Interview with Dan Radlauer: It’s such a deep and sometimes complicated music: Video

Jazz Interview with jazz composer Dan Radlauer. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.com: – First let’s start with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music?

Dan Radlauer: – I grew up near Los Angeles. I had two older cousins who played in rock bands in the early 1960s.  They were cool and I got interested in Guitar.

JBN: – How did your sound evolve over time? What did you do to find and develop your sound?

I’ve studied music of ALL types and write music of all types for Film, TV and commercials.  But Jazz is the rich harmonic and rhythmic source of much of my music.

JBN: – What practice routine or exercise have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical ability especially pertaining to rhythm?

I just write music all the time for all kinds of projects, commercial and artistic.  I’m a composer first, a producer second and a player a distant third.

JBN: – How to prevent disparate influences from coloring what you’re doing?

I don’t.  Influences are what makes music continue to sound like it does.  So I let in as many influences as I can and let it filter through my own artistic and aesthetic choices.

JBN: – How do you prepare before your performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina?

The excitement of playing makes me feel like I have super powers.  Stamina is not a problem.

JBN: – Ism is culled from a variety of lives dates with various performers over the course of a few years. Did your sound evolve during that time? And how did you select the musicians who play on the album?

This is a “Studio” album, but recorded in the homes of all the musicians due to Covid 19.  Fortunately, these musicians are not only my favorites, but they have great home studios to record wonderful audio.

JBN: – What’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

It varies, sometimes I write from the soul, and sometimes from the intellect, but most often, it’s a collaboration between the art and the craft of music.

JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; you’re okay with giving the people what they want?

If they’re not happy when listening, either live or as a recording, I’ve either failed or am in the wrong place.  Music is storytelling, tell the story in a compelling way and people will enjoy it (as long as the performer is enjoying it too)

JBN: – Please any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

Wow, thousands of recording session, gigs and performances.  Currently I’m also scoring a new installation at the Griffith Observatory Planetarium.  I’m working with a great director, wonderful technical people and I’m super happy with the musical score I’ve created.  It’s will open in 2021.  It’s some of my best work.

JBN: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?

Keep playing them with heart and letting the idiom evolve.

JBN: – John Coltrane said that music was his spirit. How do you understand the spirit and the meaning of life?

I don’t.  That’s why I write music.

JBN: – If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

That people would dig a little deeper into the structure of music (theory)… There is such beauty there and I think both musicians and listeners would enjoy it more if they had a deeper understanding of what’s going on.

JBN: – Who do you find yourself listening to these days?

To many things to identify specifically.  I’m having a bit of a resurgence with classic rock.

JBN: – What is the message you choose to bring through your music?

It depends on the music.  Every piece has its own message.  I hope to make that message resonate with the listener.

JBN: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go?

LA in 1970.

JBN: – I have been asking you so far, now may I have a question from yourself…

I would like to know what people who don’t play Jazz find pleasurable in listening.  This has always confused me as it’s such a deep and sometimes complicated music.  I love that because I’ve studied it.. but for those who haven’t, I’m curious as to what attracts them to it.

JBN: – For me: Jazz is my life !!!

JBN: – So putting that all together, how are you able to harness that now?

I’ve been blessed by a life in music. I’ve supported my family, sent my kids to college and have a nice lifestyle by expressing my musical being.  I still wake up every morning excited to get to it… That’s a life to be grateful for… and I am.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan