After playing in many bands in the LA area, then gradually getting into session work there, George Marinelli teamed up with some friends in 1982 to form Bruce Hornsby and the Range.

After making their first album, 'The Way It Is,' they were nominated for and won the Grammy in 1986 for 'Best New Artist'. They went on to make two more albums, with many successive tours to follow. Marinelli then moved to Nashville in 1991, left Bruce, and pursued session work, writing, and producing. In 1993, he played on Bonnie Raitt's album, 'Longing In Their Hearts,' and has been playing and recording with her mostly on and sometimes off, since. Most of the time, he's gigged around the Nashville area performing his original material, and in 1999, hooked up with Mark Prentice and Vinnie Santoro to form Air Parma. Their debut CD was released summer of 2000 on, of all things, WingDingRecords. Currently when not busy gigging with Bonnie and Air Parma, he's occupied with session work ranging from the Dixie Chicks to Art Garfunkel, Vince Gill to Peter Cetera, and a host of others. Over the last couple of years, he's been producing Elisabeth Cutler, Amanda Hunt-Taylor, Doug Hoekstra, Joe Corker, Kris Wilkinson (For Kate’s Sake), Jen Foster (Same), Tom Wopat, Dignus, Duane Jarvis, Joe Pagetta, and others.

Elixir® Strings: That’s quite a resume… what made you choose guitar?
GM: The Beatles, of course! I remember watching them on TV. I knew then and there that I wanted to play guitar. I started playing at 14 when I got a guitar for my birthday, and by 18 I was playing clubs in Hollywood.

Elixir® Strings: From bar bands, to Bruce, to Bonnie – what’s the common thread?
GM: Learning to listen, learning the language, and learning how to become a part of the musical conversation. Music is a language – you have conversations with people, other musicians, via your instrument. Playing with other musicians is really important, it’s the only way you grow. These days many people spend a lot of time on the computer – but the computer is a one-way conversation. Ya gotta get out and play!

Elixir® Strings: Does it matter what, or with whom?
GM: I really learned a lot from keyboard players. Keyboard players use cool chord voicings. And since they share the same harmonic space as guitar, it’s important to learn how to work with them in context of the tune. It helps to listen to a lot of music, and different kinds of music, too.

Elixir® Strings: You spent a season playing with a noted piano player (Bruce Hornsby). What were the challenges of your role in The Range?
GM: It was hard to find space at first. I’d listen to him play, then walk over to the piano and ask about the voicing. After a while we developed a vocabulary that allowed both of us to speak at the same time. My role was to find a part that meant something to the whole (the song).

Elixir® Strings: Switching gears, what happened to the paint on your guitar? (editors note: George’s Strat is missing most of its paint)
GM: Ha! I’ve been meaning to get it sprayed! (big laugh)

Elixir® Strings: Sometimes the only difference between a good guitar and a great one is the story – so what’s the story of yours?
GM: Oh, it’s got one alright. I was 19 and living at home, playing clubs with a fake ID. I was making money playing guitar, and I always wanted a ’62 Strat… So I searched L.A., found one and bought it! Not long after that, the band I was in drove to San Francisco on a van tour. We pulled into the parking lot of the motel and our manager said our gear would be safe in the car – but the next morning it was gone! We hit all of the music stores in town looking for it, but with no luck. We never found my guitar, but we did find another one just like it… well, almost. The ’62 Strat I bought that day was the one that Neal Schon played in Santana’s band. It was pretty beat then, but now… (laughs). It’s been through a lot. It’s really not a remarkable guitar. The neck’s had problems, the body’s had problems – I’ve just learned to work around the adversity. It’s just a tool.

Elixir® Strings: A well loved tool!
GM: Yeah, but I’ve stopped taking it on the road. I bought a $300 Mexican Strat that plays great and sounds good, too! It’s really a good guitar.

Elixir® Strings: And you don’t have to worry about it walking away!
GM: Exactly.

Elixir® Strings: What other tools are you playing?
GM: I take out a ‘70s Tele and a Les Paul Special, too.

Elixir® Strings: What about amps?
GM: Well, Bonnie has a couple of AC30s she doesn’t use, so I do. I’ve got other guitars and amps that stay home in the studio.

Elixir® Strings: You don’t seem all hung up on gear…
GM: It’s got nothing to do with the gear. It’s more important to play something worth listening to.

Elixir® Strings: That’s a great point…
GM: It’s easy to get hung up on gear. Guitars are just tools that we use to communicate, to be a part of the conversation.

Elixir® Strings: What about your tone, your voice?
GM: It’s more important to develop your own voice and style apart from a specific instrument. Look at Jeff Beck, or Keith Richards, or Steve Cropper for that matter. I can hear a song and know it’s one of these guys after just a few bars. They have a style that’s all their own. Most people don’t develop their own style.

Elixir® Strings: Speaking of style – what are you doing these days?
GM: Well, I’ll be going to Australia and New Zealand with Bonnie, then it’s back to Nashville where I just finished my solo CD, and looking forward to producing more projects at WingDing.

Elixir® Strings: Thanks for the wisdom, George.
GM: Thank you!