Juan Alderete

Juan Alderete (born September 5, 1963) is an American bassist known for his work with the band Racer X, where he is credited as John Alderete. Although he still is with Racer X, Juan currently dedicates most of his time to the band, The Mars Volta, which also brings him much recognition.

Biography

Juan Alderete was born in Los Angeles, CA to a family of Hispanic heritage. He began to build interest in playing music when he was a teenager, although he has been exposed to it for almost his entire life; his father, although not a musician, was a big fan of jazz music, and often played it around the Alderete household. He also recalls listening to his brother's rock albums as he was growing up. He started learning the basics of the bass guitar when he was 16, and was influenced by such players as Jaco Pastorius, Geddy Lee, and Stanley Clarke. Apparently, his fascination with the bass guitar revolved around it being a somewhat "underappreciated" instrument at the time.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles, CA - Hispanic - Jazz - Rock - Bass guitar - Jaco Pastorius - Geddy Lee - Stanley Clarke

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After high school, Juan enrolled in a college named Musicians Institute in Hollywood (Los Angeles, CA). He enjoyed his time in the school, explaining that he was able to learn techniques and styles that he had never even considered prior to his enrollment. Also during this time, he met a younger guitar player named Paul Gilbert, and the two quickly joined forces to form Racer X.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Paul Gilbert - Racer X

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However, four years afterwards, Paul Gilbert left Racer X to form the band Mr. Big. The remaining members of Racer X decided to stay active in music, although they went their separate ways. For the next ten years, Juan would be involved in several different bands (including The Scream, Big Sir, and Distortion Felix) as well as becoming an instructor at Musicians Institute. Not long after, he released his first instructional video on bass techniques and modulation.

Related Topics:
Mr. Big - Modulation

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Although Extreme Volume II: Live was released in 1992, Racer X was not actually reunited. That year, Paul Gilbert was touring with Mr. Big, and Juan was recording with a hard rock band called The Scream. In actuality, the album was just a compilation of songs that were recorded in concerts before the hiatus. However, around 1999, Juan got a telephone call from Paul Gilbert, who asked if there was any possibility of recording another Racer X album. Juan agreed, and Racer X reunited to record Technical Difficulties, which features new material as well as older songs that were never recorded.

Related Topics:
1992 - Hard rock - The Scream - Concert - 1999

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In 2003, Alderete joined The Mars Volta and later recorded Frances The Mute in 2004. The band has brought him a considerable amount of recognition: since joining the band, he has played at Madison Square Garden and was featured on the front cover of the March, 2005 issue of Bass Player Magazine.

Related Topics:
2003 - The Mars Volta - 2004 - March - 2005

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