Ayanna

Interview 11 June 2004

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Hi Ayanna – how are you? Thanks for this.

Hello Mike, I am doing quite well thank you.  This is my pleasure, How are you?

You’ve a powerful voice, tell me about what you were brought up on and your influences.

I was brought up on a healthy dose of Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, B.B. King just to name a few.  I've had a lot of Jazz, R&B, Gospel influences.  I'm am fascinated by the voices of people like Cleo Laine, Koko Taylor, Liz McComb (Gospel Singer), Al Jarreau, Betty Carter, Paul Wilber, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and of course Little Buster himself.  Etta James just blows me away.  I love voices that carry a lot of emotional quality and energy. I could go on with some of the voices of some Opera singer as well.

Anybody out there now that you like?

I love the voice of Jill Scott, beautiful voice and great poetry context and insight tin her Music, as well as that nice Funk beat that her Band carries.  The Musical integrity and honesty of Bonnie Raitt's voice and Music is great as well.  As you can tell, I tend to lean towards the "Old School" styling and ability to endure changes in time, fashion, and cross age barriers, etc.  There are a lot of great Singers/ Performers out there, that I enjoy listening to.

Tell me about yourself, your background, where you from, where you are now and all points in between – Hawaii?  You’ve moved around?

I'm basically a California Girl, Southern California is my home, and I just returned to San Diego within last year. San Diego seems to be a very creative City for me.  I'm always inspired to write new Songs or Short Plays or do some Acting when I'm here.  Living in San Diego really seems to bring out the Jazz type of Song Writing, while Phoenix Arizona, seems to bring out the R&B, Soul, Blues style of Songs.  Maybe it's a regional thing, I'm am not sure.

Yes, I have moved around and traveled lot.  I have performed in Europe, the USA, Africa, and Italy.  Italy is a very wonderful place.  The people has such beautiful Hearts, and great Food.  Hawaii was one of my favorite places, I lived on Maui for a few years which is also very creative / inspiring, it is so beautiful and Tropical.  It was living on Maui, that I developed a Tribute Show Performance to Billie Holiday, and a very Hi-energy Tribute show to Tina Turner.

What kind of things have you done – have you always been in music, performances shows and stuff.

I've always been involved in performing and Music, pretty much all my Life.  It has been second nature to me.  In Church of course, is where I started Singing and traveling with Church Choirs.  In Middle School was were I really learned to appreciate the technical aspect of Music.  It was there that I learned to read and write Music, while learning how to play the Viola, Cello, and Piano in the School Orchestra.  I was always involved in Choirs and Ensembles and Talent Shows, recording and singing and dancing in Musical Theater, as well as a lot of Theater Acting.

I have a background in Theater Stage Management, Writing, Directing, Choreography for Children's Theater.  I have a Producers Certifications for TV / Video Productions, as well as Certification from Don's Campbell's School of Sound, where I learned and practiced the healing aspect of Music and Sound  All of these areas have always been a major interest and fascination to me.


But now your back home?

Yes, back home in San Diego California, and it feels good especially to be near the Ocean again, after living in Phoenix Arizona.

What are you doing now?  Tell me about the Soulmates?

Right now, I'm am writing Songs in order to go into the Studio and record another CD, and performing in Jazz Clubs and Events in San Diego.

I travel to Phoenix, which is were the 'Soulmates' are based and perform with them as well with other Bands.  The 'Soulmates' are a kind of West Coast version of 'Little Buster's Soulbrothers Band', It's great, It 's a concept that my Manager, Steve Kleinberg came up with to honor 'Little Buster's' Music

Tell me about your show.  It sounds pretty frantic, being brought up on jazz blues and gospel and soul of course?

The Show is hi-energy and Soulful! The show is mostly based on 'Little Buster's' Soulful Musical Compositions.

You’ve not long done a tour for Soul for the Blind – tell me about that.

The Name of the Benefit Concert Series was "Little Buster's R&B Expo". The Concerts were held in 10 major US Cities in 2003, including New York, New Orleans, Chicago, for one of the largest Charitable Blind Organizations in the States.

Besides giving us the opportunity to perform 'Little Buster's Music' in many Cities that Buster has not performed in, I was able to have Buster's  'Soulbrothers Band' as my Sidemen.  Also I enjoyed sharing the Bill with, 'Little Milton', 'Hans Olson', 'Chris Hiatt', 'David Bennett Cohen'. 

Tell me about Little Buster, the man, the label and what you do together.

In 1999, Steve Kleinberg approached me after seeing one of my show in Phoenix, and asked me if I would be interested in recording some original Songs.  At this point I have never heard of 'Little Buster', well Steve played some of Buster's original Compositions, and I was overwhelmed.  I thought I have heard of every 'Soul Singer', and I could not believe that a Performer of Buster's intensity and quality was just East Coast Star.

In 2000, Steve and I went to New York to meet with Buster, it was upon meeting Buster that I realized that he is a Musical Genius.  It was the result of this meeting that Buster, Steve, and I formed 'Little Buster Records Inc.'. One object of LBR was to give me the opportunity to record Buster's Compositions, and although Steve and I rearranged some of Buster's Songs, they still have all the qualities that Buster had in his mind when he wrote the Songs.  In fact Buster has said to Steve and I several times that he considers my renditions to his Songs as a 'Tribute To His Music', not to bad coming from the Man that B.B. King has said "is the only Musicians to fill his shoes".

Our future plans for Little Buster Records Inc., is to release some Live Performance CD's of Buster, and for me to record another CD, that will include some more of Buster's Originals, beside my own Compositions.

And the album, how’s it doing.  What can I do is a track that the Uk might like, one that Buster has cut before?

My current CD 'Looking For A Home Too' is doing well, in fact it is being played on over 25 Radio Stations in the US, also last year we had (2) #1 Songs and (1 ) #2 on the MP3.com Soul, and Blues Charts from this CD.

Have you cut any music previously.

Yes, I've recorded with other people, and a self-produced Jazz and Latin CD called " I Wish For Love", several years ago. I 've also produced and performed in several Music Videos / Recordings for other Artists.

What other things do you do.

I Teach Voice and Music lessons, Sing background Vocals, read and study comparative religious and spiritual matters, in addition to trying to be a positive influence on today's youth

Anything else you’d like to say?

Music is such a wonderful, fascinating, and infinite World, I don't know why I would do without it.
I would like to thank you for your interest and support of our Project, it means a lot to us.

Good luck and thanks for your time, it has been my pleasure.

Thank You So Much,
AYANNA HOBSON

 

 

 

 

 

 

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