Earl Klugh play the Hyatt Newport Jazz Festival June 2
Photo by Tanner Photography
Crossover Jazz guitarist, Earl Klugh, returns to Orange County with his unique style of sound and picking at this year’s Hyatt Newport Beach Jazz Festival on June 2. Klugh with be sharing the stage with musician and longtime friend, Eric Marienthal.
Klugh took some time out of his busy touring and recording schedule to talk to the OC Concert Guide about what has inspired his musical career all these years.
OCCG: What is special about the Orange County, CA audience that makes playing here unique to you as a musician?
EK: I’ve played Orange County many times over the years in many different venues, most recently the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts, and I always love the Hyatt Newport Beach shows and Newport Beach Jazz Festival! The audiences here love and appreciate variety and many styles of music. I’ve had lots of great times with them over the years and can’t wait to return!
OCCG: You spent a lot of your late teen years with some of the greatest modern Jazz artists of the 20th Century, what was your inspiration then to surround yourself with those musicians? Looking back from your career now, did you realize the impact on your music they would have on you at that time?
EK: I think that question pretty much answers itself – the musicians themselves were my inspiration. I didn’t realize the magnitude of how they would impact my music at the time, but I just always loved being around good music and good musicians. It was a unique and special environment.
OCCG: What influence did growing up in a musical city like Detroit have on you?
EK: I was very lucky to grow up in Detroit at the time that I did. It takes me back to the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when I was first trying to put bands together. I was lucky to be friends with many of the great musicians that still play today like Greg Phillinganes and Ray Parker Jr. and I sat in with some of the great Motown musicians like James Jamerson, Earl Van Dyke, ‘Pistol’ Allen, Paul Riser and more. I am thankful that I had a chance to meet and work with so many people in the Detroit area and had a great foundation for my career!
OCCG: What do you feel is unique and engaging about your music and playing style that has caught the attention of so many fans, and earned so many industry awards?
EK: That is a hard question to answer about my own music, but I would say what’s unique is most of my music is melodic or up tempo, and there is something for everyone – I play a variety of styles and configurations from solo classical guitar to trios to electric band to orchestral arrangements!
OCCG: After your Grammy nominated album, The Spice of Life, you are finally working on a new recording due out this year, what took so long to start working on the next recording? What can your fans expect from this latest work that they may have not heard in your music before?
EK: Actually, I’m always working on the next project! I did a record every year for so long and now I enjoy taking my time! What’s different about this record is that it’s a solo record, but I’ve always wanted to do string duets on a record and I’m really excited to be able to do this! I am playing duets with Vince Gill, Bill Frisell and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro on my new record, HandPicked, which will be out later this summer!
OCCG: You love to collaborate with so many artists, do you have a wish list of artists you would still like to collaborate with on future recordings?
EK: Burt Bacharach is always on the top of my list for this question! I’ve met him a few times and had dinner with him, but I have never performed or recorded with him. He has always been a huge influence on me! Chuck Mangione and I have been friends for a long time but have never recorded together and I’d like to do that someday. I played in Chick Corea’s band early on but we’ve never recorded together so that would be great to do!
OCCG: You are touring this June with Eric Marienthal, have you toured with him before? What brought you both together to play and tour?
EK: Eric is one of my favorite players! We’ve known each other for a lot of years. He’s a great guy and I just invited him to perform at my Weekend of Jazz at Kiawah Island, SC last November. I sat in with him on his show there and we had a great time on the stage and off! He is a busy guy so it will be great to be able to do some shows together whenever we can.
OCCG: Can you tell us about the your Weekend of Jazz? When did you start doing them and what inspired the idea to put on these types of events for the public?
EK: Both of my Weekend of Jazz events are like a vacation for me! It’s a really special weekend and I’ve made a lot of friends over the years – lots of people keep coming back every year! I started at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and we just had our 10th Annual Weekend of Jazz event there in April! That is a great accomplishment to keep it going strong 10 years later! We started a second event in November 2010 at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, SC and we’ll be hosting our 4th annual Weekend of Jazz there this November. I enjoy seeing great artists perform and spending time with the fans all weekend long!
OCCG: What are your plans for the rest of 2013?
EK: Releasing HandPicked and lots of touring later this year, going back to tour Africa in September, hosting Weekend of Jazz at Kiawah Island, and hopefully starting on my next album – a band recording! (See, I am always working on the next record!)