Paul Gilbert in Shibuya City

Paul Gilbert is an American rock guitarist, born in Illinois in 1966, who co-founded Racer X and later joined Mr. Big. His rapid alternate picking and string-skipping technique shaped Racer X tracks such as “Scarified” and “Technical Difficulties,” while Mr. Big brought him to a wider audience through the album Lean Into It and songs including “To Be with You” and “Green-Tinted Sixties Mind.” His solo catalogue includes Get Out of My Yard and Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar. In 2007, Paul Gilbert toured as part of G3 with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci. He reunited with Mr. Big in 2009, and the group’s Japanese concerts produced the live release Back to Budokan. Mr. Big later performed Lean Into It in full on The BIG Finish tour.