lead singer of the heavy metal music, metal band Stryper. He has also had a successful solo career and served as singer and gui ...

, and Wolf Pakk.

Discography

Solo albums

*1987: '' Out of the Sun'' *1991: '' Infra-Blue'' *2001: ''

Plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

With Jag Panzer

*1984: ''

Ample Destruction ''Ample Destruction'' is the first studio album released by American power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generall ...

'' *1997: '' The Fourth Judgement'' *2017: ''The Deviant Chord''

With Graham Bonnet Band

*2018: ''Meanwhile Back in the Garage''

Others

*1989: ''Guitar Masters'',

Roadrunner Records Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...

*1990: ''An Axe to Grind'',

Ken Tamplin Ken Tamplin is an American vocal coach and former Christian rock musician. He is a former member of the bands Joshua, Shout, and Magdallan. Early years Tamplin began playing guitar at age six and singing at age nine. Despite being raised in ...

Frontline Records Frontline Records was a Christian rock record label, founded in 1986 by James Kempner in Santa Ana, California. The label focused primarily on modern rock, rap, dance-pop and hip-hop. The label closed in the early 1990s, and then resurfaced in ...

*1992: ''Guitar on the Edge'', Vol. 1, No. 1, Legato Records *1995: ''In the Witness Box'', Ken Tamplin, Brunette Records *1998: ''Metal Guitars - High Voltage Instrumentals'', Disky Communications *2006: ''Guitar Odyssey'', Milan Polak,

Lion Music Lion Music is a production company and record label founded in 1989 by composer and artist Lars Eric Mattsson. History Lion Music was founded in 1989 by Lars Eric Mattsson as a production company to handle production and licensing for his recor ...

*2009: ''Shrapnel's Super Shredders: Neoclassical'',

*2009: ''This Is Shredding, Vol. 1'', Shrapnel Records

Instructional

*1993: ''Shredding'', REH830, CPP Media Group

References

External links

*
JTM Merchandising
(archive) Living people American rock guitarists American male guitarists American lead guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians Shrapnel Records artists Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-rock-guitarist-stub