Bio:

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Click the cdbaby button below to order my CD!!!!

My CD is out in Lebanon and is now available online at cdbaby.com. The title of the album is "Where I Wanna Be". It has 12 tracks on it which were recorded during the years 2007 and 2008. Most of the instruments were played by Munir Khauli and myself. There are several guest musicians as well. The title track "Where I Wanna Be" features Arthur Satyan on electric piano and hammond organ as well as Jeremy Chapman on Tenor Saxophone. The track "Can't Live This Way" features Ziad Rahbani on Fender Rhodes piano and Jeremy Chapman on Soprano Saxophone. The bass guitar on "Running Out Of Time" was played by Sami Shabshab. I owe the biggest debt to Munir Khauli without whom the recording of the CD would not have been possible. I would like to add that Munir played the monster guitar solo at the end of "Strangest Little Creature".

Walid Itayim & Friends playing the music from the CD "Where I Wanna Be" at the Beirut Jazz Festival on Wednesday October 7 at 10:45 pm. The bill will shared by the brilliant jazz saxophonist Toufic Farroukh and his band who will start at around 9 o'clock.

In Lebanon, the CD "Where I Wanna Be" is now officially available at CD Theque and all three branches of Virgin (Downtown, ABC and Citymall). I expect all of my friends to support and encourage me by buying a copy! :-)

Read a review of my CD at the USA based rock music site hardrockhaven.net:

http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2009/walid-itayim-where-i-want-to-be/

Walid Itayim born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. Ever since he heard the Beatles at age 6 he decided that he wanted to play guitar in a rock band when he grew up. During his teens, he started writing his own songs. During his college days and after he got to play in several bands. He was a founding member of the Lebanese band FORCE with which he played with from 1983 until 1985. The band was built around the formidable rhythm section of Abboud Saadi on bass guitar and Emile Bustany on drums. Their repertoire was made upn of all original compositions. In those days in Lebanon, that was not very common as most bands' played cover songs. They recorded an album of all original compositions entitled "Forced" which was released in 1985 on cassette. The album was recorded at Bypass, Ziad Rahbani's recording studio. Ziad himself played keyboards on the album. In the years since then, Walid continued to write songs and play gigs in local clubs. He got to record on other people's albums such as Ziad Rahbani's CD Monodose with Salma on which he played guitar on 2 tracks. In November 2006 he acquired a home recording studio and began to record his songs. Over the next 18 months, he recorded 12 songs which were released on CD under the title "Where I Wanna Be" in April 2009. Walid's influences as they were listed in the CD sleeve notes include: The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Wishbone Ash, Johnny Guitar Watson, Johnny Winter, Tommy Bolin, Deep Purple, David Coverdale, Paul Rodgers, Alvin Lee, Gary Moore and Steve Miller.

Members:

Influences:

Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Deep Purple, Paul Rodgers, Johnny Guitar Watson, Tony Ashton, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Wishbone Ash, Led Zeppelin, Ten Years After, Rick Derringer, Steve Miller, John Entwistle, Johnny Winter, Carlos Santana, Nile Rodgers, Sting, Mike Bloomfield, Gary Moore, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix, Alan Ross, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Tommy Bolin, Robben Ford, Bernie Marsden, Dean Brown and many others.

Other musicians and bands I love are:

Steely Dan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Gilbert, Carl Verheyen, Greg Howe, Greg Lake, Joe Satriani, The Corrs, Ben Sidran, Brett Garsed, Edgar Winter, Frank Gambale, Trevor Rabin, Pat Metheney, Yes, Genesis, ELP, B.B. King, Roger Daltrey, Pat Kelley, Joe Lynn Turner, Miles Davis, Buddy Guy, Buddy Whittington, Phyllis Hyman, The Stranglers, Shawn Lane, Peter Frampton, John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Robben Ford, Suzanne Vega, Des'ree, Larry Carlton, Steve Gadd, Steve Vai, Whitesnake, Oscar Brown Jr., Kenny Rankin, Elton John, Steve Khan, Warren Haynes, Cat Stevens, John Mayall, Crosby Stills and Nash, Bruce Hornsby, Duran Duran, Chuck Loeb, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Sylvian, Lee Ritenour, Albert Collins, Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Allman Brothers, Sting, Tenacious D, Al Di Meola, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Ernie Watts, Charlie Parker, Chicken Shack and Stan Webb, Randy Crawford, Michael Franks, Jan Akkerman, Grand Funk Railroad, Randy Brecker, Bill Withers, John Martyn, Victor Bailey, Paul Desmond, Jeff Berlin, Bela Fleck, Lou Donaldson, Vivian Campbell, Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Tom Scott, Ray Charles, John Mayer Trio, King Crimson, Walter Trout, Jerry La Croix, Kate Bush, The Carpenters, Traffic, Madonna, Jim Beard, Climax Blues Band, Syreeta Wright, Joe Zawinul, Steve Stevens, Vince Mendoza, Stevie Wonder, Pink Floyd, Chic, Japan, Brandy, Phil Collins, Buddy Rich, Coco Montoya, Chaka Khan, Wayne Cochran, Carlos Rios, Bobby Darin, Dave Weckl, Jaco Pastorius, Scott Henderson, Robert Cray, John Scofield, Destiny's Child, Deniece Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta, Robin Trower, Beth Orton, Michael Jackson, Ziad Rahbani, TJ Helmrich, Barry Finnerty, Fairuz, Patti Austin, Chick Corea, John Tropea, David Spinozza, James Taylor, Joe Sample, Paul McCartney, Weather Report, Jean Luc Ponty, Lalah Hatahway, Stanley Clarke, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Melanie C, Shawn Phillips, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Rihanna, Ella Fitzgerald, John Wetton, Uriah Heep, Jack Bruce, Elton John, Peter Green, John Etheridge, Terry Smith, Hiram Bullock, Bob James, Oliver Nelson, Derek Trucks, Lucifer's Friend, Eva Cassidy, Steve Lukather, Richie Kotzen, Jeff Beck and a million others!!!