Suzanne Vega Setlists

How did it happen that you joined the Suzanne Vega band?

Two things came together at the same time: 1) I have been long time friends with both Mike and Doug. We all have played together in many different bands in the NY area over the years. 2) I was playing with a singer-songwriter named Bob Hillman at the time Suzanne set out on her tour promoting "Songs in Red and Grey". Suzanne invited Bob to come along and open some of the shows. Bob asked Suzanne if it would be O.K. if he did the shows as a duo with me. She agreed. While on the road with her and her band, Gerry Leonard was asked to go out on tour with David Bowie, an offer that was hard to refuse. He suggested I replaced him to Suzanne and she was happy to have me finish the tour.

We all seemed to get along so well both personally and musically that it made sense for me to stick around for a while. I must add that I am eternally grateful to both Gerry and Suzanne for the opportunity.

What, according to you, did your way of playing bring to the live performance of Suzanne's songs?

It's so hard to talk about your own playing , but i'll do my best. Suzanne would be the best one to ask that question. I will say that we both share a love for the unexpected outside the box pallet of sound. I try not to sound like anyone else. I do have my influences but I do my best to filter them through my own vision of sound. That includes rhythm as well as tone and texture. I pay attention the lyrics and do my best to feel what is going on on stage rather than simply play the right notes or chords.

My hope is that I add another element of reaction to the songs rather than some guy with a bunch of gear taking up a lot of space on that side of the stage. Ultimately I hope I add some more emotion to the show. I hope that makes sense.

What are the characteristics of Suzanne's music that attract you the most, both as a musician and as a listener?

Some of them I touched on in the last question. I love her originality most of all. THere is NO ONE that sounds like Suzanne Vega. Her voice her lyrics her sonic approach... it's all hers. I love the fact that Suzanne is truly a poet not just a song smith. Her Writing is first rate. She is an artist not a pop star. I love her sense of asymmetry in the music.

I also love her approach to the guitar. Again it is hers. She will be playing some picking pattern and I'll stop her and say let me see that. She pulls and plucks on the strings in such a unique way. She comes up with strange chords and voicing no one would think of. You put all this together and it makes her recordings and live performing have a lot of depth and dimension to it. Nothing is flat. The moods are potent and long lasting.

I think it comes down to honesty and motivation for me. Her motives are artistic. I'm sure she would love to have a hit record, - who wouldn't? - but that's not what's driving the writing. The simple answer to your question is. Her songs and her voice. The words that come to mind are... Original, honest, and heartfelt.

What are your main music influences, and musicians you look up to?

It's quite a wide range. I've always loved The Beatles and a lot of 60's pop/rock music. Peter and Gordon, The Searchers , The Zombies, that sort of thing. At the same time all the great R&B music from that era. I have a strong fondness for the blues and Cajan Music.

My other passion is good songwriting. The usual cast of characters. Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Gram Parsons is one of my favorites. More recently, Steve Earl, Townes Van Zandt, Bruce Cockburn. I like Shawn Colvin's recordings. Crowded House is one of my favorite bands from recent times. Growing up my all time favorite band was The Band. I still listen to all there recordings.

I have a few local mentors one of them being Marc Shulman's, Suzanne's old guitar player. I have known Marc since I was a little kid. I used to take guitar lessons from him when I was in my teens. We are still quite close and talk all the time. John Leventhal, who produced most of Shawn Colvin's recordings is also some one I grew up with and has influenced me greatly. We all grew up in the same town and they where my big sister's friends. They are both to this day two of my all time favorite guitarists. I'd say my other biggest influence as a guitar player has been Ry Cooder.

I don't get a chance to play any slide guitar in Suzanne's show but it is one of my biggest passions. Slide guitar, Lap Steel, Dobro, anything with a bar. I love those instruments and play them all.

I've also always been a big fan of production and arranging. Mitchel Froom, Suzanne's old producer is among my favorites. John Laventhal as I mentioned, T. Bone Burnett. Oddly enough I love big band music and GOOD country music as well.

Apart from playing with Suzanne, which are the other projects, you have been participating or will be involved with in the near future?

I'm currently in the studio producing a few local artists. My favorite is a duo called Open Book. They have a website (http://www.openbookmusic.com/), you should check them out. I did one CD for them a few years back and we are now working on their second one. Mike and Doug play on some of it.

I have been doing some live shows with a guy named Rob Mathes. Check him out as well. It's too hard to explain what his deal is, just go to his website (http://www.robmathes.com/). This week we are doing this big Holiday concert we do every year. It's an amazing event. His CD "Evening Train" is true Genius.

We just finished taping a TV show that airs this tuesday on CBS here in the states. It's a tribute to Elton John. I performed with Billy Joel, Kid Rock, Robert Downey Jr., Heather Headly, and Fantasia.
The next month will be spent in the studio with Open Book, a guitarist named Chris Davis, and I am working with and a band called Tofe and The PussyCats. I know Suzanne is planning a short trip to Japan and Korea in April. Other than that little things here and there.