Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani [ tickets ], who had planned to send off 2004 and usher in 2005 with a series of concerts in the western U.S., has postponed the shows after falling ill.

Doctors have diagnosed Satriani with pneumonia, leaving him unable to perform a stretch of shows that were set to take place between Dec. 28 and Jan. 1; the original itinerary is shown below.

Make-up dates, which have not yet been scheduled, are expected to take place in early 2005, and tickets for the originally scheduled shows will be honored on the new dates, according to information posted at Satriani's website.

Satriani is expected to make a full recovery through rest and medication, and a planned March tour of Australia and New Zealand remains intact.

In April, Satriani released his ninth studio album, "Is There Love in Space?" The entire album is streaming via a listening-party page at Satriani's website. The site also features footage of Satriani and his backing band--Matt Bissonette (bass) and Jeff Campitelli (drums)--rehearsing for the tour.