Corrado Rustici

Pushing the Boundaries of Sonic Invention.

- Matt Blackett

FOR MUSIC FANS IN ITALY, THE NAME Corrado Rustici conjures up images of sold-out stadiums, massive hits, and unprecedented record productions, with the thread of amazing guitar work weaving through it all. Indeed, Rustici has worked with Italian megastars Zucchero and Ligabue (trading licks with special guests such as Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck), and, as a producer, simultaneously occupied the top three spots on the Nielsen chart with three different artists.

Still, though, American audiences might not recognize the name, although they know the guitar work. Thanks in part to his work with Narada Michael Walden, Rustici’s playing is all over 80's smashes by Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Elton John, and many others. When he wasn’t working those sessions, he would gig around the San Francisco Bay Area, and it was common to see Walden, Neal Schon, Randy Jackson, Clarence Clemons, and other luminaries in attendance, all drawn to Rustici’s pop smarts, airtight rhythm work, brilliant guitar synth playing, and breathtaking solos that somehow combined John McLaughlin speed picking, Allan Holdsworth legato runs, and Jeff Beck-style whammy bar work—all in the context of three-minute pop-rock tunes.