The Journey [LP]

What do Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai and Al Di Meola have in common: They all rave about the Italian guitar virtuoso Matteo Mancuso!

Matteo Mancuso comes from the far away island of Sicily. Born in 1996 and raised near the capital city of Palermo, his family tree runs deep in the veins of people from this region. If his family had moved to the U.S., he might be the best kept secret in the line of great Italian-American musicians like Zappa, Vai, Satriani, Di Meola, Petrucci and Gambale.

A versatile player, classical or electric, he amazes with his unique technique and the use of his fingers instead of a normal pick. With his impressive tone, original sound and humble demeanor, he is a guitarist that no one has ever seen and whose talent puts him in a different league.

Even the greatest guitarists of our time are literally overflowing with praise for the young Italian. Joe Bonamassa says, "I had no idea who my new favorite guitarist was...here he is, Matteo Mancuso. I haven't seen anyone reinvent himself like that since Stanley Jordan."

Steve Vai, himself a style-setter in his playing for decades, says, "The evolution of the guitar is firmly in the hands of these kinds of players. It's just a new level, the tone, the touch, the notes!" And Al Die Meola raves, "An absolute talent; his improvisational ability is light years ahead. It would take two or three lifetimes to do that. It was like Jaco Pastorius when he came on stage.... how did he get so good and so fast?"