Smitty: Oh yeah, absolutely. And your roster, you’ve got one of the most dynamic rosters in the business right now. I mean, there’s Wayman [Tisdale], there’s Kirk [Whalum], my God, Patti Austin, Kyle Eastwood. I mean, you’ve got a heavy roster of great musicians. It’s almost like you’ve got 10, 12 gunslingers in one camp, you know?
HK: Yeah, they’re a force, every one of them, and Brian Simpson really broke through last year with his debut release here and he has a new album coming out this month, actually August, and it’s a nice mix of like some real powerhouses and some developing artists, and that was always our intent, was to have this wonderful mix of the up and coming along with the truly great established artists.
Smitty: Yeah, and one of the guys who is a favorite of mine is Michael Lington. I mean, he’s just done so much both on and off the stage, and he always has a quality product every time out.
HK: Thanks, man.
Smitty: Yeah, and a great guy to hang with too, you know?
HK: Mm-hmm, yes, he is. He’s like a man’s man, you know? With the cigars and the scotch. He’s a great guy.
Smitty: Yes, he is. Talk to me a little bit about when you’re dealing with putting new music out there, talk a little bit about just the ins and outs in the process of making sure that your products hits the street in the best fashion. Talk a little bit about that process.
HK: Okay. Specifically with developing artists, you’re talking about? New artists or with the whole ball of wax?
Smitty: Sure.
HK: Oh, okay. (Both laugh.) Yeah, sure. I think for us it starts with really understanding the intent of the project and the artist’s intent and finding ways to communicate and connecting that intent with the people who would share and appreciate that intent. So we use a lot of tools like most labels are doing, really using new media as platforms and trying to create extended mediums for the artists to communicate their message, so rather than it be solely relying on the song or the CD, we, for example, with Patti Austin we created these living liner notes that she recorded and voiced with the history of George Gershwin and the songs and the performances, and these were podcasts that were available and really showcased her ability as a storyteller and historian and really tapped into her breadth of musical knowledge. So just part of the job is to really find what’s unique and special about that project and how to get that message out there.
Smitty: Mm-hmm, yeah. Great strategy. Well, speaking of her, and I’m so glad you mentioned Patti, because when I got that project, after listening to it and reading the liner notes and everything, I will tell you initially, I was so captivated by the packaging, the album cover.
HK: Mm.
Smitty: And I remember saying to myself if there was ever a category for album cover of the year, it was so cool that everyone else should have just gone home and just gave it to you guys because that is the most striking album cover I think I’ve ever seen.
HK: Oh, thanks, man. We’re really proud of that one.
Smitty: Yeah, it’s so appropriate and it’s just so eye-catching, and not just the cover, but when you open it, I mean, just the whole thing about it is just, I think, it’s the best I’ve seen. It is fantastic.
HK: I totally appreciate that. We definitely spend a lot of time and thought about the packaging that we do and, again, making sure that it really communicates the intent of the artist.
Smitty: Yes, and, man, did she capture Gershwin with that project or what? I mean, she was so in to that. I mean, it totally fit her repertoire and you could tell that there was so much love that she put into that project.
HK: Yeah. Thank you, man. We love that project so much and we love Patti. There’s just no one like her. She’s fun and brilliant and there’s no one who really can perform a song like her. She’s mind-blowing.
Smitty: Yes indeed. And one of the things that I love about your roster of artists is that each and every one of them are very expressive about their artistry.
HK: Mm.
Smitty: In the media, as far as their projects are, and in their live performances. They’re very expressive and I think that is something that we should never lose as artists because that is the foundation that brings the music forward so that people can feel it.
HK: Absolutely.
Smitty: Yeah, I think it’s beautiful. You have a great mix of artists that are so astute at doing that.
HK: Mm-hmm. Yeah, we’re really blessed about that. They all really appreciate their fans and they’re all incredible communicators in ways that transcend their musicality. They all have very clear points of view about their lifestyles and their philosophies, and they’re able to express it in their music and in the way they talk to the audience in their Web sites and blogs. I mean, they’re all just really great communicators.
Smitty: Yes they are.
HK: And all hard working. Our label definitely works our artists. (Both laugh.) And we appreciate all of their good-naturedness about some of the hoops we put them through to get the word out, but that’s really what it takes and they all get it.
Smitty: Yeah, what comes to mind is Jonathan Butler, Wayman Tisdale, Kirk Whalum. All of these guys are hard workers and what they do, they give it their all and I think that’s a beautiful thing.
HK: Yeah, they really do.
Smitty: Yeah. So now you cats have done some great compilation CDs too and I think that’s so unique in that it’s one thing to just throw a bunch of songs together, but then it’s another thing to put the right songs on the right project. And you guys give them some great names too, you know?
HK: Thanks. It’s really Frank Cody’s brilliance. I mean, he has been a radio programmer and has an incredible sense of flow and sequencing, and I really have to give him a lot of props for his vision on that, and he’s just a brilliant programmer and he’s really taken these compilations to a level of artistry.
Smitty: Speaking of Frank and Dave, talk a little bit about your experience and what it’s been like these past five years of working with these guys, perhaps a brief introduction of each one of them, and then what it’s been like for you to work with them.
HK: Well, for one thing, it was—I mentioned there’s Frank Cody, who came from broadcasting and creating entertainment, responsible for Dr. Ruth and NBC’s “The Source” and the David Sanborn show for radio. I mean, he’s just an incredible pioneer in creating radio entertainment. And then created Broadcast Architecture—well, actually, put The WAVE on the station with Paul Goldstein and Chris Brody, but was really part of that think tank that created the format. So that’s part of Frank’s background: incredibly passionate, smart, musical knowledge. He just has an incredible musical knowledge. And then you have Dave Koz, who’s just a great businessman, a great ambassador for music in general, certainly for Smooth Jazz and Jazz and Pop Instrumental, and probably the most well loved, and deservedly so, individuals in entertainment. I mean, there’s just pretty much almost no one who doesn’t know Dave Koz, and if they know him, they love him.
