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By ucombo, October 1, 2009 9:04 pm

The self titled debut album “Painted on Water” release in June 2009 by artists Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan is a combination of traditional music and art from eastern culture with America’s roots music, jazz and blues representing the culmination of a truly global vision. The group “Painted On Water” just completed a highly successful tour in the US.

Ucombo music editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to interview both artists about their career, collaboration, and the making of this wonderful international music project.

SERTAB ERENER has been among the most acclaimed female artists on the Turkish pop music scene for over 15 years. A conservatory-trained coloratura soprano, Erener’s versatility in opera and pop styles has won her an army of devoted fans, and global sales of over four million records. In 2003, she represented Turkey at the Eurovision Song Contest in Riga, Latvia, and became the first Turkish singer to win the Eurovision first prize with “Every Way That I Can,” co-written with her partner in PAINTED ON WATER, Demir Demirkan.

Demir Demirkan is the songwriter, arranger, co-producer, guitarist, and singer for PAINTED ON WATER. Embarking on their world music and jazz/blues/rock fusion together after ten years of successful collaboration on Erener’s pop projects in Turkish and English, PAINTED ON WATER was co-produced in Los Angeles with Jay Newland, a nine-time Grammy-winning producer and engineer.

Meg: Hi Sertab and Demir, thank you so much for taking the time to talk us about making this wonderful global music project. Prior to Pained On Water, you had been collaborating for over a decade. You co-wrote “Every Way That I Can,” the song that helped launching Sertab’s international career. How did you two meet? What was your first collaborated project?

POW: Hi Meg, thanks for interviewing us.

We met in the summer of 1996, at a club where Sertab was singing. I had just relocated to Istanbul from Los Angeles and she had had her 2nd album released. My first thought was “she should be singing worldwide!” And honestly, I can say that was the moment I fell in love with her.

I started working on another singer’s debut album, meanwhile we got together with Sertab for some of her demos. We prepared a 2 song demo for Arif Mardin, he was in Istanbul at that time. That’s also the time we got together as a couple. The first project we worked on was Sertab Gibi, her 3rd Turkish release. We co-wrote songs and I did the production, arrangements and a lot of guitar playing

Meg: Sertab, your work in PAINTED ON WATER represents a new creative plateau in an already accomplished career, you said that “In this album, not so many variations, and big voice in the performance, but instead — soul. Expression.” Music is all about reaching out to the audience and igniting listeners’ emotions and passion. That’s every artist’s dream. Do you find yourself using different singing techniques? Since you were trained as an operatic soprano?

POW: When I was studying music and vocals at the Conservatory, I used to be very fond of some singers, musicians, and bands. During my education, I used to perform jazz, pop jazz , pop, with different bands as a lead singer. But of course, to create my own individual sound of voice was the most necessary and important thing in my career. So now I definitely am using different techniques when I am singing and enjoy it. it makes me free.

Meg: Demir, In 1992, you studied at Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles with Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, and MI founder Paul Hanson, also playing studio and live gigs. When you were studying in Hollywood, you passed A&M Studios every day, and you wanted to record an album there. Thus recording Pained On Water there is a dream come true for you?

POW: It really is a dream come true. I passed by that studio so many times and wondered who was recording at that time behind those gates. At that time I was a big fan of Extreme (the rock band) and Nuno Bettencourt, and I knew they recorded there from an interview of his. I remember thinking to myself “one day…” But the irony is I never really got to record at A&M studios because the name had changed to Henson Studios oh well, close enough, it was beautiful recording there.

Meg: There’s a funny story that you had to search for A&M Studios since they changed their name to Hanson. How did you eventually find them?

POW: Exactly! I knew studios were still there but I couldn’t find it on the internet when we tried to book. I did a little research on the web and finally got convinced that Henson is the old A&M studios.

Meg: Painted On Water takes its name from an art form. It is a visual art that artists paint on water. But that’s only part of the basic concept.
Can you tell us more about the inspiration and the story behind making this wonderful project?

POW: The original name of the art-form is Ebru. The artist paints a picture on a tray of water treated with some oils. The water is thickened a little so it holds the paint but still has that dreamy-watery feeling. It’s very beautiful to watch, kind of like a moving picture you watch while it evolves into its full form. Then, the artist covers the picture with an absorbent sheet of paper on which the picture is printed. You can actually freeze that moving picture in time but the picture on the water gets destroyed.

This whole process, when you scale it to larger proportions and contemplate on it a little while, is actually the very much like this human drama that we call “life”. We try and make the best of our lives as far as we can imagine and actually paint a story. Meanwhile we know in our hearts that one day we’ll be no more and all this would be non-existent. But still, we keep on painting our life story with all kinds of colors like love, fear, anger, passion, glory, sadness and envy.

On another plain, it’s just like music. We play music every day, we know the sound gets lost in eternity but we still do it for the sake of its beauty and for the sake of its own. Now, a recording is just like the sheet of paper that we lay on the water tray. It absorbs that moment and freezes so we can listen to it anytime we want.

I hope this all is making sense because it’s really difficult to explain art as art is an expression for in itself. But yet again, I’ve tried to put it in words

Meg: Painted On Water is an album that is a culmination of both Eastern and Western music. Eastern music is taught by hands on approach and western music is passed on by notations. As a songwriter, do you find it difficult to notate exactly what you want and to express your intentions?

Because notations and dynamic markings have their limits?

POW: I think the main difference is about composing something and making sure that it gets into the record as it belongs to you. I believe in the ancient eastern cultures, the main teaching was that nothing really belongs to anyone exclusively. If someone wrote a piece of music, it was for that time and place. In time especially in the west, the whole thing evolved in a way that people wanted to be able to repeat that experience. It’s an act of “attachment” which is actually the number 1 on the list to get purified of. We all have heard of practicing “detachment” in Buddhism and Taoism and the likes by now. I don’t think this only applies to music. There are some more areas that western record-keeping culture evolved greatly. Please don’t get me wrong I don’t want to sound like I’m against the western way, on the contrary I support it. I think western notation system is highly effective on expression. My whole education is based on the western culture, it’s just that I was born and raised in Anatolia, in Turkey Don’t we all have our own little dilemmas ?
The main difficulty in adapting eastern music for western instruments is harmony. The folk songs didn’t have any chord because that’s just the way it is in middle eastern music. The scale system is different. I had to come up with some harmonic backgrounds that made sense for the melodies and context.

I also have to add that in the Classical Turkish Music Conservatories a slightly altered version of the western notation system is being used. I believe that the rest of the eastern and middle eastern countries are using a similar notation system. You have to have some kind of a system in today’s world. We all love what’s exclusively ours, it’s the global culture now

Meg: We must thank the recording technology, so we can all enjoy this truly global vision. It’s been our great pleasure talking to you both. Hope we can talk to you again in the near future and look forward to hearing more wonderful music from you.

POW: Thank you very much. We have already begun to talk and think about our second album already but I’m sure it’s going to be a good while for it to shape up. In the meantime we want to play as much as we can and share this music with as many listeners as we can.

Painted on Water is managed by GNL Entertainment in Istanbul, Turkey and is represented by Redwood Entertainment, Inc. in North America.

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By ucombo, September 16, 2009 12:44 pm

A highly accomplished vocalist and actor, Elli Fordyce had an unusual musical journey. 30 years ago, after a devastating car accident that ended a successful year-long “Elli Fordyce And Her Favorite Things” tour, Elli took time away from her musical journey. Although it took 15 years to heal spiritually, music was not over for her. An unlikely inspiration helped to get her back to singing: Elli discovered that her ginger-colored Yorkie pup named Dindi (which is pronounced gingy and means little jewel in Portuguese) loved hearing her sing that song to her. Urged on by Dindi, Elli made a successful comeback, releasing her first CD, “Something STILL Cool,” at the age of 70. It became an overnight sensation with rave reviews.

Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts interviewed Elli this week about her early musical career and her comeback.

Meg: Hi Elli, thank you so much for talking to us. You had a successful musical career before you stopped singing for 15 years. Can you tell us your early musical training? How did you get started?

Elli: We sang group folk songs daily in the elementary school I attended and I listened to top-40 radio in Jr. high school; than at 15, a boyfriend and his dad introduced me to jazz, which we heard often, both in-person and on our terrific local AM jazz radio stations. I took a few voice lessons at 16 in Greenwich Village. When I returned to college for two more years at 25, I studied music education. The rest was on-the-job training from the age of 18 when I briefly sang in public with jazz trios.

Meg: You were on a roll with your career when the car accident ended your successful one-year tour of “Elli Fordyce And Her Favorite Things.” You gave up singing soon after. Was it physically too painful to sing after the accident?

Elli: Although I’m still working on physically healing my back injury after 30 years, the injury didn’t directly effect my singing. After the accident, my band was so emotionally distraught and when we couldn’t get work until 6 weeks later and then at a much lesser level than we’d previously achieved, none of us handled it very well. We took our frustration out on each other and with no work coming through, I wound up disbanding the group and trying to start from scratch. When the next band I was in — over which I was thrilled and which had so much combined potential — disintegrated (this time, due to drug use by its leader), I threw my hands up in despair and decided to eliminate what it was that was magnetizing all this drama into my experience and to turn my life back around. At the time, I didn’t know I would leave the business and I dabbled in a couple of short-lived projects not long after, but found myself in situations which led very far from those dreams for the next 15 years. To me, everything is based in the spiritual/emotional, the physical parts being the final but more obvious outcome. I finally took a stand and became more proactive about life.

Meg: The very unlikely inspiration that got you back was your Yorkie pup, Dindi. She loved hearing you sing the song for which she was named. How did you discover she loved it? What did she do when you sang to her?

Elli: I began borrowing her from her litter up the block when she was 6-1/2 weeks old, in 1991. Carrying her in one hand, I’d sing Dindi to her and she’d snuggle and calm down. Several months later, Frank Sinatra came on the air singing her song and she literally did a double take at me, as if asking me why someone else was singing that song. (At least that’s how it seemed; maybe she just recognized her name.)

The dog I have now is a much smaller version (Dindi was 12 pounds, Minty is only 5) and she’s the reincarnation of Dindi, coming back to the planet about a year after Dindi died. During the last year of producing “Something STILL Cool,” Minty was always in the studio and when it was time to do more vocal takes of Dindi, Minty was in the recording booth. I was focusing on her, singing directly to her. She’d been whimpering in the control room a few minutes before and I didn’t want her on the recording! That’s the best vocal track on the album.

Meg: After your inspiration was renewed, you had a series of coaching sessions and went to workshops, and eventually released your first CD, “Something STILL Cool.” Where did you draw inspiration for this CD? Can you tell us the story behind making it?

Elli: The music was inspired by years of listening to, singing and wanting to record those songs. The title and cover art are an homage to “Something Cool,” an album by June Christy to which I listened a lot in my senior year in high school after my family moved from New York City to a small town, seven miles from anything (and me with no license for 9 months), away from all my friends and from jazz. There was one classmate there who owned and loved that album; she and it saved my life that year by her sharing it with me after school on many an afternoon, both of us dreaming of being jazz singers. All the songs on my first CD mean a great deal to me personally, on one level or another, and each inspires me in some way.

The story behind actually making “Something STILL Cool” is a full-blown saga. I walked dogs and fed people’s cats full-time for 15 years and for three years prior to going in the studio the first time, worked 60-70 hours a week, taking every job I could and saving money. Finally having enough, hiring the musicians and doing a series of gigs with some of them as “rehearsal,” in two days we laid down all the instrumental tracks and I’d spent most of what I’d saved on fees and musicians. But I didn’t like the way the vocals were coming out and kept redoing them, finally giving up on working with that producer and going to a new one, Patrick Lo Re at One Soul Studios in NY (with whom I later also co-produced “Songs Spun of Gold,” my current CD). I soon ran out of money and a producer I’d hooked up with somehow on the internet asked if she could finish the album, re-recording the vocals and editing/mixing — in Philly. We did 4 sessions there from which I had a master of 8 songs on CD and was working on graphics and text for the insert to go to press when the producer disappeared. Not only from us but from her large tab at the Philly studio, which kept my separated tracks for ransom trying to get their bill paid. Later, I found an inexpensive producer in Brewster, NY where I did a few sessions, working with the already-mixed master from Philly and some instrumental tracks from the initial sessions (wanting more than 8 selections for the CD). Before we finished that version, I again ran out of money, but eventually, was fortunate to be subsidized by a family member and able to go back to Patrick. After looking at all the versions and renditions and formats I brought him, we decided how to come out with the best result, taking everything back to the basic tracks from the original two instrumental sessions recorded — at that point — five years earlier. Reworking those, we redid all the vocals yet again. A year later, as we were about to start on graphics and text for the insert, and move on to the production plant, a sudden illness in Parick’s family caused him to drop all his work for many months. Eventually I finished the CD, which he was co-producing, on my own and, nearly 8 years after starting the CD, it came from the plant: completed!

Meg: Your new CD being launched currently is “Songs Spun Of Gold.” At the age of 72, you prove that it’s never too late to re-launch a singing career. Do you find that life experiences have added more to your interpretation?

Elli: Good question. Sure, life experiences add to everything we do as we move forward, including my interpretations of everything I sing. We usually don’t get the significance of how those experiences have added to our wisdom and lives until much later.

Meg: Thanks again for letting us interview you and best of luck with everything. We hope to talk to you again in the near future.

Elli: That would be great and it was my total pleasure.

Elli Fordyce is represented by Redwood Entertainment, Inc. in New York city.

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By ucombo, September 15, 2009 1:33 pm

Considered one of the best and busiest singer/bandleaders on the scene today, Jerry Costanzo and his own big band – the Jerry Costanzo Orchestra, have gained popularity among audiences young and old.

The critiques have called his style of singing “brings a Sinatra-like quality as he leads”. Dedicated to the preservation of the American songbook, Jerry released his first CD entitled “Destination Moon”.

Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to interview him on his musical upbringing and the release of his first CD.

Meg: Hi Jerry, thanks again for letting us interview you. You were born into a musical family and you started listening to Jazz at an early age, how early?

Jerry: I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s and my parents were from the “Hey Day” of the “Jazz & Swing era”. They constantly had records playing and the radio on. As young kids, my brothers, sister and I were not allowed to listen to Rock & Roll when traveling with my parents in the car. We knew all the great standards before we were teenagers.

Meg: Your father started teaching you saxophone when you were in third grade, was that the instrument of your choice?

Jerry: No! My father was a reed player and so was my grandfather. So my first instrument was my grandfather’s alto sax that he played in the Army band during WWI. I wanted to play the piano but we never owned one and my father was not going to pay for lessons when he was perfectly capable of teaching me the sax. I always tell him, I might have found my voice much earlier in life if I didn’t have a mouthpiece plugging up my face!

Meg: You studied acting at the Herbert Berghoff studio in NYC after high school. So you were not thinking about pursuing a career in music initially?

Jerry: Nope! I didn’t start pursuing music/singing until I was in my 30’s. I was a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none before that. You name it! I was an Auto Mechanic, Salesmen, painter, electrician, plumber, and carpenter. My major trade was Communications lineman. I sang a lot of tunes hanging off of telephone poles. One time a lady yelled out her window. “Hey Mister. You missed your calling, you should be a singer. It wasn’t long after, that I took her advice LOL!!!

Meg: While you were attending the acting school you landed a job working for Al Pacino as his personal aid and chauffeur that must have been an interesting job. Did you get to meet some interesting people?

Jerry: Ok! Who did I meet? Let’s see… Francis Coppole, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Debra Winger, John Huston, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen, Mikhail Baryshnikov to name a few. That and a chocolate nickel got me nowhere. I was young and dumb, You know what they say “If I only knew then what I know now” Yikes!!

Meg: LOL. What brought you back to music and especially to the American big band songbook setting?

Jerry: Like I said, I was always a jazz fan and I especially loved to listen to singers. Bing, Nat, Sinatra, Ella, Torme, J Hartman. These are just a few of my favorites. I guess what really brought me back was, when I got involved with my Dad’s big band “The Memories Of Swing” I became passionate about singing and it didn’t take long before I was hooked and I’ve never looked back.

Meg: Besides your busy performance schedule, you recently released your first CD entitled “Destination Moon”. You are dedicated to the preservation of the American old songs, isn’t it riskier to sing songs that have been sung and recorded numerous times?

Jerry: Nope! Not at all. You would be surprised to know that 80% of the people that book me for private and public events are in the 25-40 year old age bracket. The reason for that is, It’s just GREAT music. They don’t call them “Timeless Standards” and “The Greatest Music Of All Time” for nothing ya know!!!

You can also thank people like Michael Buble. Harry Connick Jr. Diana Krall, Boz Scaggs, to name a few and all the rockers who are singing standards now. They — like me, are keeping this music alive and well. Don’t you worry about! The Great American Song Book is here to stay.

Meg: It’s great talking to you. Thanks again and the best of luck in everything.

Jerry: You’re Welcome. Thank you,

Visit Jerry on www.jerrycostanzo.com

Jerry Costanzo is represented by Redwood Entertainment, Inc.

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By ucombo, September 9, 2009 4:02 pm

American guitarist Russ Spiegel is a musician who wears many hats. Alongside performing – from solo guitar to running his ensemble The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra, Russ is a commissioned composer, written music for film, TV, and musicals, taught college-level courses, ran workshops & seminars, given private instruction, and has copied music for Broadway shows and major-label recordings, as well as having appeared in a number of feature movies as both a musician and actor.

A prolific recording artist, Russ also released several CDs. Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to interview him this week about his early musical training and his recent CD release entitled “The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra ~ Transplants”.

Meg: Hi Russ, thanks again for letting us interview you. You were born in Los Angeles, but moved to Germany with your family while you were in high school. Did you receive your earliest musical training in the US?

Russ: Hi Meg, great to talk with you. I grew up in a musical household. My father plays trumpet, my brother Victor, who is a pianist and composer, was always rehearsing his band at the house, my sister Shelah plays violin and my mother would sit down at the piano from time to time. I tried playing trumpet like my dad when I was about 9 years old until about 12 but I was never really motivated to practice. When I was about 14 I discovered a picture of Fender Strat in my father’s music catalog and was fascinated by it. I don’t know why, but I just had to get one. My father said I could play guitar but only if I took lessons. We went down to the local music store in Fountain Valley and they started me off on a classical guitar. I practiced every day and that summer I got a part-time job and saved up enough money to buy a Strat. I kept taking lessons but got into a couple rock bands and learned a bunch of tunes from my bandmates. Then, my junior year in high school my dad got a job in Germany and that was it for my lessons for the time.

Meg: While living in Germany, did you continue your music studies?

Russ: I don’t think so. At the time, I was just trying to emulate people like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, and the like. I learned some solos and got some books and tried to work through some concepts, but it was really kind of half-assed, to tell the truth. I do remember a high school trip to Nuremberg for the Christmas Market. Pat Metheny had just released his groundbreaking 80/81 album and, I don’t know why, but I picked it up and listened to it a lot, but never really tried to play like that.

After a year in Frankfurt I moved down to Munich to go to college. It was funny, the place was the University of Maryland, Munich Campus! It was housed on an Army base in the southern part of the city. I was always on the lookout for new music, trolling the local record shops and discovered some recordings featuring Allan Holdsworth with Gong and Soft Machine, and later came across some Wes Montgomery records. I had a bass player friend named Jim Foitik who tried to get me to listen and play more jazz and who taught me a couple of standards. Another jazz-crazy friend of mine, Andy Heinze, dragged me to concerts around the city. I remember seeing Weather Report when they were at their peak, which was just an amazing show, and later we went up to the Northsea Jazz Festival for three days. I think at the time I was just listening to a lot of music, though I was always playing in different bands back then.

The college in Munich was only a two-year program. On the advice of my professors I transferred to the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. It was there that I started taking lessons in Jazz Guitar. I remember one of my teachers was Johnny Lawrence, who is a great player. I got involved with a student-run club called Eclipse Jazz which put on quite a few concerts a semester with big-name acts: Johnny Griffin, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Wynton Marsalis, and many, many more. Sometimes the artists would also give workshops and I attended those religiously. I also joined the University Big Band, which at the time was run by trumpeter Louis Smith, who at one point had a career on Blue Note records. Up to then, I couldn’t read a lick of music and struggled for quite a while. It did help me to develop a very basic ability to read chord charts.

Meg: You traveled back and forth between Germany and the US for a number of years while establishing your musical career in Europe. What was it like to be a starting out Jazz musician in Europe, in terms of getting gigs?

Russ: I didn’t really get started, in a career-sense, until after I finished college. After my undergraduate studies at Michigan I went back to Germany for a year to be with my family, hang out, work, etc., and then went back to Michigan to work on what was going to be a Master’s Degree in Public Policy studies. It was a very elite program, letting in only about 50 students a year. It was very intensive, however, with lots of classes in statistics, economics and the like, and I found myself doing less and less work and playing more guitar. At the end of the semester, I think the only class I passed was Big Band. I decided to take a leave of absence and in the meantime had applied to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. They awarded me a scholarship, so I thought, “It’s now or never,” and I packed off to Boston to learn guitar for real.

After six semesters at Berklee, I had a ton of stuff to work through and was fairly broke. Someone had stolen my car and ran it into a wall and I felt it was going to be pretty hard going trying to survive as a musician in Boston. I knew the Berklee name carried some weight in Europe so I packed up my things, mailed a bunch of my stuff to my folks, and headed back to Germany to try my luck there.

Back then there were a lot of gigs and places to play in Frankfurt. The American military was still based there and I did find a lot of acceptance in getting work. The pay scale was also pretty good, and the cost of living a lot lower. I think for Europeans, at least at that time, there was the benefit that Americans were still considered exotic. I’m not sure that’s the case any more.

Meg: You did all of your higher education in the US, earning a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance at the City College of New York studying under John Pattitucci. Your undergrad degree was in Philosophy, why Philosophy?

Russ: Well, that’s not entirely true. As I mentioned I went to the University of Maryland in Munich. I also took a couple of academic courses at the University of Frankfurt and did a summer program at Oxford University in England before attending the Masters program at Michigan. However, for most of the time I was at college I was a bit adrift, kind of idealistic but with no real goals. Guitar and music was a hobby, but at the time I didn’t really entertain the thought of making that my livelihood. At one point I was toying with the idea of getting involved in mathematics, but found I didn’t have a great interest or aptitude in it. Literature was always important, as I have always been an avid reader, but I somehow just drifted into Philosophy as I was intrigued into the history of thought.

Meg: You moved back to the US in 2001, and quickly found yourself busy on the music scene, playing solo, composing, giving workshops and master classes, and forming The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra – a 17-piece band. It is quite large for a jazz band. How did you meet all the musicians?

Russ: New York City is a wonderful, inspiring place. I am very appreciative of my time in Europe but found that the musicians here in New York are really hungry for any and all playing opportunities. I think you’ve got the best musicians in the world all congregating in one area. I had been playing in a rehearsal band over at the Musician’s Union on 48th Street and had been subbing for a friend in the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra and had gotten to know a lot of cats. Then a job at a West Village club fell in my lap. If you have an opportunity to gig, it’s more about the music and the experience than the money here. That’s not to say that money isn’t important. It’s just that everyone knows it’s hard to make anything with a big band. I’ve always tried to write interesting and challenging music for my musicians so that it’s rewarding for them to play in my band and that they will want to stick with it. I made some phone calls and when I got stuck finding someone another musician would inevitably help out and get the part covered. Fortunately, since then I’ve been able to have a fairly steady crew of musicians and also been able to get my name out to the general music community so if there is an open chair I’ve got a nice choice of musicians to choose from.

Meg: Your recent CD release entitled “The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra ~ Transplants”, featuring 9 big band jazz piece all arranged and produced by you. Is this the debut CD for your orchestra?

Russ: Actually I had started doing big band work in Germany. I had written a couple of pieces for the local radio big band, the Hessischer Rundfunk Bigband, but never had a chance to actually hear the pieces performed. I was playing at the time in jazz organist Barbara Dennerlein’s group and the saxophone player recommended I start my own group. I followed his advice and, after more phone calls, not only had a big band, but had a regular once-a-month hit at a local club. One of my last years in Frankfurt I received a special award from the city for my work and was asked to perform with my ensemble at the German Jazz Festival. That was back in 1999. It was a real honor, with lots of press, and the concert was covered on radio and TV. We got to open up for the Dave Holland Quintet and Lester Bowie’s Brass Fantasy. That was a real highlight. Earlier that same year we did a gig at a nice club in Aschaffenburg, which was recorded and I released that a while back under the title, “The Russ Spiegel Big Band – Live in Europe.”

Once I had relocated to New York in 2001 I was doing small band stuff for a while but the itch to put a big band together got to be too great and I started up my group here. To prepare for the recording we did a bunch of gigs and rehearsals before we went into the studio. What a tight band! We managed to cut 9 tunes in about six hours. I was and still am amazed at the level of commitment and quality of musicianship of all the players. The CD itself took about 3 years to finish due to editing & mixing, which was an expensive process because of the size of the project. I had also recorded a smaller group that same week that I decided to put out first because it was much easier to do. That was “Chimera”, which was released on the Steeplechase label.

In the meantime, I have a pretty large number of big band pieces in my book – mostly my original compositions but also some standards and compositions of friends which I have arranged. I recently did a concert with the great Hendrik Meurkens, who plays the chromatic harmonica, and we are trying to get that project off the ground. I also am thinking of doing a more groove-oriented big band album. It’s always a question of money, alas, and for the moment, this CD has pretty much emptied my cash reserves. I am hoping some doors will open when people hear this recording, maybe get some guest spots somewhere or be able to sell some of my charts to schools and colleges. I have also begun writing for film and TV and am hoping that that will take off. Otherwise I am always on the lookout for new ideas and concepts that I can incorporate into my writing. I feel very fortunate to be able to work with such a large project.

Meg: It’s great talking to you and thanks again. Look forward to hearing more wonderful compositions from you.

Russ: My pleasure, Meg.

Russ Spiegel is represented by Redwood Entertainment, Inc. in New York.

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By ucombo, September 2, 2009 6:15 pm

A professional musicians for more than 3 decades, David Bennett Cohen “isn’t the average hippie gone Wall Street”. Best known for his innovative keyboard playing as an original member of the ’60’s rock band, Country Joe and the Fish, he is an equally accomplished guitar player who has been involved in numerous music scenes throughout his varied career.

Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to interview him on his long musical career and his latest CD release entitled “Cookin’ With Cohen” this week.

Meg: Hi David, thanks again for giving us the opportunity to talk with you about your long and prolific musical career. The critiques have called you “a certifiably smokin’ barrel house rumba boogie-woogie piano player”, but you were trained classically initially. How did it all start?

DBC: I took piano lessons when I was a kid. From about age 7 to 13 or so. I can honestly say that I hated them. My first piano teacher was a fellow named Ben. He essentially turned me off to the piano. We developed this routine after a while. He would put some music in front of me and I would struggle to read it. Really struggle. After a few very painful moments, I would say something like, “Ben, you play so beautifully, why don’t you show me how it goes?” He would puff out his chest and play it for me. After I heard it, I could play it fine. When I was about 12 or 13, I got an acoustic guitar, and that began a love affair. My High School days were spent this way – I would get home from school around 3:30, and play my guitar for about 6 hours, do, maybe, 15 minutes of home work and go to sleep. Somewhere in the middle of all this I would eat some dinner, but that was pretty much it for High School. When I decided to be a musician, it was as a guitar player. When I was about 16 or so, I heard some Boogie-Woogie piano on TV. I was hooked and started to learn as much as I could find. I listened to the Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson album and that led to Otis Spann and Muddy Waters, Professor Longhair, Champion Jack Dupree, Jimmy Yancey, etc. This was in the ’50’s and I was part of the Washington Square Folk music scene, so even though I played a little piano, I was essentially known as a guitar player. When I got to CA in 1965, I got into the scene and played with several bands. Dylan’s Highway 61 had just come out and Country Joe was looking for an organ player. There was an old piano in the corner of the club we used to hang out at and every once in a while I would bang out some B-W or maybe play St Louis Blues. Barry Melton, who was playing with Joe at the time really liked the way I played the piano, so he told Joe, “Well, David can play organ.” So, I was asked to join the band. I had never played organ in my life and the only ones I had seen were the big theatre or church organs and I was really intimidated by them. But, I wanted the gig, so I joined and started out by playing guitar but then they bought me a Farfisa organ and I started to learn it. At first, I stole my guitar licks and applied them to the organ. Amazingly, I got these reviews that said things like, “What a unique style,” but I was really learning on the job. Eventually, I did learn how to play it properly and it rekindled my interest in B-W and Blues piano.

Meg: And when did you become fascinated by boogie-woogie piano?

DBC: Well, as I said, I was intrigued and started to learn B-W around 16. I saw Meade Lux Lewis on TV and I thought it was the most fun piano I had ever heard. I had a friend in college, Bob Fox, who played guitar and piano, too, and we would trade licks and such. But, mostly, I wanted to be a guitar player. Bob was also part of the Wash Sq scene. He passed away several years ago. After I left CJ and F, I played in several bands, one of which was the Blues Project. I learned early on that if I wanted to work steadily, I had to play piano. Everybody else, it seemed, was playing guitar. By this time, I was known as a keyboard player and I really began to appreciate the piano. It is an amazing instrument. The lowest note is lower than a bass and the highest, higher that a piccolo. Plus, with 10 fingers, you can play really big chords. Blues, to me, is the most joyful music there is. I think, maybe, that’s because it comes from so much suffering. But I really enjoy the feeling of release that happens when the Blues works.

Meg: What was the music scene like when you were growing up?

DBC: The Washington Square scene in the late ’50s and early ’60s was a moment in time that changed the history of music. People like Danny Kalb, John Sebastian, Happy and Artie Traum, Eric Weissberg, David Grisman and so many others were part of it. Then, in 1960, Dylan showed up and the evolution of Folk music took another leap forward. It was a magical time and I am so proud to have been a part of it. And, of course, behind it all and, in a sense, overseeing everything was Pete Seeger. He was the ideal that we all strove for. Not just musically, but poltically, socially and as a personal example to all of us.

Meg: Even with boogie-woogie, you do not replicate other folks’ licks. Your playing is all yours and original. When did your playing start to form a style that’s your own?

DBC: Thank you for that. I think it has to do with having several musical mentors. If I steal from only one person, then I end up sounding like that person. But, if I steal from several, it becomes a blend of their styles. Also, all of my musical theory and ideas regarding soloing and chords come from my guitar playing. I know it sounds a little strange, but that’s what it is. When I teach, I try to get my students to develop their own styles, as well. When I have a student recital, for example, some of the students play the same tune, but it always sounds different. And, as a Buddhist, I strive to have my music touch people’s lives. I also think it has to do with the creative impulse. Blues is so visceral that, in a sense, the music comes from inside. And, so many different things inspire me. I truly enjoy making music.

Meg: Over the years, besides performance recordings, you also recorded several teaching audio and video tapes, wrote books on Piano Blues playing, and taught piano and guitar students. Do you feel that it is absolutely important to pass the knowledge you learned throughout your career to the next generation musicians?

DBC: Yes, I do. Not every musician can teach, and not every teacher is a great musician, but I am fortunate to be able to do both. I was once asked whether I thought I was a musician or a teacher and I replied that being a teacher was part of being a musician. It was a little offensive, if you ask me… As a teacher, my goal is to have my students surpass me and I’m proud to say that some of them have. I enjoy teaching and the truth of the matter is that my students make me play better, because some of them are really good. Professional. If I’m their teacher, I have to be able to teach them. So far, I’ve been able to fool them.

Meg: Your new CD “Cookin’ With Cohen” has a humorous title. Could you tell us about the inspiration and story behind making this wonderful new project?

DBC: I love to cook. I actually won 2nd prize in the Marin County Fair for a pie contest. I made a Walnut pie, like a pecan pie, but with walnuts. I got a red ribbon and a $3.00 check that I never cashed. I framed them and put them on the wall next to my gold album for Woodstock. (Even though I wasn’t there, I co-wrote Rock and Soul Music.) I make all kinds of dishes. A lot of desserts. Pies of all kinds. A flourless chocolate cake. Mmmmmm. I make tomato sauce in the summer. I make pizza that’s famous among a small circle of friends. Lasagna. And, I love for my music to cook. The similarities are ripe for the comparison.

Meg: That sounds awesome! I would love to try some of your pies as well as listening to more of your music. Thank you so much for talking to us and the best of luck with everything.

DBC: Thank you. I enjoyed it as well and thank you for the good wishes. You, too.

David Bennett Cohen is represented by Redwood Entertainement Inc. in New York city.

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By ucombo, August 30, 2009 8:20 pm

Began his career at the age of 14 in the clubs of the south of France,
French R&B/Jazz musician Pierre Sibille is releasing his first CD in North America, entitled “Since I Ain’t Got You.”  Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview him this week.

Meg: We’ve had the pleasure listening to the 3 tracks on your newest release “Since I Ain’t Got You”. I’m very much impressed by your natural singing tone which must be essential to a great jazz singer. We heard that you are not only a singer, but also a pianist, a composer, and a harmonica player. This is unusual, can you tell us how you got your start in every aspect?

Pierre: I have played the Harmonica ever since my mother found out that it was a nice way to stop me from crying when I was a baby.  I have had a harmonica with me  ever since.  Then I started to play the piano at the age of 6.  I wanted to play the Blues, I was fascinated by Ray Charles, Memphis Slim, Nina Simone. . .  I started to learned Classical music but I always wanted to reach the feeling that I had when I was listening to the Blues.  Even if I couldn’t  understand a word, I was still catching the essence.  Composing just became a natural way to reach that same feeling.

Meg: You got your start at 14 in the clubs of the south of France, what was it like to start a career at such a young age?

Pierre: Yes, at 14 it was in a couple of little concerts with friends . . . but I started to like the idea to practice a song, build an ambiance and perform. At the age of 15 I met a great American pianist-singer, Randy Bettis.  I started to play the harmonica with him, he taught me all the left hands – the  basslines.  He also made me listen to different kinds of Blues.  We were playing one or two times a week.  At the age of 16 I was able to play piano solos with the harmonica, like Bob Dylan.  I started to play every time that I could. My parents or my girlfriend, had to drop me at the clubs because I didn’t have my driver license yet.

Meg: Who do you consider to be the most influential musicians in your musical style?

Pierre: Ray Charles is my first influence.  His music is rich, the feeling is great and he’s a great performer. I ‘m also impressed by the way that Bob Dylan and Tom Waitts compose.  They know how to reach perfection and how to tell great stories.  Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield showed me another aspect of soul music.

Meg: This is your first North American CD release, could you tell us about the inspiration and story behind making this wonderful new project?

Pierre: I was playing and booking in the legendary jazz club LE BILBOQUET in St-Germain-des-Prés.  I met a lot of American musicians.  They all told me that I should go to the United States.  One day I met Bill Ecker from MUSIC AND OPERA AUTOGRAPHS, he told me that If I go to New York City he would introduce me to some people that he knows in the music industry.  I was already working on this album (it took me 3 years to finish it) and I thought that it was time for me to go to the United States.

Each song in this album is based on personal stories.

Meg: On “Since I Ain’t Got You”, the contribution of the American brass
section, both catchy and caressing, is a definite plus. How did you decide to incorporate that into your new release?

Pierre: I have used the brass section on “Your smile.”  I felt that this song needed some Latin riffs.  I  have been working since 1996 with a great saxophone player, composer and arranger: Jon Handelsman, a New Yorker who lives in Paris.  I knew that he was the perfect guy for that song.  He did the arrangements of the brass section. He called, Pierre Chabrèle to record the trombone.

Meg: Unlike many other jazz singers and pianists, you do not confine yourself in jazz, your musical identity keeps on growing in different musical genres. Other than R&B, blues, what other genres are you or will you be interested in?

Pierre: I love music in general.  Mostly R&B, blues and soul but also funk, reggae, jazz and folk.

I think that no matter what style of music you play, It’s your personality that going to reflect most than just “a style”.

Today I’m working on a new project  with a great Drummer-singer from Brooklyn:  Moses Patrou http://www.myspace.com/cozymose
It’s a mix between New Orleans blues and funk.  We will be on tour in France in September.

Meg: It’s been our pleasure listening to your songs and thank you for agreeing to let us interview you. Look forward to hearing more music from you and the best of luck to your new release.

Pierre Sibille is represented by the Redwood Entertainment, Inc. in North
America.

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By ucombo, August 20, 2009 12:14 pm

The music industry is embracing another gem of an artist in the person of Pierre Sibille, a French R&B/jazz singer/instrumentalist who just released his first CD in North America. “Since I Ain’t Got You” is the title of Sibille’s first record that is currently garnering rave reviews from critics and fans alike.

Sibille is a true child of art. He does not only sing but also plays the piano and harmonica. In his first musical effort, critics noted his uncanny ability both as a singer and a composer. Sibille sure has the talent and personality that match the character of a great R&B/Jazz musician. His husky voice is ethereal; he is always composed yet he can be fiery when on stage. Music fans love seeing Sibille perform as he is a true delight. He has the charisma that can drown all the negative energies in the world and just envelop you with good, relaxing music.

Jacques Perrin said that Sibille has three musical elements working in his favor: his husky voice, his skill as a pianist, and his sure touch as a harmonica player. Nova magazine praised Sibille’s songwriting skills. This guy is a complete package. You ain’t need anything else. He’s got it all and he can do it all beautifully in the name of great harmony.

Since I Ain’t Got You” neatly packaged Sibille as a promising musician. The touch of French Jazz combined with an American brass section is very catchy. It’s like Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder united in one sweet package as they say.

Among the tracks to watch for in Sibille’s first release in America, his fourth overall from a career that started when he was at the tender age of fourteen, include the title track, “Sine I Ain’t Got You”, “Your Smile”, “Ain’t Worth a Damn”, “When the Rain Comes”, and “Le Sprinter” among others.

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By admin, August 17, 2009 2:52 pm

Hailed by listeners as “The only UK rapper I’d spend money on,” Jovel Walker, also known as Random Impulse just released his newest independent album “Full Metal Alchemist”. Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity interviewing him on August 5th, 2008.

Ucombo: We’ve had the pleasure listening to the tracks on your newest release “Full Metal Alchemist”. I’m very much impressed by your clear sense of descriptiveness shown in the songs and your unique rapping style.

Ucombo: Could you tell us about the inspiration and story behind making this wonderful new project?

Jovel: you want the truth? anime! i’m a super nerd and i watch Japanese religously. The concept behind the album is based on a theory i took from the anime “full metal alchemist” (hence the album tittle) which is alchemy is understanding matter, breaking it down, then reconstructing it as somthing else, so what i did is take all my musical influences break them down, then take all the bits that i found amazing and used it to make something completely different. Nerdy as hell right?

Ucombo: You sold an astonishing 10,000 units of independently with your first debut release “Word On The Street” in a short space of 6 months. What do you consider to be the most important factor in making that possible?

Jovel: Id have to say plain old drive and determination if im honest. theres SO many ways to get yourself out there and rather then just think about doing something, i actually DO it. Whether it be hitting the roads of oxford street selling cd’s or messaging 100 people every day on myspace, i get on with it, and it all helps. theres no smoke, mirrors or miracle walk through guides im afraid peeps, just work your ass off

Ucombo: You were signed to extremely successful garage label Social Circles alongside underground superstars such as Dexplicit, Donae’o, ms dynamite and sticky as early as 2003. You must have only been around 17 years old at that time. Could you tell us more about your early musical life? How did you get started?

Jovel: I got into music really late, i spent my days studying to be a genetic engineer, then my friend showed me jay-z’s blueprint two and it changed my life. next thing you know i was on stage with dizzee rascal at the 2003 peoples choice awards. I cant explained the actual trasition from science to music, it just flowed and i picked it up really quicky. I’ve still got loads of catching up to do though music wise: i still havent heard any of 2pacs or biggies albums, i havent even got around to hearing nas’s illmatic yet!

Ucombo: Who are your most important musical influences?

Jovel: firstly id have to say alex turner from the arctic monkeys: hes my writing idol. At close second is jay-z, if it weren’t for him i wouldnt even have started. there are so many more people that I look to for inspiration but i’d have to say those two are at the core.

Ucombo: Any future project plans?

Jovel: hell yeah dude! im doing my “collaboration runs” now that the albums out, ive got a song due out produced by terror danjah with me and dizzee rascal, an indie-based 7 track free mixtape/ep called indie-pendance day and of course the new album which is easily my best work to date so keep your eyes peeled!

Ucombo: It’s been our pleasure listening to your songs and thank you for letting us interview you. Look forward to hearing more music from you and best of luck to your new release.

Jovel: the pleasure was all mine dude, thanks for having me!

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By ucombo, August 13, 2009 2:03 pm

American jazz pianist Lynne Arriale has captured the imaginations of jazz and mainstream music lovers with her outstanding CD and DVD recordings and  performances. She has been critically acclaimed as having a ‘singular voice’ as a pianist, leader, composer, arranger and for “putting the heart back into jazz” (London Times). Arriale’s consistently excellent recordings have topped every notable jazz chart. With back to back #1 Jazz Week radio hits, a #17 debut on Billboard’s Jazz Chart, the top ten “Best Of” lists for The New Yorker, United Press International and The German Record Critics Association, Arriale has earned her place among elite international jazz artists. Further evidence of her status includes her being featured on the PBS nationally televised program, Profile of a Recording Artist, and on multiple NPR programs including Weekend Edition, Jazz Set, and Piano Jazz with Marion McPartland.

Her new release album “Nuance” marks a pivotal turning point in distinctive career and launches her into the upper echelon of the jazz elite. As a pianist, leader, composer and arranger, she is without equal in her ability to convey a broad palette of emotional range, muscle, intimacy and depth in any format she chooses.  Arriale presented an extraordinary new lineup of iconic musicians who joined her on her new CD/DVD, “Nuance,” The Bennett Studio Sessions. In addition to Arriale as leader/composer/arranger, the remarkable band features jazz legend George Mraz on bass; Anthony Pinciotti on drums, whose work with James Moody and John Abercrombie has received high critical praise; and the great All-Star, Randy Brecker on trumpet / flugelhorn. The project was recorded at the multi-Grammy and Emmy Award winning BENNETT STUDIOS.

Arriale is without equal in her ability to convey a broad palette of emotional range, muscle, intimacy and depth in any format she chooses.  Breaking new ground with the adventurous Sting hit, Wrapped Around Your Finger, she establishes its gravitational center in the first four notes.  The melody, simply stated, is immediately recognizable.  But by the chorus, an explosion of power and dynamic intensity is palpable evidence of Arriale’s indelible style and artistic generosity with her new band mates, icons Randy Brecker (tr,flh), George Mraz (bass) and heralded newcomer, Anthony Pinciotti (dr).  Her prodigious leadership is revealed by the tune’s end, as she shapes the group dynamic from soaring virtuosity to the tune’s original core.  Playing with Randy, George and Anthony was a magical experience from the first note, because each musician was totally open to the organic flow of where the music needed to go, notes Lynne, “It’s all about reaching people.  That is ultimately why we play.”

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By admin, August 12, 2009 11:18 am

Welcome to Ucombo Music Reviews! If you have an independent release and would like to have it reviewed, or would like us to conduct an exclusive interview, please email us at info@ucombo.com