If this were the 1970's, the heyday of such keyboard titans as Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and Jon Lord, Sherinian would be among that elite circle of players who were superstars back in the day when such talent was not only appreciated, but celebrated in popular music. This is, however, 2011, and in this age, Derek Sherinian is the premiere rock keyboardist of his generation, a member of the supergroup Black Country Communion, a former member of Dream Theater, and a solo artist in his own right.
'Oceana' is mixed by legendary drummer Simon Phillips (whose drumming credits include Toto, The Who, Jeff Beck, 10CC, Roxy Music). Phillips also plays drums on the entire album.
Steve Lukather collaborates with Sherinian on 'Mulholland', 'Euphoria' and 'Seven Sins', while former Planet X guitarist Tony MacAlpine performs on 'Five Elements' and 'Mercury 7'. Steve Stevens is featured on 'Ghost Runner' and the title track, while Black Country Communion band-mate Joe Bonamassa performs on 'I Heard That'. Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake) performs on 'El Camino Diablo', and Jimmy Johnson plays bass on all tracks with the exception of 'Ghost Runner' and 'Oceana', which both feature Tony Franklin.
Favouring a guitar heavy rock based approach to fusion ala Jeff Beck, Sherinian's music creates a certain energy that comes through the recordings, setting him apart from other jazz fusion artists. His music also appeals to fans of technical heavy metal. Thanks to his relentless touring schedule with a wide range of well-known artists, Sherinian easily adapts to ever changing musical genres, while always maintaining his signature style.
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