Interview with Tony Lujan
#1-When did the band first form?
I have a couple of different bands. There is the BeBop quintet I play with in LA when I'm there. We have a great time doing standards and my original material from "Magic Circle", "Zulu" and "Live at the Biltmore". I have played with that band since '91. There is also my quintet in Germany, which came together for "Miles Away" and "Live in Cologne", recorded in '95 and '96.
In 1998, when I had finished writing the music for "You Don't Know What Love Is" I already had an idea of who I I wanted to record with in New York. I got the cats together and we did that record, and last year for the recording of "Tribute", I used a lot of the same members. Putting together such a large group has it's own scheduling difficulties.
# 2- Who are the current members and what are their backgrounds?
For "Tribute" the members included John Benitez and Richie Flores, whom I have known since my early days with Eddie Palmiere. Conrad Herwig is a long time friend from our days with Clark Terry's Youth Band in '81. Edsel Gomes, Yosvanny Terry, and Dafnis Prieto I have known for quite a while also. Miguel Zenon was a kid going to Berklee, who was at a jam session at Wally's that I happened to stumble in on. He also played on "You Don't Know What Love Is". Roberto and Luisito Quintero were additional percussionists that I loved having in the band. They added so much. We also had a string section, conducted by Felipe Salles, another Boston friend, who is originally from Brazil.
My LA band includes Kei Akagi, Benn Clatworthy, Derek Oles and Jimmy Paxson. They all live out there and I have known them since '86. My European Quintet includes Martin Wind, who lives in New York, Buggy Braune and Frank Della from Hamburg, and Darren Beckett who lives in New York now.
#3-What brought everyone together as a band?
I brought the group together. I was really tired of playing Salsa Jazz, Mambo Jazz, everything but Latin Jazz. I wanted to play Latin Jazz like Dizzy intended it to be. Jazz melodies and progressions with Latin rhythms. Montuno Jazz gets boring quickly. All of these cats are great Jazz players, that understand the Latin rhythms. This is a tough combination to master.
#4-How would you describe your music and playing styles?
I've described it as Bop Latino and Jazz Latin. My playing style started with Mariachi, Symphonic, Big Band and then BeBop. I discovered Latin Jazz when Tito Puente hired me in the 80's. I fell in love with the drum. Since then having played with Francisco Aguabella, Poncho Sanchez and then with Eddie Palmieri, I developed my own interpretation of the Latin Jazz genre.
#5-What image do you think your music conveys?
Innovative and danceable. Others have described it as "Groundbreaking". Listeners are ready for something new and different. As far as the image it portrays, I think the creativity is more important than the image, and that speaks for itself. Everybody's perception is different, and I don't really care what people think, my music is my art. This isn't a popularity contest.
#6-What are some of the other artists that you enjoy or draw inspiration from?
All of the great Jazz legends inspire me. Clark Terry is still a major inspiration to me. Rhumba groups from Cuba, and Plena and Bomba groups from Puerto Rico. Rafael Mendez. My children inspire me. Every day I get inspiration and ideas from all different kinds of music, people and things. You have to be open to it. It can come from the most unlikely places. Looking for moose on the Kancamangus highway inspired the arrangement for Nardis. See what I mean?
#7-Tell us about your CD releases? How many have you had? What is your latest like?
"Magic Circle", "Zulu" and "Live at the Biltmore" were my first three recordings. I did those while I was living in LA. They have a sort of West Coast BeBop vibe and a certain mystery. I was really tuning into my own sound at that time. I was listening to a lot of Wayne Shorter. They got a lot of airplay and good reviews from the critics. That started me off on this journey that took me to Europe where I did "Miles Away and "Live in Cologne". From there I ended up on the East Coast, where I did the recordings "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Tribute". "Tribute" is my way of paying respect to the Jazz giants that left us their legacy and passed on their knowledge freely. I feel that it is an honor to recognize the contribution these cats made.
#8-How often do you play live, how can someone check out one of your shows?
The latest band has played live in New York, New Jersey and Boston a few times. The logistics and costs associated with such a large group make performances somewhat infrequent on the club level. I do not expect these cats to play for free, nor would I ask them to. So I turn down a lot of gigs, where the budget is not right. This latest group is perfectly suited for festivals and large venues that allow us to incorporate the strings, singers, dancers and the full orchestra. The Quintet plays around LA when I am on the West Coast, which is a few times a year.
#9-How are your live shows different from listening to your CD?
On live performances we put on a show that includes tunes from every recording, and always new material. Plus, watching the "Tribute" band performing is quite a visual. You dig? They all move around and really get into the music. It's amazing! And we get to stretch out. We are living in that moment with no restrictions. Every member has the freedom to do what feels right. Like Miles did in the sixties.
#10- What type of fans do you target/cater to?
I really don't target or cater to anyone in particular. If you enjoy the music, that's great. A lot of different types of people like my music.
#11- Now that Latin music has become a staple genre in terms of popularity, where does your group fit in?
At the top.
#12-In what ways are your promoting your music?
Radio airplay, digital downloads, distribution, and reviews. Our website. Tribute will be featured on United Airlines. 14,000,000 people a day will have access to
listen. We are currently working on a live DVD of the recording for those interested in the more behind the scenes part of making a record. We also have a booking agent working on a tour to Mexico and Europe.
#13-How do you use the Internet to promote your music?
The internet is the tool of the future, we must catch up to the times. Thanks to web-sites like www.Latincoolnow.com and many others we can sell on line. People can get the tracks they want, or buy the whole Cd.
#14- What difficulties have you encountered as an independent label?
You name it, but as an independent label you can create music of an aesthetic quality. Do you think when Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa he ever thought it would end up in the Louvre? What if someone had told Picasso not to use so many bright colors? A lot of great music was and still is recorded on independent labels. Many large labels are in the business to sell CD's not Music. I am proud to say that I stay true to myself and the art, and that I am not motivated by profit alone. For example, when Miles Davis passed on to happy hunting ground, they sold some 500,000 copies of Kind of Blue. But that took 40 years and his passing.
#15- What does the future hold for your band?
That depends on our listeners. We will keep making music, as long as we can. I intend to keep on assimilating, emulating and innovating.
#16-Anything else you'd care to add to the mix?
People seem to be listening with their eyes not their ears. Turn on MTV and it's all T&A. What's happened to Jazz being an original American art form, and revered? I'm concerned about young people never hearing a Big Band. People need to support the Arts, especially live music, or there won't be any left.
Tony Lujan
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