Sunday, June 21, 2009

California Guitar Trio Feature: Howard County Times



"It's fun to see the surprise on people's faces when we play something in a completely different style than they expect," says Paul Richards, a founding member of the California Guitar Trio.

 The group brings its solid 18 years of challenging expectations to the Columbia Festival of the Arts June 18 at the Belmont Conference Center.

"I think our diversity is one of the things that makes our performances special," he adds by telephone from his Salt Lake City home. "The cover songs bring people into the performance and make them more receptive to the music that may not be familiar to them."

A typical set finds the trio mixing original songs with inventive covers of music by J.S Bach, the Ventures and even the group Queen. Their version of "Bohemian Rhapsody," in fact, has become one of the trio's concert staples.

 "That's one of our signature pieces," Richards acknowledges. "People are disappointed if we don't include that one."

 More often, audiences are delighted to discover the variety of music that can be produced by just three guys with guitars.

 So how did all that creativity become unleashed?
Back in 1986, while he was studying at the University of Utah, Richards had a music teacher suggest he travel to England for an intensive guitar workshop led by Robert Fripp, best known for his work as lead guitarist with the progressive rock band King Crimson.

It was while he was in attendance at that workshop that Richards met his future band mates. Belgian Bert Lams was a graduate of the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, while Hideyo Moriya of Japan was studying at the time at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Students at Fripp's Guitar Craft seminars received unique lessons not only in technique, butalso in the art of performing, Richards recalls.

"To teach us how to play in front of an audience, Robert would actually book a concert somewhere. Then we would play live with him."

After several courses, Richards, Lams, and Moriya toured for some years with Fripp's organized "League of Crafty Guitarists." When the league ran its course, the three friends discovered they all wanted to go on playing together.

"We had hit it off really well, so when Bert told us he was moving to L.A., he suggested we join him there," Richards says.

The California Guitar Trio was formed in 1991 and was quickly recognized for the principles picked up under Fripp.

 "One of the things we learned was a technique called circulation," Richards explains. "What we do is divide the melody notes between the three of us. "For example, there's a Bach prelude that we play where Bert plays the first note, I play the second, Hideyeo plays the third, and on and on in rapid succession. That creates a very unique sound. I've seen other guitar groups where they just exchange solos and take turns kind of showing off what they can do individually. Our strength has always been in what we can do as a group."

The California Guitar Trio has released 12 albums so far -- seven studio CDs of original songs and their interpretations of classical works like Bach's Toccata and Fugue and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, plus four live albums and a Christmas collection.

 On its new CD "Echoes," the band takes on such classics as the Queen tune, along with similarly inspired covers of songs by Pink Floyd and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The players have expanded their sound to include electric guitar, bass, keys and even the occasional guest vocal.

 "We like to keep things interesting for ourselves, because we really believe that our excitement in the music translates to the audience," says Richards.

 Later this year, the trio will begin work on a new collection of original material. In the meantime, they are happy doing what they love most, which is performing live. there are some nights where I feel that everything comes together, between the audience and the music, in such a way that we are all united in a deeper way," Richards notes. "An audience doesn't fully realize how much they contribute to a performance," he adds. "When the three of us are on stage and the people at the venue are in tune with us, it gives everybody a very special energy. Some nights, I get such a buzz that it's hard for me to go to sleep afterwards. It's such a rush."
 

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Al Jarreau: Helping the Capital Jazz Fest redefine its future



It's afternoon in California’s San Fernando Valley but Al Jarreau isn’t enjoying the lovely spring weather. Instead, the 69 year old singer is indoors sipping tea and nursing a pesky bout of the flu.

“Such are the hazards of the profession,” Jarreau sighs into the telephone. “You work hard, get exhausted and that leaves the door open to getting sick.”

Sniffles aside, Jarreau is in good spirits.

He has just returned from a successful European tour and is looking forward to his upcoming performance next weekend at the Capital Jazz Fest June 5 through 7 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia. Celebrating its 17th year, the 3 day marathon is well-known for highlighting the biggest names in contemporary jazz and R&B.

This year’s line-up includes such heavyweights as George Duke, Kirk Whalum, and jazz “supergroup” SMV, featuring Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten. Seven time Grammy award winner Al Jarreau is slated to close out the festivities with Sunday night’s headlining spot.

“I’m going to have fun,” he predicts.

The singer, famous for his velvet smooth voice, promises that his most requested hits like “We’re in This Love Together,” and “Take Five,” will not be ignored. But he also plans to include songs from a 2004 CD “Accentuate the Positive”- a mix of classic jazz standards that are among his personal favorites.

“I have such a passion for jazz and its legacy,” the musician declares. “I think it’s important to give the audience a listen to things they may have not have heard yet. I owe that to them.”

While Jarreau is the only singer in history to win Grammy Awards in three different categories-jazz, pop and R&B, it is jazz music that has been his main source of inspiration.

“There is an essential element that is cornerstone to the music that I do, and that is improvisation,” he says. “That is part of the ten commandments of jazz; that you be open to the moment.”

The musician began his career in the fertile 1970’s West Coast music scene. He spent a few years gigging in Los Angeles before becoming the singer in a jazz quartet led by George Duke. For four years, they were the headliners at a San Francisco hotspot called the Half Note.

Then Jarreau teamed up with guitarist Julio Martinez to explore a new found love for the beat of Brazilian rhythms. It freed Jarreau to experiment with various forms of percussion.

“I discovered that the base of the microphone stand was sensitive to the foot, so if you took your foot and tapped on the base, you got a rhythmic sound,” he explains.

Next, the musician began using his voice to imitate the sound of instruments, and incorporating body thumps and finger snaps into the mix. Today’s hip hop culture owes a debt to Al Jarreau’s inventive spirit.

“I was doing it way back when, but now they call it beat boxing,” he says with a smile.

Over 30 years later, the artist shows no signs of slowing down. Last year, he released both a Christmas album and a love song compilation. This fall, a greatest hits collection is scheduled for release.

Just a year shy of celebrating his 70th birthday, Jarreau continues to remain passionate about his craft, and credits any success he has had to his “old school” work ethic.

“Suppose I’m scheduled to be on stage at eight o’clock at night,” he says. “At 1:30, I’m doing my vocal stretches and warm-ups. Before I head to sound check I’ll have done about 180 pushups. While I’m doing them, I also do my creative visualization. I see myself on stage with a wonderful voice and an audience that is happy. I’m creating my future.”

With a jam-packed calendar of touring and recording ahead, it’s no surprise to learn that when the musician has some much deserved down time, he enjoys a media fast.

“I like being alone with my thoughts,” he admits. “Sometimes I feel myself in the middle of saturation and just needing a break from all that stimulation. Just yesterday I went shopping for a new tea kettle, and as I was walking the aisle, the music was blaring at me. I don’t want to get desensitized by mindless music being forced into my sensory experience. I’m just trying to be a teakettle,” he ends with a laugh.