Tom Rush Interview: Celebrating 50 years of storytelling and music

By Ray Shasho

American folk and blues raconteur Tom Rush has been captivating audiences with his deep- rooted acoustic stylings and musical repartee for over a half century. And there is still nothing more profound then witnessing the simplicity of a lone performer onstage with an acoustic guitar and a story to tell. Tom Rush has that rare ability to interpret life stories in its most traditional and purest form.

Tom began his life as a troubadour by performing at Boston- area clubs while attending Harvard University in the early 60s. Rush released two albums by the time he graduated.

By 1965, he signed to Electra and recorded three albums for the record label.

The Circle Game album released in 1968, covered tunes by singer-songwriter counterparts Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor. The release also spawned the self-penned folk classic, “No Regrets.” The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years including … The Walker Brothers (#7 Hit -1975, UK Singles Chart), Emmylou Harris, Fairport Convention, Olivia Newton-John, Curtis Stigers, Waylon Jennings, and Shirley Bassey.  The album cover was photographed by Linda Eastman.

According to Rolling Stone magazine, The Circle Game ushered in the singer/songwriter era.

James Taylor was quoted saying, “Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences.” 

Tom Rush in the 60s … (Tom Rush at the Unicorn, Got a Mind to Ramble, Blues, Songs and Ballads, Tom Rush, Take a Little Walk with Me, The Circle Game)

In the early 70s, Tom Rush recorded for Columbia Records.

Rush toured extensively throughout the 70s. He became a traditional act at renowned music clubs like The Cellar Door (Washington, DC) and The Bitter End (New York), but also played large arenas supporting legendary rock acts like Loggins and Messina, and Alice Cooper.  

Tom Rush in the 70s … (Classic Rush, Tom Rush, Wrong End of the Rainbow, Merrimack County, Ladies Love Outlaws, The Best of Tom Rush)

After taking a break from touring, Tom Rush triumphantly returned (1981) to a sold-out Symphony Hall in celebration of twenty years in music. The following year, Rush spearheaded what would become a traditional annual musical event at Symphony Hall in Boston. The event mirrored a concept from the Club 47 coffee house in Cambridge, Massachusetts of the early 60s- allowing established artists and newcomers to share the same stage. The concerts would spotlight well-known artists like Bonnie Raitt or Emmylou Harris, (along with then unknowns) Alison Krauss or Mark O’Connor. Tom took the Club 47 concert series on the road …where it’s been ever since. The show has performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall, The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and New York’s Carnegie Hall to name a few.

The Club 47 concert series continues to pack houses, delight audiences, and animate music critics.  Rush says … “It all comes down to a really good excuse for getting some friends together and throwing a party.”    

Tom Rush in the 80s … (Tom Rush: New Year, Tom Rush: Late Night Radio, Tom Rush: Blues, Songs and Ballads -re-release)

In 1999, Columbia/Legacy released a Tom Rush retrospective album that covers his recorded musical history from 1962 to the present.

Tom Rush in the 90s … (Work in Progress, Tom Rush: Wrong End of the Rainbow-re-release, The Very Best of Tom Rush: No Regrets)

In 2009, Tom Rush recorded his first studio album in 35 years. The album entitled, What I Know was recorded in Nashville. The release includes original material along with harmonies by Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Bramlett and Nanci Griffith.

Tom Rush 2000’s and present … (Merrimack County/ Ladies Love Outlaws –re-release, Live at Symphony Hall, Boston, Trolling for Owls, How I play(some of) My Favorite Songs, Judy Collins’ Wildflower Festival, What I know)

Most recently, a video surfaced on You Tube of Tom Rush performing the hilarious/ sad-but- true … Steven Walters penned ditty, “The Remember Song.”  The video has generated over six- million views.

Tom Rush will be embarking on a new tour beginning December 7^th from Portland, Maine. The tour lands at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl on January 10^th, the Largo Cultural Center in Largo, Fl on January 11^th and Big Arts- Schein Performance Hall, Sanibel Island, Fl on January 12^th.

Order tickets for the Ponte Vedra Beach show at http://pvconcerthall.sjcvenues.com/ or call (904) 209-0399 for more information.

Order tickets for the Largo show at www.largo.com or call (727) 587-6793 for more information.

Order tickets for the Sanibel Island show at www.bigarts.org or call (239) 395-0900 for more information.

I had the great pleasure of chatting with Tom Rush recently about the tour, and just about life in general.

Here’s my interview with a pioneer of the onstage concept of …a man, his guitar, and a story… singer, songwriter, and musician … TOM RUSH.

Ray Shasho: Thanks for being on the call Tom … so how are things?

Tom Rush: “Well, it’s snowing again now, it’s just blowing around in the air … but I think summer is finally over.”

Ray Shasho: Not down here in always sunny Florida.

Tom Rush: “Sure … go ahead and rub it in.”

Ray Shasho: But you’ll be down here soon performing three shows in the “sunshine state.”   Besides the upcoming tour, you’re also compiling the talent for an upcoming Symphony Hall concert.  

Tom Rush: “Yup, the 28th of December. This is my fiftieth year of recording and doing shows.

Ray Shasho: Congratulations!

 Tom Rush:  “Thank-you! It’s king of depressing actually. (All laughing)  We’re going to do the show to kind of put the end-cap on the fiftieth year.”

Ray Shasho: Have you lined-up all the guest artists that are performing at the show yet?

Tom Rush: “I’m getting there … pretty close. I’ve got Nanci Griffith, Jonathan Edwards, Buskin & Batteau, and trying to line up a couple of more. I’m hoping this will turn back into an annual event; I use to do these every year back in the early 80s, and then Symphony Hall started using the dates for Pop shows between Christmas and New Years and I couldn’t get a date from them. But now they’ve opened up again, so I’m hoping I can do it again next year and maybe keep doing it going forward. But we’ll have a good time.”

Ray Shasho: Tom, I’ve been disgruntled with the music scene for quite a long time. Growing up in the 60s, we had the best of the best, and most of us probably thought it would never end.

Tom Rush: “Well I think the good news is, these days there are a lot of music scenes, which has nothing to do with the industry … with a capital I, and the industry is kind of circling the drain. I’m sure you’re aware; a number one record today sells about ten percent of what it did about twenty years ago. It’s all gone over to the internet, and that’s good news for the working musicians and bad news for the superstars.”

Ray Shasho: And there aren’t many record companies left so it’s almost impossible to get a record deal.

Tom Rush: “Again, the good news is, sensible new musicians don’t want a record deal … they’ll do it themselves. They can connect with their audiences on the internet; sell their product on the internet. There are acts that can sell ten thousand seats today who have never been on the radio. So, it’s kind of exciting.”

Ray Shasho: I miss those days of hearing a song on the radio and running down to your local record store to buy the record.  

Tom Rush: “That was a good model, the record company, the radio stations, and the concert industry working together in symbiosis … but it doesn’t work that way anymore.”

Ray Shasho: I chatted with Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) and he seems to be happy with being in control and not depending on record companies.

Tom Rush: “It is hard to start out now; even though you’ve got an infinite amount of shelf space on the internet, it’s hard to get peoples attention. So Roger and I are fortunate that we’re going in with an existing audience. But given that we have an existing audience; it’s a great way to keep in touch with them. The Symphony Hall show for instance, I wondered how was I going to get a promoter to put up fifty or sixty grand to take a chance whether we could sell this Hall. And what am I going to have to give up in exchange for that investment. So I thought what about a kickstarter campaign … and we filled half the Hall before it went on sale. So we’ve got all the bills paid going in, and it’s a good feeling. They’ll also be doing a six camera shoot at the show; some folks will be doing a documentary on me. So it will be a lot fun. Tickets aren’t on sale yet but tomrush.com will have all the news soon.” 

Ray Shasho: Tom, were you part of that Greenwich Village music scene with Maria Muldaur … Bob Dylan, and all those great artists?

Tom Rush: “Not so much, I was up in Cambridge, Massachusetts … there was a different music scene up there. The Greenwich Village scene, everybody wanted to get matching shirts and go on the road. Up in Cambridge, it was much more of an amateur scene. They were just doing it for the love of the music. A few of us went on to become professionals but not very many. It was mostly typewriter repairmen, psychopharmacologist, and people who just loved to get together to play music for the fun of it, and really had no intention or desire to go professional.”

Ray Shasho: So what was your big-break leading you into a professional music career?

Tom Rush: “I had a couple of friends with radio shows on WBZ in Boston, and they were 50,000 watts clear channel, these guys would get fan mail from New Zealand, and had regular listeners in Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, just a huge-huge audience. I didn’t understand that at the time … what 50,000 watts clear channel meant. They’d invite me to play some songs on their shows and had no idea what type of audience I was playing to. I still get a lot of people saying, “I use to hear you on WBZ!”

Ray Shasho: I associate timelines of my life with music. Like… where was I when I first heard a particular song being played on the airwaves etc. Or in your case, through my teen years … every time I’d pick up the Washington Post entertainment section … there you were performing at The Cellar Door in Georgetown.

Tom Rush: “I’m being told over and over… “You’re the soundtrack to my college years …or my time in Viet Nam …or whatever, so people are coming to hear the songs they are familiar with, and God bless them, but if you want to do new stuff, you’ve got to sort of shoulder aside some of the older stuff. I still do a lot of the old stuff onstage … some Joni material, The Circle Game, “No Regrets” …which is my song, “Driving Wheel,” songs that people associate me with, but I also manage to squeeze in new material, and the good news is that my crowd seems to love it.”

Ray Shasho: I truly believe …a lone singer onstage with a guitar and a story to tell imprints an everlasting impression that a band of musicians just can’t compare to.

Tom Rush: “I do agree, and there aren’t many people doing that anymore. It’s an interesting discipline to be able to get up with just a guitar and hold people’s attention for a couple of hours.”

Ray Shasho: “I enjoyed the “What’s Wrong with America” video on your website. Do you think musicians should publicly endorse and campaign for a candidate?”

Tom Rush: “I’ve avoided that. On the one hand, I think my job is to give a person a little vacation from everything that’s wrong with the world, so I try not to get political onstage; I have been doing this, “What’s Wrong with America” song, which is quite different. I think even rich people will get a laugh out of it. But I think in general, I shy away from politics onstage.”

Ray Shasho:  Tom, I ask everyone that I interview this particular question. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish to collaborate or play with anyone, living, or in the past, who would you choose? 

Tom Rush: “That’s a tough one …but I’d love to be able to sit in the audience and listen to Robert Johnson or Josh White. I did get to see Josh White play; he was one of my idols. I’d love to see Lead Belly and some of the old blues guys that aren’t with us anymore. That would be a treat.”

Ray Shasho: It’s a shame that many of those incredible blues players weren’t appreciated back in their day as much as they are now.

Tom Rush: “That was one of the interesting things about the Club 47 in Cambridge; they made a point of going out and finding these guys. A lot of them had retired, and most never played for a white audience before. They’d bring them up to Cambridge and these guys would be sitting in front of a bunch of white college kids. It must have been like going to Mars. But the kids loved it and a lot of the blues guys got a second career out of playing for college kids.”

Ray Shasho:  Tom, did you ever have it in your heart to pick up a ‘Strat’ and just wail away? (Laughing)

Tom Rush: “I tried playing electric for awhile and it just didn’t work out. My reflexes are centered on the six string acoustic. I just played the electric too hard and it sounded awful, so I gave it up.”

Ray Shasho:  I love “The Remember Song” because it’s so true … and based on the audience response, I think people can really identify with the lyrics. (Over 6-million views on You Tube) Are you surprised how popular that tune has become?

Tom Rush: “That was kind of a surprise …yea. My web guy was putting up some stuff on You Tube and I said …let’s put up “The Remember Song” people might like it. It didn’t cost anything, what the hell. And it’s the one that took off. It’s a song for our times.”

Ray Shasho: Do you have a favorite tune you like to perform onstage?

Tom Rush: “Not in particular, having been added it for fifty years; I have enough of a repertoire that if I get bored I can swap it out for something else. And then there’s new material coming along, either my songs or music I find on other peoples recordings. So, no, I don’t think I have a favorite. I like mixing things up, doing some silly stuff, along with serious stuff, up tempo, and some quiet things … it keeps me interested.”

Ray Shasho: What I Know is your latest release, do you have plans to record in the studio again soon?

Tom Rush: “I’ve got about three or four projects going at the same time and I don’t know which one is going to make it to the studio first. I wrote a kid song for the first time ever … and not necessarily kid songs but silly songs coming along. It would be a fun project to do; I could probably whip it off in a day. But then there are collections of other things, stuff that I’m writing, songs that I’ve learned from other people. I had so much fun working with Jim Rooney and his people down in Nashville, and I’d love to get back in the studio with him.”

Ray Shasho: They’ve got some amazing players down in Nashville don’t they?

Tom Rush: “Oh boy … working with these guys is like having a magic carpet ride. There are fifteen tracks on the CD and six of those are first takes. And I was actually disappointed they were first-takes because I wanted to do them over and over. (All laughing) It just felt so good. Every other house down there is a recording studio. You can get really top quality recording studio time for cheap.”

Ray Shasho: Your wife ‘Renee Askins’ is an author who wrote a book called “Shadow Mountain” …can you talk about her book?

Tom Rush: “It’s a good book … fifteen years working to get wolves restored to Yellowstone Park, and got the job done against overwhelming odds, because it was not popular with the ranchers who have a very disproportionate amount of power out there.”

“They had separate releases in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana; the wolves have flourished now and have been taken off the endangered species list in all three states. Each state is managing them very differently; Wyoming is managing them very badly. There basic policy is … just shoot them … every chance you get.”

“When she got the job done, Doubleday asked her to write a book about it, and she did, and it’s an excellent book. A women’s take on … why it was worth it, what it was really all about underneath it all, our relationship with wildness and wilderness … it’s a really a nice piece of work.”

Ray Shasho: Tom, thank you so much for being on the call today. But most of all … for the fifty years of great music and storytelling that you’ve given to all of us. We’ll see you in Florida!

Tom Rush: “Well thanks … I’ll keep doing it, if you keep listening!” 

Sign up for the Tom Rush Newsletter on Tom’s official website at http://tomrush.com/

Order the latest release from Tom Rush What I Know at amazon.com.

Order author Renee Askins (Tom’s wife) incredible journey … Shadow Mountain: A Memoir of Wolves, a Woman, and the Wild at amazon.com.

Tom Rush In Concert/ Florida dates …. Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl on January 10^th, the Largo Cultural Center in Largo, Fl on January 11^th and Big Arts- Schein Performance Hall, Sanibel Island, Fl on January 12^th.

Order tickets for the Ponte Vedra Beach show at http://pvconcerthall.sjcvenues.com/ or call (904) 209-0399 for more information.

Order tickets for the Largo show at www.largo.com or call (727) 587-6793 for more information.

Order tickets for the Sanibel Island show at www.bigarts.org or call (239) 395-0900 for more information.

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT! Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com   -Support Ray so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.

~~Pacific Book Review says Ray Shasho is a product of the second half of the 20th century, made in the USA from parts around the world, and within him is every trend in music, television, politics and culture contributing to his philosophical and comically analytical reflections collected in his fine book of memories. I found Check the Gs to be pure entertainment, fantastic fun and a catalyst to igniting so many memories of my own life, as I too am within a few years of Ray.  So to all, I say if you have a bit of grey hair (or no hair), buy this book!  It’s a great gift for your “over-the-hill” friends, or for their kids, if they are the history buffs of younger generations trying to figure out why we are the way we are.

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Exclusive Interview with international superstar Gino Vannelli

By Ray Shasho

Internationally renowned singer and composer Gino Vannelli is most recognized for his blue-eyed soulful harmonies and alluring sex appeal. But over the years, Vannelli has cultivated his incredible singing voice to master diverse musical styles while continuing to inspire audiences worldwide.     

The Montreal, Quebec crooner was musically influenced at an early age by his father Russ Vannelli who was a musician in Maynard Ferguson’s band. Gino’s brothers Joe and Ross also became musicians and were always a major factor in his life and throughout his musical career.   

Perseverance led to Vannelli’s big opportunity in show business. After a short stretch in New York, Gino and his brothers departed for Los Angeles in a last ditch effort to score a record contract. Vannelli anxiously waited outside the A&M recording studios and confronted legendary trumpeter/composer Herb Alpert to seek his help. Alpert granted Gino an audition, and a few days later Vannelli signed with A&M Records.

In 1973, Gino Vannelli recorded his debut album, Crazy Life. His brother Joe would become his full-time keyboardist and music arranger. Vannelli’s second studio album, Powerful People was released in 1974. The album spawned his first hit, a funky/jazzy/ soulful arrangement entitled, “People Got to Move” (#22 on Billboards’ Top 100). The album was produced by Gino and his brother Joe. Joe Vannelli would become a significant musician, producer, and composer in the music industry.

In 1975, Vannelli was invited to appear on Soul Train, becoming the first significant white singer to perform on a black music program.

By 1978, Gino Vannelli had developed superstar status after the release of his sixth studio album Brother to Brother. The album generated the poetic megahit, “I Just Wanna Stop” (#4 U.S. and #1 Canada) and the sensational singles, “Wheels of Life” and “The River Must Flow.”

“I just Wanna Stop” earned Gino a Grammy Award nomination and became his highest charting single to date. Gino’s brother Ross Vannelli wrote, “I just Wanna Stop” and there was resistance from Gino to sing it. Ross Vannelli would become an invaluable composer in years to come. Gino Vannelli also toured with Motown legend Stevie Wonder in 1978. Brother to Brother was certified platinum in 1979. Vannelli was also the recipient of Canada’s Juno Award for Best Male Artist.

(Gino Vannelli albums of the 70s …Crazy Life, Powerful People, Storm at Sunup, The Gist of the Gemini, A Pauper in Paradise, Brother to Brother)

The 80s would prove to be another pivotal and successful period in the music career for the soulful crooner. In 1981, Vannelli would deliver yet another smash hit with the passionate, “Living Inside Myself” (#6 Hit Billboard’s Top 100) from the Nightwalker album.

The album Black Cars produced the hits “Black Cars,” and “Hurts to be in Love.”  Brothers Joe and Ross won a Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year for the title track.  

(Gino Vannelli albums of the 80s …Nightwalker, Black Cars, Big Dreamers Never Sleep)

Throughout the 90s, as music changed, Vannelli began to better familiarize himself with other genres and styles.

(Gino Vannelli albums of the 90s were … Inconsolable Man, Live in Montreal, Yonder Tree, Slow Love)

In 2003, Gino Vannelli astonished the entertainment world by truly showcasing his magnificent vocals and passion for music on the album Canto. Gino sang original compositions in several languages, including French, Italian, and Spanish. The music was compared to a cross between a full-blown opera and a Broadway musical. Canto received rave reviews. After the release, Vannelli was asked by the Vatican to perform for Pope John Paul II. 

(Gino Vannelli albums of 2000s are … Canto, These Are the Days, A Good Thing, Stardust in the Sand, The Best And Beyond)

Sixty year old Gino Vannelli continues to tour worldwide, including sold-out performances in Las Vegas. His current tour begins in Tokyo, but he’ll be making several rare appearances in Florida. Gino Vannelli will be performing live onstage January 26^th at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Fl and at the House of Blues in Orlando, Fl on January 27^th.

This is a must see show!

To purchase tickets go to www.rutheckerdhall.com or call (727) 791-7400 for more information.

Or http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/orlando/   407-934-BLUE (2583)

I had the rare opportunity to chat with Gino before he left for Japan last week.

Here’s my interview with singer/songwriter/musician/producer/international superstar/ GINO VANNELLI.

Ray Shasho: Hi Gino, you’re actually in the studio right now?

Gino Vannelli: “Yes, getting ready for rehearsals with the band. We’re going to Tokyo to do eight shows, but preparing for the southern shows already. It’s been such a long time since I’ve been in the southern United States … I feel like I’m playing in a foreign country. (All laughing)

But I’m really looking forward to it and just bending over backwards to do this, because I’ll be in Sweden and Denmark till around January 23^rd and making a near impossible run to get to Clearwater and Orlando. But the dates came up and I really wanted to do this because I haven’t seen a southern face for a long time.”

Ray Shasho: You’ll be at the historic Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Florida on January 26th and then at the House of Blues in Orlando on January 27^th … we’re really looking forward to those dates. 

Gino Vannelli: “We’re also playing at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia on January 24^th.  

Ray Shasho: The tour kicks off from Tokyo … I speak with a lot of artists who really seem to enjoy playing for Japanese audiences. 

Gino Vannelli: “They’re different. Not as vocal as some American or European audiences, but have their own way of showing appreciation, and it takes a little while to get use to it. Sometimes you wonder if their digging it and towards the end of the set they’re kind of losing it.”

Ray Shasho: Your dad was a big band musician, was he a big influence in your decision to pursue a music career?

Gino Vannelli: “Yea, of course. My dad was just so much into music … he was a record aficionado of big band, jazz, Latin, a real lover of music. We were privy to a lot of records that a lot of kids my age had no idea existed. I mean, when I was seven or eight, of course I knew who Ricky Nelson was, but I also knew who Miles & Coltrane was. I also knew who Caruso was, or Ravel was. So we had a very broad understanding and perspective of music from the onset.”

“But I started playing drums when I was seven or eight years old and got really serious about it. I met Gene Krupa and other great drummers, and then became so enthused about it that I became the house drummer in a major club when I was eleven years old. We got to see a lot of the big bands that came through like Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, and some of the great singers. And of course I’d be looking at Ella Fitzgerald singing, but looking at Sam Woodyard playing the drums more. And it was just a great experience.”

Ray Shasho: So you first learned to play the drums, when did you discover that you could sing?

Gino Vannelli: “That was kind of an accident because I was playing the drums in my group and the singer couldn’t quite cut “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones. I kept telling him …You sing it this way …Try it this way. And then in a dare he said, “If you’re so smart, why don’t you sing it.” So I said, Dammit… I will! So I ended up singing the song and a few other people said you ought to get off the drums when you’re singing it. And I was terrified because my drums were my fortress. When I eventually did get out from behind the drums and I noticed the girls looking at me, I thought, hey, this is pretty cool, maybe I should get from behind the drums more.”

Ray Shasho: Did you emulate anyone in particular growing up?

Gino Vannelli: “You get into performing for the craziest reasons, and finally as you get a little older; it’s the love of what music does to you that really motivates you.”

“But when I was a kid, I’d love just listening to the acoustic version Bob Dylan. I loved folk music … Peter, Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, and loved the simplicity. At the same time, I loved Oscar Peterson. Oscar, Ray Brown, and Ed Thigpen, all had their trio doing a weekly show in Canada every Friday. When I came home from school, I’d be stuck in front of the TV around four or five o’clock where they’d have this half an hour jazz show that was really exceptional back in those days.”

“But you know … I went to see every rock concert too. I went to see The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Gerry & the Pacemakers, and everybody that came to town … so that was a cool thing to do too.”   

Ray Shasho: You’ve become a successful international artist, not only because of your soulful hits of the 70s and 80s, but because of singing in several languages and using that gifted voice for original opera and Broadway musical style compositions.  

Gino Vannelli: “I was lucky along the way to get a few mainstream hits, but as time wore on, I made a decision in the late 80s...early 90s, to pursue my own train of thought, and I was lucky enough that people followed me, and it created a different kind of career, a career that I enjoy to this date worldwide.”   

“The four concerts that I’m doing in Scandinavia are with some of the top jazz musicians that exist there. We’re doing a show that’s completely different, and I like to do that because it really kind of challenges my vocal chops and arranging. Coming to the south, I’ll be taking my west coast band, and that’s really at the heart of who I really am. Because its music that people really know me by, dating all the way back to 1972-73 … up onto introducing some brand new songs from a new album that I’m working on right now … which spans four decades. It’s interesting to see people’s reaction to the band that just kills those old songs.”

Ray Shasho: What musical direction will you be taking the new album?

Gino Vannelli: “I would say it’s not really a direction, it’s like painters that go through periods. For me … I go through periods where I really love classical and then recorded an album like Canto. Or a little more like acoustic jazz and I recorded Yonder Tree. And now … for the last two years, I’ve been in this period of just gravitating towards blues and the blues idiom. And of course I like to mix and match things so I’m infusing a little bit of jazz, a little bit of classical, a little bit of soul, into the whole blues idiom and I’m coming up with something that I’m really interested in. So it’s really primarily a blues project that has some other influences in it.”

Ray Shasho: I’ve chatted with a lot of artists lately who are gravitating to the blues. 

Gino Vannelli: “It’s a very pure and simple idiom and really gets to the point. It also kind of gets you in the gut too.”

Ray Shasho: Gino, talk about your first encounter with Herb Alpert.

Gino Vannelli: “Herb was one of the original guys who was a hip-shooter … he really shot from the hips, and when he believed in something he didn’t have to go through formalities. He just had a hunch and he went with it.”

“I ran through the gates as I saw him walking across the parking lot, I accosted him, and he was shocked, and a little bit afraid. But when he saw the desire in my eyes and before the guard hauled me away, he asked what do I want? I said I really wanted to record. He just said, “Come back in a half an hour and audition for me.” And I went back in a half an hour and I played him “People Gotta Move” on my little Aria classical guitar and he said, “Okay let’s record.”

Ray Shasho: So sometimes, it’s just really all about perseverance.

Gino Vannelli: “Isn’t that the case. You try to earn a PhD, a Masters, or just Bachelors or whatever. You try and raise a family …you’re trying to get from point A to point B and sometimes in traffic ... and sometimes it just takes a little determination.”

“The love of the art is what keeps me going. Like I said, it’s that sound that runs through your bones. When I’m singing at the piano and I’m having a really nice fun day singing, if I have a headache, the headache will immediately dissipate just the notes going through my head.”

Ray Shasho: Gino, were you in fact the first white performer to sing on Soul Train?

Gino Vannelli: “I hear there may have been another artist, but for all intensive purposes … I think I’m the white guy people remember being on Soul Train. You know how that all happened was very strange. I was staying at a motel on Sunset Boulevard and recording the Powerful People album, and I was a little bit dogged that day because things weren’t working out in the studio like I wanted them to. So, I went out to the pool to try and grab a nap and I heard, “Crazy Life” the title cut from my first album, which was really a dud and didn’t sell anything at the time. And I heard it being sung at the pool area, echoing off the brick walls of the motel. So, I followed it and wondered who’s singing that song? I thought …that sounds like my song!”

“I finally came upon Stevie Wonder and his brother. So as Stevie was singing, “Crazy Life” his brother said, “Hey, there’s the dude!”  So, I met Stevie and we spoke and gave each other a big hug, and he said, “Hey, you want to tour with me?” He said, “Chaka Khan is going to pass on the tour, would you like to do some dates with me?” So, I took the tour and we did seven or eight dates, and halfway in the tour, I got a call from Don Cornelius (Bless his soul). He said, “Would you like to do Soul Train?” I said, Don I’m flattered, I’d love to do Soul Train, but I didn’t know if he knew that I was white. So, I said very-very reluctantly, Don, you know I’m white. He said, “Well, I consider you beige. (All laughing) He was very gracious and it really was helpful for me to do Soul Train because, “People Gotta Move” made it to the Top10 on the R&B charts after that.”

Ray Shasho: I was on the air working top 40 radio when, “I just Wanna’ Stop” (1978) and “Living Inside Myself” (1981) was released. I remember all the hundreds of requests that I received from the listeners to play those songs …those hits are timeless.

Gino Vannelli: “That’s why we redo them. We stay true to the record as we stay true to the spirit of the song. And people will be amazed how this band handles it. It’s so dynamic. This band, like I say, just kills it, in a way that is so magical. And I’m taking this west coast band to the south with me and that’s why I’m anxious to show this band off.”

Ray Shasho: Your brother Ross actually wrote, “I just Wanna’ Stop?”

Gino Vannelli: “Ross wrote, “I just Wanna’ Stop” with a little bit of kicking from me here and there … saying, I won’t sing that word! But my brother Ross is great! He’s my manager, production man, and also does sound. And my brother Joe and I are so very close.”

Ray Shasho: It’s not easy to have a close working relationship with your brothers.

Gino Vannelli: “The key is I think … Robert Frost says …”Good fences make good neighbors” Now I think, Good boundaries make good brothers. We know who we are and we know not to cross certain boundaries. There’s no end to the love and dedication. When you’re young, you want to convince everyone that you’re right and they’re wrong. As you get older, it’s not important if your right or wrong, it’s important that we work together and get this thing done. So, it makes my mom very happy.”

Ray Shasho: Ross and Joe are musicians as well, so you all share the love of music together.

Gino Vannelli: “That’s the common denominator.  

Ray Shasho: Did you grow up in an Italian household?

Gino Vannelli: “I actually grew up speaking English and French …because of Montreal. All my friends were French. I still speak it pretty well.”

Ray Shasho: I’ve chatted with Frank Marino, another very interesting artist/musician from Montreal. Besides being an incredible guitarist, Frank has studied Theology for most of his life.

Gino Vanelli: “Yes, I know. Music will inevitably get you into Philosophy, and once you logically see that through, will end up getting you into Theology. Once you see that through, it will end up getting you to a simple place of being happy with yourself and everybody around you. With all the catastrophes that are going on, and all the hardships that are going on around the world, you don’t do the world any service by walking around in pain and at war with yourself. You’d do a lot better good, a lot better service, if you find that thing within yourself that says …move forward it’s okay. It’s are duty to see through it and work through it.”

Music was not always my fan. Sometimes there were lean years, years where I was uncertain if I was doing the right or wrong thing. And years where there wasn’t the acceptance, years of economic hardships, and failures. That’s when you get to know either who you are, what your made of, or what’s inside of you. If you don’t probe deeper, you’ll never know, and you can’t go on.”

Ray Shasho: So, how did you persevere through the difficult times Gino?

Gin Vannelli: “At first, I became a man in search of truth, a seeker of truth, because I wanted to know what the problem was. Then I realized, as I was seeking truth more and more, the truth was far greater than my personal problems. A little time and wisdom does a lot. You can never really get rid of it. I can’t ever forget the lean years … losing my house, and losing my car, or half the house walking out because they didn’t like what I was playing. You can’t forget those years … they teach you.”

Ray Shasho: Sadly, many musicians have a tough road if they can’t produce another hit or feel as they are washed up … and many times leading up to taking their own lives.

Gino Vannell: “I can relate to that …it’s almost like the artist finds himself in the position of an alcoholic. The artist has to hear that one more round of applause or has to know he has that one more hit, just like the alcoholic needs that one more drink. And once the artist says, you know what, I’m more than this. First is the man …and then the music. If the man is not intact, the music will not happen.”   

Ray Shasho: You must have really enjoyed singing on the Canto recordings.

Gino Vannelli: “I sure did, it was a labor of love. And it’s still some of the most requested music that I get. And we’ll be singing some of that material on the tour.”

“When I was in Italy a few years back, right before Pavarotti died, I was with an artist called Pino Danieli who is a big blues artist in Italy. I said, Pino, would you ask Luciano a question for me? Pavarotti was seventy years old at the time. I asked… How does he keep his voice from muddying up? He kind of covered up the phone and said, “Just take two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and water a day and everything will be fine.” (All laughing) So for all you singers out there, that’s my little advice of the day.”

Ray Shasho: Gino, what’s your connection with Holland?

Gino Vannelli: “I lived there for two years, 2006 and 2007, just twenty miles south of Amsterdam, and got a different prospective on life, and it was a hell of an experience. Because Amsterdam is so close to all the European cities, and such a hub, I was able to perform, meet, and get a lot of new acquaintances in Italy, Scandinavia, France, and Spain. So it was a whole new awakening for me.”  

Ray Shasho: If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish …to sing a duet with someone from the past or present… who would you choose?

Gino Vannelli: “I think because I’m in the blues mode right now, I’d love for Billie Holiday to sing with me.”

Ray Shasho: Your latest release is The Best and Beyond and you’re currently working on a new album …how about upcoming collaborations?

Gino Vannelli: “I’m going to be collaborating with Eric Benet on a tune … and I like Soul/R&B singer Frank McComb too, and I’ll be looking for a good country/soul singer for a tune that I wrote for the next album.”  

Ray Shasho: Gino, thank you for being on the call today … but most of all, for all the great music you’ve given to all of us over the years. We’ll see you at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater on January 26th.

Gino Vannelli: “It’s been my pleasure Ray, I hope we get to say hello when we get to Clearwater.”

Gino Vannelli will be performing onstage January 26^th at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater, Fl. Purchase tickets at www.rutheckerdhall.com or call (727) 791-7400 for more information.

Gino Vannelli will also be performing at the House of Blues in Orlando, Fl on January 27^th. To purchase tickets go to http://www.houseofblues.com/venues/clubvenues/orlando/  or call (407) 934-BLUE (2583)

Gino Vannelli Official Website www.ginov.com

Purchase Gino Vannelli’s latest release, The Best and Beyond at amazon.com or on his official website.

Special thanks to Ross Vannelli for arranging this interview.

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com   -Support Ray so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.

~~Pacific Book Review says Ray Shasho is a product of the second half of the 20th century, made in the USA from parts around the world, and within him is every trend in music, television, politics and culture contributing to his philosophical and comically analytical reflections collected in his fine book of memories. I found Check the Gs to be pure entertainment, fantastic fun and a catalyst to igniting so many memories of my own life, as I too am within a few years of Ray.  So to all, I say if you have a bit of grey hair (or no hair), buy this book!  It’s a great gift for your “over-the-hill” friends, or for their kids, if they are the history buffs of younger generations trying to figure out why we are the way we are.

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