Akira Kajiyama

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Akira Kajiyama

Background information
Origin Flag of Japan Yamaguchi, Japan
Genre(s) Hard rock / Heavy metal
Occupation(s) Guitarist
Instrument(s) Guitar
Associated acts Goldbrick
Notable instrument(s)
Fender Stratocaster

Akira Kajiyama (梶山 章 Kajiyama Akira?, born in Yamaguchi, Japan) is a Japanese guitarist who is known for the works with Joe Lynn Turner.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Kajiyama's first commercial band was Precious which was formed by Mandrake Root Records in 1987 in order to promote him. The band was dissolved after the only full-length album in 1991, and then Kajiyama became regarded as a kind of guitar legend in the Japanese hard rock/heavy metal scene. In 1998, Kajiyama and former Anthem vocalist Yukio Morikawa released a tribute album to Rainbow in the name of Niji Densetsu (虹伝説?), and he got acquainted with Joe Lynn Turner who guested on the album. After that, Turner invited him for his solo album "Under Cover, Vol. 2". Since then Kajiyama has occasionally took part in his albums and Japan tours. Also Kajiyama and Morikawa formed Goldbrick in 2003.

[edit] Style

Kajiyama is under the influences of Richie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Al Di Meola, Laurie Wisefield, and so on. He is extremely precise at shredding with alternate picking, what is famous as his style from Precious years, but he proclaims himself never a shredder. He says that the shredding style in Precious years was just requested by Mandrake Root records in order to promote him as a shredder, just same as Shrapnel records did at that time.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Precious

  • Crazy For Your Love (EP, 1987)
  • Blasting Your Head (EP, 1988)
  • To Glory We Steer (1991)
  • Early Days (demo tracks, 1996)
  • Secret Live (reheasal tracks, 1999)

[edit] Niji Densetsu (虹伝説?)

  • Niji Densetsu (1998, re-mastered in 2003)

[edit] With Joe Lynn Turner

  • Under Cover, Vol. 2 (1999)
  • Holy Man (2000)
  • Slam (2001)

Akira Kajiyama + Joe Lynn Turner

  • Fire Without Flame (2005)

[edit] With Hughes Turner Project

[edit] Goldbrick

  • Goldbrick (2003)
  • Live! Groovy Nights 2003 (2003)
  • Goldbrick II (2004)
  • Max Body Groove -Goldbrick Live 2005- (2005)

[edit] With Takenori Shimoyama

  • Singer (2006)

[edit] External links