Smitty:  I love the way you opened this record with the first track. You were talking earlier about capturing and continuing the vibe throughout the this album, and what better description?  The intro is “Vibe” itself and I love that song.  I mean, it’s a perfect intro to the rest of the record.

AH: Great.

Smitty:  Because when you go from there to “Joyride,” it makes a smooth connection and the listener just continues the ride.

AH:  Yeah, that’s exactly what we wanted to do. We wrote a bunch of intros and it actually was my co-producer’s (Paul Klingberg) idea to have these segues in between all the songs. We had a lot more of them. It just got to be too much. So to kind of set a mood for each song….I think there’s one on “So In Love” and “Liquid Blue” also. And that’s enough because I just felt on “Joyride” it just came in so abruptly, so with having that “Vibe” at the beginning of it, it’s just kinda fun and it gives me a chance to warm up before I get into it. I do that live too with that particular intro.

Smitty: My favorite track is the title track (“Metropolis”).

AH: Oh, do you like that one, “Metropolis”?

Smitty:  Oh, oh my God, yeah, man.

AH: Oh, gooood.

Smitty:  Steve (Madaio) is a bad boy on that horn (trumpet).

AH: Oh yeah.

Smitty: He’s such a great part of the song, but then at the same time he’s a great complement to your keyboard playing.

AH: Yup, that’s why I like to use him because he really helps to set that mood. And also he’s a neighbor. (Both laughing.)  It’s great. I can just call him up and bring him over.  And then on “Hot Fun in the Summertime” we brought in one of the trombone players from the other Earth, Wind & Fire band….there’s two Earth, Wind & Fire bands. The other band, they’re called L.A. All Stars.

Smitty: Yeah, Wendell Kelly.

AH: Yeah, so Wendell’s on there too.

Smitty:  Yeah, he’s played with some great bands too.

AH: Oh yeah.

Smitty: Wendell’s a bad boy.

AH: He is.

Smitty: Yeah, and “Liquid Blue,” once again there’s Wendell, and Steve’s got a nice vibe with the horn.

AH: Oh yeah. I love the Jazz Crusaders and that was kind of a little bit of a tribute to them and I wanted Wayne Henderson to play on that. I called Wayne and we were gonna do it and it just didn’t work out schedule-wise. But I had the Crusaders in mind for that song because I just like the way they voice their horns.

Smitty: Well, this is a funky record, man. I really like the vibe.

AH: That’s a compliment coming from you, Smitty.

Smitty: (Laughs.)  I really mean it, it’s just got that funky groove. I love to put this on when I’m doing a night drive.

AH: Oh, good!

Smitty: It’s a great night drive record and it’s a great….

AH: I didn’t pay him, folks! (Both laughing.)

Smitty:  Oh, you’re so funny. And there’s a couple of dance tunes on here too. You can get up and get down with this.

AH: Which ones would you think?

Smitty: “Swingin’ On Sunset,” baby!

AH: Oh yeah.

Smitty: I love that groove!

AH: Yeah

Smitty:  This is a great all-around record and you got my boy, Steve Oliver, on the last track (“Soleil”).

AH: Yup, another neighbor.

Smitty: He’s always got that upbeat vibe and he can kick it with a guitar, can’t he?

AH: Yeah, that was the first time I played with him and I had heard, just off the cuff some of his things and I was writing that song and I go “Wow, this would probably be a good song for Steve to play on,” so I gave him a ring and said “Hey, we haven’t gotten together. You wanna come over and play on a song?”  And he goes “Oh yeah!  Let’s do it!”

Smitty: (Laughs.) That’s the Steve I know.

AH: He’s great.  He’s got a great attitude.

Smitty:  Yes, he does. I think Steve could play anything he wants.

AH: Yeah, I think so too. And he loves music, he just loves it.

Smitty: Oh yeah.  He’s the equivalent of a gym rat at the gym.

AH: Yup. Yeah, you got that.

Smitty:  And that’s a cool thing. The record comes out June 6th.

AH: Yup.

Smitty:  And where can people find this record?

AH: Probably all the stores.  I know on the Internet it’s all over the place, so let me give you a couple. They said it’s at. www.jazzmonthlystore.com. You can go directly to the label,www.215music.com.

Smitty:  Cool.