Touring with some of the hottest names in Jazz, Vail has performed with Rick Braun, Peter White, Keiko Matsui, Guitar & Saxes (with Richard Elliot), Rob Mullins, Slim Man, Craig Chaquico, Dave Koz, Marc Antoine, Diane Schuur, Eric Marienthal, and Brian Bromberg to name a few. In the Christian Music scene, he has recorded with the likes of Petra, Jon Gibson, Crystal Lewis, John Elefante, Leon Patillo, Morris Chapman and on numerous Maranatha, Vineyard and Saddleback Church projects. In the Pop world, Vail has played with Smokey Robinson, Al Stewart, The Coasters, The Drifters, The Platters, Slash, Billy Idol, Brian Wilson and Andrew Dice Clay.

Inspired by his grandfather, who was a professional saxophonist, Vail first picked up the horn at age six, studying privately while playing in school bands, junior high through high school. Beginning music studies at Orange Coast College while only 15, Vail’s formal training in music continued through his graduation from Long Beach State, where he received his B.A. in Music in 1984.

After graduation, Vail worked his way up the ranks of local bands until joining Smooth Jazz super group Kilauea when it first formed in 1991. Over the next 4 years Vail recorded on 4 CDs with Kilauea which prepared the way for his debut solo CD, eMotion, released in 1995 on BrainChild Records. He left Kilauea to form his own band that same year, simultaneously landing a deal to record Sax By Candlelight, a 40-song collection of love songs on Time Life Records released in 1996, which was repackaged and released as Sax By Moonlight in 1997 as a 4 CD box set.