KHANI COLE

Interview 10 October 2001

Interviews Menu - Interviews

Let's do this from the start. You're from Phoenix, is that right or is that
just your home now. Tell me about your upbringing and your early musical
influences.

**Phoenix has been my home for almost 10 years. I'm originally from
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was exposed to music and art for most of my
upbringing, my father (see "Sunday Morning") and older sisters who had great
passion for music and the arts in general.

**Some of my early musical influences include, the great American crooners
that my dad loved so dearly, Tony Bennett and Nat King Cole among others. As
a teenager, I loved Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, Janice Joplin and Joni
Mitchell.

How did the musical career start - I'm talking pre your first album here.

**Well...the first time I realized I loved being on stage was around 4 years
old. I went on to sing in church, through high school and with professional
gigs soon after.

Is Phoenix a good place to do the kind of things a) that you had to do, and
b) what you liked and wanted to do......or was that one and the same thing.

**Phoenix, for me, was true to its' name "rising from the ashes." When I
moved to Phoenix, I too was rising from a personal and professional rut, so
to speak. Everything fell into place in Arizona. In Phoenix, the timing
was such that I was able to form my own band, write original material and
perform the music that I love.

'Piece of my Soul' that was what end 1996. Tell me about how that came
together. It was a pretty heavy album wasn't it?

**Fairly heavy, yes. I wrote and chose those songs as a reflection of what
I had just been through personally and what I was moving away from...P.O.M.S
was very cathartic in a sense. The album faired well nationally however, it
wasn't what was happening from a sonic, harmonic or lyrical standpoint on
American smooth jazz radio.

What did you think of it then, and what now. Still stands the test of time?
Are you repackaging it and releasing it again?

**Of course I was very excited...it was my first release. I felt I wanted
to be a bit more involved from a production standpoint but, lacked the
experience. I still think the songs are great and have thought of
re-cutting or re-mixing, etc. but, I guess all artist feel that way. I'm
definitely considering re-releasing P.O.M.S., especially with the original
artwork; which Fahrenheit Records chose not to use in favor of...well never
mind (laughs).

How did the album go down? I don't think there was much exposure in the UK.
Any reaction from anywhere in particular?

**There was pocket of US cities, with a more liberal radio philosophy, that
loved it. We toured and the response was overwhelming to say the least.

'Places' though was picked up over here - how was that. It was still a
smooth jazzy vibe - how did this progress from the first one?

** Ralph Tee at Expansion Records licensed the record from Fahrenheit
Records. We definitely had an agenda when picking material and recording
this album. The American smooth jazz radio scene, which is a bit whimsical,
has a sonic agenda that if not met...well, can bury artists and labels so to
speak. It wasn't a progression musically; it was more just a different
direction with an absolute agenda. We gained three times the market and
toured like mad but, I still met with resistance because of the non-active
U.S. smooth jazz radio format.

Then the third album 'Lifetime'. You've used some top people on this like
Andrew Sherman, Bruce Flowers and Poogie Bell and others. How have they
helped enhance the project. The album is strong with mellow jazz but also
some midtempo soul items and a bit funky.

**I met producers, Chris Parks and Viv Sessoms through my friend, Nelson
Rangell. The musicians used were Parks & Sessoms' friends, peers and
teammates. With musicians , writers and producers like these, it was given
that the project would be greatly enhanced. It was the first time that
producers were clearly able to convey my thoughts and ideas onto tape and
probably the first time I was able to clearly convey what I was hearing;
which took two albums and some growing to do.

A lot of your stuff is original material. Tell me about the writing
process, the people you use and how it all comes together. You've got a
tight knit little team right? Chris (Parks) and Vivian (Sessoms) seem key?

**Chris had flown out to Arizona from New York to hear me live. I didn't
feel just hearing the previous recordings would be enough. Chris and Vivian
had tons of songs in all different veins. They had worked with Lalah
Hathaway, Diane Reeves, Patti Austin and a host of others. The hardest
part was choosing songs 'cause everthing was slammmin' I came in with a
couple of things that I wrote, one of which they had put tracks to previous
to me arriving in NY and one ("Sunday Morning") we spent a couple of days on
while I was there. The vibe in NY all about creativity. Chris' studio,
"Supr Supr Sound," was right on the East River in Brooklyn, under the
Brooklyn Bridge; overlooking the Manhatten skyline...absolutely awesome !

Tell me about some of the people you've worked with on your albums.

**The world's finest writers and musicians: Joey DeFrancesco, Marc Russo,
Nelson Rangell, Marion Meadows, Poogie Bell, Andrew Sherman, Tony Guerrero,
Brian Bromberg...the list goes on; I've been very fortunate indeed.

Now you do an enormous amount of live work. Tell me about that - is that
something you've always done.

**Yes; I love it. I have great stamina (laughs) and probably play, between
touring and my hometown appearances, 220 dates a year. I've always played
live, I love the stage and the live audience...that's what I'm here for.

Where have you been outside the US - you did Europe didn't you. Did you do
the UK.

**I played Dusseldorf and Munich Germany in 1999. It was an incredible
experience. I missed the U.K. however, had a great time in your airport
(laughs). I can't wait to get to know your country and cities!

What's the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs all about. That's been going for
some time? Must get down there hey. How's the band made up and are they the
same as appear on your albums.

**The Pointe is a wonderful club in the heart of Phoenix where I've been
fortunate to appear every week for the past five years. It's a world
travelled resort so, management is very generous in working around my
contract to tour. The resort sits on top of a mountain in the middle of the
city. It is breath taking and I've had some of my finest professional
moments there.

**The band has changed over the years but, has included some of the finest
musicians anywhere; some of which have been on the albums and some not. Al
Ortiz has been my bassist for 6 years and recently took a leave to tour with
Stevie Nicks. My keyboard player recently left for a short stint with pop
singer Jennifer Page. My drummer, Mike Florio had performed with Nelson
Rangell, Angie Bofil and Marion Meadows among others.

When are you in the UK? (Get Ralph working on it!!!!!!! If he's not he
should be)

**Soon as possible !! Come on Ralph..let's do it !!

Guess you've got quite a bit of promo work to do right now.

**The records finished; now the real work begins (laughs).

Who are your musical influences and what do you aspire to.

**Phyliss Hyman, Barbara Streisand and a host of others. I aspire to reach
a broader audience within the U.S. and Europe and God willing, the strength
to carry on.

Tell us about some of the people you've worked with on the road - any
stories to tell?

**Sure ! But, I'm not sure that I can (laughs) but, there was this after
show party in Miami with a prominent smooth jazz group we toured with and
...well...never mind (laughs).

Anything else you'd like to say

** I'm just so happy to have my third release out in the U.K. and I greatly
look forward to coming over especially in this time of world-wide unity. I
wish peace for all of our nations with hopes of resolve and resiliency.

Good luck with the album and thanks for your time

**Thank you; peace to all.

Peace,
Khani