Eric Mintel Interview Page 4

Smitty:  Please.

EM:  A father and son were driving along in St. Louis.

Smitty:  Oh, my hometown.

EM:  In your hometown?  All right!  Well, they’re driving along in St. Louis and they’re listening to XM Radio and all of a sudden they heard one of my tunes, “Four on the Floor,” which came on the radio, and they pulled over to the side of the road.  They wanted to find out who it was, what it was, who wrote it, so they contacted XM, got my name, and wound up Googling my name and got in touch with me and told me that they found me on XM, and I said “Oh, this is great.  Let me send you a CD.”  So I sent a CD along and so after that, the father sent me another e-mail saying that his son has now started a jazz band, he has memorized all of my tunes.

Smitty:  Wow!

EM:  And now they listen to jazz all the time.

Smitty:  Isn’t that amazing?

EM:  So that is a really great, great story and I just feel, again, that’s, for me, what this music is all about too. Because I am trying to perpetuate this to the younger generation and to more of a general public. And I think with things like that and I think, again, the way we’re presenting this music, I think it’s happening and I think people can identify with what we’re doing.  I mean, that’s just so flattering and it’s just so great to know that we inspired this guy so much that he started his own jazz band.

Smitty: Yes it is, that certainly puts a stamp on how beautiful the record is and your musicianship, man.  I mean, it is what it is.  It’s great music and it’s the kind of music that moves people and inspires people, and like you said, that’s what it’s all about.

EM:  Yeah, thank you. And I think that’s how we connected, you know?  Because you have the same sort of passion with what you’re doing with jazz and the musicians like I do with the music.

Smitty:  Well, thank you, man.  I appreciate that.  Like you said, it’s hard work.  (Both laugh.)

EM:  We know hard work.

Smitty:  Yes, we know hard work, but it’s a rewarding kind of work too.

EM:  Yeah, well, and for me I’ve got a wife and five-year-old daughter who just turned five years old, and she’s already starting to learn piano and she’s starting to play guitar now.

Smitty:  Oh, wow.

EM:  She’s very musical and my wife is a dance teacher and choreographer, so she’s got the best of both worlds.

Smitty:  Yes she does, wow.  So we should be hearing something from her pretty soon.

EM:  Yeah, probably.  We’ll be doing, probably later on in life, doing a duo album together.  She’ll be singing and I’ll be playing.  (Both laugh.)  I’ll be playing the piano.

Smitty:  Oh, man, that is too cool.  You mentioned your Web site.  Give me your Web site.

EM:  Sure, it’s www.ericmintelquartet.com.

Smitty:  Okay, and what can people find there?  I mean, if they go to your site can they get the record there?

EM:  They could find our CD there.  The CD’s available on the Web site and then you can also find our schedule.  We also have other CD’s available as well. Soon there’s gonna be some video clips up on the site from a recent TV show that we just did.

Smitty: Oh, very cool.

EM:  We did a television program up in Scranton, Pennsylvania called Home Grown Music and I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I’m from here in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.

Smitty:  Right.

EM:  But we did this TV show on April 9th and it was just great, and so we’re gonna be putting up some clips of that pretty soon and then I guess it’s gonna be aired on their television program sometime in late summer/early fall.

Smitty:  Nice. 

EM:  But you can also read our newsletter.  I have a newsletter and some press reviews and things like that that are on the Web site as well.  I put out a newsletter once every three or four months just to kind of update people on the further adventures of the Eric Mintel Quartet.  (Both laugh.)

Smitty:  Yeah, I’ve been to your site.  It’s a great informative site, it’s colorful, and lots of news about what’s happening with you cats.

EM:  I’m hoping that we can make it out your way pretty soon because I’m working on several different tours now.  I’m working on a tour of California.  We’re doing an East Coast tour up and down the Eastern Seaboard in November and December.

Smitty:  Nice.

EM:  And then we’re working on going out to Colorado I think next summer.

Smitty:  Oh, man, you’ll love it out there.

EM:  Oh, it’s been great.  We went out in 2005, but I’m also trying to work on getting us over to Europe as well. So lots of different things going on, but again, I’m doing it all myself, but if anyone’s listening, I could use the help!  (Both laugh.)  Any booking agents out there.

Smitty:  Yeah, you may get a few now.

EM:  And the thing is, the group is just so much in demand that we’re currently shopping this new record around to different record labels as well.

Smitty:  Oh, great. Well, much success on that.

EM:  Thank you very much. Right now it’s on my own independent label, so there’s a lotta different things happening and I’m just so glad that we’re able to share it with your listeners and readers.

Smitty:  Yes, man, and I want to congratulate you on this great record, your entire band, and all the wonderful things that you have enjoyed and been a part of as a band and as friends.  It’s a beautiful thing.

EM:  Thank you. I want to certainly not forget to mention that Marian McPartland…. She wrote to me and asked me to record one of her songs on our next album, so we did on this album and it’s called “Ambience.”

Smitty: Yes.

EM:  And I was so fortunate again.  I was a featured guest on her piano jazz program last year and, again, still getting positive feedback from my appearance on her show and just, once again, connecting with people through the music.

Smitty: Yes.

EM:  And so, again, Dave Brubeck, Marian McPartland having these…

Smitty:  Bill Clinton.  (Both laugh.)

EM:  Yeah, Bill Clinton, all these great jazz icons on our side, it’s just been really great and, again, my whole thing with jazz is really to take this music and give it back to the general public and get it out there more. I think we’d have a lot less problems in the world if more people would listen to jazz and really go see jazz musicians perform because back in the day, the jazz musician was who you went to listen to to hear the sign of the times, if that makes any sense.

Smitty:  Yes indeed.

EM:  Because the jazz musicians are pouring out their soul through the improvisation. And that’s something that isn’t really talked about too much in the music, and the jazz musician is very, very important to the world, and I just hope that people will continue to support jazz and jazz musicians.

Smitty:  I totally agree, my friend, and you’ve got the right product to reach people and I can’t congratulate you enough on this great record.

EM:  Well, thank you very much.

Smitty:  All right.  The record is Times Change by the Eric Mintel Quartet.  This is a terrific piece and I highly recommend this record for all listeners of music, not just jazz.  Eric, thank you so much for sharing those great stories about your career and this great record as well, and all the best in 2007, my friend.

EM:  Thank you very much, Smitty, and the same to you too.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For More Information Visit www.ericmintelquartet.com and www.myspace.com/theericmintelquartet