Steve Vai and his Vaiability
My favourite guitar hero of all time.
Early life
When growing up, the young Vai became interested in rock giants such as Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper and Led Zeppelin which led him to take up learning the guitar. Prior to attending Berklee College of Music, Steve took guitar lessons from now fellow guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, and played in numerous local bands. He has acknowledged the influence of many guitarists including Jeff Beck and fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth.
Work with Frank Zappa
It was also at this time that he became fascinated by the music of Frank Zappa. Steve mailed transcriptions of Zappa’s guitar solos to him, and after meeting Vai for the first time he was so impressed with the abilities of the young musician, Zappa hired him to do work transcribing his seemingly endless array of experimental symphonic rock.
While employed by Zappa, he would at times tour with Zappa’s band and engage in a friendly competition with the audience, wherein audience members could bring in musical scores and see if Vai could sight-read them on the spot.
Zappa referred to Steve as his “little Italian virtuoso” and was listed in liner notes as “stunt guitar.” He would later be a featured artist on the recording, “Zappa’s Universe.” In 2006 he returned to Zappa music, as special guest on Dweezil Zappa’s Zappa Plays Zappa tour.
Rise to prominence
After leaving Zappa in 1982 he moved to California where he recorded his first album Flex-Able and performed in a couple of bands. In 1985 he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen as lead guitarist in Graham Bonnet’s Alcatrazz with whom he recorded the album Disturbing the Peace.
Later in 1985 he joined former Van Halen front man David Lee Roth’s group to record the albums Eat ‘em and Smile and Skyscraper. This significantly increased Vai’s visibility to general rock audiences, since Roth was in a highly public battle with the Van Halen members and Vai was favorably compared by many commentators to Eddie Van Halen.
In 1986 Vai also surprised everyone by playing with ex-Sex Pistols John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd on their album “Album” (now called “Compact Disc”). Then in 1989 Vai stepped into guitarist Adrian Vandenberg’s shoes to record with British rock-group Whitesnake after Vandenberg injured his wrist shortly before recording was due to begin for the album Slip of the Tongue.
Vai also played on the Alice Cooper album “Hey Stoopid” along with Joe Satriani on the song “Feed my Frankenstein”.
Steve Vai
1990s and 2000s
Steve Vai continues to tour regularly, both with his own group and with his one time teacher and fellow guitar instrumentalist friend Joe Satriani on the G3 series of tours. Former David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan also joined him for a world tour.
In 1990 Steve Vai released his critically acclaimed solo album “Passion and Warfare“. In 1994 Steve Vai began writing and recording with Ozzy Osbourne. Only one track from these sessions “My Little Man” was released on the “Ozzmosis” album. Despite Steve penning the track he does not appear on the album. His guitar parts were replaced by Zakk Wylde.
Vai’s band members throughout the 1990s included drummer Mike Mangini, guitarist Mike Keneally and bassist Philip Bynoe.
In 1994 Vai received a Grammy Award for his performance on the Frank Zappa song “Sofa” from the album Zappa’s Universe.
In July 2002, Steve Vai performed with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan, in the world premiere of composer Ichiro Nodaira’s Fire Strings, a concerto for electric guitar and 100-piece orchestra. In 2004, a number of his compositions for orchestra, as well as orchestra arrangements of previously recorded pieces, were performed in The Netherlands by the Metropole Orchestra in a concert series entitled The Aching Hunger.
In 2003, drummer Jeremy Colson joined Vai’s group replacing previous drummer Virgil Donati. Vai’s latest album, Real Illusions: Reflections, was released in 2005, and Steve Vai and the Breed, as the band is now called, has embarked on a world tour in support of that album.
Steve Vai released a DVD of his performance at The Astoria in London in December 2001, featuring the lineup of bassist Billy Sheehan, formerly of David Lee Roth and Mr. Big, guitar and piano virtuoso Tony MacAlpine, guitarist Dave Weiner and drummer Virgil Donati.
In 2004, Steve Vai was featured on Xbox’s Halo 2 Volume 1 soundtrack, performing a heavy rock-guitar rendition of the “Halo 2 Theme“, known as “Halo 2 Theme (Mjolnir Mix)”. He also performed on the track “Never Surrender”. In the second iteration of the soundtrack, he performed on the track “Reclaimer”.
In February 2005, Vai premiered a dual-guitar (electric and classical) piece that he wrote called The Blossom Suite with classical guitarist Sharon Isbin at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris.
In 2006, Vai played as a “special guest” guitarist alongside additional guest Zappa band members, drummer Terry Bozzio and singer Napoleon Murphy Brock in the Zappa Plays Zappa tour led by Frank’s son Dweezil Zappa in Europe and the U.S. in the Spring as well as a short U.S. tour in October.
On September 21, 2006, Vai made a special appearance at the “Video Games Live” concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California. He played two songs with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. One song being the Halo Theme, the second was for the world premier trailer for Halo 3.
Steve Vai is currently editing and mixing a double record set entitled “Steve Vai’s Sound Current”. He recorded this with the Metrople Orchestra in Holland for the Dutch Government and NPS Radio. He recently released this information in a Ultimate-Guitar.com interview which can be found here
Steve Vai will also be giving a masterclass at the London Guitar Show 2007 on the 28th April 2007 at the ExCeL Center.
Wicked melodies..
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