ABOUT | amdandy.com

" It is a gift to listen to you playing guitar"

Daniel Flors (Berklee Guitar Faculty)

Alessandro "AM Dandy" Meynardi is an Italian guitarist and composer based in Boston (MA), USA.

He was born in Mondovì, a small village in North West Italy.

At nine years old he picked up his first guitar, after piano and cello, but he started his music instruction at the Conservatory "Ghedini" (Cuneo) and the Academy of Modern Music in Turin few years later.

He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Some of his notable mentors and inspirations have been Mick Goodrick; Daniele Gottardo; Bobby Stanton; Jim Kelly; David Tronzo; Tim Miller; Gianluca Ferro; Luca Allievi and Marco Roagna.

Strongly influenced by iconic artists such as Steve Vai; Frank Zappa; Pat Metheny; Guthrie Govan; Joe Satriani, Santana and some others. The big range of music styles characterizing his playing is the directed consequence of this variegated background.

Solo Artist with the AM Dandy & the Elements and AM Dandy; Lead Guitar and Lead Vocals for Thunderpetz are at the moment his main projects.

Many collaborations in studio, included Italian Pop, Rock, Fusion artists and around Boston and LA. Live experience as solo artist, as Band Leader for NBD and as session man all around Europe, Japan and USA, also opening from international artists (Planet Funk in 2012; Steve Vai 2012-2013; Fates Warning 2014; Arti&Mestieri 2015-2016).

Between 2018 and 2019 he collaborated as Lead Guitarist and Band Director with Berklee College of Music for a big project consisting in a memorial video live performance in honour of the Great Frank Zappa, available on the Official Berklee Youtube Page.

Awards palmares:

- "Exceptional Instrumental Performance" at Hollywood Music Awards (HMMA 2020/2021)

- "Best Instrumental Performance" at Hollywood Music Awards (HMMA 2019)

- "Jimi Hendrix Award" from Berklee College of Music (2019)

- "Global Music Award" 2019 (to "Eva's Song" and "Tu, Paradiso")

MUSIC VISION

"I grew up listening to a very big variety of music styles. I still remember my dad playing in the car going to school people like Santana; Robben Ford; Dave Valentine; Di Meola; Satriani; Vai; SRV; Metheny; Malmsteen; Zawinul and other dozens of great artists. So basically I didn't just have the opportunity to discover a pretty big amount of different music genres, but I did it through great performers. If we pick for a second the rock players in the list, they are true monster of the stage. Look at Steve Vai. When he performs he literally destroys the stage under his feet, no matter how technically hard is the line he's playing. People like him taught me that a cool performance needs a great playing and nice music, but a memorable one require a huge stage presence too.

So a perfect performance has to be engaging in a real, directed way in my point of view. The audience has to be part of it and/or has to feel like participating to a theatre piece based on a music show. In this context I always think about Zappa and Steve Vai, to me the greatest rock performers ever."

AM Dandy

What made him totally falling in love with the guitar was the legendary "G3: Live in Concert" featuring Joe Satriani; Steve Vai and Eric Johnson (even if, to be even more specific, the very first time was the Marty McFly solo on Johnny B Good in Back to the Future). "When I saw how cool Steve Vai was, playing the riff of My Guitar wants to Kill your Ma' by Frank Zappa, I thought: that one has to be my job". But then, it was the Steve Vai's solo in the G3 Live in Denver with the triple neck guitar. Musical, spontaneous, virtuoso, spectacular in terms of performance and full of pathos.

Today he considers Steve Vai; Frank Zappa and Pat Metheny his favourite artists, considering compositions, playing and overall creativity. As regards more specifically guitar playing his influences, for many aspects, can be considered Steve Vai; Guthrie Govan and Joe Satriani.

"Around Spring 2012 I suddenly discovered Guthrie Govan and the Aristocrats. I was shocked. As people like Vai and Satch talks through the guitar, this guy (and of course Marco and Bryan too) thinks through his instrument! It looks like his brain is connected to his fingers and to the guitar! Astonishing and quite scary at the same moment. A massive inspiration for all of us".

His Solo project with the AM Dandy & The Elements has and always had a fundamental role in his production, despite many other parallel projects or collaborations. Especially the Zappa Tribute of Fall 2018 (release on January 2019) powered by Berklee College of Music.

Lately, he is producing a new rock album with a band called "Thunderpets", a Hard Rock project between David Lee Roth Band and Winery Dogs. AM Dandy at Lead Guitar and Voice, in collaboration with Stif (Lorenzo Meynardi, his brother) on drums.

The Thunderpets band is a great example of the teenage Classic/Hard Rock's massive influence on him (especially AC/DC and Led Zeppelin), parallel to the instrumental and progressive music mentioned before. A debut album is going to be released in Summer 2020.

Zahatra of Rock Charm

Zahatra of Rock Charm

The Official AM Dandy Website

" It is a gift to listen to you playing guitar"

Daniel Flors (Berklee Guitar Faculty)

MUSIC VISION

AM Dandy

Today he considers Steve Vai; Frank Zappa and Pat Metheny his favourite artists, considering compositions, playing and overall creativity. As regards more specifically guitar playing his influences, for many aspects, can be considered Steve Vai; Guthrie Govan and Joe Satriani.

His Solo project with the AM Dandy & The Elements has and always had a fundamental role in his production, despite many other parallel projects or collaborations. Especially the Zappa Tribute of Fall 2018 (release on January 2019) powered by Berklee College of Music.

Lately, he is producing a new rock album with a band called "Thunderpets", a Hard Rock project between David Lee Roth Band and Winery Dogs. AM Dandy at Lead Guitar and Voice, in collaboration with Stif (Lorenzo Meynardi, his brother) on drums.

The Thunderpets band is a great example of the teenage Classic/Hard Rock's massive influence on him (especially AC/DC and Led Zeppelin), parallel to the instrumental and progressive music mentioned before. A debut album is going to be released in Summer 2020.

" It is a gift to listen to you playing guitar"

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Daniel Flors (Berklee Guitar Faculty)

MUSIC VISION

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AM Dandy

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Today he considers Steve Vai; Frank Zappa and Pat Metheny his favourite artists, considering compositions, playing and overall creativity. As regards more specifically guitar playing his influences, for many aspects, can be considered Steve Vai; Guthrie Govan and Joe Satriani.

His Solo project with the AM Dandy & The Elements has and always had a fundamental role in his production, despite many other parallel projects or collaborations. Especially the Zappa Tribute of Fall 2018 (release on January 2019) powered by Berklee College of Music.

Lately, he is producing a new rock album with a band called "Thunderpets", a Hard Rock project between David Lee Roth Band and Winery Dogs. AM Dandy at Lead Guitar and Voice, in collaboration with Stif (Lorenzo Meynardi, his brother) on drums.

The Thunderpets band is a great example of the teenage Classic/Hard Rock's massive influence on him (especially AC/DC and Led Zeppelin), parallel to the instrumental and progressive music mentioned before. A debut album is going to be released in Summer 2020.

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