| Chatting With John Malino |
| Written by Joey Franco | |||
| Tuesday, 08 May 2012 05:32 | |||
 Soulful singer/guitarist John Malino has often been compared to Harry Connick Jr. and Frank Sinatra by the press. He is a talented bandleader and strived to attain perfection- while making many mistakes along the way, but that's the John Malino way; impromptu, nostalgic, and fun... TimesSquare.com recently caught up with the charismatic musician. Times Square: So you're a native New Yorker, born in Manhattan right. Any musical memories growing up in New York? John Malino: There was music around the house... my grandmother was a pianist and violinist, she played a lot around the house. So there was a lot of real music, before there was anything but real music. TS: Did you go to the shows and live performances? JM: I was only in New York till about six, I didn't see too many shows. I did remember seeing a couple of films, Finian's rainbow and The Sound of Music. TS: Were you a big fan of musicals? JM: I was basically a diehard Beatles fan and pop music in general. I think I had roots in American music when I was about probably 13 or 14 when we lived in the DC area. They had WPFW, the jazz station... and I just got hooked on Ella [Fitzgerald], Oscar Peterson...and that was pretty much all she wrote! TS: I know you've played in venues across the country. How does the music scene in New York differ from the rest of the country? JM: I think, traditionally, the music scene in New York is a Mecca. Just any crummy place you go to, you might see something really incredible! There's a big concentration of great musicians in New York. Being able to have just a crazy, great all-star jazz band, you know... I'm still tickled about that. Only in New York! TS: What does a typical John Malino show have in store for the audiences? JM: Well... I would say we take a lot of chances. I take a lot of chances. We just recorded a set at Feinstein's a couple of weeks ago. I thought, maybe we'll get a couple of songs, record a couple of more sets and make an album... and it just had a good energy about it. There was a lot of mistakes, but there are always mistakes, so I kind of like it and I think we're going to make it into an album- mistakes and all! To add to your question, everyone else takes chances, but you don't notice them because they're not making mistakes [laughing] but I really go out on a limb! TS: I guess it makes the performance more authentic! JM: I think it does, there's something about it. TS: With that in mind, how important is catering to an audience these days, especially during a live performance? JM: I think it really is important, I can't really codify it or explain it. I mean... I hate recording in a studio, it's just a different creature altogether- I can't really explain it. A live audience to me is what it's all about. Obviously the better the crowd, the better the show- it's inevitable. TS: Your band plays many genres, from Jazz to Big Band, you do Swing, Classic Rock, R&B. What is your preferred genre? JM: That's a tough one, I'd say this band is really a Jazz band, it's just a swinging little trio. Basically classic Jazz from the 40s and 50s. I have a little bit of a folk background, and a lot of a Rock n' Roll background. TS: Tell me a little bit about your band members, I saw some great names Carlton Holmes on piano, Melissa Slocum on bass, and David Gibson on drums. JM: It's really an amazing trio. TS: What do they bring to the performance? JM: A lot of years of experience. A lot of talent, just a beautiful thing. I think that's really the biggest thrill for me. This high energy locomotive... just get on and ride it for an hour and a half. TS: What criteria do musicians have to meet in order to be part of your band? JM: They have to be about four and a half times better than me [laughing]! I do have my virtues and talents, but in terms of Jazz virtuosity, I'm really a Rock guitarist. If I just keep it simple, it's lovely. But these people have always been dedicated Jazz musicians. TS: You mentioned a lot of influences, from Elvis to Jimi Hendrix. If you had to choose one individual, dead or alive, to perform with, who would it be? JM: One person, huh. I guess I would like to sing a duet with Ella [Fitzgerald]. And then I'd like to play some blues with BB King. Maybe jam with Carlos Santana. My tastes are sort of skewed backwards, sort of ending around 1975. TS: Do you find there's a lot of demand for that older type of music, even from the younger audiences? JM: There's not enough. Obviously there's not enough especially in the live music scene. It seems to be dying a slow and terrible death. But my optimistic side says these things come in cycles. I think, especially with the American Songbook, it's such a treasure, it's so absolutely, uniquely, distinctly American. I think it's hard for it to go away. See John Malino and his band on Wednesday, May 09, 2012 at 10:30PM at Feinstein's At Loews Regency For more Times Square articles like Chatting With John Malino, please visit the Music Interviews Section of TimesSquare.com
|
