It all began... in Northfield Center, Ohio, where Neil Zaza was born, and still resides. Zaza started playing guitar at the age of 10 and went on to study classical guitar at The University of Akron under renowned educator and performer Stephen Aron. Zaza began to teach guitar, and in 1987 he formed the rock band Zaza, which quickly became one of the hottest U.S. touring bands at that time. After a successful run and even a hit song “Maybe Tomorrow”, the band disbanded and a brilliant solo career began…
In 1992, Zaza released his first solo album, Two Hands, One Heart. The world of instrumental music would never be the same again. Critics hailed the album and guitar players instantly had a new hero. There was a clearly unique voice in the music, one only beginning to define itself.
Two Hands, One Heart was followed-up by Thrills and Chills in 1993, recorded with famed Producer Michael Morales. Later that year, Zaza was as a guest soloist with The Hartford Symphony Orchestra, performing “1492” and a guitar interpretation of “West Side Story.” In 1996 he was a featured performer at the Montreal Guitar Festival.
Sing, Zaza’s third album, was released in 1997. Sing launched Zaza into super-stardom in the instrumental world with the monster hit “I’m Alright.” It remains one of the most popular and challenging songs for guitarists to learn, and continues to influence new generations of players. There are even ring tones and dance-mix versions of the song in Asia.
This proved to only be the beginning. Zaza’s fourth album, Staring at The Sun, which featured Ross Valory, Steve Smith and Stuart Hamm, was a masterpiece of melodic instrumental rock. It’s blazing fast solos, rich melodies and soulful ballads, including a stunning cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”, wowed fans, impressed critics and permanently launched Neil Zaza into the upper elite of guitar virtuosos. The release of this album proved to be a defining moment in his career.
During MP3.com’s initial foray into digital music distribution, Zaza made his catalog available to visitors and immediately reached the coveted #1 spot on both Instrumental Rock and Guitar Rock charts with only four songs.
A project of many years, One Silent Night, an instrumental take on traditional Christmas songs, was unveiled to the public in December, 2002 in the form of two volumes of music and a brand new show, “Neil Zaza’s One Silent Night…” The show was at the famed Palace Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio with the backing of a 60-piece symphony orchestra. That night saw the birth of a new holiday tradition.
2003 was a hugely successful year for Neil Zaza. In February he founded Melodik Records, which is based out of his hometown of Northfield Center, Ohio. Later that year Zaza garnered a headlining spot at the revered Busan International Rock Festival in South Korea. Zaza stunned the capacity crowd of 15,000. Performing overseas is nothing new. Zaza has become one of the guitar world’s most sought-after clinicians and now maintains a worldwide year-round clinic tour schedule. Recent tours have traveled to China, Taiwan, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Poland and Italy.
In 2004, Cort Guitars approached Zaza to develop his own signature guitar. In October of that year, after many months of discussions, design and prototypes, the six-stringed masterpiece, the NZS-1, was unveiled at the Asian Messe show. A 4 week tour of Asia followed. 2,000 units of the NZS-1 have already been sold.
Zaza was invited to the prestigious Winter NAMM Convention in Anaheim, California in 2005. NAMM represents more than 9,000 retailers and manufacturers of musical instruments and products from 85 countries worldwide. Over 4 days, 20 appearances were made including one at The Dean Markley Jam in the Galaxy Theatre, the climax of the convention. The All-star jam also featured George Lynch, Nuno Bettencourt, T.M. Stevens, and Van Halen’s Michael Anthony, but it was Zaza’s star that shone the brightest.
Zaza once again conquered Asia in April of 2005, this time as a member of a supergroup with bassist T.M. Stevens (Joe Cocker, Tina Turner, James Brown) and drummer Garry “GMan” Sullivan. The band toured the countries of China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Korea, seeing capacity crowds of 15,000-30,000. The performances were so explosive that the band was frequently told to “back off” by authorities, as the feverish excitement of the fans reached chaotic levels.
December saw the third installment of Zaza’s holiday show “One Silent Night” at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland. Another capacity crowd experienced what proved to be the most explosive yet of the shows. New additions to the show like an acoustic medley and a brand new introduction piece were highlights of the evening.
Neil Zaza has been featured in a variety of international guitar publications over the years and even garnered the cover of such magazines as Music Music, Guitar Fan, Guitar Shop, Modern Player and Poland’s Guitar & Bass, as well as technical music disciplines Home Recording, Musician, EQ, and Electronic Musician. Numerous readers’ polls have also been won for "Best Guitarist” in worldwide publications. Locally, the coveted Best Guitarist Award was won at The Free Times Music Awards in both 2005 & 2006.
Current projects in 2006 include collaborations with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, The Singing Angels and Cleveland’s Authentic Films, whose recent project, which had a musical score written by Zaza, received 4 awards at the Cleveland ADDY Award Competition. Zaza’s eighth album of original material, When Gravity Fails, is also close to completion. This highly-anticipated album will feature Peter Frampton, Ross Valory, Steve Smith, Edgar Winter, Jordan Rudess and Roger Joseph Manning Jr. It will also have an appearance by Michael Anthony, who is making his first-ever contribution to a project outside of Van Halen. 2006 will also see the release of a Neil Zaza Signature-Line effects pedal by Keeley Electronics, “The Lead Singer.”
I Wish
Neil Zaza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was a little nappy headed boy
Then my only worry
Was for Christmas what would be my toy
Even though we sometimes
Would not get a thing
We were happy with the
Joy the day would bring
To hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine
Greeted at the back door
With boy thought I told you not to go outside
Tryin' your best to bring the
Water to your eyes
Thinkin' it might stop her
From woopin' your behind
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days ever have to go
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days ever have to go
Cause I love them so
Brother says he's tellin'
'Bout you playin' doctor with that girl
Just don't tell I'll give you
Anything you want in this whole wide world
Mama gives you money for Sunday school
You trade yours for candy after church is through
Smokin' cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall (you nasty boy)
Teacher sends you to the principal's office down the wall
You grow up and learn that kinda thing ain't right
But while you were doin'it-it sure felt outta sight
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days ever have to go
I wish those days could come back once more
Why did those days ever have to go
In Neil Zaza's song "I Wish," he reflects on his childhood and reminisces about the simpler times before the responsibilities and troubles of adulthood consumed him. He starts by recalling his youthful innocence and carefreeness when all he had to worry about was what he would receive as a Christmas gift. His reminiscing continues by describing the troublesome experiences he had with his friends while trying to sneak out of the house. He was often caught by his mother, who would punish him for disobeying her. However, as an adult, he looks back on those moments with a sense of nostalgia and a longing to relive them.
Zaza also touches on the experiences of adolescence, particularly the rebellious phase where he and his friends did things that they knew were wrong, such as smoking and drawing on walls. He also mentions the moment when he was caught by his brother for "playing doctor" with a girl, which was not allowed by his parents. Life lessons were learned along the way as he grew older and realized that the actions he took as a child were not considered appropriate by society's standards. Despite this, he still wishes he could go back in time and relive those moments again.
Overall, the song highlights the nostalgia one feels when recalling their childhood memories and the longing to go back in time to relive those moments once more. It also serves as a reminder of how things change over time, and one can never truly return to those moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking back on when I
Remembering a time from the past when I was young.
Was a little nappy headed boy
When I was a child with curly hair.
Then my only worry
At that time, the only thing that concerned me was
Was for Christmas what would be my toy
What present I would receive on Christmas day.
Even though we sometimes
Despite there being occasions when
Would not get a thing
We would receive no presents at all.
We were happy with the
Nonetheless, we were content with
Joy the day would bring
The happiness and pleasure that the day would provide.
Sneaking out the back door
Secretly leaving through the rear exit.
To hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine
To spend time with my disreputable companions.
Greeted at the back door
Being confronted upon my return
With boy thought I told you not to go outside
With someone admonishing me for not following their instructions.
Tryin' your best to bring the
Trying hard to force the
Water to your eyes
Tears to fall from your eyes.
Thinkin' it might stop her
Believing it would prevent her from
From woopin' your behind
Punishing you by hitting your rear end.
I wish those days could come back once more
Expressing a desire to relive those moments in the past.
Why did those days ever have to go
Questioning the inevitability of the passing of time.
Cause I love them so
Stating the reason for wanting those days to return is because of the love for them.
Brother says he's tellin'
My sibling claims that he is revealing
'Bout you playin' doctor with that girl
About how you pretended to be a doctor with that girl.
Just don't tell I'll give you
Promise to give you what you want if you do not tell anyone.
Anything you want in this whole wide world
Any item or desire you may have, regardless of how unrealistic or outlandish it appears.
Mama gives you money for Sunday school
Your mother provides you with funds to attend church on Sundays.
You trade yours for candy after church is through
Instead of using the money for its intended purpose, you exchange it for candy after church has ended.
Smokin' cigarettes and writing something nasty on the wall (you nasty boy)
Engaging in the act of smoking cigarettes and writing vulgar messages on the wall (with an admonishment to the mischievous person).
Teacher sends you to the principal's office down the wall
As punishment for your actions, your teacher sends you to the principal's office at the end of the hallway.
You grow up and learn that kinda thing ain't right
As you mature, you begin to understand that that kind of behavior is not appropriate.
But while you were doin'it-it sure felt outta sight
Yet, when you were engaging in those activities, they felt thrilling and enjoyable.
I wish those days could come back once more
Reiterating the desire to relive those times from the past.
Why did those days ever have to go
Continuing to question the inevitability of the passing of time and the changing of circumstances.
Cause I love them so
Reiterating that the reason for wanting those days to return is because of the love for them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WONDER, STEVIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
guitarsolos36
I like Neil, he is a true solo guitar artist! Like his style! Rock on!
Sn00ky
Damn, this Combo is fantastic!
DiegoDCvids
awesome!!
Joshua Carter
I met neil zaza and bobby rock up at jam camp. And if they're reading this, Hey Guys it's STIXX here check out my new drum video on my channel !! :D