Chicago Base Podcasts

Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist and 30+ year Band Mate Jay BeckensteinTom and Jay Discuss: Memories over the years creating 30 albums, thousands of concerts throughout the world and theworking with many of thegreat jazz artists of our times Jays development as a premier Saxophonist in the modern Jazzmusic scene. Jays creative process in creating music in the past and the flexibility of new recording techniques provided by technologies today. DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe: About Jay Beckenstein: I was born May 14, 1951 in Brooklyn, NY and grew up surrounded by music. My mother was an opera singer and my father's love of jazz introduced me to Charlie Parker and Lester Young before I could speak. I started piano at the age of five when my family moved to Farmingdale, LI. I was given my first saxophone through the music program in elementary school at age seven. From there I took saxophone lessons, and played in school bands up to my senior year of high school. At that point I met Jeremy Wall and we started my first band. My senior year of high school was spent in Nurnberg, Germany where my father was working and I went to school on a U.S. Army Base. I played in R&B bands there that performed both for the Army and in German clubs. By then, I had been introduced to a lot of R&B and rock and started to mix those concepts together with my jazz base. I returned to the States and enrolled at State University of New York at Buffalo. I studied a good deal of classical and avant garde music in the music program there and played in some interesting avant garde ensembles. I studied saxophone in school with Edward Yadzinski, but I also studied outside with John Sadola who worked on my jazz technique. By my junior year in college, I had started working in the clubs in Buffalo and by the time I graduated I had steady work in the clubs. The next few years was spent playing in some great blues and R&B bands. Buffalo had a booming music scene at the time, but after awhile I wanted to do something other than be a sideman. I then started doing some off night instrumental sessions in small clubs with Jeremy Wall. This work slowly (over a year) evolved into the band Spyro Gyra. In the band's second year, Tom Schuman joined the band and started to share the keyboards with Jeremy. Tom has been the sole keyboardist since 1978. Around 1976, I went into business with Rich Calandra, a local drummer who had aspirations to be a record producer. The two of us produced a number of local acts and, when there was studio time left over, we would record Spyro Gyra. The band's first album slowly came together in this way. Rich and I met with little success with our efforts with other groups, so we pressed 500 LP's of Spyro Gyra on our own label with what little money we had left,. Within a year we had sold tens of thousands of records, signed a record deal and launched the band's career. In 1979, I moved to NYC to produce Morning Dance and lived there for four years. Catching the Sun, Carnaval and Freetime were also recorded during this time. My life was consumed with touring around the world, recording and writing. Rich and I then purchased a turn-of-the-century stone farmhouse just outside of NYC and converted it into my own recording studio, BearTracks. This has provided Spyro Gyra with a great recording environment. Though I occasionally have recorded on records other than Spyro Gyra and have done other productions, (Dave Samuels and Tom Schuman), Spyro Gyra has been my main focus and has fulfilled most of my musical dreams. It has been over twenty-five years of great music, great friendship and great times. The rest of my life is filled with my love for painting, gardening, hiking and all things outdoors but most of all with my daughters Claire, Alexandra and Isabel. They, more than anyone or anything else, have brought me inspiration and contentedness. - Excerpts from http://www.SpyroGyra.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC

Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with JazzGuitarist (and Keyboardist..)Peter White Tom and Peter Discuss: Peter's experiences growing up in England;joining Al Stewart's band (as a Keyboardist),playing with others until establishing himself as one of the premier Guitarists in JazzPeter'svarious tours and projectsTom andPeterlisten to a few of Peter and Tom'ssongs on various CDs Playing FavoritesPromenadeDeep Chill(Tom Schuman) DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe: Peter White and Tom Schuman About Peter White - by Peter White Growing up in the sleepy little English town of Letchworth Garden City in the 1960s, I first got interested in music while listening to the Beatles on the radio. My parents bought me an acoustic guitar when I was about 8 and I taught myself to play while simultaneously taking lessons on the recorder, piano and then later, clarinet. My music education was going along just fine until one day in 1967 I heard the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze. I had never heard sounds like that coming out of my acoustic guitar and I decided that from that day on, the electric guitar was to be the most important thing in my life. Now if only I could convince my parents to buy me one. I eventually got my electric guitar and furiously studied the works of Hendrix, Clapton and Page, but my rock star dreams were soon put on hold when my beloved axe was burned in a fire (accidentally) set by my brother Danny. Distraught, I found solace in my old acoustic guitar which had been gathering dust in the corner. I had no idea that this incident, however tragic at the time, would prove to be a turning point in my life. I started to develop a love for the instrument, a feeling that continues to this day. Losing my electric guitar at that time proved to be a blessing - I soon found lots of inspiration in the music of Crosby Stills and Nash, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell who were all playing acoustic guitar based music. I started to carry that guitar with me everywhere I went- it became my best friend. I knew by this time that music was my calling, and while all his friends went to college, I worked factory jobs until I landed my first musical engagement playing at an English holiday resort in the summer of 1974. After the summer was over I briefly joined a group by the name of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, only to watch them disband a few weeks later. However, one of the members of that group recommended me to Al Stewart and I was asked to join Als band for a tour of England, Scotland and then the USA, starting in 1975. It was a very exciting time for me, being my first trip to America. We were opening up for artists like Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel and Queen. To be around these musical luminaries was a great thrill for a 20 year old! That summer saw my first studio experience at the famed Abbey Road studio in London, working with Al Stewart on the Year of the Cat album, soon to become a million seller. This was the beginning of a musical collaboration that was to last 20 years, during which time we wrote and recorded many songs together, including Als 1978 Top Ten hit Time Passages. Along the way, brother Danny (remember the guitar burning incident?) had made his own way in the music business and made up for his pyromaniac ways by hiring me to work with a then unknown Polish singer- Basia. I played on her first album which was released in 1987 to much acclaim. It went on to sell millions worldwide and since then I have played on many tours and recordings with her. Thanks Danny! In 1990, having been a backup musician for 15 years, and inspired by the English group Acoustic Alchemy I decided to start recording my own music and released my first CD Reveillez-Vous, a French title in honour of my French mother, Gilberte. It means Wake Up. Many other solo CDs followed, with several songs becoming No.1 hits on Smooth Jazz radio, such as Midnight in Manhattan a song I recorded with one of my idols, Grover Washington Jr. Basia also collaborated with me on "Just Another Day", a song from my "Caravan of Dreams" CD. As well as recording my own music, I have performed on recordings by many of my friends, including Dave Koz, Gato Barbieri, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Craig Chaquico, Jeff Golub, Lee Ritenour, 3rd Force, The Rippingtons, Kirk Whalum, Boney James and Marc Antoine. I have been part of numerous Guitars and Saxes tours and also have established my annual Peter White Christmas Tour. This is a chance for me and some special guests to play some of our favorite Christmas melodies. (My Christmas CD Songs of the Season was released in 1997). Over the years, I have become more comfortable as a performer. I feel a tremendous joy when Im able to connect with my audience. The purpose of being up there is not to show how clever I can be, but to simply invite everyone to have a good time. Meeting people after shows to sign CDs and chat is also something which I like to do, whenever possible. Its quite different from the days when I was just in the background getting little recognition! For a complete discography, click on the CD icon at the top of this page. Playing Favorites is my latest and features a lot of classic songs from the 70s which I have remade in my own way. Special guest artists include Bob James, Jeffrey Osborne, Richard Elliot, Jonathan Butler and Boney James. Working with these great artists is a wonderful gift at this point in my career. My concert schedule is in the tour section and if you would like to join my fan club or mailing list, just click on the contact icon for those links. Just remember, I have always enjoyed playing for you! - Excerpts from PeterWhite.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC

Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz SaxophonistMarion Meadows Tom and Marion Discuss: Marion'sexperiences growing up in Connecticut and the environmentsthat shaped him and his music. Marion'svarious music periods in his music career Tom andMarionlisten to a few of Marion's songs on various CDs Dressed To Chill Player's Club In Deep DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe: About Marion Meadows: Born in West Virginia, saxophonist Marion Meadows whose ethnic mix is Native American, African American and Caucasian grews up in Stamford, Connecticut, where he began playing clarinet and studying classical music at eight years old. His passion for different types of music led him to appreciate numerous jazz musicians, including Stanley Turrentine, Sidney Bichet, Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins, and he naturally gravitated to the soprano sax in his high school years. Fortunately for the smooth jazz fans who have embraced his sweet and funky soprano sound over the last decade, Meadows decided to take a few very important trips to Europe during his junior and senior years. He had dreamed of being either a veterinarian or zoologist, and assumed he would enroll in college as a pre-med major. Playing the sax was just a hobby until he saw the way audiences reacted to him and his student cohorts in Holland, Italy and Austria. The first trip was with my high school band and the second was a graduation gift to me and a few other guys playing over there in a big band setting, he says. It was exciting seeing positive newspaper articles about my playing in Italy, receiving all sorts of accolades and feeling the excitement of interaction with the crowd. It was a tremendous rush, and lit the fire. After studying jazz with Anthony Truglia, Meadows attended Berklee College of Music, where he majored in arranging and composition. He later went to the SUNY Purchase School for the Arts, where he studied under Ron Herder. I got a lot of sideman jobs in college, and I have always said I got a graduate degree playing clubs, adds Meadows, who perfected his craft studying with Joe Henderson, Dave Liebman and Eddie Daniels. Not long after I finished school, (well-known jazz drummer) Norman Connors recorded my song Invitation and then asked me to join his band. I later produced his Passion album with him. Things just fell into place. Meadows first hit the airwaves in 1991 with For Lovers Only, but his career really began one day in the late 80s at New Yorks Grand Central Station. He had been a sideman with Connors for three years with only vague notions of eventually going solo. Then one day, as the oft-told story goes, he was waiting for a train, pulled out his horn and began playing under the huge dome. His sweet sound caught the attention of fellow traveler, TV composer Jay Chattaway, who was so impressed that he hooked Meadows up with legendary keyboardist Bob James. James signed Meadows to a deal with his TappanZee label, and though Meadows first recording went unreleased, the experience put him on the road to his eventual success. Meadows hooked up with numerous artists and musicians and became a well known sideman in his own right, recording or performing over the years with Brook Benton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, The Temptations, Michael Bolton, Angela Bofill, Will Downing and Native American flute player Douglas Spotted Eagle, among many others. In the late 80s, Meadows stretched his usual pop/jazz boundaries as a member of a New York avant-garde band called the Aboriginal Music Society. He was performing in Japan when he got the call that RCA Records was interested in signing him to a solo deal, based on his first album which he had recorded and financed himself. Meadows became a staple of the smooth jazz format with his subsequent recordings, which include Keep It Right Here (1993), Forbidden Fruit (1994) and Body Rhythm (1996). After moving from his home in Connecticut to Phoenix, Arizona, Meadows signed with Heads Up International and released Another Side of Midnight (1999). A contemporary tribute to city life, his label debut was considered by critics to be his strongest work to date. His subsequent heads Up discography has been equally successful on an artistic as well as commercial level: Next To You (2000), featured a mix of R&B-influenced jazz coupled with sensual Latin rhythms; In Deep (2002), a neo-soul blend of jazz, R&B and hip-hop, brimmed with sophisticated arrangements and impressive tenor/soprano playing; Players Club (2004) paid tribute to Meadows fellow musicians with a seamless mix of contemporary jazz and soulful R&B. All four Heads Up recordings have been well received by his ever-growing, always loyal fans. Dressed To Chill, scheduled for release on May 23, 2006, is the latest chapter in Meadows satisfying tradition of cool sophistication. Ive been involved in a lot of projects, both my own and group efforts, says Meadows, and my main objective is to keep growing as an artist and engage the fans who have invested so much emotion in my music and my career. Aside from that wonderful sense of live communication, the real magic for me happens in the studio when I put on those headphones and begin to play. Thats where the ideas just start to flow. Everything else in my musical life comes out of that moment. - Profile Heads Up International MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC

Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist Michael Lington Tom and Michael Discuss: Michael as a young artist and family in Denmark.Michael's new Cigar line(www.MichaelLingtonCigars.com)Michael'scurrent music projects and artists he is working with in BrazilTom andMichaellisten to a few of Michael's songs on various CDs A Song For YouStay With MeVivid DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe: Michael Lington, Tom Schuman About Michael Lington: Michael Lington has demonstrated his contemporary saxophone chops with a steady stream of chart-toppers since his debut album in 1997. His CD, Stay with Me, yielded three Radio & Records national jazz hits with Show Me at # 2; Two of a Kind at # 2; and Pacifica at # 6. Stay With Me also remained on the Billboard contemporary jazz chart for a total of 24 weeks. Twice In a Lifetime and Sunset from Vivid; and Still Thinking of You from Lingtons Everything Must Change all went Top 5 as well. His duet with Bobby Caldwell on Tell It Like It Is from his self-titled debut, ascended both the jazz and adult contemporary charts. Now Michael is back with A SONG FOR YOU, his second Rendezvous recording. In collaboration with Rendezvous , Grammy nominated arranger and composer Randy Waldman and Grammy winning Engineer Woody Woodruff, Michael assembled a collection of new standards that range from the albums first single, Its Too Late and Youve Got a Friend, both by Carole King; to a dimensional Fragile by Sting. Joni Mitchells Both Sides Now is given an expansive, but respectful new spin; while Michael Franks Tell Me All About It is a playfully laidback interplay, featuring guest and Rendezvous co-founder Dave Koz, with Brazilian sensibilities. Leaning strongly toward the pop side of jazz, with classical, Brazilian, Latin, and gospel shadings, Lington plays a distinctive contemporary saxophone. Its the kind of record that inspired me from the very beginning. The songs on this CD are the core of what has driven me to become a musician, says Michael. I wanted to go back in time, to when music had a strong emotional impact on people and songs really mattered -- but to do it with a new twist. Michael explains, With this album, I really wanted to focus on the underappreciated, or underexposed standards of tomorrow -- mainly songs from the 70s that have been rarely covered in a jazz instrumental format. He continues, what I had in mind during the entire process, was to create a classic album, with a timeless feel that is as current today as it is 40 years from now. Growing up in a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark, Michael Lington is the grandson of Otto Lington, a jazz pioneer in their tiny country, and bandleader for Shirley Bassey, Josephine Baker and Fats Waller, amongst many others. As a childhood fan of musicians like Vinnie Colaiuta, Dean Parks and Randy Waldman, Michael would replay his vinyl jazz recordings again and again, reflecting on the memories of his grandfathers era. Little did Michael know, that someday, his name would be nestled in the notes next to those of his childhood heroes in an album of contemporary classics. The rich legacy of his grandfathers jazz connection, his classical training, and a stint of touring in Europe, led him to the U.S. in 1990, and at 21, he began performing with Little Richard , Gary U.S. Bonds and Randy Crawford. He also landed a four year gig touring with singer Bobby Caldwell , joining the list of imminent sax players associated with the singer, including Rendezvous co-founder Dave Koz, Richard Elliot and Boney James. It was through this collaboration, that Michael landed his recording contract, which leads to present, and his new CD, in which there is an organic synergy between Lington, the songs, and arrangements, that lifts Song for You into the realm of the truly unforgettable. Michael believes covering songs that have deeply impacted listeners is far more demanding than recording his own material. People feel strongly about these songs. Its important for me to keep the integrity of the song, yet make it my own, so Im not just repeating whats been done before. If you improvise too much, you lose your audience, but if you play it straight up and down, its not very interestingits a fine line between staying true to the melody, and yet making each song interesting instrumentally. Lington has been a global touring presence for the past several years, and plans to continue with A Song for You. In between his ongoing performances -- i.e. performing at the Royal Wedding of Denmarks future king, Crown Prince Frederick -- and recordings, Lington proves to be a giving performer by lending his artistry to the Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation, which raises funds for childrens music programs and provides instruments to public schools all over the U.S. Michael participates in Create Now, where he mentors troubled teens in Los Angeles and Acres of Love, a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive services; and Forever homes for abandoned and AIDS children in South Africa. The U.S. based, Danish-born Lington loves classic beauty and expression whether it comes in the form of a song, his vintage European automobiles, underwater landscapes, a childs smile, or open sky viewed from behind the instrument panel of a helicopter. A Song for You is undoubtedly a significant step in Lingtons ever-ascending career, and an invitation for everyone to dream. - Excerpts from http://www.MichaelLington.com MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC

Tom Schuman of Spyro Gyra has a MusiConversation with Jazz Saxophonist Steve ColeTom and SteveDiscuss: Steve's experiences as anyoung artist in the Chicagomusic scene during his development years through the 80's and early 90's. Steve'syouth asthe son of a working musicianin the clubs of Chicago Steve'scollege education in business andhow he uses it in managing his musiccareer. Steve's current music projects and artists he is working with both in the studio and on stage Tom andSteve listen to a few of Steve's songs on various CDs True Stay Awhile Steve's work with the Sax Pack DOWNLOAD SHOW Subscribe: Steve Cole, Kim Waters, Tom Schuman Picture of Jeff Kashiwa and Tom courtesy of Cary Gillaspie, Scenic JAZZ Photography Copyright 2007 About Steve Cole: A native of Chicago, Illinois, saxophonist Steve Cole studied music at Northwestern University, and business at the University of Chicago. Initially classically trained, Steve had the honor of performing assoloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of 18.Despite his success in the classical realm, Cole opted to focus on his true musical loves, Jazz, Pop and R&B. Steve began gigging frequently on the local Chicago music scene as a session player, playing on countless national commercial spots,contributing to a number of soundtracks on the A&E network, as well as composing and performing music with keyboardists Bob Mamet and Brian Culbertson. Cole's solo career began in earnest after his first solo album, 1998 "Stay Awhile", turned out to be a smooth jazz sensation, featuring a pair of #1 NAC smashes, "When I Think Of You" and "Say It Again," as well as the top 5 hit, "Where The Night Begins." The success of this debut album culminated at the 2000 Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards where Steve was the recipient of the Prism Award for Best New Artist.Cole followed the records success by performing and recording frequently, both as band leader and featured guest, with such artists asBoz Scaggs, Junior Wells, Waymon Tisdale, KMFDM, Rick Braun, Peter White, and Brian Culbertson. In addition to his roadwork, Cole has also lent his special sax touch to such records as Larry Carltons "Fingerprints", Brians 1999 release, "Something About Love, and Jeff Lorber Kickin ItThe release of Coles second album, "Between Us," quickly posted two #1 Hits withGot It Going On" & "From The Start".On his criticallyacclaimed Third album "NY LA," Steve reached the top of the charts with "Off Broadway," and his rendition of the TLC classic "Waterfalls" earned rave reviews in Billboard Magazine.Steve's newest album, "TRUE" is Steve Coles funkiest album yet, with plenty of R&B, soul, and jazz influences. Cole effortlessly bridges the gap between instrumental virtuosity, seamless ensemble playing, and a high-caliber creative chemistry that runs the stylistic gamut. Steve has assembled quite a group of musicians, world class and highly regarded players join Steve in whats regarded as his finest album yet. - Excerpts from http://www.SteveCole.net MusiConversationsR and MuSyNetworkR are registered trademarks of Music Syndicator Network, LLC