Artist description Great guitar player and songwriter.

Music Style FUNK ROCK

Musical Influences ROCK

Artist History Residing in Treviso (Italy), Steve Saluto began playing guitar at the age of fifteen. He began taking jazz guitar lessons but, inspired by the Van Halen solo in "Beat It", Steve took up playing rock. By the time Steve reached the age of twentyfive, he had traveled back and forth across the Italy playing in excess of five hundred gigs. It was during that year that Steve released his first personal success winning the national contest "Ritmi Globali" with an instrumental trio. An year later he released an album with the Italian pop group "The Ribrezzo" called "Primo e Ultimo" (Condulmer Rec./BMG Aspirine) with appearances on national TV and RADIO shows and playing with many italian and international artist such as Phil Palmer. In the 1998, after a period that saw Steve playing in a lot of guitar clinics as endorser, he released his first solo album "Under" (Event Records/99th Floor) and graced the pages of several guitar and music pubblications including GUITAR CLUB, METAL SHOCK, FLASH and BASIMEDIA MAGAZINE. Steve's virtuoso playing caught the eye of "The Rebel Toys" (an hard rock band previously called DARK LORD in wich Alex Masi played before flying in the USA). Steve was asked to join the band and with them he released a live album and a song included in a compilation called AREA SISMICA 3 (Defox Promotion). Then Steve continued his solo and session man career playing various musical genres ranging from rock to pop and ultimately to jazz and soul. He played with the Chicago jazz singer Cheryl Porter, with the Dj rapper Double D., with the italian pop singer Federico Stragŕ, with the Venice Gospel Ensemble and made sessions with the rock guitarist Vinnie Moore and the blues master Buddy Miles. Even with having to perform with a lot of artists Steve has found the time to release his second solo work "A Different Fire" (Level Productions) where, aside to play guitar, he sings. In april 2002 Steve' song "Fuzzy Boy" has been included in the top italian guitarists compilation "GuitarChef Vol. 1".

Albums Under / A Different Fire / GuitarChef Vol. 1/ Primo e Ultimo

Press Reviews Steve Saluto - A Different Fire By Luca Daddi - METALMANIACS Armato della sua fedele Telecaster, Steve propone un funky-rock stile anni settanta con alcune sfumature piů moderne ed altre piů hard rock. “She-Cat” č sicuramente l’anima funky dell’album, il groove č accattivante, il cantato di Steve veramente particolare, il refrain molto orecchiabile, insomma…si ascolta che č un piacere! La seguente “I’ll be There”, che ospita oltretutto un bell’assolo del grande Alex De Rosso, č una piacevole ballad contraddistinta da cori veramente emozionanti, da un bellissimo refrain che mi ha ricordato il “soul di qualitŕ” e da un riffing chitarristico davvero azzeccato. La song di punta č sicuramente “A different fire”, valorizzata da un tappeto armonico di chitarra talmente bello da poter costituire un ottimo argomento di studio per coloro che volessero imparare qualcosa in piů su questo strumento, il ritornello č coinvolgente, l’atmosfera č dolcissima….davvero un gran pezzo! La chicca finale č la cover di “Strange kind of woman” dei mitici Deep Purple, un’interpretazione sicuramente di alto livello da parte di Steve e della sua band. In conclusione siamo di fronte ad una musica che puň interessare sia gli amanti della chitarra, sia coloro che non lo sono, data l’orecchiabilitŕ e l’alta qualitŕ dei brani…un ottimo lavoro, complimenti Steve!…ed io intanto premo Play per l’ennesima volta….!! Steve Saluto - A Different Fire By Scott Alisoglu - CLASSIC ROCK REVISITED MAGAZINE I was generally impressed with this 4-song outing. It’s got great grooves, fantastic guitar work, and a splendid spirit. “She-Cat” has got a funky groove with some cool guitar licks. The vocal delivery sounds like a cross between Sting and Anthony Keidis. It’s a fine song. “I’ll be there” has some soulful backing vocals. The song is a smooth groove with some wonderfully clean guitar playing. “A Different Fire” has an acoustic sweetness and almost sounds like something Eric Clapton might do. The sparse instrumental work, coupled with the heartfelt vocals, give the song a high dose of tasteful pop purity. The album ends with a great cover of Deep Purple’s “Strange Kind of Woman”. It’s an excellent version of the song - it’s definitely not another metal take. Saluto adds some wah wah guitar and a funky feel to set it apart from the original. A Different Fire is simply a great collection of songs. From GUITAR-HEROES.fr.st - "A Different Fire" Alors, que donne la galette de cet artiste auteur/compositeur italien, qui assure ici guitare et chant ? A l'écoute, on est surpris par la qualité de la production. C'est trčs bien foutu, pour ne pas dire plus, on dirait du Beck ou un truc comme ça (j'essaye de trouver des références, mais j'en manque dans ce style !), un peu blues-pop (She-cat), avec donc une prod au top. La voix est sűre, non dénuée d'une certain personnalité, mais un peu limite par moment, en tout cas ça sonne. I'll be there est trčs Hendrixien, tandis que l'acoustique A different fire est trčs reposant, trčs force tranquille (genre Mitterand ??!). La galette 4 titres se conclue sur une reprise sympa de Deep Purple (Strange kind of woman), ŕ la Hendrix (si, si). Au final, un disque sympa. Nightmare Records introducing "A different Fire" A musician that can play all types of music is said to be versatile, but when Steve tries to show that he can play his guitar a "Different" way he shows he is also brillant. This is a heavy FUNK CD ... You'll think SHAFT just entered the room. From "Guitarnoise Magazine" (English) - "Under" review by A.J. Charron Wow! A fabulously well-done hard-rock, hard-hitting album! Saluto is from a crop which one doesn't hear of as often as we'd like to anymore. An excellent guitarist, Saluto brings a wonderful touch to his brand of music. Although the guy could do it, he's careful never to overdo it. A very tasteful album which gives you the essentials without the unnecessary hoopla. Right off the bat, with "We'll Rock", Steve brings you into the album without a doubt. He often reminds me of Ace Frehley, who, in my opinion, did his best work solo, but this is even better. It's commercial enough to make it accessible to most people, but not commercial to the extent of making it boring. From "Quintessence Metal Zine" - "Fuzzy Boy" review by Wayne Klinger Saluto's "Fuzzy Boy", another Blues/Jazz with some Rock and mean-ass soloing. The ideas (not the guitar) are somewhat Santana, Vai and Zappa since they are abstract but they are worked very well within the song From "Roughedge" (English) - "Under" review by Scott Bolton. Steve Saluto's "Under" is good solid guitar-based music that simply rocks. Extremely well-written, "Under" moves with the flair and grace of a well-oiled style that was popular in the 80s classic rock era. However, unlike too much of that music, this shit still works. "Under" is straight forward rock'n'roll with no hidden agenda and that's apparently what Steve Saluto is all about. We've been fortunate to be introduced to some up'n'coming guitar maestros here at Roughedge.com, including Michael Sřbygge and Michael Hartman and now Steve Saluto joins the group. Saluto use heavy lead riffs, but also utilizes excellent chord rock to round off his unique rock'n'roll. Take my word for it, Saluto has put together a totally cool release that will draw you in easily and hold onto you tightly. This shit cooks. From "Guitar Nine" (English) - "Under" and "A different fire" introductions by A. McIvney. A new voice in Italian hard rock has got to be Steve Saluto - his 1999 CD, entitled Under, features eight slammin' vocal numbers along with three scorching instrumentals ("The Scarecrow", "Train Jumpers" and the title track). Saluto is a blazing soloist in the Eddie Van Halen, George Lynch and Zakk Wylde tradition, and the hard rock backing provides the ideal setting for his lead work. The gutiarist has been getting lots of attention for his six-string work, Under serves to underscore his abilities as well as any recording project he has been associated with. "A Different Fire" is Italian hard rock guitarist Steve Saluto`s EP/CD for 2001, featuring four tracks, three originals and one cover track - Saluto`s blazing, wah-wah soaked take on the Deep Purple classic "Strange Kind Of Woman". Assisted by Edu Hebling on bass and Manuel Signoretto on drums, each track has a nice solo that compliments the song and showcases Saluto`s liquid axework. The ballad "I`ll Be There" also features a guest guitar solo by Alex De Rosso. From "Quintessence Metal Zine" - "Under" and "A Different Fire" reviews by Wayne Klinger I reviewed a little bit of this guy earlier on "Guitar Chef", the 4-guitarist sampler EP of up and coming Italian guitarists. These are 2 of his most recent releases and they are different like night and day to be honest. "Under" is like listening to Masi, Blue Murder, MSG and Takara with vocaled songs and radio-friendly vibe but it's very good. Alex Masi, Richard Kendrick come to mind with the "rocking" style "Under" presents or maybe Mr.Big for those not knowing the ones I already mentioned. Regardless, I can assure you some ass-kicking shred and solowork...I do mean that! Massive notes coming from everywhere and 3 fantastic instrumentals on this 11-track release. Now we come to the latest, "A Different Fire" which was a bit disappointing since it doesn't really rage like "Under" and the genre is totally different let alone Saluto is handling the vocals on this one and unfortunately reminds me of Kotzen without the Kravitz-type music. More Jazz/Funk/Fusion on here and the only highlight I liked was the Deep Purple cover of "Strange Kind Of Woman". The title track was a bit comparitive also to Extreme's "More Than Words" but I just didn't take to this release like I did "Under". I was most impressed with Steve's instrumentals; they were challenging and showed the aggressionic side of him; this is why I appreciate instrumental stuff more than the guitar-oriented vocal stuff. Maybe I'll get lucky and see a full-length instrumental CD from this veteran of shred from Italy. I definately know it'll kick your ass to Milano and back. STEVE SALUTO - A DIFFERENT FIRE - FROM "GUITAR CHEF" (Italian/English) by M. Cafissi. Adesso anche l'Italia puo' vantare di avere il suo Richie Kotzen ed il suo nome e' solamente uno: Steve Saluto! Lasciate da parte le sfuriate hard 'n heavy dell'esordio Steve arriva alla sua seconda fatica da solista e lo fa alla grande con questo Ep contenente quattro tracce davvero formidabili, stile settantiano corredato dalla sua inseparabile Telecaster. She-Cat apre il disco e non fa che confermare quanto detto prima : ritmiche funk , bei arrangiamenti e Steve alla voce davvero divertente! Lo stile di mr Saluto e' cambiato molto , basta ascoltare la seguente I'll Be There, ballad con una stupenda ritmicha Telecasteriana e con ospite il redivivo Alex De Rosso nel solo di chitarra. Sicuramente la perla del disco e' A Different Fire, altra ballata acustica ben cantata da Steve che ricorda molto More Than Words degli Extreme e Last Words di Kotzen . L'atmosfera di questo cd e' bellissima, una ventata di aria fresca, il tutto ben arrangiato e perfettamente omogeneo con il chitarrismo moderno. Grande disco, grande artista . ENGLISH VERSION: "Italy has his Richie Kotzen too and the name is only one: Steve Saluto! No more hard'n heavy of the first work, Steve arrives to his second soloist fatigue with this great Ep including four really great tracks in the '70 style with his inseparable Telecaster. The opening track is SHE-CAT that confirms what is just said: funky rhytm, good arrangements and Steve on vocals with a really fun mood! The Steve' style is changed, you can listen to it in I'LL BE THERE, ballad with a wonderful Telecaster rhytming and featured by Alex De Rosso on the guitar solo. The pearl of the EP surely is A DIFFERENT FIRE that is another acoustic ballad singed very well by Steve; it's remind the Extreme's "More Than Words" and the Kotzen's "Last Words". The atmosphere of this EP is amazing, good music, good arrangements and a production that takes the line with the modern guitar style. Great cd, great artist." STEVE SALUTO - UNDER - FROM "FLASH MAGAZINE" (English) ENGLISH VERSION: …In Italy playing hard rock in the Van Halen style is not a simple thing to do but the guitar player Steve Saluto is not scared of this and with "Under" hits the target without annoying the listener as other guitarists do with their neverending guitar solos. … STEVE SALUTO - UNDER - FROM "PLAYMAGAZINE" (Italian) by A. Rossetto. Diciamo la veritŕ, se non fosse per musicisti del calibro di Portera, Solieri, Braido il panorama della sei corde in Italia sarebbe a dir poco deludente, senza contare il mancato ricambio e la scoperta di nuovi talenti. Se aggiungiamo poi l'esterofilia incessante per i guitar hero (soprattutto americani) allora la visione si fa davvero deprimente. Ci pensa Steve Saluto a portare una boccata d'aria fresca in un contesto che ormai, almeno in Italia, č riservato a pochi, a chi non si arrende e crede nel proprio strumento, ricco di un background non indifferente. Saluto non č certo 'l'ultimo arrivato'; infatti dopo innumerevoli collaborazioni (citate tra l'altro nella sua biografia) sforna per la 99th floor questo 'Under', valida testimonianza di un artista e la sua passione per la chitarra, passione che vede in Geroge Benson fonte di ispirazione tecnica e stilistica. Ma non illudetevi; in questo cd sarete letteralmente bombardati da assoli e riffs da cardiopalma, che non hanno nulla da invidiare ai classici come Satriani, Lynch e company. Si comincia dunque con 'We'll rock' e giŕ fa capire che non scherza; Saluto dispensa a piene mani 'tapping' e 'scale' da brivido, il tutto accompagnato da un Carretta alla voce in ottima forma, stesso discorso per la strumentale title-track, dove il musicista regala tre minuti di acrobazie.'I can't wait' ci porta indietro negli anni, facendo rivivere il classico hard rock sound di grupi come Dokken e Y&T, mentre la bellissima 'Free your heart' e 'Just the startin' line', dalle atmosfere rarefatte, fa riprendere fiato per trovarsi catapultati dalla grinta di 'Lost', tipico esempio di un metal elaborato, inusuale, ricercato. 'So far away', dagli ottimi arrangiamenti, placa gli animi prima di essere travolti dalla forza di 'The scarecrow', altra song strumentale che mette il luce prodezze e potenzialitŕ di Saluto. Si continua con l'energica 'Damn' lonely' e la stupenda 'Playing in the shadow' quest'ultima, a mio avviso, miglior pezzo dell' intero lavoro, dai forti richiami zeppeliniani. Saluto sforna il meglio di sč con la conclusiva 'Train jumpers', terzo brano strumentale, un hard-blues che detta legge per quattro minuti e che chiude un cd potente, ricco di quella carica e passione che da sempre ha caratterizzato lo stile e il modo di proporsi dell'artista. Ne sentiremo parlare ancora.

Location TREVISO, ITALY - Italy

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