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Loren Gold is a pianist/composer who instantly caught my ear. His
flair for melody and texture is evident right from start of his
debut
record, Reflections of Gold. Currently living and
working in Los
Angeles, Loren recorded his debut album at Chick Corea's Mad Hatter
Studios. Reflections of Gold features Loren on piano
and keyboards,
Richard Hardy (Carole King, Dave Matthews Band) on soprano sax
and flute and Rodney Taylor (Doc Powell, Brian McKnight) on
tenor sax.
Through his career, Loren's piano work has taken him to many musical
places: accompanying singers from film, television, and Broadway,
performing as a musician and as an actor on daytime and cable television,
and composing for the film industry. In addition to providing music
for film,
Loren's compositions have been featured on HBO and Showtime.
For more info on Loren, please visit his web site at lorengold.com
Jamie:
For me, music is one of the greatest things in life. But like anything
else, my motivation to make music can sometimes wane. What keeps
you
playing music?
Loren: I am very passionate
about music, and it has always been my
greatest escape. I continue to play music for a number of reasons.
In
addition to the pure enjoyment of the piano, I have a strong desire
as a
composer to create something I can call my own. I get great satisfaction
in sitting in front of an instrument, and within a short period
(hopefully!)
creating something from nothing. True, it is hard to stay motivated
at
times. Dealing with the business side of music can really drag you
down,
but like any other job, you plow through it.
Jamie: That's
a great attitude! "To create something I can call my own" is
exactly my feeling as well. I have a huge number of musical influences,
but
hopefully my own "voice" is ultimately what comes through. Business
to
me is a "necessary evil". I want people to hear and enjoy my music,
so
like many other artists, I have to involve myself on the business
side.
There's always something to do!
You recorded Reflections of Gold on a Steinway Model
D Concert Grand
Piano at Chick Corea's Mad Hatter Studios and, to my ears, your
CD
sounds fantastic! What was that experience like?
Loren: You
can't even imagine.... While searching for a studio, my
producer played me a recording he had recently finished at Mad Hatter,
featuring a Bosendorfer Grand Piano. The sound was extraordinary,
and
it was one the warmest piano recordings I had ever heard. In addition
to
the Bosendorfer, the studio offered a Steinway as a second option.
So
that was it - decision made. All I had to do was walk in and pick
one.
I wish those were the toughest decisions I had to make in this business!
My production team really captured the ambiance and warmth of the
room.
A piano CD needs to be recorded delicately, and it takes a good
engineer
and producer to capture the mood. So all in all, an awesome experience.
Besides, seeing Paul McCartney's signature on the piano was
enough for me!
Jamie: That's
fantastic! Personally, The Beatles were, and are, at top of
my list of great bands. They wrote so much music in their time together
that really stands the test of time. And their records still sound
beautiful.
Sound quality is extremely important to me. I have so much to learn
as
an engineer and producer, but it really is something I enjoy. With
my
new record I'm just starting to get the hang of miking my guitar,
but I'm
discovering my touch affects the recording quality more than almost
anything else. The right performance is absolutely critical for
a good
recorded sound!
Loren: Very
true. It's all in the touch, isn't it? Yeah, The Beatles are my
biggest influence. Their songs never grow old, and the more I listen
to
them - the more brilliant they sound. Do you enjoy the technical
aspects
of recording? Does it ever distract you from the creative process?
As
sophisticated as equipment is these days, I still scream at my computer
when it crashes during a session. Luckily, it happens less and less
-
I guess you just have to pour enough RAM into your system!
Jamie: Can
you ever have too much RAM?! It is amazing how
sophisticated computer technology has become, still I can't remember
the last time I didn't have at least a small tech problem on a session.
I love all of the possibilities that computers allow, but I don't
consider
myself a computer or tech-based artist. I write all of my music
away from
the gear. My music uses modern recording methods, but isn't based
on
them. I never write around a loop or sample for example. All of
my pieces
are in a lead sheet form before I even turn on the gear. I guess
I'm
distracted by technology, but I'm also intrigued and excited by
it.
Definitely a love/hate relationship! Do you have one particular
way of working?
Loren: I
generally compose with a piano and a tape recorder, although
I do enjoy working in different ways. I own digital synthesizers,
and I really
have fun with the sounds they produce. Sometimes a certain sound
will
inspire a melody or a mood, and will take me in a different direction
that
I might have gone with the piano. When I do work with synthesizers
or
loops, I always focus on the song - not just the "groove." Once
I have the
melody and arrangement, then I can really get into the groove! It
sounds
like you work a similar way - make your cake, and then add the icing...
How much time did you spend in the studio recording your CD? Was
it a long process?
Jamie: I
seem to be spending ages in the studio now. I enjoy the process,
but I'd really like to find a quicker way of working! All of the
new technology
offers so many possibilities -- possibilities I feel (and want)
to explore. But
I'm finding that I get my best "results" from just playing. It's
the way I best
convey emotion. It's the way my music comes alive! One difference
between
my new CD and my first album is the addition of other musicians
into the
mix. I felt I needed to record my first disc completely on my own
-- it was
a very personal record. My new CD is more collaborative and I really
enjoyed the input and alternate viewpoints. How do other musicians
fit
into your music?
Loren: I've
always enjoyed working with other musicians - live and in the
studio. I grew up listening to many different "bands," and I liked
the idea
of forming a group of people to interact with. In high school, I
formed a
group with my friends, and I've continued playing with other musicians
ever since. Besides, for good old fashioned jamming - you can't
compare
a drum machine to the real deal! I will continue to record as a
solo artist,
but I will also work with other musicians along the way. I was fortunate
to
have two wonderful sax players on my CD, and I hope to bring some
more
musicians along for live shows.
So back to studio talk...where do you record? Are you recording
your latest
CD in the same studio as before?
Jamie: Both
my debut CD and my new one, A Perfect Tomorrow, were
recorded and mixed in my project studio. It's a little digital audio/midi
studio
that I have in the solarium in my condo, so I do everything on a
computer.
The only time I used any kind of tape was when I ran out of tracks
mixing
my new record. I just rented a DAT and digitally mixed tracks to
that and
then recorded them back into the computer. I should mention that
I consider
mastering a part of the recording process. Andy Krehm at Silverbirch
here in
Toronto mastered both of my records, and I'll definitely be going
back again.
He's extremely sensitive to the music and made my recordings sound
better than I ever could have imagined.
I recently started to upgrade the studio. I'm still staying with
Mac, but now
it's a G3 350. I'm using Logic Audio Platinum as a front end to
Digidesign's
001. I absolutely love it! I now have access to at least 24 tracks
of audio,
lots of plugins, and great sound quality. I think my next record
will sound
even better than the new one -- or at least I hope so!
Loren: That's
an awesome setup. OK, I have to admit...I'm a PC guy.
Please don't hate me! I started with MAC, and I still like the MAC.
I've
heard great things about Logic. I compose with Cakewalk Pro Audio.
I can work out all my ideas on the PC, but eventually, I'm off to
the
studio for the piano. For overdubs, I can return to the
digital environment.
Your new album is fantastic. What was your mindset going into
this recording? It sounds like you really new what you wanted.
Jamie: Thanks!
I'm not really sure I knew exactly what I wanted -- it was
more of a feel, intuition kind of thing. I had been listening to
records that
just seemed to move me. Upstairs at Eric's by Yaz,
Rumours by
Fleetwood Mac, Soul of the Tango by Yo Yo Ma, some
Led Zeppelin,
Sheryl Crow's records, Classic Kennedy by Nigel Kennedy
and
Kind of Blue by Miles Davis were just some of the albums
that I was
listening to. I guess all of these records have some kind of performance
element to them and that's really important to me at this point.
When
you're working do you like to listen to other artists or do you
find
it distracting?
Loren: Those
are great albums. It appears that we have similar influences.
Sheryl Crow is one of my favorite recording artists today - just
about near
the top of the list. Actually, I listen a lot of pop artists, including
a lot bands
from the 60's and 70's. The great ones sound as fresh today as they
sounded back then. Does that make me old?! I gather inspiration
from a
lot of different artists when writing. I tend to migrate towards
Chopin, and
more recently, Keith Jarrett. I've rediscovered Billy Joel's The
Stranger
and I continue to rediscover every Beatles album every other week!
Others...Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Smith, Paul Simon, to name a few.
How about a "Desert Island List!" Is there one particular album
that
has influenced you more than any other, or one album you just
could not live without?
Jamie: That's
such a tough question! There are so many records that
I'm moved by -- it just depends on my mood. But if I had to pick
just one,
I guess I'd say Miles Davis's Kind of Blue. I love
the feel of that record --
open and introspective. I really like the fact that Miles was making
something that didn't exist. It wasn't just another jamming record.
I also
like the fact that the whole record works together. Every track
is great --
there's no filler on it! A lot of people don't like the notes that
Miles misses.
But I love that side of his playing. I connect with his playing,
and the notes
that he doesn't hit seem to make the music that much more appealing
to
me. Jazz has played a huge part in my musical make-up and Kind
of Blue
is a great jazz record, but to me it's just great music. A classic!
So what's up next for you? Doing any recording? Gigs?
Loren: I'm
currently writing for the next CD, which I hope to complete by
the end of the year. I'm using the computer more for composing and
collecting ideas. It's fun to use, but sometimes it's frustrating
- especially
when your computer crashes! Luckily, I can venture down to my acoustic
piano and compose the old fashion way!! I've done a few gigs in
LA lately...
now I am ready to venture out of town.
Jamie: Sounds
great! Maybe we can do a few gigs together in the future.
Good luck!
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