Steve Vai's record label

Mark Kleinhaut

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Mar 10, 2004, 1:33:27 PM3/10/04

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Check out the last sentence quoting Vai's thoughts on jazz:) BTW, I have
a copy of the new Mimi Fox CD on this label and it is quite good indeed.
-------------------------------------

Guitarist Steve Vai’s record label, Favored Nations, has launched a jazz
sub-label called Favored Nations Cool.
The company’s first album, She’s The Woman, features San Francisco guitarist
Mimi Fox and will hit stores on March 23. Guitarist Larry Coryell, and Stanley
Jordon with Novecento have also signed deals with the label.

"The idea to eventually grow and branch out into other genres has always
been our intention at Favored Nations," Vai said. "Although some jazz sounds
like meandering in a harmonic wilderness, some of it is quite inspired and
stimulating."

markkl...@hotmail.com
http://www.markkleinhaut.com
http://www.invisiblemusicrecords.com

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Ben McDonnell

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Mar 10, 2004, 2:14:56 PM3/10/04

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oh dear. good that hes releasing mimi fox, but how can you promote jazz then
say that?! if you want a meandering harmonic wilderness try listening to
15mins of lydian vamp...

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"Mark Kleinhaut" <markkl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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Max Leggett

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Mar 10, 2004, 2:20:12 PM3/10/04

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On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 19:14:56 -0000, "Ben McDonnell"
<ben.mcdonne...@talk21.com> wrote:

>oh dear. good that hes releasing mimi fox, but how can you promote jazz then
>say that?! if you want a meandering harmonic wilderness try listening to
>15mins of lydian vamp...

Well, he said "some", and he's right.

David Richardson

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Mar 10, 2004, 3:04:54 PM3/10/04

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Steve Vai is a tough one. He does promote guitar playing that he either
doesn't like or doesn't understand so he gets a bit of a pass. But his
playing is so geared toward speed and flash it often makes me wonder how
he evaluated some of the guys he has now on his label. The country guy
he pushes, johnny Hiland is crisp and executes lovely country chicken
pickin (saw him at BR549 last year. Nifty stuff even if you don't like
country) but I often wondered if it was his ability to shred that drew
Mr. Vai's approval. Johnny A is another that I like who is linked up
with Vai. There are times when he rips out a short blast of mayhem too.
Possibly Vai's yardstick?

I'm guessing He hasn't yet heard Pizzarelli with a caffiene buzz yet.
Either that or Mr. P. is too melodic. ;->

DPR

P. S. regarding other threads that spoke of record labels control of
what is available and promoted, Johnny a's CD released on March 4, only
one sent to the local Strawberries music store here in RI , sells out by
the time I get there. Went back threee days in a row and each day one
more came in and sold in the AM according to the manager.(No xtra
promotion in store, no posters or end of aisle etc. so it is selling as
word of mouth.) I asked why don't they order ten or so? The answer is
that Vai's label Favored nations contract with them only allows for a
certain amount of in store merchandise. Finally found it Monday night,
filed under Soundtracks and then the letter J.

Threre were at least 50 displayed Britney spears CD's in a display and
more in the aisle.

Johnny A could be a gateway for folks to start warming up to guitar
instrumental music, but God forbid there be any momentum allowed.

Mondoslug1

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Mar 10, 2004, 3:53:06 PM3/10/04

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Dave Richardson wrote:

>Steve Vai is a tough one. He does promote guitar playing that he either
>doesn't like or doesn't understand so he gets a bit of a pass. But his
>playing is so geared toward speed and flash it often makes me wonder how
>he evaluated some of the guys he has now on his label.

I know Pete Huttlinger pretty well, his career has definitely taken off since
he got on that label.

Ben McDonnell

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Mar 10, 2004, 4:04:48 PM3/10/04

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true, in the same way i like some of his music, i still think passion and
warfare was/is a great album. Funny comment to make none the less.

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"Max Leggett" <hepkatre...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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RC

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Mar 10, 2004, 9:06:11 PM3/10/04

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Don't forget that he's already put out the baddest of them all, Allan
Holdsworth's "All Night Wrong". Oh but wait, he's not jazz is he???
;-)

"Bud"

Kent Burnside

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Mar 11, 2004, 7:26:31 AM3/11/04

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"Mark Kleinhaut" <markkl...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<404f5f77$1...@127.0.0.1>...

> Check out the last sentence quoting Vai's thoughts on jazz:) BTW, I have
> a copy of the new Mimi Fox CD on this label and it is quite good indeed.
> -------------------------------------
>

> Guitarist Steve Vai?s record label, Favored Nations, has launched a jazz

> sub-label called Favored Nations Cool.

> The company?s first album, She?s The Woman, features San Francisco guitarist

> Mimi Fox and will hit stores on March 23. Guitarist Larry Coryell, and Stanley
> Jordon with Novecento have also signed deals with the label.
>
> "The idea to eventually grow and branch out into other genres has always
> been our intention at Favored Nations," Vai said. "Although some jazz sounds
> like meandering in a harmonic wilderness, some of it is quite inspired and
> stimulating."
>

There was an interview with Vai in <GP> years ago where he was asked
if he'd studied much jazz when he was at Berklee. His response was
that he hadn't because there wasn't that much to learn from it--to him
jazz was just some arpeggiated 8th notes. He's a great player, but .
. . .

Kent Burnside

Mad Hamish

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Mar 15, 2004, 6:06:17 AM3/15/04

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On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 15:04:54 -0500, David Richardson
<David_Ri...@mhri.org> wrote:

>Steve Vai is a tough one. He does promote guitar playing that he either
>doesn't like or doesn't understand so he gets a bit of a pass. But his
>playing is so geared toward speed and flash it often makes me wonder how
>he evaluated some of the guys he has now on his label. The country guy
>he pushes, johnny Hiland is crisp and executes lovely country chicken
>pickin (saw him at BR549 last year. Nifty stuff even if you don't like
>country) but I often wondered if it was his ability to shred that drew
>Mr. Vai's approval. Johnny A is another that I like who is linked up
>with Vai. There are times when he rips out a short blast of mayhem too.
> Possibly Vai's yardstick?
>

Maybe he's capable of judging things other than just what he plays?
--
"Hope is replaced by fear and dreams by survival, most of us get by."
Stuart Adamson 1958-2001

Mad Hamish
Hamish Laws
h_l...@aardvark.net.au

Keith Freeman

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Mar 15, 2004, 7:24:44 AM3/15/04

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> Maybe he's capable of judging things other than just what he plays?

That won't go down well among some folks here unless he posts a jazz
clip... ;-}

-Keith

Music samples, tips, Portable Changes at
http://home.wanadoo.nl/keith.freeman/

E-mail: keith DOT freeman AT wanadoo DOT nl

Tony DeCaprio

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Mar 15, 2004, 10:00:54 AM3/15/04

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Some of us are forced to remain silent, but you guys are hip.

kbur...@charter.net (Kent Burnside) wrote in message news:<7e7cd58b.04031...@posting.google.com>...

Pgonzo98

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Mar 16, 2004, 5:10:51 AM3/16/04

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second CD will be vernon reid and the masque.