Marty Friedman`s presence in the world of music, the world of guitar, and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. Born in Washington D.C., Friedman first gained attention with the band Cacophony, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now legendary guitarist, Jason Becker. They released two highly rated albums and then he was recruited by Megadeth in 1990, appearing over the next decade on some of the most influential metal albums of all time. His breath-taking range and unorthodox musical contributions to Rust In Peace' in 1990 and 'Countdown To Extinction' two years later made him an icon as well as helped propel Megadeth to its peak. Since 2003, Friedman has lived in Tokyo where he has become a household name, even beyond the world of music. Since moving to Japan, he's appeared on over 700 Japanese TV shows of every variety, as well as motion pictures and commercials. He was also recently appointed an Ambassador of Japan Heritage by the Japanese Government. At the same time he continued releasing his solo albums and touring for them worldwide.
Starting in 1988 with 'Dragon's Kiss', Friedman has regularly put out well received solo records. His new album, 'Tokyo Jukebox 3', is the latest in this distinguished, ongoing line. As the title suggests it's the third in this series of albums featuring covers of Japanese songs and follows on from 'Tokyo Jukebox' in 2009 and 'Tokyo Jukebox 2' in 2011. "I've been playing stuff from the first two 'Jukebox' albums live all over the world, and it's taken on a life of its own, especially in places like North and South America, Australia, Italy, France and even India, of all places," mentions Friedman. "My fan base is very dedicated, and what I have found is that lots of new fans have been introduced to Japanese music and culture through me, which is very gratifying. On the tours it seems like aside from the dedicated guitar fans, the Japan fanatics have been noticeably growing, so now felt like the right time to do 'Tokyo Jukebox 3'.
Much of the recording process was done at Power House Studios in Tokyo, with Friedman, who was also the producer on the project, joined by bassist Kiyoshi and drummer Anup Sastry. "The recording process started in January 2020 and was due to end in March with a release in May," explains Freidman. "But then the pandemic struck and everything was pushed back. Suddenly, I had no firm deadline to finish the album, so I could take my time, which was a godsend. That meant I could keep reworking the music and improving everything as I went along. In the end it took several months to get the album completed, but it was time well spent. I believe the music has turned out so much better because I wasn't under any deadline pressure." Friedman, who did a full live streaming concert on New Year's Day to celebrate the 'Jukebox' series, will be playing several shows in Japan to promote the new album early in 2021, and hopes he will also have the opportunity to take the show further afield. 'Tokyo Jukebox 3' is available everywhere April 16th, 2021 through the Mascot Label Group imprint, The Player's Club.
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