KVCArts

David Fleming continues his conversation with guitarist Steve Vai, talking about the majority of the tracks on his newest release, "Inviolate," a PHENOMENAL instrumental album. With quite a few albums out under his own name, "Inviolate" rises to, or maybe eclipses "Passion and Warfare," though that's a tough call to make. Let's just say that it's way, way, way, way up there.

David Fleming speaks with Steve Vai about his newest release, “Inviolate.” We’ll also hear about a few tracks from the cd/album – “Zeus in Chains,” “Little Pretty,” and “Teeth of the Hydra.” The latter is titled as it is because it’s played ON The Hydra – a monster guitar with three necks - a (four-string) bass, a seven-string guitar, and a twelve-string guitar. Some of the areas are fretless, with a variety of pickups. There’s also a small harp-string section, and midi plug ins to accommodate synthesized sound FX. With “Zeus in Chains,” this is yet another “riff or run captured on an unplugged guitar connected to an iphone next to the bed late at night” moments. He has a lot of those. And it was in listening to it as he progressed… the song TOLD him it would be called “Zeus in Chains.” The conversation starts talking about a jam Vai enjoyed for a long, long time before realizing it came from Steve Lukather. It became the roadmap (for a number of wonderful reasons) to creating a solo - which was the perfect way to begin a conversation about an instrumental album.

We’ll hear about some approaches to things which come across as much deeper than one might expect. Or at the very least, we’ll hear about things approached in a unique fashion or unique reason. I enjoyed this one at SO many levels!

Ben Stewart AKA Benjiphonik speaks with David Fleming about music and videos from the latest EP, "I Got Old." The EP was set to be released in tandem with the end of the episode of KVC-Arts.

Riverside guitarist Peter Curtis talks about LOVE U - The Grad School Musical. He wrote the lyrics and music, and it'll be performed at RCC April 27th through May 1st.

David Fleming continues his conversation with Abdur-Rahman Muhamad, the man responsible for the documentary series, Who Killed Malcolm X, on Netflix.

We'll also hear from Steve Vai. In a couple weeks we'll hear a close reading of Steve Vai’s most recent release, Inviolate. Beyond the album, a few shows back we heard Andy Timmons talk about Steve Vai wandering the audience, and handing the guitar off to him. I asked Vai to tell of this moment from HIS perspective. Also with Vai, the time he replaced Yngvie Malmstein with the band Alcatrazz... that was out here in Riverside... But the crowd clearly didn't know Yngvie had been replaced, as they were chanting "YNGVIE, YNGVIE, YNGVIE - and then Vai walked on with the rest of the band, after learning the material just two days prior.

David Fleming speaks with Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, the man responsible for the documentary series, Who Killed Malcolm X? This is a series or six episodes, each running around 45 minutes, give or take. It began as an item of personal interest. The reported "facts" and events surrounding the assassination of Malcolm X just didn't sit right. "Who Killed Malcolm X" is the culmination of over 30 years of research, and every minute is something to let soak in.

David Fleming speaks with Don Felder about anything BUT The Eagles. In this all too brief interview, we'll hear about Felder's group, "Flow," a jazz fusion leaning band which produced one self-titled release in 1970. We'll also touch lightly on Felder's solo releases "Road to Forever," and "American Rock and Roll." Felder is being brought to California Theatre of the Performing Arts on April 30th by Affordable Music Productions. More at affordablemusicproductions.com.

David also spoke with Matt Ellis, a singer-songwriter living in the Joshua Tree area, via LA, and before that - Australia. He's one of the organizers of a benefit concert for the people of Ukraine, with around a dozen bands performing a mix of Americana, psychedelic country, folk, and more. That's April 17th at Giant Rock Meeting Room Pizza and Bar in Yucca Valley. Matt will also be performing April 16th at Red Dawg Saloon in Pioneertown. More at mattellis.com