Alive in an Ultra World includes “Whispering a Prayer (Song for Ireland),” which earned Vai his sixth Grammy nomination to go along with his 1991 Grammy win for best rock instrumental performance for his version of Frank Zappa’s “Sofa” on the live Zappa tribute album, Zappa’s Universe. Each song is dedicated to a different country – Bulgaria, Spain, and Romania to name a few – and reflects the flavor of each country’s indigenous music. He wrote, rehearsed and recorded the music for the two-disc set, a contender for one of the most ambitious live albums ever recorded, during a 32-country world tour. While many of his albums revolve around a specific thematic axis, Vai considers Alive in an Ultra World (2001, Epic) the high point of his conceptual efforts.
Growing up on Led Zeppelin and progressive rock, Vai has always had a penchant for the conceptual side of rock. Learning the 20 minutes of raging, atonal electric guitar was the most demanding challenge of Vai’s career. Together they performed a concerto for electric guitar called “Fire Strings” composed by distinguished Japanese composer and concert pianist Ichiro Nodaira. His desire to break new ground led Vai to a special performance with the 100-piece Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra this past summer in Japan. That obsession with running down the voodoo in his head remains the guiding force behind Vai’s ongoing musical evolution and what he loves most about being a musician. From Flex-Able to his most recent Modern Primitive (2016, Epic), Vai creates a sound all his own by striking a balance between technical ability and poetic phrasing. The album expanded the lexicon of rock guitar and ushered in an era of guitar virtuosos in the early ’90s. His debut – Flex-Able (1984, self-released) – set the stage for Vai’s most influential and best-selling album – Passion and Warfare (1990, Relativity). But Vai’s indelible contribution to music came during his solo career, which includes combined sales of nearly six million albums. Vai first stepped into the spotlight in 1980 as a guitarist in Frank Zappa’s band. After more than 35 years, Vai continues to use unbridled guitar virtuosity and soulful artistry to explore the spectrum of human emotion. Taylor started his ascent into the stratosphere with his breakthrough single 'Fire and Rain' in 1970 and over the course of his career became one of the best selling music artists of all time thanks to his heartfelt songcraft, genial, infectious charm, and wholesome lyrical themes about kith and kin.While many musicians fit easily into a single category, Steve Vai’s unique musical vision remains unclassifiable.
Five decades later, the five-time Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer is still writing, releasing and touring - don't miss him when he hits the road with fellow folk-rock icon Jackson Browne this summer! The tour comes fresh off the back of Taylor's 19th studio album American Standard. Riding the crest of the transition between the tumultuous end of the summer of love and the psychedelic, navel-gazing 70s, James Taylor is the name that comes to mind when thoughts turn to the concept of the quintessential songwriter.