SmoothViews found Shilts at home in Southern California. He’s had a busy year touring and recording his new CD Jigsaw Life. Good news meets us as we go to press - Jigsaw Life is up for consideration for a Grammy nomination for "Best Instrumental Pop"` album! Fingers crossed!
SV (SmoothViews): We haven’t had a chance to visit for about 5 years now. Since we first met [in Milwaukee,] you’ve moved to the U.S. It’s got to be really different living here. What’s it been? About 4 years now, right?
SHILTS: Yeah, coming up on 4 years now, next week, in fact.
SV: You have settled in the LA area, which can be a real challenge to feel like you have a home and a community. It takes awhile to figure out where to get your hair cut, to find a dentist, to go to school.
SHILTS: It does! The fortunate thing for me, having traveled out here extensively for nearly 20 years, the whole culture shock wasn’t such a big deal for me. The children were young enough that it was a big adventure for them. My daughter had just turned one when we arrived and my son was three.
SV: Then this must seem like home to them.
SHILTS: My son sometimes says, “Oh, I want to go back to England.” He remembers it because he could just run next door to his cousin’s to play. They’ve settled in great. And my wife, she is doing well and has become a realtor. She’s got herself a career now. We live out in the high desert so we’re not right in LA. I grew up and lived in a city all my life. When we first got married, we moved out of London, out to the countryside. Open spaces were something we wanted. So we decided not to live right in the metropolis. You do get a little bit more for your money when you live a little bit further out. We wanted the kids to have a big yard to run around in.
SV: With you on the road so much, it’s got to be nice to go home and find some serenity there.
SHILTS: We have a very nice group of friends. We’ve made lifelong friends here and it’s been a good move. We definitely did the right thing.
SV: The timing of the move seems to work well with the launch of your solo career. You were probably spending most of your time in the U.S. anyway.
SHILTS: Well, I was. I was spending more time on an airplane than I actually was on stage and in the country. It was a 12 hour flight from London. I’d fly out on a Friday, do a show on Saturday and be back on the plane Sunday, arrive home Monday. Then Thursday, I’d be back on a plane again. (laughs) I saw more of the airplanes than I did of my family. Also, it is very difficult, almost virtually impossible, to have a solo career across the Atlantic Ocean. You need to be here to promote and tour, to do all the things that are needed to get yourself established. I realized that with my first album. I think it possibly could have done better because people were still buying CDs and we still almost had a format 8 years ago.
SV: What’s it like trying to break a record in this current market? Not only is the economy crashing, people just aren’t buying CDs. And I don’t think the digital market has come up to where it needs to be.
SHILTS: We’re in an interim period now. Obviously, the kids have got the technology sussed. I tried to explain it the other day. We were watching a movie and someone was putting an LP on the record player. I said, “Oh! Look at that! That’s how Daddy used to do it in the old days.” I said, “That’s the real way of listening to music.” My son looked at me like I’m a nutter! Now it’s all available on the phones. Kids just download music and games straight to their phones. Then there are people my age who still haven’t embraced the digital thing. But because I’m in the business, I have to keep up-to-date with it all. Some people still say, “I haven’t even bought an iPod yet.” What are you crazy?! I think people are just waiting. Once vinyl was taken away, people had no other options than to go out and buy a CD player and jump in. Record labels and musicians are still trying to churn out CDs. I think it’s going to take another couple of years yet before people really fully embrace it. Of course, technology is advancing at such a rate; we just take it for granted now. It’s no big deal. I remember when the VCR came out. It was like “Oh WOW!” Now advancing technologies are matter of fact.
SV: I think the ease of digital music technology encourages people to lose respect for intellectual property rights. You’ve composed the songs on your new record, Jigsaw Life. Those are your creations. One doesn’t just take a painting off an art gallery wall and walk out the door. One pays money for it before walking out. The technology has made it so easy to transfer music without paying for it first.
SHILTS: You love it or hate it, but you have to embrace it. It’s become our own worst enemy. Everyone has wanted the technology to get our music out and make it easier for people, but in doing that, it has become easier for them to steal. And I don’t know what technology may be out there to stop that. I’m sure it is available, but people are clever and they get around it anyway.
SV: I think the film industry will soon be hurting badly. What happened to the music industry is happening with film, downloading without paying. Pretty soon, we’ll have no film industry. Then the world is going to scream, “Where’s our entertainment?”
SHILTS: Creativity is lost. It’s becoming harder and harder to make a living in the entertainment industries anymore. It is unfortunate, there are so many musicians out there looking for other forms of income just to sustain their music careers. It’s a shame.
SV: It is very sad. I can’t see you not performing. There’s something electrifying when you get on stage. That’s what struck me when I first saw you live. In your EPK, that’s what comes across so strong. When I watched your EPK, someone said you’re a born performer.
SHILTS: Oh yes, I love it!
SV: It’s in your blood.
SHILTS: I wouldn’t even begin to imagine what I could do if I didn’t have music. It’s a very scary thought! (laughs)
SV: You have become quite self sufficient, producing Jigsaw Life yourself. It does sound terrific, fantastic production quality. Do you have your own studio?
SHILTS: I do now. That was basically the big investment I made on this album. I made the decision to either use the funds to go outside and do what I did on the project with Rick [Braun.] I loved every minute of that. We became best friends by working together. “HeadBoppin was recorded in his studio, and he co-produced with me. But this time, I just thought, why not invest that money into my own studio, become self sufficient? It means I have a lot more work to do. (laughs) I’m putting on 3 hats now, producer, composer, and engineer. I’m the one sitting there with the manuals out trying to learn how to use all this bloody equipment (laughs) which is fun as well. I enjoyed it very much. Mixing was a new experience. I got the help from a very talented man named Dan Bosworth. He guided me through the mixing and I learned a lot. I don’t think I’m ready to do a whole project on my own yet. But I’m a lot closer than I would have been if he hadn’t of been there. (laughs)
SV: In your liner notes about Dan, it reads, “Great ears and talent. Thanks for the mixing lessons and the fancy cup of tea.”
SHILTS: (laughing) We always have the kettle on, especially in my house. That’s why the liner note. I can drive anyone mad. “Cup of tea?” “What, another one?!” “Yeah, another one!”
SV: We tend to favor coffee here.
SHILTS: Dan was showing up in the morning with his coffee. Then it would sit there all day long, cold. “How can you drink that?! Let’s put that away and let you have a real cup of tea.” (laughs)
SV: Now that you’ve set up your studio and gone through this steep learning curve, you’re set!
SHILTS: In theory, yeah. (laughs)
SV: The basics have been established. I’m sure time and talent are also involved. With your new label, NuGroove, are the same people involved as when Down To The Bone first recorded with them?
SHILTS: David Chackler is there, still involved. He’s happy to have me on board. I don’t think I could be with a better crew at the moment. David’s got the experience and he’s still hungry for success. A lot of independent labels have been set up and unfortunately disappear very quickly. NuGroove was one of those that hung in there and managed to keep themselves alive.
SV: Their roster is growing into something quite noteworthy. NuGroove has that impressive, young producer Darren Rahn. He’s very talented.
SHILTS: And he’s a great saxophone player and bloody nice chap as well. Lovely guy.
SV: You know, I’ve never met him, but I keep running into him on different projects. He’s everywhere! His tracks really stand out.
SHILTS: Mike Lington has come back; he was with them originally. Now he’s back.
SV: And Michael Manson.
SHILTS: Mike Manson, yeah.
SV: And some fresh names – DéNaté, Nate Harasim, Andre Delano and others. I think the independent music label is the way to go now. The big music labels are in danger of being split apart and pieces being sold off.
SHILTS: They still have the lion’s share of the money, the big four. If a smooth jazz album that they’ve invested forty, fifty thousand dollars doesn’t do great, it’s OK. They can write that one off. Their main interest is in the big money pop artists. With a small label, it’s their money and they want to see a return. So they are going to be out there aggressively promoting it and doing everything they can. One is probably better off with a smaller label completely focused on each of their artists.
SV: This is good for you then. It’s great that your new label is giving you support. One still needs distribution in this day and age. There are still record shops out there, believe it or not, that do sell CDs. (laughs) It’s harder to find a radio station to play your music.
SHILTS: I noticed this week on the charts that everybody’s trends went down about 30% which indicates to me that we’ve just lost another few stations. I know Philadelphia disappeared…again. They’ve been struggling really hard. It’s a shame the backup is not there for them. The biggest shock for me was when New York went. I just couldn’t imagine that.
SV: Do you experience, as you travel across the country that people are listening more to music on the internet, cable, and satellite radio?
SHILTS: I think the majority are now. I really believe so, especially because of the quality there. More and more, we put XM on in our car. Or I have it on in the background on the TV. They’ve still got the smooth jazz genre but it’s much more eclectic. They seem to play new stuff, in fact, I find myself going, “Oh! Who’s that?” as opposed to, “Oh, that again, that’s the fourth time today I’ve heard that tune.” With satellite and cable, the variety is good.
SV: People need to hear music to get hooked on an artist. Whether it’s in their friend’s living room, or over a cup of tea, or out at a concert, music is a personal experience. It’ stimulates the emotions, senses, intellect and the soul.
SHILTS: The only way people really get to hear new music though, especially if you live out in the sticks somewhere, is on a format like radio. Not everybody has the opportunity to go to concerts and see the artists live. If the radio is not playing fresh and new stuff, and showcasing new artists, where will they hear them? Where is the next generation of musicians going to come from if they haven’t got any place out there to play or have their music heard?
SV: That makes music in the schools so important.
SHILTS: It’s all about the education. Our kids listen to everything. They listen to what we listen to. Obviously they like a bit of jazz. They love sing along stuff, anything from Stevie Wonder to Stevie Nicks. They like it all. My daughter’s favorite now is Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald. She’s really digging it. She’s five years old, she knows all the words. Well, she thinks she knows all the words (laughs.)
SV: I saw your family’s picture on your website. What a lovely group!
SHILTS: I’m very lucky there! They’ve got their Mums looks! (laughs) They got my sense of humor which is good.
SV: I have to ask you, do you have a little family code going on? In your CD book, you wrote, “…I couldn’t ask for two more wonderful children. I’m so proud of you both and love you very much.” And then there is a big X, a little x, a little o, a big X, a big O, and a little x. Your dedication to your wife ends with three big Xs. Then on your website, within the picture caption of your family, you put a little x at the end. So, I’m thinking it’s a secret code.
SHILTS: Yes! It means big kiss, little kiss, little hug, and so on. My son gets this from the Jack Black film Nacho Libre. He absolutely loves it. He can recite the entire film. So we do sketches together. He plays one part, I play the other. “Dad, you be Nacho tonight, and I’ll be” so and so. And we act it out. In one part of the film, Nacho does this thing; it goes little hug, big hug, big kiss, little kiss. So now I have to do it to them. It makes it personal for them. They know that Daddy just hasn’t stamped out some old thing again. I find dedications and liner notes are one of the hardest things. Space is limited. I think, “Who are the most important people to mention?” And I always forget someone or don’t give enough credit to someone. Things like that. It would be great to have pages and pages to just get it all out.
SV: You’ve put things so nicely in your CD book. I was especially touched by the dedication to your father.
SHILTS: He’s been gone for 9 years now. He missed it all, unfortunately. He spent most of my career helping me, encouraging me, and behind me in everything I did. Then for him not to see all the things I’ve managed to accomplish in the last few years is sad.
SV: Somehow I think he knows.
SHILTS: Oh, yeah, he’s up there laughing down at me every day. “You’ve got kids now. There you go!” (laughs)
SV: There’s payback! (laughs) Let me ask you about your new record. You’re recording with some of my favorite backing musicians. Randy Jacobs, what a wonderful human being!
SHILTS: Smashing guy.
SV: And Nate Phillips, just a sweet heart.
SHILTS: Yeah. What a humble man and what an amazing talent. Nate came up to the house, and I was having problems that day with the studio and was a little nervous. That was my first session I’d ever done in the house, especially plugging stuff in and things like that. Cutting the story short, we were back and forth with the guitar setup, trying to make up leads and do this and do that. I was ringing England to a mate who has the same desk as me, asking how to make something work right? Also I rang Rick Braun. In the end it was a case of one simple mouse click on a box and all was sorted. Nate was very patient with me saying “Don’t worry, don’t worry. We’ll get it together.” Then we got it fixed and BANG! Nate just knocked out each of his takes in ten minutes.
SV: He’s a pro and has been playing for so many years.
SHILTS: Oh yeah! Some of my friends back in England, who are top, world class bass players, asked “Who did you use on bass?” I said, “Nate Phillips.” And they said “Whoa! You’ve got to be kidding me! He’s a god of the bass players!”
SV: Do Nate and Randy also tour with you?
SHILTS: No, they don’t, only for the simple reason that they are busy so much and in great demand. Randy has been out with Dave Koz for a year at least. And Nate works with Rick and Richard [Elliot.] It’s so great to have them on this project. At some point, I’ll be fortunate enough to get them on the road with me, even if I have to kidnap them! “You’re coming with me!” (laughs) The wonderful thing about living in Los Angeles is the huge pool of session musicians. I’ve done a bit of it myself, when I first arrived here. I was fortunate to be embraced by everyone. They said “Come in, welcome, and let’s get you some work.” I played with Rick and Peter [White], Paul Brown and also did a thing with Jeff Lorber. It was nice to spread out a bit and do something outside of the Down To The Bone thing for a change. That had been my main gig for about 8 years, at that point. I wanted people to see that I could do other stuff and I had paid my dues. I could step in and do many different roles. So that was nice! Of course, I went for the solo thing and then become the band leader, it’s a horrible situation! (laughs) I can see why band leaders are grouchy. (laughs) The beauty of it is the musicians who are available. They are of such a high standard of professionalism that I’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s just about getting the right combination of guys together that can pull it off and the rest of it will just take care of itself.
SV: Contemporary jazz has always been so appealing because of its cutting edge improvisation. Los Angeles must be very stimulating for one’s creativity.
SHILTS: We’re bouncing ideas off each other all the time. Sometimes I’ll play on a gig with someone I’ve not worked with before and it takes our playing in a completely different direction. I’m thinking, “WOW! I never thought of doing anything like that!” and we’ll go with it. That’s the beauty of jazz. Let’s face it, once you’ve got the tune out of the way, anything can happen. (laughs)
SV: You’ve written some great tunes on this record. I really like “A Promise Is A Promise.” Exquisite! Did you write that for your wife?
SHILTS: Oh, not directly. In fact, it was one I wrote with Bill [Steinway]. He said, “Well, I’ve got an idea. What about that?” I said, “OK, I like that. Let me put a drum track to that. Let me do some other things. OK. Leave it with me. Go home. Leave me alone.” And I’d finish the track. Then I’d say, “Listen, what do you think? This is the tune I’ve come up with.” I hadn’t played a soprano [sax] in 20 years and thought it might be nice to bring that back in. I recently have become an endorsee of Yamaha, so they let me have a soprano. And I thought “OK, let’s see if we can still do this.” It turned out OK. I’m known for my more upbeat, up tempo type CDs, but you’ve got to have a slow one on there, just for the ladies I think.
SV: I think variety is great; otherwise it starts to all sound the same. Your signature sound is there on “Back On The Hudson.” That’s one of my favorite tracks on the record.
SHILTS: That turned out really good.
SV: It sure did! And that’s your radio track?
SHILTS: It is (smiles)…apparently. Don’t get me started about radio!
SV: Can we talk about Bill Steinway? Is that his real name?
SHILTS: No, it’s Casio. (laughs) No. Everyone knows him as Bill Steinway. You can ask him sometime about his name. It’s a great story, but he should tell it. He’s a Wisconsin boy, from Racine.
SV: Man, can he play!
SHILTS: He’s been really great. We immediately bonded and became good friends. I think it was over 40 or 50 pints! (laughs) He’s an incredible talent. He’s one of those guys that’s been around for so long, everyone goes, “Oh yeah, I know, Bill Steinway.” They forget how good he really is. He was playing with Sonny Stitt when he was 19. He’s no slouch. He was with The Crusaders for years after Joe Sample left. He knows so many tunes. You can call him on anything. You say, “What about so and so?” and he says, “Yeah, we can do that. What key do you want it in?” He really knows his stuff. And again, he’s a smashing bloke, very dependable and very loyal. You know that he’s going to come in and just do an amazing job.
SV: Does he live out there now?
SHILTS: He’s been in Los Angeles, I think, for about 20 years.
SV: So, he hasn’t shoveled snow for a long time. (laughs)
SHILTS: No, I don’t think so! He did the Kettle Moraine festival a few weeks ago with Chris Standring’s project, Soul Express. He said it was nice to go home. And he’s turned me into a Green Bay Packers fan. I’ve adopted them as my team, and I’ve always like beer & cheese!
SV: Did I read somewhere that you were on the road touring this spring with Was (Not Was)?
SHILTS: Yes! Again that was through a contact, from Randy Jacobs. It was a band I was familiar with; I remembered them back in the ‘80s when they were a big, big name in the pop scene. Their “Walk the Dinosaur” and “Spy in the House of Love” were two big hits, especially in Europe. It’s funny, because all these things have been happening recently. I remember sitting back in England, and listening to his stuff, and watching them on TV. And I thought, “that’s funky stuff!” And whoever would think that 20 years later, I’d be on stage with them. It’s amazing really. You don’t get very many opportunities to do that in England. You need to be here to have those experiences. Not that England’s not a great place, it is a fantastic place, but the opportunities here are bigger. The chances of these things happening is greater. I had the most amazing fun, and what a great time and a terrific band. Randy and I were just discussing it the other day that we are looking forward to hopefully going out again next year. That’s the plan. It was like a reunion. The band hadn’t recorded or released anything in something like 17 years and this was the project. They re-formed the original band, the original singers. The original sax wasn’t available, so Randy said to Don Was, “I know this guy, he’s from England, but don’t hold it against him. He’s alright.” And I went along to rehearsals and fit in very nicely. It was actually one of the gigs that suits my playing and I loved it. They were open to anything. “You take it. You’ve got a solo, go where you want to go.” They were great guys to work with and a really good band and great fun. The cultural differences were amazing and it was just hilarious for me. Hilarious! They’re all from Detroit. I learned swear words I never even imagined. (laughs) That reminds me, I must go and polish my gun later as well. (laughs) They were great fun. They were soulful, that’s what it was; it was a soulful gig.
SV: You must have been exposed to audiences that had never heard of you.
SHILTS: Yeah, absolutely. The audiences were going nuts for us. I’m hoping that they are going to go out again next year and I would love to be involved again.
SV: It sounds like you’ve made a friend for life. I notice Don Was is in your EPK video. He has some great things to say about you.
SHILTS: Yeah! He’s Don Was! He’s worked with everybody! And I just thought, well, why not exploit him. (laughs) What an endorsement! You couldn’t get better. He said some very flattering things. He was very accommodating and he’s such a gentleman, a real pleasure to work with.
SV: Do you play in some of the LA clubs?
SHILTS: What clubs? (laughs)
SV: Well, like The Garden of Eden?
SHILTS: The Wave used to have something there Wednesday nights. I think due to economic circumstances, attendance got low. It’s very sad. It was actually a place I used to enjoy every now and again taking a drive down there just to hang out and see people, to see what everyone was up to. You could always get some great music down there. And you never knew who would turn up. One night I went down and was enjoying the music but had to leave. Apparently about 10 minutes after I left, Stevie Wonder came in. I was choked about that.
SV: How sad! The best part of this music experience is seeing it live, impromptu.
SHILTS: But then The Wave is one of the stations that does fortunately put on a lot of events during the year. We are lucky in Southern California that we have the weather, so there are year round events happeneing.
SV: For your last record, Head Boppin, you had a CD release party at the Garden of Eden two years ago. Where did you have a party for the new record?
SHILTS: We had an impromptu cocktail party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. Very swanky. We just invited friends and musicians who were involved. I wanted to give everyone a copy of the CD, rather than it arriving in the post. My wife very kindly sat and tied a ribbon around each CD with a note card. We had everyone in for drinks, bits and bobs, cocktails and had a lovely evening.
SV: It sounds very elegant.
SHILTS: Oh yes, it was very refined! (laughs) Until they told us to go. “You’re too rowdy!” (laughs) No, it wasn’t like that at all.
SV: You mentioned Stevie Wonder. On your website, I saw a picture of you with Stevie in Rio, Brazil. Tell us about it. Stevie is my all time favorite! I just love Stevie.
SHILTS: Oh, me too. He’s at the top of the tree for me. That was probably one of the highlights for me, as a fan, not a musician, but just being a fan. I was on tour with The Brand New Heavies. I think that was 1995 or 1996. We were doing a South American tour. It was Stevie Wonder, The Brand New Heavies, and Buckshot LeFonque, which was a terrific band.
SV: That’s Branford Marsalis!
SHILTS: Fantastic band! I couldn’t have been in a better place because I was enjoying the gig I was doing, I loved doing The Brand New Heavies gig because it was great music. And then to find out I was going to be on the bill with two of my top favorite bands. It was terrific! Wow! Busman’s holiday! I had never been to Brazil before. We were there for three weeks. We played a show in Sao Paulo and then flew up to Rio and did two shows. It was fantastic! I was getting in the elevator one day at the hotel and this chap said, “Oh, you’re from England. I’m from England.” I asked him what he was doing here. He said, “I’m Stevie Wonder’s manager.” His name was Keith Harris. We got chatting over a coffee. I said, “Look, I don’t know if it’s possible but what are the chances of meeting him?” He said, “Yeah! Leave it to me. Here are some passes to the show tonight.” Stevie was doing another show outside of ours. It was kind of interesting; they were recording it for the Natural Wonder CD, which is one of my favorite CDs. And afterwards we went back stage and met him along with his daughter Aisha.
SV: Was she singing with him then?
SHILTS: Not then, no. I think she was just getting into the business, trying to record a solo album. I think she was looking for someone to write some good songs for her. (laughs) Stevie said, “This is my daughter!” And I said, [in a proper British accent] “Oh, isn’t she lovely!” (laughs)
SV: (Laughs heartily)
SHILTS: I had to. Yeah, I had to do it. I’m an Englishman. I had to do it. (laughs) It was my duty. “This is my daughter.” “Oh! isn’t she lovely!” (laughs) That was a great experience. I spent a few more years with The Brand New Heavies. It was great fun.
SV: That’s a British band, isn’t it?
SHILTS: Yes, The Brand New Heavies are from London.
SV: There are incredible British bands that do really well in the US. Amazing that you’ve played with two of them!
SHILTS: The big thing for any European band is to make it in the U.S. It’s great to be No. 1 at home, but if you can be No. 1 in the US, well! It’s because the U.S. is such a huge market. I think it makes up most of the world’s music sales anyway. If you’re No. 1 here, then you’ve cracked it, you know.
SV: Thank you so much for being so generous with your time. I have so enjoyed speaking with you. If you will indulge me, I have one last question. I’d like to know what’s on your iPod.
SHILTS: Me? Oh, loads of stuff! Favorites for me? Well, I always tend to go back to the old classic stuff. I
love Steely Dan; Earth, Wind and Fire are one of my “greatest ever” bands. They were one of the main influences that got me into listening to more soul jazz music. I was a straight ahead guy before then. They were the ones that really converted me over and I started to search out people like Grover Washington, Jr. I heard David Sanborn and the Brecker Brothers. I couldn’t get enough of it. Recently, I love Corinne Bailey Rae. She’s really got a sound all her own. It’s great. And I have started listening again to Larry Carlton and The Crusaders. And Ernie Watts, what a great saxophone player! So I’ve been reminiscing and getting sort of nostalgic in my choices at the moment. The beauty of having the iPod is you can store it all on there! Stick it on shuffle and “Oh, I haven’t listened to this for years!” It’s great!
SV: This summer vacation, my husband and I had a long drive up to Canada. We listened to every single Beatles album, in chronological order! Fantastic! When the Beatles were coming up, I was in 8th grade.
SHILTS: Ah, they were like your Hanna Montana! You know, I was named after Paul McCartney. My parents were a couple of crazy kids, naming me after a pop star!
SV: Who knew?! That’s cool! And it’s wonderful to see how you’ve grown and blossomed with a bone fide solo career in the U.S. Congratulations! Well, it’s been wonderful speaking with you again. Thank you for taking time to chat.
SHILTS: It’s a pleasure!
