John Novello is one of the world's most respected keyboardists.
Perhaps most famous to readers of Virtuosity One as a member of the
progressive fusion project Niacin along with Billy Sheehan and Dennis
Chambers, we caught up with John to discuss the new Niacin album 'Organik'
as well as dipping in the bands past, we discuss the merits of the world
famous Hammond B-3 Organ and also what it means to be a musician.
Many thanks for partaking in this interview with
www.virtuosityone.com
. Niacin have just released their 7th album in ‘Organik’.
How has the reaction been from fans and press?
The reaction has been even more phenomenal than Time Crunch which
was incredible as well. I was initially concerned with how were we going
to top Time Crunch but after I heard the final mix, I knew we had pushed
the envelope!
I must admit that it was my first introduction to
the bands work, and I was blown over by your keyboard and Hammond work.
How long did the album take to make?
Wow! You should get up to speed and listen to the previous Niacin
material so you can see the interesting evolution. This particular
CD took 5 days to record, another couple of days of overdubs and minor
fixes and a week to mix and master.
It sounds a very live and interactive album, (Organik
being an apt title), how involved do you get with Billy (Sheehan) and
Dennis (Chambers) in the writing of material?
Billy and I do and over see most of the writing. Once in a
while, Dennis will have a great groove that we’ll use to write a
composition on. I do all the programming and arranging with Billy
adding his great comments and advice.
You are all musicians at the top of your game, yet often when world
class musicians get together it doesn’t always work. What’s the secret
to Niacin’s formula that has kept you guys together for 7 releases?
I believe the answer to this question has to do with experience and
musicality. We all have a lot of hours under our belt playing great
music and so when we blow, we naturally go for the fundamentals of
music which are form and structure, good rhythmic pockets, strong
melodies and good harmonic beds to blow over. Even when we free form
jam, it is pretty musical. We all play for the good of the over all
sound rather than our own personal egos. Our egos get serviced quite
well when the over all sound is great! So we thoroughly enjoy this
project as it's effortless to create and play together!
Does Niacin prefer the studio or the live stage?
Both are challenging and exciting but live is always best
because of one thing - the audience’s energy urging us to new heights
of madness!!! Part of the excitement of this project is we set it up to
have no restrictions of style or commerciality or creativity and I think
our audiences sense this and love it and thus urge us to take leaps and
create notes where no notes have gone before!!!
Can you describe what you feel each member of the
band gives to the music, including yourself?
Well I actually hate dissecting good things but if you insist:
Billy Sheehan - He’s Jimmy Hendrix on the bass! He brings the power
pocket but still manages to play melodically and makes the band sound
like it has a bass and guitar. Billy’s tone and concept are completely
unique which helps Niacin sound different than any other trio.
Dennis Chambers – well… Dennis is an extraterrestrial who brings to the
table the ultimate rhythmic pocket yet without compromising chops which
he has an infinite quantity of. He is the most musical drummer I have
ever heard and played with! He’s Mozart meaning every note he plays is
the exact right note period! How he does this, I do not want to know
but he does it. His energy and feel and concept have no match. He does
with one hand what most drummers can’t do with two.
John Novello – I always let others answer this question as I’m too close
to myself being myself!
You have played with a number of other artists
over the years. Do any particular sessions or gigs stand out?
Chick Corea wrote a tune for our second CD High Bias and played
Rhodes on it. It was a gas having him in the band for that session
especially when he was comping behind me on the Rhodes while I played a
B3 solo! MY late wife Gloria Rusch was an incredible singer with a
timbre like Nat King Cole. I really loved accompanying her. Stevie
Wonder sat in with my band a couple of times and played harmonica – a
very spiritual experience. In 1983 I did a short tour with Edgar
Winter who like Stevie Wonder is an awesome talent. There’s too many to
think of but those few come to mind.
You have a great affinity with the Hammond B-3 –
is this the ultimate keyboard/organ in your eyes?
Yes no question! Even though the organ samples are getting better
and better, the live performance parameters that a B3 has - the leslie
speakers sound, the logarithmic volume pedal, the keyboard feel, the
ergonomics of the dual keyboard, the actual sound of the sine wave
generator and more - I don’t believe will ever be duplicated as if they
were, you’d basically would evolve completely back to the B3 which other
than it’s awkward size and weight is the perfect machine. To me, it’s
out points are few compared to its plus points.
Who are some of your influences past and present?
There are two types of music for me, good and bad. Although
simplistic and subjective, I do believe there are undebatable music
fundamentals that have to be present for it to be qualified as good.
For example – if a singer can’t sing in tune and in time, I don’t care
what else he or she does well, it ain't good. Same with a player who
can’t play in time or
improvise well or get a good tone on his
particular instrument. I mean it'd be like going to a pro basketball
game and see a player who couldn't dribble the ball or make a damn
basket. We wouldn't tolerate that but yet we tolerate this sort of
thing in the music business. Yet in today’s “marketplace” there exists
these outpoints. Composition and performance standards have dwindled
and are dwindling still and for what – greed! So again, I believe all
musical styles are valid but that said….. to be qualified as even good
let alone great, the fundamentals should be nailed don't you think? It
seems the entire world lately has no integrity as far as standards
anymore. Science and technology are improving but the humanities,
ethics and morals and spirituality are dwindling. Society is agreeing
to be drugged, even our children. We have become a quick fix society
instead of one with integrity and quality; there is no right and wrong
anymore. All of this said, we love great music and try like crazy to
passionately create it. So if it’s great – Bach, Beethoven Stravinsky, Bartok, Penderecki, Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea, Keith Emerson, Jimmy
Smith, Tower of Power, The Vanilla Fudge, Traffic, The Cream, Hendrix,
Led Zeppelin, Gonzalo Rubalcaba – it has most definitely influenced me
and I am always on the look for other great music to listen to.
What’s in the pipeline for 2006?
Niacin tours, John Novello Project Tours, a couple of movie scores,
a solo piano jazz CD, a new instructional book called The Contemporary
Keyboardist for Beginners, and more spiritual study!
Any other final messages for our readers?
Thanks for all of their support!
Peace,
John
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