Feature Friday Q&A With Gerald Cannon Part III

Time for our final installment in the Q&A series with jazz bassist, composer and painter, Gerald Cannon. Today we discuss his experiences recording the album My Ship and get to know a bit more about his visual art.  

JK: What was it like recording the album My Ship?

GC: Oh it was great! You know it was with my longtime musical companion Willie Jones and everybody. The band are all seasoned musicians who I know very well. The album is very beautiful; it’s like a ballad record if I remember correctly. I love ballads. It was very mature. A very mature record. I remember thinking like, it’s a definite grown-up record and the musicians were seasoned and we’re all friends. It was fun!

JK:I’m glad y’all had fun! I talked to Steve Davis the other day and he had so many great things to say about it. 

GC: Yeah, I think pretty much all of us have been on the road together in one situation or another. Those are the kind of record days that are very special. Cause they’re not always like that. It was very easy and, like I said, very seasoned. Very mature. And musical. Cause we all know each other’s playing. It wasn’t hard at all. It was great!  I can’t wait to hear it, I don’t think I’ve heard it yet. 

JK: Well, all the songs are on YouTube!

GC: Oh okay, I’ll check it out. 

JK: So, do you have a favorite song on the album?

GC: I mean My Ship is definitely one of my favorite songs. That’s a beautiful, beautiful melody. But they’re really all my favorites! I’m an Old Beatles fan. I remember when I bought my first Beatles record. Those are the greatest bass lies. The bass lines are classic. I play them all the time on upright during solos and stuff. 

JK: I saw that you had an art show recently. Congratulations!

GC: Thank you! Yeah, I have another one coming up in October in New York. The gallery is in Greenwich Village. I’m really looking forward to that show.

JK: Do you think your music inspires your painting or vice versa?

GC: Yeah, they inspire each other. I think the way I play is definitely connected to the way I paint. Kind of loose and abstract but within the form. 

JK: That’s great that you’re able to do both!

GC: Yeah, I’m blessed.  

If you’re still eager for more Gerald Cannon, you can listen to him play in the album My Ship, which is available in our store and on all major music platforms today.  

“Who is Singing Tonight?”

It all happened one week before a private donor appreciation event.

Musician and bandleader Bill Cunliffe was scheduled to perform with a vocalist and eight-piece band. Months of planning had gone into making sure the event would be as successful as possible, and announcements were distributed electronically and via snail mail by the Night is Alive Productions team. The vocalist had provided recordings featuring herself and Bill on Youtube and other social media as a preview for the honored guests. All was going according to plan.

The event was highly anticipated by all involved, as it was their first time in Akron, Ohio and the first time Oliver Nelson’s music would be performed, reimagined, almost 50 years after its original release. Tunes like “Stolen Moments” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYl2HZ9_Zvs&list=RDyYl2HZ9_Zvs&start_radio=1&t=0) would have new life breathed into them by Bill and his group.

On the Thursday one week before the donor appreciation event, I was out of town on vacation. As Bill’s manager, I left town believing all was under control and running smoothly. He had booked his musicians and vocalist. The music was written and scored. The venue was secured. Little did I know, Bill was leaving messages on my cell phone with unhappy news: the vocalist was sick.

By the time I received the voicemails, it was Saturday and the date of the gig was inching closer. During times like these, one of my most important managing mottos comes into play: “It is not what you know, but who you know and what they think of you.” Bill, being a two-time Grammy award winner, is highly respected in the jazz world, and musicians are (thankfully) eager and willing to join him on the band stand. He reached out to fabulous vocalist Jane Monheit, who graciously agreed to perform on short notice and flew in on the red eye the evening before the event.

A testament to her world-class musicianship, Jane performed cold with barely any preparation and wowed the crowd with her poise and grace. Bill and the musicians in the band were also exceptional, their flexible professionalism leading to a successful and enjoyable event. In the days following the performance numerous phone calls from audience members flooded in, praising the ensemble and conveying heartfelt appreciation for Jane’s willingness to take over for the vocalist who fell ill.

Though such star power usually warrants multiple gigs, this particular group was only scheduled to perform two nights. The second performance was a ticketed event in Cleveland which completely sold out thanks to the Night is Alive Productions team (“We fill the seats!” Use Night is Alive Productions for your events: https://nightisalive.com/).

“Who is singing tonight?” is not a question you want to ask in the moments leading up to a gig. But if you do your job well and work with good people who are willing to help you out in a pinch, the rest will follow. In the end, the music itself is what brings people together and builds a loyal following. The music is the reason why we are here.

Read more about Bill’s tribute to Oliver Nelson here: https://billcunliffe.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/a-tribute-to-oliver-nelson-and-%E2%80%9Cthe-blues-and-the-abstract-truth/)

For more information about Managing Director Kathy Moses Salem and Night is Alive Productions, please visit our web page (https://nightisalive.com/) or contact directly via phone.

Article by Kathy Salem, Managing Director, Night is Alive
Revised and Transcribed by Elizabeth Carney, Content Editor, Night is Alive