8-18-2015 Audio Interview

From the age of 3 keyboardist/composer Robbie Rose knew his life would be about music. He thought all the music he heard was magic and “why would you do anything else, when the music was so good.” Growing up near Detroit – he knew that the people making this magic were essentially his neighbors, which just confirmed for him that making music was the only career he could imagine. He began “noodling” on the piano as a toddler and surprised his parents by spontaneously playing As Time Goes By at 5 years old. Robbie attended a brand new avant-garde high school where he studied music theory in a class which began with 40 students and ended with 3, Robbie being one. Listen to this exuberant, passionate, candid man him describe the rigorous training he received there, the various skills he’s developed over the years, the important, difficult lesson he learned about “trying” and hear his original composition for Hammond Organ – the title cut from his CD Hot Sauce.

8-11-2015 Audio Interview

Multi-genred, very talented pianist/entertainer Eddie Tobin just always loved music. He didn’t take piano lessons until he was in college, he just began to “mess around with it” very early – learning to play the songs he liked. Although a serious jock, he played virtually every sport, he just always loved music. In college he tried to major in Business but soon discovered that he didn’t like it. He did finally major in Music at Miami State but even then he hadn’t decided to make his life as a musician. He just always loved music. Listen to the sweet way he talks about music and his haphazard journey to becoming a professional musician, and hear a cut from his CD Cheek to Cheek. And come to hear him play and sing Sun afternoon at the American Legion 2000 5th ST. W., in Bradenton and Sun evenings at the Surf Shack on St Armand’s Circle, and Mon and Tues at Euphemia Haye, 5540 Gulf of Mexico Dr. Longboat Key, 941-383-3633, Wed and Friday at Amore also on Longboat Key and on Thursday at Madison’s with the Ventura’s.

5-19-15 Audio Interview

Triple threat musician Dave Morgan sings and plays the Drums and the Vibraphone. He began his musical career as a toddler when his mother told him to find a 3rd part harmony to the song his mom and dad were singing and he never looked back. He was drawn to the drums in school and having decided at 40 that he needed another arrow in his quiver he took up the vibraphone, although he thought it might take him 20 years to master it. Now when you see Dave on stage he might be playing either the drums or the vibes and or singing with or without one or the other. He’s a wonderful musician and delightful man. Listen to him tell the story of a life dedicated to making the best music he can.

5-27-14 – Audio Interview

When I say that Dick Hamilton is a musician, I’m not telling you nearly enough. By the time he was two his mother could control her toddler by simply putting on some music, he would stop whatever he was doing mesmerized. Dick Hamilton simply fell in love with music and immediately wanted to create the sounds he heard. Listen to this self-effacing man describe the way he relentlessly pursued this passion which lead him to a career as a studio musician and composer in Los Angeles. Then listen to a cut – I wish I had the time to play more – from his solo (and I do mean solo) album, called Album Myself on which wrote all the songs and played every instrument;
Piano, Electric Piano, Guitar, Upright Bass, Keyboard Bass, Drums, Percussion, Flute, Alto Flute, Soprano Sax, Trumpet, Alto Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Alto Flugelhorn, Alto Horn, Trombone, Valve Trombone, Baritone Horn and Moog IIIC Modular Synthesizer (1968 vintage – no computer or sequencing to produce the few (italics mine) instruments he didn’t own such as Tuba and Clarinet.

3-27-12 – Interview

Family stories say that at the age of 2 or 3 little Graham Dechter would sing along with the records his parents played or the music his film arranger Dad was composing. “It just came naturally” he says. It was not that he thought of becoming a musician, it was that he always was a musician. And he discovered his own way to make music. His first piano teacher objected when ­­five year old Graham refused to bring in the Bach piece he was asked to learn and instead brought in a John Williams film score – Raiders of the Lost Ark. So Graham changed teachers. And although he learned piano and violin it wasn’t until he picked up the guitar – “just to fool around with,” that he discovered his instrument. Listen to Graham talk about the way he learned to play by ear and the unique way he found to play the guitar which is “not how any other guitar player plays” and of course listen to a cut from his CD where he is backed by jazz greats John Clayton on bass, Jeff Hamilton on Drums and Tamir Handelmen on piano.

9-27-11

Benny Green is in love with jazz music. A student of the roots of jazz, Benny says that while the people who created it were often despised, their music was beloved, even by those who despised its creators. And so he calls it a “victorious music.” As a small child Benny picked out notes on the piano that he heard on the Thelonious Monk records his father loved to play. His fate was sealed – he would be a jazz musician – the real thing. Benny says he was fortunate enough to be “lead” to teachers, mentors, and “musical parents” like Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson Freddie Hubbard, Art Blakey, and Betty Carter, who validated his place in jazz music. Listen to this gentle yet passionate musician talk about the music and the culture of jazz, and hear his remarkable fingers on the piano when I play a couple of cuts from his most recent CD called Source..

8-30-11

Interview with the talented and engaging jazz pianist Eric Scott Reed who made the seasoned musicians at the Newport, CA Marriott Jazz Party take notice by playing both rapid fire jazz and achingly sweet melodies, like his version of the classic Thelonious Monk tune ‘Round Midnight’ from his tribute album to Monk called The Dancing Monk, which I will play as well original compositions from his CD Stand. Two year old Eric began fooling around with his neighbor’s piano while they were babysitting for him. He was always surrounded by the music his parents loved and his experience with his neighbors piano led him to try to play whatever he heard on the radio or the record player. He would pick out the notes he heard and it wasn’t long before he was playing full songs. His parents finally decided to give five year old Eric piano lessons. Listen to Eric talk about his parents, who although raised poor and black in the south, were able to give him and his siblings love, acceptance, discipline and faith. And in Eric’s case to have nurtured a thoughtful and talented professional musician who is dedicated to sharing the gift of his music in every way that he can.

3-15-11 Anat Cohen

Like her two brothers Anat Cohen is a jazz musician – she plays clarinet and saxophone. Music was always a part of her family life and her parents, who spent years chauffeuring their three children back and forth to lessons and concerts, never suggested that they find another way to spend their lives. For Anat music is not simply her work, it “is never not a part of my life.” When you watch and listen to Anat play you can feel her joy, see that the music inhabits her body – she is one with it. And not only the music she is playing but the music others are playing around her. Although she admits that making a life with music can be challenging – “the source of her pleasure and her misery,” – it is worth whatever sacrifice she makes for it – and we, as her audience, are grateful that she does. Listen to cuts from Anat’s CD “Notes From The Village.”

August’s shows included interviews with people who came in with their destiny clear in their minds, all four musicians were playing the piano by the time they were three years old.

August 03, 2020 Dotti Anita Taylor Re-Run Interview – see March 30, 2010

Dotti Anita Taylor was a true prodigy. At three years old Dottie would play the music she’d heard her seven year old sister play. Not surprisingly her sister’s piano teacher didn’t believe it until she saw tiny Dottie play what she heard. Cleverly the teacher insisted that Dottie not hear any of the music she was learning so she would not be able to cheat – but had to learn to read music. The result is a consummate musician who plays not only piano but flute exquisitely. A soft-spoken gentle woman Dottie is a powerhouse when connected to one of her instruments.

July 13 Interview with Duncan La Mont

Although already a very successful musician and composer Duncan La Mont discovered that his first love is songwriting. Listen to how he discovered his skill and his passion for songwriting and hear some of his songs which were recorded by Natalie Cole, Blossom Dearie and Cleo Laine – to name only a very few. Duncan’s story to use his words is nothing less than “Magical and Spiritual.”

July 06, 2010

This is the first half of my interview with the much awarded, applauded, and accoladed Duncan La Mont. A boy from the tiny poverty stricken town of Greenock, Scotland, who expected to spend his life working in the mines, and although he tried hard to avoid it, found himself playing with Henry Mancini, Tony Bennett, Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman, Paul McCartney. Listen to remarkable way Duncan was pushed into accepting and using his prodigious musical gifts. Hear his wonderful music and his disarming sweetness.

September 08, 2009

Interview – In this show I interview composer, arranger, pianist, songwriter Mike Moran (husband of Kitt Moran from last week), a year behind his wife, Mike decided at four years old that what he wanted to do was “make music.” Less supported in this dream than lucky Kitt, he finally gave himself to music. Listen to the lovely result of that surrender.

Interview – Whenever I encounter a couple, both of whom make their living or their life with an art, I like to interview them as a couple. The Moran’s have been together 36 years and when you hear them talk together you can tell why. There is tenderness, affection, respect, and admiration in virtually everything they say about each other.

September 01, 2009

Discussion – Do you have qualities, capacities, abilities you didn’t know you had? Perhaps they are hiding Undercover while you just present your Cover Story – I will be taking about that in this show.

Interview – with singer, writer, painter Kitt Moran, who knew at 3 years old she was going to be a singer – even though she didn’t know if she could sing. Listen to her hilarious tale of making a childhood career out of Peter Pan, and to the remarkable talent that was waiting to be released. As a child Kitt knew that she was born to be a singer, and she was right.