Q&A with Camille Thurman – Part 2

Part Two of Night is Alive’s exclusive interview with Camille Thurman

It’s finally here – the final part of our conversation with the incredible Camille Thurman! As an accomplished composer, esteemed saxophonist, vocalist, and unique interpreter of the jazz tradition, she is quickly becoming one of the leading standard bearers of the art form (from https://www.camillethurmanmusic.com/bio). And now, more from Camille…

NiA: You have five studio albums now, and received multiple jazz awards. Which moment from your career makes you most proud?

CT: Getting recognized is nice and great and wonderful but the real reason you do it is for the love of the music and every time I get to play with a musician I love is an honour and a privilege. That they’re willing to join you in creating their vision is an honor. Whether you get recognized or not isn’t as important as getting to play with the people you really respect and admire.

NiA: Yes, it is such an honor. In the beginning what music were you and these musicians playing together? Jazz standards?

CT: In the beginning I figured out who I wanted to play with and work with, then the first step was learning their music, as well as learning all the stuff that you should know. If you’re playing in a session, play the repertoire, learn what particular people want to work with, what are they playing, so if hypothetically you get an opportunity to play with them, know where they’re coming from, whatever it is. You need to meet them where they are and have musical conversation, and my own stuff that over the years I like and have been attracted to are things that inspire me and a lot of times things that I’ve learned from.

NiA: What was it like to record the new album Radiance? Do you have any favorite moments that stood out?

CT: It was really fun! Lonnie Plaxico is an incredible bassist, and he played with Art Blakey, so it was just an honor and privilege. Like woah, I couldn’t believe I got to play with him. I was with my band and Darrell Green, when I got the call from Lonnie Plaxico that he wanted me on his project, and I thought let me get all my stuff together, he’s incredible. I love and appreciate his musicality and composition and so, I was like wait, we’re not doing your stuff?  He used to tell me stories all the time about going up to Chicago and what it was like at that time–you had to learn the music of the people and make people groove and dance and if you could do that that’s what mattered, it wasn’t about showing off on your instrument. He talked about that a lot, so I was like, “wow okay you’re finally getting to do this” and he was like “I want you to have an opportunity to do what you do too on the album.”

The whole session was just fun and easy, not technically easy, but just could breathe with ease–that’s how it felt recording all the music. We didn’t even have to do multiple takes, we just came in and did it and it just happened, the way Lonnie played was just wow…. I was like a kid in the candy store. Recording the music just felt so good, which is what matters. Does it feel good? If it doesn’t feel good, you’re going to work hard. But the whole session was fun and easy. I appreciated it so much because you don’t hear that every day. And Lonnie Plaxico’s brother comes from that same era, so it felt like I was transported in time–that was the real deal and it’ll get the people feeling good.

NiA: Which is your favorite song from Radiance?

CT: Oh, that’s a hard one! I really liked “It’s a Shame.” When you have projects like this, when you’re pulling out different songs from different eras especially when it’s an iconic song, but you don’t want to abandon your own way of playing, it’s always tricky and fun. It’s fun keeping the respect of what it already is and to be able to appreciate it. And even though I’m the new generation I was able to find my own way of hearing the song; I wasn’t trying to just copy it exactly. I really had a lot of fun on this album and everyone should go and buy it!

Check out Night is Alive’s albums page for the very best in jazz, including Radiance.

Learn more about Camille Thurman at https://www.camillethurmanmusic.com/

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

Q&A with Camille Thurman – Part 1

Part One of Night is Alive’s exclusive interview with Camille Thurman

This week we had the privilege of speaking with Camille Thurman, the accomplished and multi-talented jazz musician whose powerhouse vocals and distinctive saxophone are showcased in the hot new album Radiance. Thurman may be the youngest musician on the album, but with five full-length studio albums and numerous prestigious awards under her belt, she is quickly becoming a name to remember. From touring and performing as a bandleader in Paraguay and Nicaragua, to founding a mentorship series and serving as cultural ambassador in Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, and Mauritania, Thurman has done it all!

Night is Alive: You are a saxophonist, singer and composer; and I’ve read that you practiced vocals, piano and flute as a child. What is your earliest musical memory? Which of your many musical pursuits were you originally drawn to most as a child?

Camille Thurman: Probably playing violin at age five. I remember my mother introduced me to Noel Pointer in Brooklyn and he had this blue violin and I was very intrigued by the blue. It had this lacquer on it that just shined.

NiA: Oh wow, I can imagine the blue being very intriguing at age 5! Did you get your own blue violin?

CT: I got a regular violin, it was great. I got to do it for a year, there was a great teacher at my school, Miss Young. And both of my parents appreciated music–my mom sang and played the piano. She would practice at night when I would sleep and I could hear her, then in the morning I would try to pluck the song she was singing on the piano. I learned a lot of songs this way and then they had a talent show at school and I signed up and told my mom and she was like, “wait what?” I just told her, “Oh, I’m going to play the piano, I hear you practice at night.” At that time I think she was playing Bette Midler’s “From a Distance” and I played the melody and she was floored, and I played it from beginning to end at the talent show in the 3rd or 4th grade.

NiA: That’s amazing! I bet she was so impressed by that. You’ve also played with musicians such as Tia Fuller and Mimi Jones.

CT: Tia Fuller and Mimi Jones were my mentors. Tia took me under her wing when she got out of college and she introduced me to Mimi Jones and I got to work with her. Tia was like my big sister–I learned so much from her about being a musician, being a woman in the industry, she got me through a lot and we had some amazing times together.

I didn’t play all the gigs with her; it was more like an apprenticeship, then after that I started playing with other people too–a mixture of playing with her and other musicians, getting on the scene, playing as much as you can. I played with Mimi and Terri Lyne Carrington, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and got to do a few things with other people, like Nicholas Payton, and so many others.

NiA: Do you have a favorite musical performance?

CT: No, you’re just doing it–every time you get to play it’s an accomplishment. Musicians are a dime a dozen. Everyone is trying to make a name for themselves, and I just wanted to play with my heroes. So just to get a call from them to play, that in and of itself was an accomplishment. Getting a call from one of your heroes saying, “Hey I want you in my band” is such an accomplishment. I’m getting to play with this person with all this history, like Louis Hayes, that was another wow. Every opportunity was special, getting to play with Terri Lyne Carrington. There wasn’t necessarily one particular moment.

Look for the second part of this compelling interview, coming soon! In the meantime, check out Night is Alive’s albums page for the very best in jazz.

Learn more about Camille Thurman at https://www.camillethurmanmusic.com/

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

Q&A with Lonnie Plaxico – Part 2

Part Two of Night is Alive’s exclusive interview with Lonnie Plaxico

We’re back with part 2 of our chat with Lonnie Plaxico, whose album Radiance is receiving critical acclaim!

Night is Alive: When did you first become involved with Night is Alive?

Lonnie Plaxico: I got called to play in the session with Christie Dashiell, on the Christmas album. It’s fun, the sessions with Kathy Salem’s label always go well.

NiA: You’ve been a part of many Night is Alive albums. Which one has been your favorite?

LP: All of them. I mean because to me it’s all connected, it’s just another opportunity to make music. I don’t have a favorite, they’re all special.

NiA: Could you tell us more about your album Radiance, which came out last summer?

LP: When I started playing jazz, we had to learn the music of the elders, which was the pop music of their time. So, the music that I’m playing on this CD is for the young musicians. We’re the elders now. For a 16-year-old kid, playing music from the 70s, that’s grandparents’ music. For me, playing jazz was like playing my grandparents music, so for this album I wanted to do some music that my parents know. That made it special for me. Because sometimes we play original music and don’t nobody have a connection to it. So, I wanted to play some songs that the average person can listen to, and think “hey, I know that song,” and have a connection to it. And also, my brother–I got into music through him and he really don’t play jazz, so I was willing to do something that he’s comfortable with, that we grew up having the same musical experience with. The piano player, he grew up with this music too. The singer, Camille, she’s much younger, so it’s like we’re bringing her in to our culture, and what we grew up on, and that’s what all the musicians have always done with the younger musicians. We’re pulling them in, and that’s how we learn from the elders.

NiA: Was there a specific moment that inspired you to create the album?

LP: Well, I’ve always loved 70s music and early 80s music and sometimes I feel like I’m starving to play it, because a lot of young musicians play more original music and I don’t feel they connect to the audience. And I know that when you play something people know, it’s a whole different connection. I wanted to play some music that would connect with the people because when I grew up, musicians loved playing for people. But now, most musicians go to college and just want to play their own original music. And we don’t listen to the radio like we used to, so nobody has hit records, so the music, I feel like it doesn’t connect with the audience. And I grew up in a time when you didn’t write original music, you performed in clubs what you heard on the radio. People didn’t write original music until they got a record deal and it was very hard to get a record deal in the 70s. You had to get “discovered” and until then you played what was on the radio, played strictly for the audience, and I used to love doing that because people knew the music and we made them happy.

Check out Night is Alive’s albums page for the very best in jazz, including Lonnie Plaxico’s Radiance.

Learn more about Lonnie Plaxico at http://www.lonnieplaxico.com/

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

photo from https://www.facebook.com/lonnie.plaxico1

Q&A with Lonnie Plaxico – Part 1

Part One of Night is Alive’s exclusive interview with Lonnie Plaxico

This week we were lucky enough to speak with the extremely talented double bassist, Lonnie Plaxico. You may recognize Lonnie from the five Night is Alive albums he’s featured on: Night is Alive’s First Christmas; Christmas Ain’t Like It Used to Be; Cryin’ in My Whiskey; Old, New, Borrowed and Blue; and most recently, Radiance, the last of which just came out this July! Lonnie also won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award, and played with countless legendary musicians, including Chet Baker and Hank Jones. Now, let’s hear from Lonnie . . .

Night is Alive: You’ve been playing the double bass since you were twelve years old. What originally drew you to the instrument?

Lonnie Plaxico: I actually started with electric bass, then I got into acoustic bass. The music at that time, the 60s and the 70s was R&B. A friend of mine who played saxophone and knew about jazz started telling me about jazz and John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, acoustic bass. And I got interested around that time. By the time I was 14/16, they had acoustic bass at the high school and that was the first time I touched the acoustic bass.

NiA: Did you fall in love with the acoustic bass and stop with the electric bass?

LP: It was like learning history. Electric bass has a history that no one had told me about when I got one. I didn’t know I was supposed to learn the history of music, you know I was a kid and just heard the music on the radio, but then I realized there was a history. I was naturally curious, like hey where does this stuff come from? I was surprised that people were playing a different kind of music in the 50s. I was a kid and didn’t know, didn’t have a music education that holds you responsible for learning where the rules come from. As the R&B music started changing and going more towards disco and non-instruments, I could tell I really need to learn where this stuff comes from. Studio musicians had to be able to play anything. I was with my family band, and I realized I didn’t see no career in that. I wanted to be able to play with everyone, not just my brothers and sisters, and jazz was a whole ‘nother mystery for me. And I love playing electric bass too, but you just realize there is so much more out there.

NiA: You’ve played with many talented musicians throughout your career, like Chet Baker and Dexter Gordon. What is one of your favorite performance memories?

LP: All of them. I mean because these are people I listened to when I started listening to jazz, so to play with any one of them was like a dream. We recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, and I saw these people on TV when I was just getting into music and I never thought that I’d be performing with them.

NiA: Yeah, it sounds like a dream-come-true! Do you remember which performance was the first one where you really felt like you had to pinch yourself, and couldn’t believe it?

LP: Sonny Stitt when I was 16, in a small club in Robbins, Illinois, a small suburb outside of Chicago. It was not like a regular jazz club. He needed a band and someone asked if we could play behind Sonny Stitt, and I thought it was a joke because you know they were asking us teenagers to back up Sonny Stitt. We said yeah, but we didn’t think Sonny Stitt would show up, but he did, and we played behind him. We were playing the first set and this old guy–probably in his 40s but to us he was this old guy–he came in with his horn, and it was Sonny Stitt. And my brother-in-law–he plays saxophone and was in the band–he took a picture. I didn’t even say hey let me take a picture with Sonny Stitt, so he’s the only one in the picture. It was just one gig but that was the first gig with a legend. Then in Chicago, where I’m from, I played with the elders, all of them basically. And then I got to New York to play with Wynton Marsalis, that was my way to New York, and that lasted me, and then Art Blakey.

Look for the second part of this compelling interview, coming soon! In the meantime, check out Night is Alive’s albums page for the very best in jazz.

Learn more about Lonnie Plaxico at http://www.lonnieplaxico.com/

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

photo from https://www.facebook.com/lonnie.plaxico1

Q&A with David Basse from Kansas City Radio – Part 3

Here we wrap up our conversation with the acclaimed David Basse, a living legend in today’s jazz world. Stay tuned for more interviews with your favorite artists!

NiA: Your singing has been compared to Mel Tormé, Jon Hendricks and Al Jarreau. Are these the musicians you look up to the most? Which musicians do you most admire and why?

DB: I think what that comparison speaks to is that I don’t really copy anybody. There’s also another article that compared me to Dr. John. But I really actually patterned myself after Tom Waits for quite a while, and Joe Williams who sang with Count Basie Orchestra. And each time that somebody would say, oh you sound like that guy, and if I was trying to sound like that person, I would try to sound like someone else. I didn’t really start singing, really singing until I was 19, when I came to Kansas City. When I got to Kansas City it was like I had a new life. I could try anything, dress however I wanted to dress, be whoever I wanted to be, so I felt comfortable singing. But I’ve changed a lot over the years and I don’t pattern myself after anyone anymore and I don’t really hear that anymore. I’m just doing what I do.

NiA: Which musicians are you most jazzed to be listening to at the moment?

DB: I like to explore music and I guess that’s why I started doing radio, which was in 1998. Recently, I went to the last two Sarah Vaughan music competitions in Newark, New Jersey. And Tyreke McDole, he won in 2023, and the next winner was April May Webb. In 2023, I picked Tyreke and my wife and I went to dinner and he won, so we went back the next year and I picked April May and she won! I’ve kept in touch with both of them. They’re really great; they’re really saying something with their music. And then there’s a young trombonist, Altin Sencalar, he’s Turkish and Mexican, and he’s a terrific trombonist. So those are my three favorite people right now in jazz. And it’s not like my opinion means anything, it’s just something I like. I’m not listening to any particular kind of jazz–I just love music. So, on my radio show we play a wide range–blues, smooth jazz, classic jazz, whatever it is, I make a case for it.

NiA: Could you talk a bit about your transition from performing to the radio?

DB: I don’t really make a differentiation–in both, I play the music I want to play. As I’ve gotten older I want to play my original music more and play less of the standards and things I used to play although I do play a lot of those songs because people want to hear them and they come into my head. With radio, I try to make it like a symphony, so there’s the first movement of the symphony and then it has to lead into the next movement. Even if I’m going to talk in between the songs and explain things–which I don’t always do–I want the key, the tempo, and the feel of the music to bleed into the next piece of music. So curating the jazz for the radio is the most fun and the most challenging; it takes the most time.

NiA: Could you talk about how exactly you decide which songs to play on the radio? What is the selection process?

DB: Record companies and artists work with radio promoters and they send an awful lot of music. I get maybe 30 or 40 CDs a month and 10-20 downloads a day from various places and artists from all over the world. So, I’m able to have a good amount of music and it’s really run me out of a couple studios so far and I’m currently looking for a place to house my collection of recordings–my albums and CDs, drives with shows. I’ve done about 8,000 hours of jazz at this point, and I was involved in a syndicated radio show before this for a decade and that show is no longer–it’s housed in a library now–it’s no longer on the air. That’s a lot of music! And I pick a Top 10 every year. You can look on my website from 2015 to 2023 to see the Top 10s. So if you think of all the albums, I’m distilling them down to 10 top songs of 10 top albums. I’ve been curating 15 hours of jazz per week and there’s 9-10 songs in an hour–that’s 150 albums a week! And I put a post-in note in every CD or album that says when I played it and the track that I played. The only way that the album can be in the Top 10 is if I play every track in the album and so at the end of the year I have a tabletop full of stacks of CDs and I start to rethink and play those great songs again. Then I can say over the air that this is one of my Top 10 picks for the year.

NiA: What do you think about NiA’s music?

DB: Well as someone who has had their own record label for quite a while, I think it’s a good endeavour. I think she’s doing good things with it. I think she’s making nice, really good albums with influential musicians. You know, it’s a hard thing to do. It’s a labor of love and a lot of jazz labels don’t last for a long, long time. But she has some very good music, so…it’ll probably be something very special as time goes on.

Since I’m a radio person, I receive stacks of CDs from everywhere, and downloads come in all the time, so there’s a lot of competition. But she has a style that’s specific and it’s a wide genre, it’s not just jazz, it’s Night is Alive! The way that she puts these albums together is very personal, so I usually play all the songs, which is my criteria for a good album.

NiA: Yeah, I know what you mean. With a really good album you listen to every single song, no skips.

DB: Yeah, sometimes there’s just one good song, and sometimes there’s no good song. And it depends on a lot of aspects, and it’s really hard. I’m making my own recording right now and sometimes I really like it, and other times, I’m like “am I doing the right thing? Is this going to be successful in any way?” It has to be something that you really choose to do, and that seems like what Kathy does–she really chooses what she wants it to sound like, which I think is the best course of action.

NiA: Which Night is Alive album of ours is your favorite?

DB: Call Me Irresponsible is my favorite because it really captures an excellent singer in the beginning of her career, and it’s off-handed in a way. I love John Di Martino–the pianist–too. He was the director of the band. But I remember all the albums as joyful to open up. They always come in the mail and I like everything about them. I like the way Kathy presents the albums, so I always play them.

Learn more about David Basse at davidbasse.com

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

photo from facebook.com/davidbassejazz/

Q&A with David Basse from Kansas City Radio – Part 2

Welcome to part two of Night is Alive’s interview with the legendary David Basse!

NiA: How did you get into singing?

DB: I graduated from high school when I was 17 and two weeks later, a band came through town and they happened to need a drummer and they were going on to Colorado and other places. So, I joined the band and left, and as we were driving away, the bandleader asked if I could sing and I said no. The band leader said, well that’s too bad because I would give you more money if you sang. He suggested I sing without a microphone and see if I could find a part to sing harmony and just get comfortable singing from the drums. So, I’m more comfortable singing from the drums than without the drums. I guess I’m equally comfortable now, after many, many years.

NiA: When did you decide to become a bandleader?

DB: I decided to be a bandleader in 1980. So I stopped playing what somebody else wanted to play and I started playing the music I loved, which was a mixture of jazz and blues–the music of Kansas City is what really drew me in. In the first two years I was on the road I went to all the places I wanted to go and I hadn’t found one that stuck–I went to Nashville, New Orleans, LA, New York–and I didn’t know about Kansas City. Then somebody in Iowa said, “you know, you ought to go to Kansas City, here’s the number of an agent.” And when I came here, I found that you can make a living on music in Kansas City and there are a lot of people doing it and it’s not that difficult. So, I was playing as many as nine gigs a week, playing seven nights and taking a couple of matinees and going to jam sessions and it was just great.

NiA: Wow, that’s incredible–it sounds like you really found where you belong, found your home.

DB: Yeah, I think I did. You know, about ten years ago I was talking to John Clayton–the bassist with Diana Krall and the Hollywood Bowl, a prominent musician–and I was having dinner with him, and I told him I was so impressed by his career and all the things he’s done, and he said, “you know, you have a place too–you’re our guy in Kansas City, so don’t be too impressed with me, just be you.” And I was very taken by that.

NiA: What was it like being a part of the City Light Orchestra?

DB: In 1980 when I became a bandleader there was a vocalist named Priscilla Bowman and she had a hit record called “Keep Your Hands Off Him, He Don’t Belong To You,” so it’s blues and it was a million-seller hit. I was going to my tenth high school reunion and a trumpeter said, we got this gig tonight–you should come and play drums with Priscilla Bowman, and I did. Then towards the end of the second set, she said she was going to go home, she was tired, so the club owner said to me, I heard you’re a vocalist, can you sing in the last set? And I said sure, so I sang some songs and after the set, he asked, what would you call this band? And I said I’d call it the City Light Orchestra. He asked, why orchestra? Why not the City Light Band because we’re the City Light Jazz Club. I said no, ‘orchestra’ sounds better, so that’s what we named it. And one thing led to another and we played there for seven nights, five nights a week.

NiA: What are some of your most memorable moments and experiences from being the bandleader of the City Light Orchestra?

DB: We got to go to New York. The editor of the newspaper here had been married in a nightclub on Upper East Side, 91st and 2nd avenue, and the club had just piano players, some of the exceptional piano players there, and this editor got us a gig for two weeks. So, the first time we went to New York we played for two weeks in a nightclub and that was phenomenal. We got to meet a lot of cool people, like Benny Goodman, Southside Johnny. To think of it now–to go to New York and play two weeks in a nightclub, twelve nights in a row with a Sunday off. That’s not really possible anymore unless you’re somebody of great stature. We were just a bar band.

NiA: It sounds like a dream!

DB: Yeah, it seems like a dream to me too.

To be continued in part three… In the meantime, check out Night is Alive’s albums page for the very best in jazz.

Learn more about David Basse at davidbasse.com

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

photo from facebook.com/davidbassejazz/

Q&A with David Basse from Kansas City Radio – Part 1

Part One of Night is Alive’s exclusive interview with David Basse

This week we were lucky enough to speak with David Basse, who you may recognize from his very own radio show Jazz with David Basse, which explores the depth and breadth of jazz through fifteen hours of curated songs per week. And not only is David the host of this nationally syndicated show, but he also has an impressive musical career spanning fifty years. David has played the drums and sang since the 1970s, and was the leader of The City Light Orchestra, which played at the 1997 Inaugural Gala for President Clinton. Before Jazz with David Basse, David also hosted The Jazz Scene, and he instructed jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University in 2022 and 2023. Now let’s hear from David…

Night is Alive: You’ve been playing music, and have been a part of the jazz music scene, since the 70s. How have you seen jazz change throughout the decades? How do you see the current state of jazz music today?

David Basse: You know I love all kinds of jazz–I’ve never met jazz I didn’t like, even the kind that drives people crazy, I still like it. I think jazz is really thriving because there’s so many young people involved in jazz these days. These young musicians have a very interesting take on the music and they’re not afraid to jump in and do what they gotta do. I’ve always loved the fact that jazz is passed down from the elders to the young people and I really think that’s the best of all jazz education–just standing next to someone fifty years older than you and trying to play music with them.

NiA: I’m curious, what kind of jazz music do you think “drives people crazy”?

DB: Well, it’s such a free-form music that if you have a strong opinion of what the music should be, there’s a good chance that you’re driving somebody crazy. I mean Kenny G didn’t set out to drive people nuts with his music and neither did Ornette Coleman; they’re just playing what’s in their heart–I would think–because that’s what most jazz musicians do.

NiA: Is that what you were doing–playing what’s in your heart–when you were playing the drums and singing?

DB: I started out playing the drums when I was 11. I lived in a very small town in Nebraska–I went to a two-room schoolhouse with an outhouse, out in the country. I had no exposure to jazz except for what I heard on a station called KAAY in Little Rock, Arkansas. After 11 o’clock at night I could pick up on a transistor radio, so I would listen with one headphone, and listen to Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman, mixed in with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The song “Mellow Yellow” by Donovan is what drove me to the drums; I loved the drumbeat. I thought, “man I gotta do that! I gotta play the drums! I love the drums!” I was ten going on eleven and I talked my mother into paying for a drum lesson. I told her when I left the lesson that I found my career. She laughed, of course, and people still laugh, which is just fine because I play what I like to play and do what I want to do, which is why I like being a jazz musician.

Look for the second part of this compelling interview, coming soon! In the meantime, check out Night is Alive’s albums page for the very best in jazz.

Learn more about David Basse at davidbasse.com

written by Jacqueline Knirnschild

photo from facebook.com/davidbassejazz/

An Interview With Dave Darlington

In a career spanning over thirty years, GRAMMY award winner Dave Darlington can proudly attest to being a master of many varied musical styles. With over 1000 album credits to his name, Dave Darlington’s work has touched many lives and garnered much deserved praise in the process. His experience ranges from composing and producing the soundtrack to all six seasons of the groundbreaking HBO series, OZ; to being on the Sonic the Hedgehog production team; contributing to the Free Willy soundtrack; various J-Pop and rock albums; and, of course, jazz, with multiple awards to show for his incredible work and talents.

Now, after mixing & mastering Night is Alive’s newest album, It Takes 3, we were fortunate to be able to sit down with Dave and ask about his illustrious career…

Night is Alive: How did your childhood contribute to the music that you mix today?

Dave Darlington: I was 12 years old when the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. Like every adult American male, I instantly fell in love. When I went to college, I discovered my passion for jazz music. However, I was a bass player, which was a different world than the music I fell in love with. I knew the symphonic orchestra was not the place for me. My love of jazz music guided the next steps of my musical endeavors, which led to what I do today as a mixer.

NiA: So you switched from a focus in symphonic orchestra to mixing and producing. What exactly contributed to that change?

DD: I got a little recording device and played around with it. I continued to improve with the equipment, so much so that I began working as a part-time programmer for some smaller recording companies. Then I met Jerry Ragavoy, who said he needed an in-house engineer at his recording studio. He took notice of my skills and offered me a job as a house engineer. I took the job from Jerry and began working at his studio. Jerry said that because of the time commitment, I had chosen between playing the bass or engineering. The choice was easy, given that I had contributed to various successful projects from the mixing side.

NiA: What is the difference between the producing side of records and the playing side?

DD: When you’re mixing, you must worry about balancing the elements of the whole song. You must make sure that each instrument is balanced with the other to make it a pleasant listening experience. Balancing all the elements of the piece out is the central part of my job as a mixer, as opposed to someone who is playing.

NiA: What was your favorite part about working on It Takes 3?

DD: Well, I love Harry Allen; he is one of the cats. It’s first-tier when you work with an artist of his caliber. I had never worked with Rossano before, but I had heard about his stunning reputation. That combination turned out to be really musical. My favorite part was just listening to the music come together by two remarkable, talented individuals. And Bryan [Carter] is a gem! He is the consummate pro and always asks my opinion before making adjustments. Musically, he is world-class.

NiA: What should listeners expect to hear from It Takes 3?

DD: There is a warm envelopment of sound, and Harry tells the story of the song. There are fireworks moments where you see how good these musicians are. However, the most crucial aspect for listeners is not necessarily how good the musicians are. The most critical element is having a beautiful melody. You want something that listeners want to listen to more of. To accomplish this, you need to have a melody that the listener can get lost in.

That is where my job as a mixer is important because I need to balance all the elements to create this melody. I think we did a good job on the ‘It Takes 3’ trio of balancing those elements to create a melody that leaves the listener wanting more.

It Takes 3 is available now! Be sure to order your copy today.

An Interview With Rossano Sportiello

We hope you’ve listened to a track or two of Night is Alive’s newest album, It Takes 3, and that you’ve checked out the other blog interviews with members of this unique trio. Continuing our conversations with these world-class musicians, we sat down with pianist Rossano Sportiello, a classically trained pianist who transitioned to jazz at very young age.

Night is Alive: Talk to me about your childhood. How did you come about playing the piano?

Rossano Sportiello: I did not come from a long lineage of musicians; in fact, nobody else in the family was particularly musically inclined. I took it upon myself to become the musically gifted member of the family. I began taking classical piano lessons around age 9. Around the age of 14, I discovered my love of jazz music.

I was particularly inspired by jazz of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, which featured a lot of improvisation. Be-bop jazz artists in particular really inspired me with their playing style. Once I graduated, I already began touring Europe, playing at different venues. So my upbringing was not the traditional route that most musicians take. However, it greatly contributed to the player I am today.

NiA: Are there any important individuals who helped you to become the musician you are today?

RS: The individuals that I met when I first started playing jazz had a profound impact on my career as a musician. However, there are a few notable players from America that helped me along the way. Dan Barrett, a trombone player from California, set me up with my first American record deal. He also introduced me to Harry Allen. Barry Harris was also another pianist that made an impact. According to Barry, “Rossano is one of the best piano players I have ever heard in my whole life.” One other player I should note is Harry Allen. He introduced me to a vast array of different players that helped move my career forward.

NiA: How did you feel playing such a vital role in the It Takes 3Trio?

RS: It is weird to have a jazz band playing without a bass today. However, if you go through the history of jazz music, there were some groups that played with no bass. The Coleman Hawkins trio was one example of a group that played without a bass. The style that piano players played back then involved more of your left hand. If the left hand of the piano player can play with a certain degree of accuracy, the bass component can be filled. I think that playing the piano like this can be extremely powerful and moving. Jazz bands today do not often have this bass-less element, which makes for a very unique sound. I enjoyed being able to add this element to the It Takes 3 Trio.

NiA: Talk to me about Harry Allen and Bryan Carter.

RS: I have to say both Harry and Bryan are two of my favorite musicians worldwide. I brought both of them to Switzerland with me because they are the absolute best to play with. Harry Allen is one of my mentors and is an incredible tenor saxophone player. Bryan is a world-class musician in his own right. He is an incredibly gifted musician with specialties ranging from drumming, composing, and vocals. He is truly in a league of his own.

NiA: What Should Listeners Expect from the It Takes 3 Trio

RS: A beautiful melody and harmonious playing!

It Takes 3 is available now! Be sure to order your copy today. 

An Interview With Bryan Carter

Did you know that Night is Alive’s newest album, It Takes 3, is available now? Showcasing showcases the exceptional talents of tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, pianist Rossano Sportiello, and drummer Bryan Carter, this album is a testament to the enduring appeal of jazz and the remarkable chemistry that can be achieved when masterful musicians come together.

To celebrate this new release, we decided to speak with each member of the dynamic trio for the inside scoop on recording and music in general. After hearing from Harry Allen, we decided to ask Bryan Carter (drums & vocals) the same questions…

Night is Alive: What was the inspiration behind the idea to record this unconventional jazz trio with Night is Alive?

Bryan Carter: It’s Harry’s and Rossano’s project, really. I meet Harry and Rossano about an hour before we started playing together. I thought it was a great opportunity to play with two incredible talented musicians on such a unique project. It’s very rare where you get an opportunity to play on bass-less trio now a days.

NiA: Looking back at recording and production process, what was your favorite part?

BC: The best part about playing with these guys was the amount of improvisation that went into the project. Everything you hear from the trio is in the moment. It’s quite a joy to be able to meet someone an hour before playing together and be able to create great music. Especially given that we do not have a bass playing on the piece.

NiA: What should listeners expect from the new album?

BC: Harry and Rossano are both champions of the great American song book. Mix that with the amount of improvisation and the bass-less trio you get a unique sound. I think listeners will get a taste of some American classics but also a new unique sound.

NiA: If you were to look back on your musical career, are there any moments that have had a lasting impact on it?

BC: My Dad was jazz musician. I grew up around a community of musicians. There is this kind of shared understanding between us that music has this almost spiritual power. This shared community I grew up with helps me to be able to work with various musicians. Music is one of the only languages that can be understood by different cultures around the world. It is really one giant shared community.

NiA: Were has been your favorite place to travel?

BC: I find its usually not about the place but rather the audience and people your playing with. The more receptive the audience and musicians are to your music, I find it’s a more enjoyable experience to play there. There have been so many different places I have played around the world, and I could not possibly name a favorite. Our music has been received positively in so many different places around the world.

It Takes 3 is available now! Be sure to order your copy today.