November 30th, 2006
Interviewed by Harvey Cline
Guitarist Chuck Loeb recently finished his first release for Heads Up entitled Presence. The eleven track disc brings in the human element of interaction among musicians while at the same time invoking feelings from the artist. We sat down to discuss the new disc during the holiday season to see what went into the making of Presence.
SmoothViews (SV): Good evening Chuck and welcome to SmoothViews. Congratulations on completion of your new disc. The name of it is Presence and is scheduled for release on the 24th of January. I understand there is quite the human element involved with this one. You can look at the cover and tell that. Tell us a little bit about that.
Chuck Loeb (CL): Yeah, the title came from an idea from my wife. We were originally going to call this CD “Starting Over.” Then I changed record labels and I recently moved and that seemed like a nice appropriate title. I guess the folks at the record company thought that idea for a title for a record was a little bit overused, let’s say. I can understand that. You have that new beginning, new morning, starting over, kind of concept. So Carmen came up with the idea, because she knew how important it was for me, with the human element, human touch in the recording process of this thing. That really made sense to me. I like the fact that it’s so concise, just the word “presence.” So I’m happy with it. I hope it means something to people when they hear the music.
SV: I think it will. The first song is called “Good To Go” and is described as a bouncy, but an easy going, song written by you and Andy Snitzer. I understand this song has lived three lives?
CL: Well, I have been fortunate enough over the past few years get to know and get to work with a guy named Paul Brown. He’s a pretty prolific record producer and a guitarist and now a recording artist who’s working on his third project right now under its own name. I wrote a song with him. We wrote it together called “Las Vegas.” That was for his latest CD, I should say. There was a piece of that song that he replaced with something of his own, but I kept the original idea because I liked that, too. When it got to the point where he recorded his, I went back to the original idea. Then Andy Snitzer and I were working on a song for another project and that didn’t quite happen. So I took the part I did with Andy, the part I did with Paul and wrote a whole new section myself and it became “Good To Go.” Paul’s part kind of disappeared. It came out as it is now. It really has kind of the positive, bouncy, as you say, kind of feel that I wanted to start the CD off with. So it became the first track. It also became the first single from the project and it’s already doing pretty good on the radio, so I’m happy about that.
SV: Can you tell us who that special person is that we hear on flute?
CL: You know I was thinking that it might be nice to have flute on that song and I was thinking and thinking and I thought “let me go over to the bedroom and see what’s going on in there.” I went in my daughter’s room and said, “Lizzie, come on. I need a flute player.” (Laughs) She came out and joined me and did a great job. It’s always nice when you can get a family member. Carmen’s always involved in my projects, and having one of my daughter’s on there makes me a proud dad.
SV: One of my favorites on the disc so far is a tune called “Starting Over.” It has almost a Metheny sound to it. Was it hard to write that with all the movement that you have in that song?
CL: Yeah. That started out with that little guitar riff that it starts off with and sort of evolved and evolved and evolved and I got involved with a different section for the middle. I got the keyboard player in my band, Matt King, who’s a terrific musician, to write that middle section. Once he had written that, I wanted to finish it with a flourish. So I wrote this sort of virtuoso little ending for the song. It was really great to put something in front of the band and say “here’s a challenge.” This is a little different. It’s not one of my normal songs. Here’s something with a little bit of a technical challenge to it. They did a great job I have to say.
SV: About that syncopated riff towards the end. That’s really something.
CL: Yeah, and that’s not easy to play on the bass. Brian Killeen played that line at the end. It’s pretty awesome.
SV: That comes out really, really well. One of my other favorites is a tune called “The Western Sky.” It’s sort of a dark song with strings and is very thought-provoking. How did that one come about?
CL: That one also has a long history. I came up with the guitar riff a long time ago. I sort of put it aside. I wasn’t sure what to do with it. It’s a little bit like you said; it’s a little bit moody and dark and has that western tremolo guitar feel to it. But then I played it for a friend of mine Wolfgang Hafner, the drummer from the band Metro that I’m in over in Germany, and he said, “Let me try to play on this.” He put a drum track down on it. It took on a whole new life. Since it had that metro connection, I got Mitch Forman to put the strings on it. I like the way it came out. It’s a totally different mood for the CD. It takes it in a little bit of a different direction and I’m glad. I like that direction.
SV: Both of those songs are very well composed and really stand out by themselves. I like both of them a lot. I understand you did some work with your wife on one called “Llevame?”
CL: It’s a Spanish word that means kind of “take me away” or “carry me away” kind of thing. It’s an escape song. It’s about going to the beach. Take me to a place where I can see the sea, the ocean and be at peace. The lyrics are really nice. They’re Spanish lyrics that Carmen wrote. The thing about that song is that the main chorus goes back many years. She wrote that chorus about twenty years ago. It always stuck with me. It was a haunting melody. Normally Carman usually sings a romantic ballad on my CDs, but on this one I wanted it to be a more up-tempo piece that she was involved with. I dusted off that song and wrote a little bridge for it. The whole thing happened in about 24 hours. It was really cool. It was spontaneous in a way. We always try to do something together. I work on her CDs and try to have one thing that features her on my CDs.
SV: Tell us a little bit about the title track, Presence. I know there’s a lot emotions pent up in that song. There’s a lot that goes through you with that.
CL: Well, the song is dedicated to my father-in-law. I had really the first experience I’ve ever had like this. When he became ill almost two years ago, we ended up being able to be there with him actually as he lost his life. We were there in the house and were able to surround him with family. I never really watched a person actually leave the earth like that. So it was a very impactful experience. He was a very special person for me. Going back to the word “presence,” when he was gone, when we were sitting there with the body, what was missing was his presence, his spirit, his self. That’s not just something that’s in the physical world. So that became the title of the song. You know I have fun when we play live. I tell a little story about him when I first met Carmen and I first met her parents going back 27 years now. He spoke very little English and I didn’t speak much Spanish at all. So I tell people in audiences now before I play that song that he used to say one thing or one bit of advice that I’ve been trying to incorporate all these years. He said, “Take it easy.” [uses a heavy Spanish accent]. That always gets the people to laughing. He was a great guy and very full of life, so it’s nice to be able to dedicate a song to someone who meant something to me.
SV: Here again you’re talking about the human element. That comes full circle with that song and probably means a lot to your family as well. Another song that you’ve dedicated is “Mr. Martino.” I know that you’ve worked with guitar great Pat Martino a couple of times. Was it difficult to write that song knowing that he would be listening closely?
CL: Yeah, more than writing it but playing it and playing a solo on it that I felt would live up to the standards of somebody of that caliber. Because I knew he would listen to it, and he did, and I got his nod of approval which was nice. I guess I was about fifteen when I first heard Pat play. It was kind of a life-altering experience because the guy is just an absolute powerhouse of a guitarist. He’s almost like an athlete the way he plays so strong. So when I was writing that song and especially working on the solo, I did it as if he were sitting in the room with me while I was doing it. On the record you can kind of hear it if you listen carefully, the entire solo I play is doubled. First I recorded it, and then I learned my solo and played it again on top. That was to sort of emulate the first recording of his that I ever heard that he did on a twelve-string guitar and it had that same soundcalled “Desperado.”
SV: Is that song fun to play now that you’ve got it behind you?
CL: Yeah, we have a lot of fun with that thing live. The people like the sort of exhilarating ride of that ending where we’re all playing unison line and real fast. I’ve played it quite a bit over the last year actually live and it’s really a fun challenge.
SV: There’s a lot of movement in there, especially at the end, and that’s a great, great finish. I notice you finish with another James Taylor song, “Shed A Little Light.” Are you a big James Taylor fan?
CL: Oh my God, he’s one of my favorites. I covered “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” in 1998. We used to play that live quite a bit. Not only is he one of my favorite artists, he’s one of my favorite singers, composers and guitar players. People don’t realize that way he has of accompanying himself on the guitar is not that easy. It’s pretty complicated. He makes it sound so gentle, beautiful, easy and musical. So I’m a big fan of his. The song we did on the CD [“Shed A Little Light”] is a beautiful melody. We did it as an instrumental, but in a way I wished we could have had the lyrics on there, too. It’s just so poignant and truthful, especially in the day and age we live now. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the lyrics at all, but it starts off with, “Let us turn our thoughts today to Dr. Martin Luther King.” It’s just what people kind to need to think about.
SV: It’s a great closer too.
CL: I think it’s a good spot for it. I hope people make it all the way through to the end (Laughs).
SV: I also read where you had written one of your songs in your pajamas that I liked a lot. It’s called “Window of the Soul” where you do a little drum programming and keyboards. Tell us a little bit about that.
CL: (Laughs)The production of that song is kind of inspired by one of my other favorite artists, Brian McKnight. He’s just a great R&B singer and songwriter. I wanted to try to get that combination that’s in R&B right now, that deep drum machine and programming and acoustic guitar, which is the basic underlying bed of the song. Then on top of it, I added the jazz guitar as the voice actor. That song is kind of a mood of the moment. Catching a vibe, I guess.
SV: It’s layered fairly well and comes across pretty good. This is your first disc for Heads Up. How has that gone for you?
CL: Well, it’s really just the very, very beginning. The doors are just opening.The release date is not for another month and a half. The relationship so far has been really, really great. Really wonderful. You know I was with Shanachie for 10 years and that was a great thing, too. I have great friends there and it was a nice relationship. But I guess life takes its twists and turns. Change is good for everybody. So far my relationships and interactions with the people at Heads Up have been all really, really great. Dave Love, who is the president and head of the company, is a real music guy. He’s really interested in making sure that everything is at the top level musically, but, at the same time, he’s a great business man and obviously he’s done very well for himself and created a real presence in the market, no pun intended (Laughs), as Heads Up. Now its part of Concord and Concord is part of Universal. So it’s got a big machine behind it. So I’m hoping come January as the radio climbs and the sales come into play, it will be a good marriage. I feel good about it.
SV: There are a lot of great artists in their warehouse, if you want to call it that.
CL: Yeah, that’s the other thing about it. Thanks for bringing that up. First of all, a lot of them are my friends and I feel comfortable with all these people. Spyro Gyra, whom I’ve produced several discs for; The Yellowjackets, who I used to be on the road with; Michael Franks; Marion Meadows, my old buddy from the fantasy band; Michael Brecker, who I was in Steps Ahead with; Mike Stern, who I went to school with and have known for thirty years; Joyce Cooling, Doc Powell, all those people that are all friends and buddies and Gerald Veasley. It’s a great roster. I’m honored to be in there.
SV: It sounds like a great tour possibility! And speaking of tours, what kind of tour do you have coming out with the new album? I know you plan to be at Carnegie Hall later in the spring.
CL: That’s an interesting gig, the Carnegie Hall gig. That’s not my own gig. I recently did a CD with a guy named Thomas Quasthoff, who is a very interesting person. You can find out more about him on the internet. His mother took a drug while she was pregnant that created a birth defect. As a result, he was born with many problems. He only has hands. He has no arms. His hands come right out of his shoulders. He’s only four feet four inches tall. He has become one of the preeminent bass tenorsof the world. He’s an amazing opera singer. He’s also very interested and very adept at singing jazz. We did a CD with him back in September that’s going to come out in March. We’re going to play Carnegie Hall, the Philharmonic Hall in Vienna and Berlin and do a little short tour with him. When you see that on my web site, it should be noted that it’s not my gig. It’s with Thomas Quasthoff. [For more about Thomas Quasthoff’s career, check out this 1997 article.]
SV: It sounds like a great gig.
CL: The CD is going to be called Watch What Happens. It’s a really appropriate title because people will be pretty amazed when they see what happens when an opera singer sings jazz. He doesn’t sing it like an opera singer, I’ll tell you that.
SV: I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to that. You mentioned Michael Brecker a few minutes ago. How is Michael and have you touched base with him lately?
CL: I just exchanged emails with him the other day. He’s struggling. It’s well documented because people have been looking for a bone marrow donor for him. Although he’s struggling with a very serious illness, he is incredibly positive about it. He’s actually recorded a new CD. He’s battling, that’s who he is. He’s a very special person. We’re pulling and praying for him. He still needs a bone marrow transplant. So anyone who wants to get tested, I urge them to do it. If you go to his website, you can find out the exact details on how to help. (www.michaelbrecker.com)
SV: I noticed that you’ve written scores for news programs as well as two professional baseball teams and several movies. How does that get started?
CL: Well, I had come off the road with Stan Getz. When I got I got back, I got married to my wife Carmen. I realized that I didn’t want to be on the road so much. The only way that I could make a decent living and not have to travel was in studio work. So I started doing sessions as a guitarist. I was always a composer. So when people found out that I was a composer and doing jingles and movies, they’d ask if I write music, and I’d say “yeah.” So I started writing music. That business is word-of-mouth. So if you do well in one thing, somebody else will call you. I guess all business is like that. Eventually I spent fifteen years hunkered down in the studios in New York writing literally thousands of pieces of music for radio and TV and playing on a bunch of records and films. I really loved it. I don’t do much of it anymore. For that period of time, it was a really incredible way of working as a musician.
SV: I can imagine so. As far as production work is concerned, do you have any projects that you are currently producing?
CL: I’m just finishing up a project for a new bassist from Spain. He’s a virtuoso bass player. His idols are Marcus Miller and Jaco Pastorieus and Victor Wooten. He’s kind of in that mold, a virtuoso. Lotta chops. His name is Charlie Moreno [www.charliemoreno.com] and he’s just finishing up his CD. Then I guess I must be in bass player mode. I just recently hooked up with my good friend Gerald Veasley, who asked me to do a little to work on his new CD. That’s going to be my next project. We’re just starting the very, very beginning of the process right now putting together some songs.
SV: That will be lots of fun! Chuck, you are a performer, a producer and a writer. Of the three, which would you like to be best known for?
CL: You know, I think probably the thing that means the most to me, I have to be honest, is the composing part, because songs live forever. When you go out and play, that’s a thrilling exhilarating experience to play for people. I love it. It’s really important to me. Of course, producing is really a fun thing for me to do. I love being in a studio helping artists fulfill the vision of what their music should be. I love that. When you write a song, it’s a very special feeling because, first of all, it has a life of its own. Once you write that song, it really is an entity to itself. I heard people say that it’s kind of like you’re the vessel. It’s kind of out there and goes through you and comes into existence like giving birth. Someone might take it and play it differently. People might forget about your writing for many years. Somebody might stumble across a recording and ask who’s this song? It may be a dated recording, but maybe, hey we can take it and play it and do it differently. Look at how many versions there are of some of the great classic standard songs. Porter and Gershwin. They live on and on and on. People like Chris Botti, a young trumpet player playing standard songs. Those songs never get old. I’m not saying my songs are going to be classics like that, but you never know. You never know if some trumpet player or guitar player in twenty years might say “check out this melody” you know on “Window Of The Soul.” It’s a nice melody. Maybe we can do something with it. So that, to me, probably ranks the highest.
SV: That’s great, especially when they take on a life of their own and live longer than we do. Well, Chuck, I know that you’re a family man with a couple of daughters. As we get into the holiday season, what does Christmas mean to you at your home?
CL: We’re actually living in the costal Carolina’s and used to come here for Christmas. So now, instead of a Christmas tradition, it’s become a year-round gig. (Laughs) Christmas is always very special. We’re going to do Christmas in reverse this year since we live here now and visit New York.
SV: Chuck, I want to thank you for your time this evening. This is your first time on SmoothViews. Is there anything you’d like to tell your fans this evening while we’ve got you?
CL: Forget all those other guitarists. Buy Chuck Loeb CDs! (Laughs) That’s my message to the fans. No, just kidding. Thank you so much for all the love and all the appreciation. That’s why I’m able to do what I do, because fans out there listen to and buy and support us when we play live and buy our CDs. Man, we appreciate it.
SV: I’m sure you do. Best of luck on the new CD. We’ll be looking forward to it coming out in January.
CL: Thank you.
For more on Chuck Loeb, check out: www.chuckloeb.com. |
