Jon Regen has just issued the video for “Eye of the Hurricane,” the lead single from his forthcoming LP, Live In London.
Out October 16, the LP finds the singer, songwriter and pianist joined by his longtime touring band of bassist PJ Phillips and drummer John Miller as well as guest saxophonist Paul Booth (Steve Winwood, Incognito).
The New Jersey native’s first ever live set, Live In London is filled with masterful writing of course, but the performances will leave you glued to your speakers waiting to hear what comes next—and then racing back to hear it again!
Regen recently discussed the recording of the album and more.
What made this the right time to release a live album?
This is the 22nd year I’ve played with my UK band of PJ Phillips on bass and John Miller on drums. Right after I made a left turn from straight-ahead jazz and released my first singer/songwriter album “Almost Home” in 2004, I used them on a European tour and we instantly clicked. They weren’t from the jazz tradition—they were more from the UK pop, rock and funk scene. But they had a groove and a swagger and a song sense that worked with the music I was writing. So you could say we learned how to be a band together on gigs around the world—from Beijing to Budapest, and Milan to Monaco. And we’re still learning every night on stage. After I heard the recordings of our show at last year’s EFG London Jazz Festival, I knew for the first time we had captured the sound this band makes live. So I decided to put them out.
“Eye of the Hurricane,” the first single, is exemplary of what happens on the album as a whole, the energy that comes through in the recording. I know the studio version well but we get a new perspective on this performance.
Oh, thanks. I’m glad the energy comes through because really, that’s what this band does best. We use the songs as a launching point and sometimes take them into the stratosphere! But with “Hurricane,” we really try to walk a line between honoring the intention of the original version and putting a live stamp on it as well. It’s a funny song—I actually wrote the music and lyrics at the same time in a fit of inspiration during the recording of my album “Satisfied Mind.” So in many ways, it has its own otherworldly cadence. And now with saxophonist Paul Booth on the record and on many of our live shows, we have just a lean, mean, touring band that can do just about anything.
I think live recordings can be tricky. Sometimes I hear them and it seems like the energy doesn’t transfer to the recorded medium but this record feels like we’re there with you on the night.
Yeah, it’s a tough line to walk—because you want the music to feel live but not at the expense of the sonics, and at the same time, you want the intimacy to come through without it sounding like a typical studio recording. But when I hear this record I think it sounds like my band, so evidently the mission was accomplished!
Tell us a little bit about the venue and the audience when you were recording this material.
We recorded the album at London’s famed PizzaExpress Jazz Club in Soho. It’s a legendary venue that just celebrated its 50th anniversary. I first played there when I joined bassist Kyle Eastwood’s band in the late 1990s and thought it was just the coolest club. In fact, I once played there with Kyle and just as we were about to take the stage, the saxophonist turned to me and said, “I don’t want to freak you out, but Paul McCartney is sitting right next to your piano.” Needless to say, I was freaked out. Paul actually came up to us after the show and said, “Hey guys, thanks for the music. To which we all responded, “No, thank YOU for the music!”
Years later, when I started writing songs with words, it was one of the first venues that welcomed me and the new direction my music was taking. It’s been like a second home for me for two decades—and it’s allowed me to hone my craft as a singer, songwriter and bandleader, with an audience that has made the journey along with me. Whenever I perform there it’s rammed to the rafters. In fact, we’re launching the album there on Saturday October 17. I can’t say enough great things about that room and the team that runs it. Plus, it has one of the greatest pianos I play anywhere in the world—a killer Hamburg Steinway Model B.
One thing I love here, and it’s not that it’s absent from the studio recordings, but this shows your full range on your instrument. I found myself playing air keyboards on my desk a whole lot while listening.
I’m glad to hear that. You know when you make a studio record, you’re often trying to distill songs down to their most compact, digestible form. But I was a piano player first, and that’s really where I feel most at home. I was 34 when my first singer/songwriter album launched—before then I was touring and recording as a jazz pianist on my own and with artists like Kyle and Little Jimmy Scott. So the piano is where it started for me, and when you put me behind a good one, I’m ready to rip!
What made this group of players the right ones for the gig?
This rhythm section plays to lift me and my songs up. I remember once sound-checking at a big jazz festival in France and the promoter was astonished at the sound we made as a three-piece. It’s probably because trios were where I learned my craft — whether it’s Bill Evans or The Police. The sound of three people grooving hard together is a wonder to behold. PJ and John are just incredible musicians, and when I found Paul—who was in-between tours with Steve Winwood and Incognito, I realized the puzzle was complete. It’s a band that really listens to one another, which is a rarity indeed.
Maybe a tough question: What’s the best way to listen to this album?
The limited edition orange vinyl available for pre-order at Jon Regen.com is just perfection. I highly recommend picking a copy up!
