Favored Nations
Encyclopedia
Favored Nations is a record label
started by guitarist Steve Vai
and former Guitar Center owner Ray Scherr in 1999. The first album
ever released by Favored Nations was Frank Gambale's
Coming to Your Senses in 2000. Not long after that, artists such as Eric Johnson
, Dweezil Zappa
, Johnny A.
, Larry Carlton
, Eric Sardinas
, and Steve Lukather
(whose album No Substitutes won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album
), Neal Schon
, Johnny Hiland
, Stanley Jordan
, Allan Holdsworth
, John Petrucci
(An Evening With John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess, as well as his own solo album Suspended Animation), Marty Friedman
, The Yardbirds
, Dave Weiner
, and Peppino D'Agostino
, among others, signed to Favored Nations.
Favored Nations was followed by separate branches called Favored Nations Acoustic in 2002 and Favored Nations Cool in 2004. Pro-Found is a sister label that is basically a promotional tool for Favored Nations artists through the Favored Nations and ProFound websites.
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
started by guitarist Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
and former Guitar Center owner Ray Scherr in 1999. The first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
ever released by Favored Nations was Frank Gambale's
Frank Gambale
Frank Gambale is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released eleven studio albums over a period of more than two decades, and is renowned for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques.-Recording career:...
Coming to Your Senses in 2000. Not long after that, artists such as Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
, Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
, Johnny A.
Johnny A.
Johnny A. is an American guitarist/songwriter, born in Malden, Massachusetts.Growing up in Boston as a young child, he became interested in music, starting with drums at age six. Upon being exposed to The Beatles in 1964 , Johnny bought a $49 Lafayette Electronics guitar. In the late seventies, he...
, Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...
, Eric Sardinas
Eric Sardinas
Eric Sardinas is an American blues-rock guitarist born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is noted for his use of the electric resonator guitar and his live performances. He sometimes sets his guitar alight on stage and during shows....
, and Steve Lukather
Steve Lukather
Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...
(whose album No Substitutes won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album
Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality instrumental albums in the pop music genre...
), Neal Schon
Neal Schon
Neal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
, Johnny Hiland
Johnny Hiland
Johnny Hiland is an American musician. He began as a bluegrass player, and then went on to play jazz, blues and heavy metal.- Early life :Hiland grew up in Woodland, Maine...
, Stanley Jordan
Stanley Jordan
Stanley Jordan is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist, best known for his development of the tapping technique for the guitar....
, Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
, John Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
(An Evening With John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess, as well as his own solo album Suspended Animation), Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (guitarist)
Marty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...
, The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
, Dave Weiner
Dave Weiner
Dave Weiner is an American guitarist, most widely known for being one of Steve Vai's touring guitarists. He also posts instructional videos, called the "Riff of the Week", every Wednesday on YouTube, iTunes and his own website, he also gives online lessons.- Joining Steve Vai :Weiner first joined...
, and Peppino D'Agostino
Peppino D'Agostino
Giuseppe "Peppino" D'Agostino is a musician.He was born in Messina in 1951. He was first drawn to the guitar after watching his cousin perform during church services in his hometown of Torino; the self-taught musician began picking out tunes by ear, and inspired by legends like Paco de Lucia, Leo...
, among others, signed to Favored Nations.
Favored Nations was followed by separate branches called Favored Nations Acoustic in 2002 and Favored Nations Cool in 2004. Pro-Found is a sister label that is basically a promotional tool for Favored Nations artists through the Favored Nations and ProFound websites.
Favored Nations
- Eric JohnsonEric JohnsonEric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
- Eric SardinasEric SardinasEric Sardinas is an American blues-rock guitarist born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He is noted for his use of the electric resonator guitar and his live performances. He sometimes sets his guitar alight on stage and during shows....
- Andy TimmonsAndy TimmonsAndy Timmons is an American guitarist who has played in the bands Danger Danger, Pawn Kings, and Andy Timmons Band . He has also released several solo albums and has worked as a session guitarist...
- Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
- The YardbirdsThe Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
Favored Nations Acoustic
- Philip AabergPhilip AabergPhilip Aaberg is an American pianist, keyboardist, and composer. He gained international recognition through a series of successful piano recordings released on Windham Hill Records. Although classically trained, Aaberg incorporates classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and new music elements into his...
- Peppino D'AgostinoPeppino D'AgostinoGiuseppe "Peppino" D'Agostino is a musician.He was born in Messina in 1951. He was first drawn to the guitar after watching his cousin perform during church services in his hometown of Torino; the self-taught musician began picking out tunes by ear, and inspired by legends like Paco de Lucia, Leo...
- Tommy EmmanuelTommy EmmanuelWilliam Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
- Peter Huttlinger
- Adrian LeggAdrian LeggAdrian Legg is an English guitar player who has been called "impossible to categorize". He plays custom guitars that are a hybrid of electric and acoustic, and his fingerstyle picking technique has been acknowledged by the readers of Guitar Player who voted Legg the "best acoustic fingerstyle"...
- James RobinsonJames RobinsonJames Robinson, Jim Robinson, Jimmy Robinson or Jamie Robinson may refer to:-Public officials:*James W. Robinson James Robinson, Jim Robinson, Jimmy Robinson or Jamie Robinson may refer to:-Public officials:*James W. Robinson (Texas and California) James Robinson, Jim Robinson, Jimmy Robinson or...
Favored Nations Cool
- Larry CoryellLarry CoryellLarry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
- Mimi FoxMimi FoxMimi Fox is an American jazz guitarist known internationally for her work. She has released seven albums, with 2006's Perpetually Hip reaching #23 on the Billboard "Top Jazz Albums" chart....
- Novecento featuring Stanley JordanStanley JordanStanley Jordan is an American jazz/jazz fusion guitarist and pianist, best known for his development of the tapping technique for the guitar....