QQ. Who are some of your musical influences?
A. As a guitarist, George Benson, Larry Carlton and Wes Montgomery are my strongest influences. As a songwriter and vocalist, Steely Dan, Sting, Grover Washington Jr., Bill Withers, Peter Gabriel, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and so many others. I love well-crafted old school r&b, jazz, pop, folk and rock.
Q. Where did the title for your debut CD "Blue And Yellow" come from?
A. From the song "Blue And Yellow," which is the fourth track on the CD. The title comes from the emotions the colors represent. Blue as in sadness, like "the blues." And while yellow usually refers to cowardice, here I mean fear. I wrote the song a couple of months after the attacks of September 11. I was driving alone on a cold night here in Los Angeles, and there was this mood that hung in the air all around at that time - a sadness people had and I shared. It was dreary outside, trees were bare then in the late part of autumn, and I was ruminating about the attacks. The song came to me at that moment, in that mood. While it has those emotions of sadness and fear, it also has hopefulness and perseverance - especially in the bridge (the middle part of the melody). As it's an instrumental, if you're not reading this you would never know all that. I find that very cool - some people who have heard the song think it's a happy song, some think it's sensual, and others see it as sad. But if you're reading this, I assume you want to know.
Q. For those not familiar with your music, how would you describe the sound?
A. Imagine a mostly instrumental version of the band Steely Dan, with George Benson and Larry Carlton sharing guitar duties, and a bluesy version of Sting singing on some songs. It's a combination of jazz, old school r&b, grown-up pop and bluesy guitar.
Q. How much hand in the production of the CD did you have?
A. I composed, arranged and produced the entire CD myself. I played all the guitars, added some synthesizer parts, and sung the lead vocals on the two songs out of the nine that have vocals. Of course, I couldn't have done the CD without an incredible team of very talented, inspirational and dear people, starting with my wife, and including all the musicians that played on the CD (including guest artist Brian Simpson on the song "Fuhgetaboutit"). I also had an incredible mixing and mastering engineer, graphic artist, and countless others make their marks on this CD.
Q. Will you be doing anything special for the upcoming release of your album?
A. I'm having a CD release party on January 28th at a great place in L.A. called Cafe Cordiale - it's in the Sherman Oaks area. I'll be performing all the songs that are on the CD with a terrific backing band. There is no cover. If you are in the area, come by and say hello.
Q. Do you plan on a tour as a follow up to the album release?
A. Working on it.
Q. You've worked with a lot of well known musicians, is there anyone you'd love to collaborate with in the future?
A. This is the longest of long shots, as he's been in retirement for a long time, but if miracles happen, then Bill Withers. I love his down- to-earth quality - he's soulful and tasteful - the way he sings and writes music and lyrics is the way I view all my favorite influences and what I shoot for. My approach is to communicate through the music to a wide range of listeners. My fans range anywhere from teens to adults. That's what I love best in the music world, so I didn't veer away from my true self to do this project.
Q. Do you have a favorite song off the album?
A. For me it's a toss up between "Blue And Yellow" and the song "Rain." It was a breakthrough-level catharsis for me to write "Rain," which grabbed me by the neck in the middle of the night and pulled me out of my slumber as if to say, "you better write this down before you forget it." Lyrically, the fact that the song is rooted in anger is fairly obvious, but I don't think it's obvious where the anger is really from (or where it's directed toward). I'd rather not reveal that.
Q. Why do you think listeners should take time to pick up your CD or download songs?
A. Because of the music. This is a labor of love for me, something that I and so many other people, extremely skilled and talented people, threw themselves into with their hearts and souls. I think people will hear that, and I think they can listen to the album from start to finish and feel satiated, but still want to hear it again. I think that emotional depth and richness translates in the final result.
Q. Where can those interested go online to learn more about you and your music?
A. My website - www.yaronelevy.com - there are clips from the CD as well as a good amount of info about me and my music. Then, of course, there are all the online destinations that will have "Blue And Yellow" up shortly; among them, iTunes and Amazon.
