Steve Vai

Steve Vai is a Guitariste Rock American born the June 6th 1960. It received the title of “honorary doctor off music dismantle” in 2000, decreed by the Berklee College off Music.

Biography

Steven Siro Vai was born on June 6th, 1960 with the Nassau County Hospital from New York, 4th child of a family of 5. It grows in Carle Place (Long Island, NY). It begins the music with a Orgue, Musical instrument offered for its sixth birthday. At the 10 years age, he also plays of the Accordéon. Finally, it touches its 1st guitar at 13 years. It takes courses in a guitarist of the corner, Joe Satriani, old of only 4 years more than him, but which has already a reputation in the surroundings. The history tells that Vai divided at the beginning certain courses with another ami : 2.5 $ instead of 5 $. He plays in various groups, more or less important, and starts to forge his musical identity. He studies at the famous music school of Boston, the Berklee College off Music. He succeeds in holding the attention of Frank Zappa thanks to his theoretical knowledge who allows him to transcribe extremely complex musical parts (complexes because resulting from improvisations of Zappa), and especially thanks to his perfect control of the guitar. One year after having sent a cassette demonstration of the song The Black Page, it is engaged in the Frank Zappa Band : at 19 years, it is the youngest member of the group. To improve his guitaristic performances, the Vai young person sleeps with a metronome beating measurement with 60 in the hollow of the ear.

From 1983, it leaves to side the group of Zappa and records its 2 first albums : Flex-Whitebait and Flex-Whitebait Leftovers . It does not meet a direct success, it is a self-production, recorded on a small tape recorder 8 tracks. However, a song will make it recognize within the community guitaristique : The Attitude Song . Gradually, the world of the guitar discovers in Vai of the resources harmonic, rhythmic and technical still unexplored.

It gains in recognition, plays more and more in front of a public unceasingly growing. He interprets even a role with the cinema in the film Crossroad . It is contacted thereafter to replace Yngwie Malmsteen within the group Alcatrazz. It records with this group the album Disturbing The Peace in 1985. Hardly the round with Alcatrazz completed, it is enlisted by David Lee Roth, the ex-singer of Van Halen. It composes with its group the album Eat 'EM & Smile . It is the time of the revelation. It makes the covers of tens of magazines, the press coverage is enormous. Whereas it starts to really work on its album solo, it joined Whitesnake the time of an album.

Its album solo Passion & Warfare leaves finally in 1990. Its music has new textures, atmospheres and impressions. Its allied technique with a multitude of experiments in studio give a tinted depth of typical esotericism of Steve Vai. It plays of the guitar 7 cords there that Ibanez especially conceived for the occasion, uses the Harmonizer in a creative way, mixes the rhythmic figures and uses of the Tapping offering a new musical cocktail thus. One can hear also there old ideas or old topics, present in his preceding achievements, developed and matured.

1993: Sex & Religion . Whereas everyone expects that Vai remains in the ways which it traced with Passion & Warfare , it chooses a radically opposite composition. It offers the services of the excellent bass player TM Stevens and of the beater of world famous Terry Bozzio, a ex-musician of Zappa. It incorporates a Canadian, old singer of 19 years at the time, Devin Townsend. Steve Vai also gives voice in this album.

1995: Alien coils secret is a return to the sources in some kinds. The facet “type-setter” of Vai is left on side in order to give more freedom and of ardor to its play of guitar. It is an album where its technical control is posted without complex, with all the same this universe esoteric in filigree. Each album has its batch of prowesses and of sound discoveries, here one can discover a voice imitated with the guitar there, with the not very usual stamp. This album is offered as an aperitif while waiting for next “truth” opus. 1996: Fire Garden . An album concept which opens new prospects and new sonorities. Always in shift with waitings of its public, Steve Vai sings here on a large part of the titles. One (Re) discovers there his skill of type-setter with work in 4 parts Fire Garden . Its sound research is constant, the guitars always have different stamps.

It begins in company of his friend Joe Satriani G3. A show for the aficionados of the guitar with a simple concept but efficace : the 2 sizes Vai and Satriani as well as a distinguished guest, like Eric Johnson, Michael Schenker, Patrick Rondat, Brian May, John Petrucci, Adrian Legg or Yngwie Malmsteen, are retouvent on scene and play each one a mini set before finishing in jam with three. It is a success colossal : America, Europe, Japan.

1999: The ultrazone . Vai is put at the last style by incorporating many electronic instrumentations. It pays homage to its mentor Zappa, in the song Frank . Its role of singer is completely assumed. The music interferes effort composition and high energy purely Rock “roll. It offers to its public many rounds in the whole world. It creates also a foundation Make has Noise , in order to promote the training of the music. It creates its own label Favored Nations and produced artists as different as possible.

2001: Alive In Year Ultra World . It is an double album live of news recorded at the time of the world tour. For each title, Steve Vai took as a starting point the culture and the local musical tradition while intreprétant in each country visited at the time of the round, the song which reflects best the local culture. More than one album concept live, it is a true musical round the world tour which Steve Vaï offers to its public.

2005: Real Illusions . The last album studio in date, accommodated very well by the public. It is about a beautiful musical, technical and spiritual performance (crucial factor for Steve, in perpetual search of inspiration). Cd comprises modern beautiful songs such as " Building the Church" or " Midway Creatures". This disc makes it possible Vai to express its talent in all the fields. To note the title " Feet" lotus; (nominated with the Oscars of the best title instrumental rock'n'roll 2005) mixing guitar and orchestra (the metropol will orkestra). Other titles like " Freak shown excess" are more punchy and energetic. The album finishes carefully on one trotts acoustic " I' m your secrets".

2007: This year is announced rich in innovations for Steve Vai. Indeed, the guitarist decided to renew the topic in his concerts, in particular by a change of the musicians who accompanied it these last years. The guitarist keeps Jeremy Colson (battery) and Dave Weiner (rhythmic guitar) in his formation, adds Bryan Beller to low, Zack Wiesinger as soloist of opening, and finally Alex DePue and Ann Marie Calhoun (violin, electric violin). Moreover, its next album, entitled " Sound Theories" and taking again some of its topics accompanied by an orchestra, on June 26th left.

Steve Vai is recognized as a planetary virtuoso and a highly skilled guitarist of share his composition, clearer having popularized the 7 cords, founder of a kind and technician. Strange melodies, lunar sounds, recognizable fronts between thousand, destructurées works, percussions bizarroïdes, the universe of Steve Vai is depicted on a discography full with colors and fury.

He, moreover, worked with Microsoft and Activision for the play Guitar Hero 3, in which he carries out a resumption of the music topic of Halo.

Discography Solo

Flex-Whitebait (1984)
Flex-Whitebait Leftovers (1984)
Passion & Warfare (1990)
Sex & Religion (1993)
Alien Coils Secret (1995)
Fire Garden (1996)
G3 Live In Concert (1997)
Flex-Whitebait Leftovers (republication: 1998)
The Ultra Zone (1999)
The 7th Song - Files vol. 1 (2000)
Alive In Year Ultra World (2001)
The Elusive Light And Sound vol. 1 (2002)
Mystery Tracks - Files vol. 3 (2003)
Various Artists - Files vol. 4 (2003)
The Infinity Steve Vai - Year Anthology (2003)
G3 Live - Rockin' In The Free World (2004)
Real Illusions: Reflections (2005)
G3 Live in Tokyo (2005) with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci.

Sound Vol.I Theories & II (2007)

External bond

Official site of Steve Vai
Label of Steve Vai “ Favored nations ”
the French-speaking site www.SteveVai.fr

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