About 5 years ago I got to hang with Alex Masi in West Hollywood. We'd become buds via the Shawn Lane forum I ran.
Alex Masi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We had lunch, talked about our shared influences (Ritchie Blackmore and Robin Trower the most obvious) and ended up back at his apt. Lots of guitars and amps lying around. I asked him to play something for me.
He handed me a guitar and said: YOU FIRST.
I was just about shaking playing in front of him.