Warren Rosenstein of JAZZHOLE

Interview 25 April 2003

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First off tell me something about the Jazzhole collective, where it began, who it is, what you seek to achieve and how it all works.

Jazzhole started in 1993. Marlon Saunder, John Pondel, Kevin DiSimone and I were all doing session work out of the same recording studios. We became better and better friends, and started to think it would be great fun to make a recording together.

It is based and always has been based around yourself Marlon Saunders and John Pondel. Say something about each of their expertise, and what their influences are and how they work together. Say something about their background and who they have worked with.

I like to think we each bring something a little different to the music. John has a great jazz background, having played with Gerald Wilson, Diane Schurr, Carmen McRae and many others. The thing I think John brings to the music more than anything is an incredible feel. Some guitarists just try to cram in as many notes as they can, but John is all about feel, and space and groove. I have worked with dozens of guitarists, but anytime I play with someone else, I always wish John was there instead.

Marlon really brings the soul to the music. He has recorded with almost everyone under the sun - Billy Joel, Sting, Michael Jackson - you name it! Marlon has a spirituality and energy that he brings to the music that really touches me. It is easy to get jaded when you have recorded music for a long time, but I still get goosebumps when Marlon sings.

I have worked on a wide variety of club, hip hop and acid jazz records in the past, though for the last five or six years, I have really focused on the Jazzhole. I try to contribute to the records by finding the right songs and arrangement to showcase all of the talented people who play with us.

How do you bring other people in and what do they add.

The great thing about living in New York is there are so many talented musicians all around you - it is a little like being a kid in a candy store. A typical way someone gets recruited to play in Jazzhole was violinist Mazz-Mlani. One day I was riding a train, when I noticed a woman playing violin in the subway. She played beautifully, and I stopped to listen for a long time. I asked her for her card, and within a week, she was in our studio, adding a great vibe to "Love Philosophy".

Naren Budhakar, whose tablas really added a beautiful texture to the record, was playing for a yoga class my friend was taking. His phone number was passed to me, and he too wound up in our studio, and really added a new dimension to our music.

Kaissa is a newcomer to the group, who sang on several songs in Duala, the native tongue of Cameroon. Marlon and I met Kaissa on a session, and we exchanged a knowing look almost immediately - as soon as that session was over we were dying to get a chance to work with her.

Circle of the sun is the fouth album – tell me how this came together and what your aiming at.

After integrating some electronic styles into our previous release, Blackburst, I wanted to try to have a more organic record this time. I was inspired by some of the more mellow songs of Maxwell, and some of the bossa nova records my girlfriend was playing for me. With the addition of Naren on tablas, and the additional percussion from Danny Sadownick and Peter Mark, the album started to have a more earthy feel, and we wound up staying away from having much in the way of samples.

Lots of influences in there jazz, soul, neo, latin, african, acoustic, bossa and all very mellow.

Do you ever want to bust out!

Good question! I hope we didn't leave any of our fans behind, who were hoping for something that grooved harder. One of my favorite songs of the 80's was by the System - "Don't Disturb this Groove" - I think that is really what happened this recording. We got into this mellow, sexy vibe, and we wanted to just stay there. Music is a lot like sex to all of us - sometimes you just get in this place where it feels right, and you are going slow, and taking your time...  why distrurb it?

How's it going down, reviews I've seen seem pretty positive.

We have gotten a great reaction from the press - nice pieces written in Billboard, Straight No Chaser, Black Beat, etc... One of the things that has been really gratifying is the nice things that people have written at amazon.com. There is a real word of mouth buzz there, and many of the customers write great reviews. We have also been moving copies at some great websites like Dusty Groove, Soul Brother and CD Baby. Bob Davis at Soul Patrol has been championing the record, too, and there is nothing like the approval of someone who has lived soul music for a good long time to make us feel like we really accomplished something.

You play as a band as well? Where have you been playing, is it very localised. Refreshing to see proper instruments for independent product these days. Is this kind of stuff going down in New York right now, where do you play. We'll try and get to see you – we usully come over in about February each year.

We are hoping to get out and do some shows in the summer. You are quite right - there is a lot of live playing on the record, so when we do a show, it takes quite a bit of coordinating. Getting all the guests mentioned above, together with our mainstays, like Dave Inniss on bass, Dave Binney on sax, Mark Robohm on drums, and vocalists Michelle Lewis and Lucia Iman all together on the same night can be a challenge.

Do any of you do other things?

I had the privelege of co-producing Marlon Saunders solo recording, "Enter My Mind". It is a beautiful record - pure soul, and really inspiring singing.

Tell me about some of the other key people Mazz Mlani, Peter Mark, Daniel Sadownick, Kaissa Doumbe, Michelle Lewis, Naren Budhakar, David Inniss, Mark Robohm, Vincent Chaney. Anything happening with any of these?

All of the people you mentioned are working on their own stuff - Kaissa has a solo records that is almost finished, Michelle is a very successful songwriter, who has also had a couple of releases of her own music , Naren plays in a great band called "Alms for Shanti", David and Mark are playing almost every night in New York City in a variety of great bands, and Vincent Chancey also has his own releases that are really beautiful.

Tell me about some of the previous albums, how they were different and how they went down. Very Acid Jazz based?

The first two albums, were more acid jazz-oriented, and featured great rappers, such as Ahmed Best, KCB, Ronnie Russ and Jack Ruby, Jr. These were really fun, and full of a different kind of energy. As time went on, our sound evolved into something with more singing, and playing, and less samples and beats.

What's happening next, or you still promoting this. Are you getting out worldwide at all.

We are still promoting this record, and hope to get out and play to spread the word more. We will be featured on the new compilation, "Organic Soul 3", which is put out by the people at Soul Brother Records, in the UK.

Being small how do you get the album seen on a tight budget – are you happy with how it's going.

We don't have much of a budget - most everything that has happened has been through word of mouth. Part of what I really like about the neo soul movement is that there are so many indie artists who are doing their own thing, and promoting it themselves, and so many fans and listeners who are hungry for music that isn't mass-produced by corporations. The big labels scream and cry about downloading, and how it is killing their business, but there are lots of indie neo soul artists who are doing great, without all the promotion. People spread the word when something good is out there, and, to some degree, the record industry is almost becoming irrelevant to this music. Sites like yours, and Soul Patrol, Groove Nation, Liquid Soul Radio, Liquid Soul Lounge - great radio stating like Clark University, Mark Copeland's show on WFDU - there are lots of people who are spreading the word about great music, and not because they are in it for the money - they are in it for the love. And people like that are the hope for the future of music, because the high=priced executives have had their day, and they ruined what was once a vibrant, thriving industry.

Thanks for your time

Mike