In 1985 he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen as lead guitarist in Graham Bonnet's Alcatrazz with whom he recorded the album Disturbing the Peace. In 2006 he returned to playing music composed by Frank Zappa as a special guest on his son, Dweezil Zappa's ' Zappa Plays Zappa' tour, alongside old friends from his early years who he had performed with when Zappa was alive.Īfter leaving Zappa in 1982 he moved to California where he recorded his first album Flex-Able and performed in a couple of bands. He would later be a featured artist on the 1993 recording, Zappa's Universe. Zappa referred to Vai as his "little Italian virtuoso" and was listed in liner notes as performing "stunt guitar" or "impossible guitar parts". While touring with Zappa's band, Vai would sometimes ask audience members to bring musical scores and see if he could sight-read them on the spot. One of those early shows with Vai on guitar, recorded in Buffalo was released in 2007. Thereafter he became a full-fledged band member, going on his first tour with Zappa in the Autumn of 1980. Subsequent to being hired as a transcriber, Vai did overdubs on many of the guitar parts for Zappa's album You Are What You Is. These transcriptions were published in 1982 in The Frank Zappa Guitar Book. Zappa was so impressed with the abilities of the young musician that he hired him in 1979 to do work transcribing several of his guitar solos, including many of those appearing on the Joe's Garage album and the Shut Up 'n' Play Yer Guitar series. Vai mailed Frank Zappa a transcription of Zappa's " The Black Page", an instrumental song written for drums, along with a tape with some of Vai's guitar playing. Steve Vai (on guitar in between the drum set and keyboard set), Frank Zappa and band during a concert at the Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY Vai followed those lessons by attending and graduating the Berklee College of Music, afterwards recording a promotional piece for them, speaking about auditioning for Frank Zappa, at age twenty. He has acknowledged the influence of many guitarists including Jeff Beck and jazz fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth. In 1974, Vai took guitar lessons from guitarist Joe Satriani, and played in numerous local bands, one that took the name, "The Steve Vais".
In 1999 Vai started his own record label Favored Nations with the intent to showcase, as Vai describes: ".artists that have attained the highest performance level on their chosen instruments." Career 1970s and 1980s Vai has been a regular touring member of the G3 Concert Tour which began in 1996.
Apart from his work with Frank Zappa, Vai has also recorded and toured with numerous musical artists including Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake. The guitarist began a solo career starting in 1984 and has released 13 solo albums as of 2008.
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After starting his professional career as a music transcriptionist for Frank Zappa, Vai would also record and tour in Zappa's backing band starting in 1980. Steven "Steve" Siro Vai (born Jin Carle Place, New York) is an Italian American instrumental rock guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, producer, beekeeper, and actor. It was done by email, with answers received 10/10/13.Instrumental rock, hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rockĭavid Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Alcatrazz, Frank Zappa, G3, Billy Sheehan, Ozzy Osbourne The following interview was for a preview article for Vai’s 10/18/13 concert at the Majestic Ventura Theater.
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You might also remember him as the Devil’s guitarist Jack Butler in the movie Crossroads. He also released various solo albums including 1990’s Passion and Warfare and 2012’s Story of Light, has been a guest artist on recordings by many artists, and has toured with fellow guitar virtuosos Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, and others as part of the G3 concert series. But don’t just take my word for it: he was called the “little Italian virtuoso” by no less an authority than Frank Zappa, who hired the young Steve Vai to transcribe his guitar solos and play in his band.Īfter his time with Zappa, Vai played with David Lee Roth at the dawn of Roth’s solo career – that’s him doing the talking guitar at the beginning of “Yankee Rose” – and with Whitesnake. Although the word “virtuoso” gets used a bit too generously at times, it truly applies to guitarist Steve Vai.
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