Oct. 8, 2008
Need to relax? Check out “Life is Good”
I can’t remember what year
it was, but I think the first time I saw Tom Grant play was at one
of the summer big band music festivals they used to hold in
Tom recently sent in a promo copy of his new
disc, “Life is Good.” I’d call it piano-based smooth jazz. I have
one other CD of his, “Edge of the World,” which is pretty similar
in format, maybe more of a pop feel, though. His new disc features
singer Shelly Rudolph on a song they wrote together, “Gold,” which
really stands out after listening to the first few instrumental
tunes. Tom did use some electronic/drum programming on these
tracks, and with the exception of two or three tunes, it’s an
instrumental album. So, if you need some music for that
dinner-party, or just want to zone-out and relax, check this disc
out!
Comments:
jdrake@hoodrivernews.com
Read Jim’s interview with Tom Grant
1. You recently did a show
at the Hood River Inn -
It was great...packed on a Tuesday night in HR.
Big success. I had Shelly Rudolph singing with me and it was great
fun. People in HR are starting to catch on to our gig
there...we’ve been doing this for 3 years now.
It’s always the third Tuesday of every month.
2. Let's talk about the new CD – “Life is
Good.” How is the album being received, and who are some of the
artists that have helped you out on this CD?
Besides Shelly, I’ve got
drummer Reinhardt Mels on two tracks, David Captein on bass for 3
tracks, and drummer Jeffrey Frankel on 1 track. A guitarist named
Ross Seligman on one track,...and Danny Schauffler who has played
3. How long did it take to record this
project? Do you record in your own home studio?
Yes I record in my home studio. Some of the
songs have been knocking around in my computer for up to 5 years.
I got serious about this as a record maybe 2 years ago. So it’s
been a bit of a process. But I have fun recording. We did some
actual live recording ...that is live in the studio without using
programmed drums, bass, etc. But a lot of it...I’d say most is
with programmed instruments. So since I was able to take my time
with this, I did. They’re all original songs and I tinkered with
everything endlessly.
4. What would you say is the biggest
difference between this new album and your first recordings?
I’d say that I know a lot more about the
recording process. And I like the songs I’m writing now better
than most of the old ones. My first recordings were fairly
primitive. But then that was back in the 70’s and early 80’s. They
had to sound like the era from which they came. I had a record
that came out in 1980 called “You Hardly Know Me” and I tried to
make it a bunch of pop songs. When I hear that record now it’s
rather embarrassing. There’s a few cuts that don’t make me wretch
and convulse. But overall, it’s bad. And that album won’t go away.
I see it on YouTube where some idiot has just taken the album
cover and that’s the only visual all thru one of the more
excruciating songs of that album. There’s some other funny Tom
Grant stuff on YouTube these days. And there will be more.
5. There's a lot of different types of jazz.
What category does your style fit in?
Well I like to play
straight ahead jazz (Miles, Coltrane, Monk, etc.) but I also like
the standards and these days especially, I love to accompany
singers. I play with several singers and I’ve had lots of them up
to
But the current album is a throwback to the
stuff I was doing in the 80’s and 90’s so it’s more of a “smooth
jazz” type record...sometimes called funky jazz, crossover, pop
jazz, fusion jazz or new age. Categories are stupid but necessary
for marketing I guess. So I thought I’d make this one easy for
marketing...”smooth jazz..106.7 Kay-Kay Jay ZEE” that’s what I
used to say in my best breathy radio voice back in the late 90’s
when I had a radio show on the local smooth jazz station in
Portland. I did some pretty good interviews back then...Grover
Washington, Chuck Mangione, Diana Krall, etc.
Well I hope that helps Jim.
You can email me if you want any clarifications,
etc.
Tg