Steve Vai Shares 1991 Collaboration ‘Vai/Gash’ In Honor Of His Friend

[Cover photo credit to Larry DiMarzio]

Steve Vai and Favored Nations / Mascot Label Group have released VAI / GASH digitally and on CD, with a vinyl album following on February 24th, 2023. The album’s materials date from 1991 and stem from a collaboration with friend John “Gash” Sombrotto, a vocalist. Three singles are out now, including The three songs presented in to the release are “She Saved My Life Tonight”, “In The Wind”, and “Busted”.

Vai shares:

Vai / Gash was written and recorded in somewhat of a stream of consciousness in 1991 within perhaps a 2-week period as an answer to my desire to have a particular kind of music to listen to when I was riding my Harley Davison Motorcycle with my friends. One of those friends was John ‘Gash’ Sombrotto, who is the powerful singer on this record. It’s reminiscent of a certain type of rock music I enjoyed as a teenager in the 1970’s. These recordings sat on the shelf for over 30 years and are being released now in 2023.

John “Gash” Sombrotto was an avid motorcycle enthusiast who had endured widespread traumatic injuries and burns due to a biking accident as a young man. Vai bonded with him over motorcycle culture and this eventually led to their collaboration.

Vai shares:

At first sight, many people could be taken by his bald head, scarred neck and burnt-off ear. Looking as he did and riding a Harley it was easy to assume he was perhaps a tough, menacing biker with a nefarious attitude, but after engaging with him for even a minute, his charm and magnetic charisma had them laughing in their shoes and completely enjoying his uplifting presence. He endeared people with his wit, warmth, and sparkle. John hit it off instantly with the most unlikely of people of every age, color, size, political or sexual persuasions. He was non superficial and never judged people. This allowed his engaging personality and intoxicating charm to draw you in. Under all those scars was a bold and fearlessly warm heart that can be seen in his disarming and big soft blue eyes.

After finishing their album, Vai had another project he was hoping to do with Sombrotto, but Sombrotto was sadly killed in a bike accident soon afterwards. Now, after 30 years, Vai is releasing their music. His reason for waiting this long were personal.

As he says:

Disheartened, I put the entire project on the shelf, and would listen to it at least once a year for the past 30 years, especially around the anniversary of his passing. Then recently something compelled me to want to put it out now.  I wish you would have had a chance to get to know John. I believe you would have loved him just as we all did. For now, he is ‘In the Wind’.

Steve Vai will resume the Inviolate World Tour in Europe this March.

24 March       Lisbon, Portugal                                             CCB

26 March         Porto, Portugal                                                Casa da Musica                             

27 March         Malaga, Spain                                                 Teatro Cervantes 

29 March         Huelva, Spain                                                 Gran Teatro de Huelva 

31 March         Madrid, Spain                                                 La Riviera 

01 April           Bilbao, Spain                                                  Santana 27 – Sala Gold 

02 April           Barcelona, Spain                                             Sala Parallel 62 

04 April           Vigo, Spain                                                     Auditorio Mar de Vigo 

05 April           Gijón, Spain                                                    Audiotorio de La Universidad Laboral

07 April           Milan, Italy                                                     Teatro Dal Verme 

08 April           Jesolo (Venezia), Italy                                    PalaInvent 

11 April           Munich, Germany                                           Technikum 

12 April          Budapest, Hungary                                         Akvarium Klub

13 April           Zagreb, Croatia                                               Culture Factory

14 April           Bratislava, Slovakia                                        Refinery Gallery 

18 April           Ankara, Turkey                                               Congresium Ankara 

19 April           Istanbul, Turkey                                              VW Arena

21 April          Thessaloniki, Greece                                      Principal Club

22 April           Athens, Greece                                               Fuzz Live Music Club

24 April           Bucharest, Romania                                        Sala Mare (The Great Hall)

25 April           Sofia, Bulgaria                                                NDK Hall 3

26 April          Skopje, N. Macedonia                                    SRC Kale

27 April          Belgrade, Serbia                                             MTS dvorana

28 April           Brno, Czech Republic                                     Semilasso

29 April           Prague, Czech Republic                                 Lucerna Music Bar

01 May            Wroclaw, Poland                                            Majowka Festival – Hala Stulecia

02 May            Krakow, Poland                                              ICE

03 May            Lublin, Poland                                                CSK

05 May            Riga, Latvia                                                    Palladium

06 May            Tallinn, Estonia                                              Noblessner Foundry 

07 May            Helsinki, Finland                                            House of Culture 

%d bloggers like this: