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| Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM |
Here's my comprehensive coverage of the major live performances and keynote talks at NAMM 2015...
The NAMM Show returned to the Anaheim Convention Center
last week and was bigger than ever.
Held annually in Southern California, the
National Association of Music Merchandisers event drew a record 99,342
registrants and 1,621 exhibiting companies (a six percent increase over 2014)
from around the world. There is such a dizzying amount of activities taking place
over the four day trade show (ranging from product demonstrations, talks and
awards presentations to musician appearances, signings and live performances)
that it’s difficult to fit in everything you want to see even if you’re there
for the duration. Still, I managed to see quite a bit.
JAN. 22
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| Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM |
Influential electronic artist Moby held court at the Hilton Anaheim’s NAMM Foundation Lounge for the Thursday morning Generation Next Keynote, “Inside the Practice Room.”
It was moderated
by the foundation’s executive director Mary Luehrsen.
Moby discussed his traditional music background studying
classical guitar, how everything changed after discovering punk rock as a
teenager and said his goal as a musician and listener is to find things that
resonate.
“I don’t care how it’s made, whether it’s ‘Rhapsody in
Blue’ or ‘Drop it Like it’s Hot’ [by Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell]. Each person
relates to music subjectively. How it is disseminated is up to the individual.
Be open to everything.”
After touching upon studies which found music education
has been proven to improve students’ SAT scores, Moby asked, “so why are we
taking money away from arts education in favor of sports” that can do
irreparable harm? That drew loud applause.
He started working with a music therapy organization a
dozen years ago and discovered “music is one of the best healing modalities on
the planet. This is documented fact. So many of our individual experiences have
the power to heal. I love different art forms, but nothing has affected me like
music,” he said.
Then Luehrsen asked Moby about his career arc. One
interesting anecdote revolved around the moderate success of “Everything
is Wrong” in 1995. A more aggressive follow up “sold nothing and my career ended,
basically.” A gig in Paris drew only 40 people. “I thought of going back to
school.”
Before the release of 1999's “Play” – “made on crummy equipment
in my bedroom on a $10,000 budget” - it was rejected by various
American labels. Upstart V2 took interest and the album eventually went double
platinum here.
Moby gave advice to young musicians in the audience:
“Don’t learn how to do anything else. Love what you do. Be as open minded as
possible to what people say."
After his U.S. popularity took a downturn in later years,
Moby focused more on Europe. A speech by David Lynch, where the director said
“creativity is beautiful,” was inspiring. “It is the only thing worth
pursuing,” noted Moby. “Fame and wealth in themselves deliver nothing.”
Other subjects in the thought-provoking chat included
Moby’s home studio, still located in his bedroom (“I have 350 analog drum
machines; the world’s largest collection”); fear of failure (“don’t be afraid
to sound bad…we’re all human and get scared. Even rappers and pop stars
do”).
Luehrsen tried to get Moby to play one of his songs with the keyboards onstage. Instead, he grabbed an acoustic guitar and humorously demonstrated some of his party tricks involving cover songs.
The best place for people to watch rising talent in an
intimate live setting without distractions is the Taylor Guitars showcase room.
Each year, the El Cajon, Calif.-based instrument company puts together a solid lineup on the convention center’s second level away from all the
hustle and bustle below.
Chase
Bryant got the ball rolling in the afternoon with a fine dose
of modern country sounds. “It’s like the living room sessions in here,” quipped the 21-year-old Texas singer/guitarist, before rousing opener “Wayfarer Weather.”
The first of several tracks played from last year’s great self-titled debut EP,
it expertly segued into Bryan Adams’ “Run to You.”
Bryant’s heartfelt, wailing
vocal on the marriage-themed ballad “Change Your Name” was a highlight, while
an upbeat new song from the upcoming full-length effort was catchy in a Hunter
Hayes way.
Joking about his look, Bryant affirmed that he’s worn
tight jeans and short cropped hair for several years. Then he closed with top
20 country hit earworm “Take it on Back,” displayed some fine fretwork and the
group did exceptional cascading harmonies.
JAN. 23
Stewart
Copeland had nearly everyone in stitches during most of Friday morning's H.O.T. Zone
opening session.
The legendary drummer, best known for his stint in The Police, arrived early for his talk and graciously offered to sign
items for fans. Following a quick career montage video, Copeland started his
fun yet fascinating keynote talk by recalling how his music career began, an
early punk band and how Sting and Andy Summers were recruited.
On the guitarist, he said, “Andy had harmonic
sophistication which prompted Sting to write songs.” When the moderator asked
whether they had any notion of pop stardom ahead, Copeland admitted, “We had no
expectation of it lasting beyond six months.”
Having some UK hits led to record execs being in the
recording studio for the first time as they made “Zenyatta Mondatta.”
There were some tidbits about songs such as “Every Breath
You Take” (“we fought over it for two weeks”), “Every Little Thing She Does is
Magic” (“we tried it every which way; it was done in one or two takes") and
“Murder By Numbers” (“it’s really raw; the first run through is what is on the
record”).
Turning to technological changes, Copeland discussed how
“it is a D.I.Y. world now. The threshold has been lowered. Kids these days do
it all. The process has been democratized…you don’t need to practice for hours.
It goes back to the campfire days.
“The downside is the bar has been widened,” he continued.
“How do you get noticed? It’s down to you and that’s an improvement. It’s no
longer up to ‘the man.’”
Among the more interesting audience Q&A topics:
Copeland’s shrewd self-promotion in the 1970s Curved Air days (he’d send
letters to Melody Maker in different handwriting raving how brilliant the band
was live – and got in the music paper) and rhythmic style (“it’s no intellectual
exercise; it was all visceral and instinctive”).
Back over at Taylor, Blondfire’s
indie pop music was just as enthralling in a semi-acoustic format (two acoustic
guitars, drums, Moog synth) as it is on sophomore album “Young Heart.” The
LA-based band has shared stages with the likes of Relient K, Kongos, Foals, The
Sounds and Mowgli’s in recent years. Here, they opened with a luxurious “Hide
& Seek.”
Some dual male/female vocal interplay between Erica Driscoll and
tour guitarist Steve Stout sometimes recalled The Naked and Famous and Ivy (that
band’s Andy Chase produced early Blondfire material). Standouts included the
infectious, dancey “Dear in Your Headlights” - Driscoll called it a “party
anthem” - the upbeat “Walking with Giants” and strident “Waves,” which proved
perfect in this format.
The same held true for Vintage Trouble, whose most recent EP is “The Swing House Acoustic
Sessions.” Following Blondfire on the Taylor stage, the LA band definitely
didn’t disappoint.
Having only seen a previous appearance at the Coachella Festival
from afar, this was a much better way to experience their R&B/soul hybrid
sound. The amazing set started out with the guys seated on stools, but lead vocalist
Ty Taylor could barely contain his enthusiasm.
Before launching with “Lo and Behold,” he compared NAMM
to being like Christmas for musicians and said the band was glad to pay homage
to the guitar company. A breezy “Never Mine” had the crowd dutifully waving
their hands in the air upon Ty’s urging. “Strike Your Light,” propelled by
Nalle Colt’s quick guitar work, featured wild call and response action and saw
Ty go on walkabout like the show was in a small club. Later, he’d spin in
circles and fall to his knees recalling the heyday of James Brown and Wilson
Pickett. Finally in electric mode, Vintage Trouble closed with the powerful
“Blues Hand Me Down.”
There are plenty of hot tickets at NAMM. One of the most
sought-after is the Yamaha Dealers Concert. Presented at the Hyperion Theater
in Disney’s California Adventure park, the Friday evening event featured top
names in jazz, classical, adult contemporary pop and soul music. Many of them
played a Yamaha piano.
It was emceed by actor/comedian Sinbad, who arrived onstage pretending
to play trumpet in front of the large house band and orchestra. YouTube
sensation The Piano Guys opened the
3 1/2-hour show with instrumental cello and piano versions of the “Charlie Brown
Medley,” a racing “Kung Fu Panda: Cello Ascends” and One Direction’s “What
Makes You Beautiful.” On the latter, main Guys Jon Schmidt and Steven Nelson
were joined by their two collaborators to comically pluck and pound the inside of the piano as it was
played.
Then famed sax man Tom
Scott did one of his funky songs from the 1970s. Band leader/bassist Nathan East stepped front and center for
a take on Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke” – made supremely soulful by three female
backing vocalists. David Paich and Steve Porcaro, the keyboardists for
Toto, did an intriguing version of their band’s 1983 chart topper “Africa” with
full orchestra. Paich even gave some background on how it was written using the
technology of the time.
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| Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM |
Colbie
Caillat was quite busy at various NAMM events. She was at the
breakfast session on Thursday and the She Rock Music Awards on Friday night.
Then she immediately came to the Yamaha shindig.
Playing acoustic guitar (accompanied by the huge ensemble), Caillat did her sweet hit “Bubbly.”
Moving to piano, she performed a dramatic “Try” off last year’s “Gypsy
Heart.” Considerably lightening the mood, the artist ended with the upbeat, ebullient
“Brighter Than the Sun,” heightened by supple backing vocals.
Veteran Grammy-winning keyboardist/producer Bob James (the “father of smooth jazz”)
displayed his prowess on some classy instrumentals.
“I’m thrilled to be playing with an orchestra,” enthused James Blunt, who apparently flew in
just for this occasion. The popular Brit started out on piano for the
insistent, string section-enriched “1973” and slow, solemn “Goodbye My Lover”
(both UK top 10 singles). Switching to acoustic guitar, Blunt did his multi-million
selling ballad “You’re Beautiful” to much applause. But the highlight was the
inspiring “Bonfire Heart” from 2013’s “Moon Landing.”
Jonathan
Butler was downright jubilant on his ’87 pop hit “Lies.” The
smooth jazz guitarist also sang a song in his native Africa’s language before
seguing into a slow and beautiful “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley. The
audience gave it a standing ovation.
Yet the best was saved for last. Jamie Cullum – whose new album “Interlude” finally arrived in
American stores this week – served as the de facto headliner. One of the most
successful jazz/pop artists from Britain, he opened with best known number
“These Are the Days,” eventually ditching a coat and rolling up his sleeves.
Cullum energetically played piano, left it to sing front and center, then hopped
back on the bench during the relaxed arrangement’s trumpet solo.
“Yamaha supported me from the very beginning, even when
they were advised not to,” said Cullum, whose forceful style can wreak havoc on
a piano. The snazzy, slow build revamp of Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” was
a highlight; it found him beating on the instrument and beat boxing a nod to
Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something.” Bob James joined Cullum for a
terrific piano duet of Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things.”
Prior to the syncopated glee of “Mix Tape,” the Brit admitted
he “goes mental sometimes.” Indeed, he proceeded to kick away the piano bench
and jump up as the orchestration swelled.
The spirited Yamaha finale featured East, Sinbad and another
vocalist leading Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” which East won
a Grammy for playing on.
JAN. 24
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| photo by Bob Steshetz |
NAMM President/CEO Joe Lamond interviewed Apple
co-founded Steve Wozniak for the
Saturday breakfast session at Hilton Anaheim’s packed Pacific Ballroom. The absorbing
conversation covered various facets of the tech titan’s life.
Regarding the 1982-83 US Festivals in Devore, Calif., he
said, “the goal was to have a good product, not to make money.” The festival
also was the first to use a large projection screen near the stage. Promoter
Bill Graham apparently didn’t think much of it.
Neither did concertgoers when
the images shown were the first satellite video link to the Soviet Union. Band
sets were shared from each country. “It got some boos. Back then, the Soviets were
like Al-Qaeda.”
Woz talked about designing primitive color video games, relayed
that one of his goals was to “have the end in mind and ask, ‘how do I get
there?’” and discussed being proud of the evolution of early Apple computers.
When Woz said he really likes musicians because “a little
mischievousness leads to creativity,” it drew cheers. So did the statement that
“the best engineers at Apple always had a good music background…I like
simplicity. What people wear or their haircut shouldn’t matter.”
The topic of education led to Woz to recall his time
spent teaching middle schoolers, but admitting that “life education doesn’t
necessarily have to come from schools.” Growing up, Woz said he wanted to be an engineer and
“build things to make life easier.” Much later, a life mantra of “food, fun and
friends” became very important. Equally vital is “the quality of life is how
much fun you had.”
Back at the convention center, an afternoon H.O.T. Zone
session featured producer/musician/label head Don Was and engineer Ed Cherney discussing their work on Bonnie Raitt’s multi-platinum, triple Grammy-winning “Nick
of Time” album from 1989.
“It’s a tour de force vocally,” said Was, about the
project. “I get very emotional listening to it now. She found songs that really
struck true. She’s a great communicator.
“Nobody saw that success coming,” he continued. “We
didn’t think we were going to be on the radio.”
Harry Bowens, who performed in Was (Not Was) and sang
background on the Raitt album, was in the audience to Was’ surprise. They
hadn’t seen each other in a while and hugged.
“Bonnie blessed us with this record. She’s real and a
sister for life,” said Bowens.
The third day of Taylor Room performances started with an
intense 50-minute solo set by Zane
Carney.
Although the electric guitarist feared his voice would give out, it
never did.
Carney - whose studio and tour credits include John Mayer, Five for
Fighting, Natasha Bedingfield, the “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” cast album with Bono & The Edge and
more – often recalled Jeff Buckley with his fragile falsetto. Standouts included “Talk to Me Baby” and “Cry Me a River,” from the 2013 EP “Confluence”
as well as the jazz standard “Round Midnight” (featuring guest vocals by his
sister Paris) and the seething rock undertow of “Little Miss Untamed.”
Next up was Alex
& Sierra, winners of the third season of “The X Factor.” Their major
label debut came out last October. Lots of teenage girls were in the crowd (and how
exactly did they get into NAMM?).
Backed by a four piece band, the pop duo – and real
life couple - had a good natured repartee onstage, usually staring directly at each
other as they sang the lyrics.
Striking ballad “Little Do You Know” had a
dramatic buildup as Alex broke a string on one of several acoustic guitars he
tried out throughout the performance.
"This is the best place for something like this to happen," he noted. A resonant cover of Civil Wars’ “Barton
Hollow,” with just the two of them onstage, was a perfect fit. The luxurious
jazzy/rock version of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” was a pleasant surprise. Then Alex
& Sierra branched out into folk territory a la The Lumineers on the
whimsical “Cheating” and “Scarecrow” – both high points here.
All told, it was another whirlwind and exciting time again at NAMM. Here's looking to 2016!
Read more of my Taylor Guitars coverage at:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/trouble-649175-taylor-vintage.html
Special thanks to Lippin Group Public Relations and NAMM organizers. Photo of Chase Bryant by Bob Steshetz
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