Fresh Coast Jazz Backstage

Carl sits down with Nils, a multi-talented German smooth jazz artist and producer. His music is heavily influenced by funk and fusion. To stay fresh musically, he listens to various genres, including electronic music and old-school R&B, while also looking for new ideas and avenues to advance his artistry.

Nils describes his creative process, which begins with writing every day without criticism, compiling ideas into folders on the computer, and refining each song by editing performances and sculpting the music. He usually records 15 songs for an album, but only 12 make the cut. He revisits old tracks to find new inspiration or use them as competitive pieces for his next record. His favorite parts of producing are creating original ideas at the beginning, playing lead guitar at the end, and mixing, which he has become confident enough to do himself. Live-streaming shows every Saturday kept Nils in touch with his fans during the pandemic.

He shares his story of how he flew to Germany when both his parents were in the hospital, expressing gratitude that he had the chance to be with them. He also wrote a song for his father based on the Hendrix classic “Hey Joe” and added chord substitutions to make it more interesting. Tune in to find out about his latest album, written during a challenging time in life, containing upbeat and bluesy songs meant to uplift people instead of bring them down. Listen to Nils discuss how being a rock guitar player taught him jazz and other styles, allowing him recently to produce a rock & roll record while looking back at his early roots.

Episode Highlights

10:04 - The production process always seems to be longer than I want because then I can get other musicians involved and edit their performances and what you had in mind. It becomes a cohesive recording and presentation of the music.

10:26 - Usually I leave my own guitar playing for the end. I start with the guitar when I write. I lay down a melody, and I'll basically just improvise or come up with certain things that are here in my head, so I have a guide to what it's going to be.

20:27 - I'm feeling confident enough over my mixes and now have been mixing for other artists quite a bit, like I've mixed Johnny Britt's record and a mix of film scores for my friend, Catherine Bostic. For me, that's a big part of the production in a way because when I lay down certain parts, I hear where they're supposed to be in the mix.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

Nils

We have an exciting episode with Threestyle, an interesting group with an eclectic, distinct approach to jazz, featuring saxophonist Magdalena Chovancova; Robert Fertl who plays the guitar, bass trumpet, and flugelhorn; and Gabriela Chovancova on drums and vibraphone. They discuss the inspiration for their single “Living in This House” and share how they work together to create amazing tracks, and divulge their favorite albums of all time.

Their hit song "Ready To Go" started off as an improvisation session which ended up becoming one of their most popular songs reaching number one on the Billboard charts. They also talk about collaborations with other artists and discovering new talent that keeps things fresh for their audience.

Get an in-depth look into their musical journey and influences plus an inside scoop on what goes into creating a track when it comes time to release a song when you tune in. You won't want to miss out on hearing all their stories from traveling around the world and producing music together.

Episode Highlights:

17:59 - It doesn't matter where good music comes from or who it comes from. People are always going to want to play it when it's just good music, and I think that's one of the beautiful things about music. If it makes you feel something, you want to turn it on. You want to listen to it.

18:34 - I think the most rewarding thing is to do music as your job. You do something that you love. Of course, it's not easy. As we mentioned before, there are times which are challenging and, of course, the travelling could be very stressful, some jet lags and airplanes, and so on. But if you do what you love, you forget about it. You just enjoy it and staying there in front of the live audience, it's the best thing.

47:46 - The audience should have an experience and just a great time. That's what we love, give the audience a great time at the concert and communicate with them, and have some fun. I love this very much.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

Threestyle

Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC: Home

In today's episode, Carl talks to D.S. Wilson, a saxophonist and producer who made his presence known on the contemporary jazz scene in 2019 with his first album, "Stella Rose." This was followed by an album called "Saxuality" in 2021 and his recently released third album called "Skyline" in January 2023. When selecting songs for recording or including in works, D.S. often starts out with grooves or licks that evoke certain feelings which serve as inspiration when naming them - such as Nightfall off of Skyline which evoked images of dark misty nights and mysterious characters walking along sidewalks.

D.S. discusses his views on yard work, gardening, and being a musician and shares his experience of collaborating with other artists as well as the upcoming album release concert in Chicago. He also expresses his desire to perform at bigger venues or festivals to generate income for future projects so he can continue doing music full-time until retirement age arrives.

Listen to hear D.S. advise his 13-year-old self to focus more on music rather than sports and be willing to do self-promotion even if it feels uncomfortable. Find out what he enjoys listening to, what his top three albums of all time are, and who are the three people (living or deceased) that he would invite to a dinner party. D.S. is looking forward to continuing bookings for festivals & larger venues while also working on album number four.

Episode Highlights

12:25 - People have asked me how do I go about writing a song, and it's funny because a lot of times, it just depends. Sometimes I'll start with a groove. Sometimes I'll start with a lick, or I'll hear a melody in my head or whatever. I usually have about 15 or 20 different ideas in various stages of completion.

24:49 - If you had to spend money for concert tickets for all these folks and then still get a chance to meet them and greet them and everything, it would cost way more than the price of the cruise. It's just this intimate way, and nice to meet people and they're open. It was the coolest experience I've ever had. That's why we're going on another one because it was so much fun.

33:36 - A lot of it is being willing to just put yourself out there, being willing to go through rejection and other things, and not take it personally. Because there's a lot of people vying for some of these top positions, and the industry just has to go through its thing to weed out the people who aren't serious about it.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

D.S. Wilson

Inspiring Young Musicians to Take Risks for Success with Steve Cole

In today's episode, Carl talks to Steve Cole, who is an American contemporary jazz artist who debuted in 1998, notching 8 albums and multiple number one hits. He has been touring and playing on Smooth Jazz Radio since then, with over 5 million streams on Spotify alone. When he was coming of age, he found a great teacher which inspired him to take music seriously and despite having degrees from Northwestern University (B.A. Economics) and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business (M.B.A. Marketing & Business Economics), Steve chose to pursue music full-time rather than work in business and finance due to lack of confidence at the time. This ultimately paid off for him!

Steve discusses his career success and goals for the future, which include innovating in music by working with different people, writing new songs, and producing with other artists. He also talks about how he is changing his stage act right now by adding a horn section to make himself stand out from other performers. Growing up in Chicago had a huge influence on Steve's musical development, as it provided him with access to mentorship from experienced musicians as well as an education in many diverse styles of music.

Tune in to hear Steve talk about the importance of developing young talent through tough love and why he believes that collaboration works best when there is an established relationship between artists. Listen to Steve's stories about his experience with mountain biking and attending sports events, investing in woodworking tools, finishing up work on his new album, getting back out on tour, and focusing on his students' careers.

Episode Highlights

09:56 - I'm learning some things about how to differentiate how to understand the marketplace. I was also a full-time student and it was a lot easier than being a full-time management consultant. I ended up graduating and not going back into industry at all. I became a full-time musician and I did the grind. It ended up being an alright thing to do.

23:02 - We, as artists–some of us–we're very suggestible, and I've worked with people that have really good intentions, but aren't necessarily willing to take those kinds of risks and say, "Let's really think about, 'How can we differentiate?'"

30:20 - There are some tunes that it feels like the paint is dry. You listen back over and over and over again, and it's like, "Yeah, I'm happy with that."

43:23 - I feel like I've gotten to work with so many musicians that I never thought in a million years that I would get to work with, but I'm going to put it out there and just be like, "Hey, I would like to work with Dua Lipa."

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

Steve Cole

Today's episode is special. Suzanne, the producer of the show, talks to Carl about a special announcement. The 2023 Fresh Coast Jazz Festival will take place on August 25 and 26 at the Historic Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Carl also announces the fantastic lineup for the festival including artists with Grammy nominations and awards, with some producing more than 100 hit songs.

The festival is known to be a "Party With A Purpose," a vibrant celebration of the best contemporary jazz around – two days full of incredible music, infectious energy, and mouth-watering eats! Not to mention all kinds of other exciting activities.

This amazing festival does more than just provide good music and experiences; it has a lasting impact on the community by providing college scholarships, sending kids to musical camps, offering grants for school programs focusing on music education, donating financially towards literacy among youth communities as well as medical research initiatives targeting childhood cancer patients. Listen to find out about the special offer for the festival!

Episode Highlights

06:49 - It all started shortly after I lost my father to cancer. Just before I lost my father, my dad was giving me instructions for how to move forward in life without him. He said to me, "Son, I want you to remember to always think of others more highly than yourself."

43:41 - Before we even go to night two, the party doesn't end with the last concert. We have something that we call the "nightcap." So, after the last concert at the Pabst Theater, we all go back to the host hotel and we have live music that goes 'til about one o'clock in the morning. Often times, the artists that were on stage that night will come and hang out with the guests in the lobby of the hotel, too.

01:05:08 - Our goal is to raise a million dollars to do philanthropic work through this festival over time.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

Suzanne Singh

In today's episode, Carl talks to David Benoit, who is a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, educator, and a radio personality with over 40 years of experience. He has collaborated with a ton of artists, even those who are not contemporary jazz artists but great musicians as well, like Patti Austin, the Rippingtons, and Dave Koz, just to name a few. He started out with a piano in Bakersfield and reflected on how music became his sanctuary.

He discusses teaching the youth orchestra and the differences between approaching music as a solitary creative pursuit and collectively performing in front of large audiences. During his contemplative dialogue, he notes the creative expertise it takes to juggle those tasks and reveals just how far along his musical journey he has gone.

David declares that his only focus lately is the sheer joy of countless creative pursuits.  He is delving deeper and further into this part of himself in an attempt to gain gratification and satisfaction. Tune in to find out his secret in making it look so easy despite the countless hours of hard work and devotion.

Episode Highlights

06:18 - When I was six years old, a lot of my compositional ideas came up, because I would just try to come up with ideas on the piano much like I do now.

19:23 - It just makes me feel so good that I've touched somebody's life in a good way. Maybe if they're sad, or they cry or they're happy, but that my music has touched someone's life. Let's face it. There's so much negativity

44:51 - I would say follow your passion, work hard, but also be disciplined about it, too. Especially the temptation of getting into jazz, the temptation of doing drugs or alcohol, where it gets you away from the goal that you're seeking. So, just stay away from that, to really follow your dream, but to work hard. The work hard part is important, too. Practicing and really getting your craft as good as you can get it.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

David Benoit

In today's episode, Carl talks to William Prince, who is a fresh new saxophone voice on the smooth jazz scene. He has already worked with the likes of Phil Perry, Doobie Powell, Chris "Big Dog" Davis, and Carol Albert and in 2021, he worked with hit maker Adam Holley on his latest released roll on.

They discuss how his church background helped mold his musical career from playing gospel through drums, keyboard, organ to eventually, discovering and learning to play his main instrument which is saxophone. He mentions that having a professional career forces him to put music on a backseat, but his wife supports and understands him by letting him practice and record whenever he can.

William says that his main goal as a musician is to make sure that the audience is moved by his playing in some way that they can feel what he's trying to communicate through his horn. Tune in to find out the many artists that inspired and influenced William to pursue his passion for contemporary jazz and its effect to his own music.

Episode Highlights

16:42 - The most rewarding part about being a musician is just being able to express yourself with nonverbal expression, just to pick up my horn, and just play.

31:00 - You got to keep going. No matter what. Just keep chasing the music that strikes a chord. Sometimes you'll get it, sometimes you'll never get it, but you can't stop, never stop.

43:24 - Don't beat yourself up too much. Sometimes those mistakes make you better. So, embrace your mistakes, but don't try to make too many. The mistakes you do make, they're not lost because they live with lessons.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

William Prince

In today's episode, Carl talks to Michael Broening, famously known as "Michael B.," who will be releasing his debut album called "Never Too Late" in early February of 2023. For 20 years, he has been making hits. In fact, he has over 40 contemporary jazz hits to his credit as a producer, songwriter, and pianist. That list includes 27 Top 10 hits, 11 number 1 hits and a Grammy win.

They discussed the impact of COVID on in-house studio recording and its effect to the overall producing process. They talk about Michael's first producing gig with Marion Meadows and and how he combined his jazz influence as a producer and songwriter with pop and R&B which gives his style the catchiness and accessibility.

Tune in to hear how he balanced between producing for many talented jazz artists and staying connected with his wife and kids. Listen to Michael as he shares how adapting to change and trends will make you a better producer and songwriter who will never run out of ideas.

Episode Highlights

28:29 - You just never know when the ideas are gonna stop, but I think I have enough passion for it and I do have enough wherewithal to constantly keep up with new trends.

46:06 - It's very important to have personal connection with the artists. I think that's what's kept me in the business so long because you have to know what the artist gravitates to. Otherwise, you're just hitting buttons and putting notes there, and they're just paint by numbers.

01:02:32 - You've got to have a little bit of an element of, you know, your days are numbered. Keep on top of things and don't take things for granted. You kind of have to have that and humility is a huge part of that.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

Michael Broening

In this episode, Carl talks to Lindsey Webster, a contemporary jazz artist with many Billboard charting songs. Growing up, Lindsey was exposed to a variety of music styles which has helped shape her sound today. She writes all of her music from the heart and some of her top musical influences are Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Aretha Franklin.

They discuss her musical journey where Lindsey explains how she got into music and why she dropped out of college. Her album "A Woman Like Me" is personal to her, as it deals with her journey from the outside to the inside. She wrote the title track after going through a difficult break-up and moving quickly into a new relationship. She admits that she sometimes can't listen to the album because it brings back memories of that time in her life.

When Lindsey is not making music, she enjoys hiking, running, biking, and meditation. She is also starting her own podcast about consciousness, awareness, and mental health. Tune in to find out what fans would be surprised to know about Lindsey and learn about all her upcoming and exciting projects.

Episode Highlights

03:35 – I do believe that all of my favorite artists have influenced my sound. My inner journey is directly connected to my music. The more comfortable I get with myself, the more comfortable I am writing lyrics that are true to myself.

18:25 – We are taking it a little slower; we’ve had a couple of shows, and they’ve been amazing. They've been great, but this is okay for me because I’m working on a new album.

21:39 – A Woman Like Me is about a journey from the outside to the inside. If you are not right inside, then the outside is not going to be right.

30:31 – Normally, the last thing that I write is the bridge. If I cannot come up with the bridge, the song is not ready for the world.

39:23 – ‘Bout it or Doubt it – the Movies category. Lindsey shares why she doesn't like horror films and why she likes The Godfather.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz Festival

Lindsey Webster

In this episode, the show's guest is Julian Vaughn, a young man who has reached number one on the Billboard chart with his effortless blend of jazz, R&B, funk, Calypso, and other sensory sensitivities to music, making his own distinctively delightful sound. Julian is a songwriter, producer and bassist extraordinaire who loves being on tour and doing live shows because of the people and how they connect with his music. After returning from tour, the first thing Julian does is write new music while the inspiration is still fresh in his mind.

Julian has had radio success and believes that if he likes a song, the fans will love it. He has a large catalog of songs and changes his set list often to keep things fresh. He prefers being independent to signing with a label because it gives him more creative control. His music is designed to make people feel good and he hopes they will want to listen again and recommend his songs to others.

Listen to hear Julian talk about maintaining relationships, his musical influences, and how he makes his music. Find out when Julian knows when a song is ready to be released, the artists he has collaborated with, what he'd rather do if he wasn't making music or playing basketball when you tune in.

Episode Highlights:

03:27 - The most important thing I pulled from Wayman was the structure, the approach to a song. A lot of guys basically get in and they don’t approach it the right way.

07:41 - I think that the relationships that I’ve built, they're legit. These are people that are fans at the same time, but they’re just good people. They don’t want anything from you.

30:48 - I keep it going simply because I don’t feel like I have reached my full potential yet, even learning different things about different instruments. There is a level in my head and I know where it is, and I just don’t feel like I am there yet. So, that drives me because I have something to prove in each record.

32:30 - Independent all the way. I would never sign a deal. I'm very transparent. When we're signing these deals, we’re signing away our masters. We’re signing away our creativity and you’re never going to get the bigger stick in these deals. Once you’re in it for especially the period of time I’ve been in it, you learn the business.

34:43 -  I hope they walk away humming what they’ve heard. When you catch them humming, you're hooked to the song. You got them because it’s stuck in their head and it won’t leave. So, I want my fans to walk away with a good feeling.

51:15 - The first thing I play is what I keep because it’s raw. Instead of just going back and keep messing with it, that first thing you played, that's what’s supposed to be on there.

Contact

Fresh Coast Jazz festival

Julian Vaughn