Michael Lington Interview Page 4

ML:  Oh yeah.

Smitty:  (Laughs.)

ML:  I’ve been since I was a little kid.

Smitty:  Really?

ML:  Oh, so you didn’t know about it?  I just told you this now?

Smitty:  Yeah. Boy, you’re just springing all kind of stuff on me.

ML:  Yeah, I am. It’s such a fantasy world and you got a guy that can do it all.  I mean, what’s not to like? It’s a fantasy world, which is what when you listen to a record, you wanna sorta be taken away for an hour when the record plays, right?  And the same thing with a movie. You don’t wanna deal with reality. I don’t wanna go in there and hear people and their problems. I wanna go in there and be a part of a fantasy world for two hours and be removed from the world for a certain amount of time, and the James Bond movies were always like that. You know, exotic locations, beautiful women, beautiful cars and…

Smitty:  And gadgets.

ML:  Yeah.  I mean, you know, what’s not to like about saving the world and being the hero?

Smitty:  Yep. (Laughs.)

ML:  Of course that concept works.

Smitty:  Yes it does.  And, Michael, I wanna mention as well that in spite of all the things that you’ve done and accomplished musically and some of those fantasies and those kinds of things, one of the things that I admire about you is what you’ve given back to the community.

ML:  Oh, thank you….

Smitty: ….in terms of Mr. Holland’s Opus (www.mhopus.org) …

ML:  Right.

Smitty:  Music education, what you did as regard to the mudslide victims a year ago…

ML:  Oh yeah.

Smitty: .…and the Tsunami Relief.

ML:  Sure.

Smitty:  I mean, you’ve done a lot of that sort of thing.

ML:  Well, there’s a couple other things I’ve been involved in also.  There’s an organization here in Los Angeles called Create Now! (www.createnow.org).  I’m a part of that, mentoring troubled teens, really who have decided to make a change in their life and I mentor them and talk to them about music and talk to them about why it is so important to stay on track and to basically say “You look at me.”  I said “I came over here with nothing. You don’t have to get involved in crimes to be successful. You don’t have to go down that road. You can do the right thing even though it’s hard, and there are rewards at the end,” and that’s what I’m trying to talk to them about, and then play some music with them.  Here’s the reality, Smitty, I get just as much joy out of doing it as they do or whatever causes I’m involved in.  Let me tell you something:  I was with a kid, his name is Frank, okay?

Smitty:  Yeah.

ML:  Sixteen years old.  Five kids, single mother, his two older brothers are in jail, he was in juvenile, and they have two younger daughters, okay?  He got out of juvenile.  Now he’s taking care of the two younger daughters while the mom is out working, and everything against him, but he decided that that whole lifestyle that his brothers are carrying on with was not for him. So he came to this organization and for some reason he loves the saxophone. That’s his dream, that’s his escape. That’s like that’s why he shouldn’t get in trouble, because he wants to be a saxophone player.

Smitty:  Oh nice.

ML:  And I met with the kid, we spent some great time together, and I’m trying to find out about him and trying to find out his reasons for living per se and what are your plans, what do you wanna do and all this stuff, and I asked him a question.  I said “Hey, let me ask you something.  With all the stuff we see on TV, with rap radio, everybody has all the bling, they got all the cars, they got all the stuff,” and he says “One wish.”  I said “Well, if I can grant you one wish, anything in the world, what would that be?”  You know, I’m thinking he’s gonna say a Mercedes Benz, right?

Smitty:  Yeah.

ML:  He says he would like to play “Two of a Kind” with me….

Smitty:  Oh that’s too cool.

ML: .…which was the single at the time on the radio. And, I mean, it totally floored me…and he didn’t even hesitate.  And I said “You know what?”  I said “Let’s get the horns out.  We can make that happen.”  Here we are together playing “Two of a Kind,” I taught him the song, and we were playing it together.  I mean, can you imagine what I get from that?

Smitty:  Oh yeah.

ML:  You’re able to make a difference in somebody’s life and give him hope, give him something to….I don’t wanna say live for because that sounds so dramatic….but just give him something to carry on, you know?

Smitty:  Yeah, absolutely.

ML:  Give him some inspiration.  The reality is I had a grandfather like that (Otto Lington). I had a grandfather that I adored and he was a musician, and I could not have enjoyed talking to him more about his life and music and the whole atmosphere, and he was essentially why I wanted to be a musician. Why I wanted to pursue this thing.  He told me “Don’t do it.  It’s not easy.”  But I knew there was just no way that I wasn’t gonna be able to do it, so I had somebody like that in my life. So when I’m able to give back like that, it’s just good stuff.

Smitty:  Yes, it is.  And you know what?  I think you hit it spot on when you said that you get so much from that.  It works both ways.

ML:  Oh, it sure does, yeah.

Smitty:  And I think that’s a wonderful thing. I would encourage you to keep doing those types of things to the best of your ability….

ML:  Right.

Smitty:  .…in the time that you have because can you imagine if everyone took a couple of hours a day to do something like that?

ML:  We can make a difference, you know?  It just sounds like one person out of a billion, but if everybody does a little part, there are differences to be made, definitely.

Smitty:  Well, that’s an excellent example, man, and I applaud you for it.  Yeah, that’s beautiful.

ML:  Well, thank you.

Smitty: So, Michael, I’m looking forward to seeing you on the tour and I’m coming out to L.A. on November 1st, brother.

ML:  Yeah, man. We’re working out all the details right now but we’ll definitely keep you posted on that.  It’ll be great to see you.

Smitty:  Oh yeah, look forward to it.  All right, so the record comes out on the 26th and everybody’s anticipating the drop date and I anticipate some great things with this record, man, in a lot of different ways because you’ve done a lot of different things with it.

ML:  Right.

Smitty: I highly recommend for anyone that loves music period, actually.

ML:  Okay, sounds great. 

Smitty:  All right.  We’ve been talking with Rendezvous Recording artist, the incomparable sax man Michael Lington. His great new record hit the stores September 26. It’s truly something different and cool. Michael, congratulations on the fantastic new record and all the wonderful things you’re doing, my friend, and look forward to seeing you soon. Best of everything in 2006 and beyond, my friend.

ML:  Thank you so much, Smitty.  Pleasure talking to you.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For More Information Visit www.michaellington.com or www.rendezvousentertainment.com