An Iterview w/ Chico Huff
- Bernie Capodici
- Jan 2, 2015
- 4 min read
Chronicle
Chico it's a great pleasure to have this opportunity to speak with you. To be honest I'm not even sure I know where to start with you. You have had a profound effect on every player I have talked to where you name has come up. Chronicle Looking back, what would you say your most fulfilling musical experience has been to date? Chico There have indeed been many and I'm very grateful for that fact. For me, the transcendent moments have been performing with Jef Lee Johnson and with the Celtic band, Solas. These are both situations where I really felt at home and truly a part of of what was going on. Chronicle Are you still playing your Ken Smith 5 string? Chico I play Callowhill basses now, built buy the great luthier Tim Cloonan. http://www.callowhillbass.com/ I played Smith basses for years but for me the Callowhill basses really hit the mark for sound, comfort and weight. Tim really gets it! Chronicle Your bio reads like a who's who in the music world; tell us about some of the highlights. Chico Good question! The South Street Seaport Museum in NYC with James Taylor and the Taylor Family. Playing with Jeff Golub. Recording on a movie soundtrack with Carly Simon. Touring with Jef Lee in Europe. Touring with Solas. Jamming with John Belushi and Dr John at the Hot Tin Roof on Martha’s Vineyard. Getting to hear an amazing version of The Millworker performed by JT during a rehearsal in a beautiful barn on the vineyard. Any time I get to play with Ron Jennings and Erik Johnson! Playing with the great jazz violinist John Blake Jr. I've been blessed! I also had a blast playing recently at World Cafe with the band Birds Over Arkansas. Chronicle I see you mentioned Jeff Lee Johnson, who in my opinion was a-one-of-a-kind original. What do you want people to know about him? Chico Many people know him as a brilliant guitarist. I would hope that people discover what a brilliant singer/songwriter/lyricist he was by listening to his incredible output of recordings. He will be sorely missed and I'm truly one of the lucky ones to have known him as well as I did. Chronicle You've also played with my writing partner Jeff Bichaylo, is he a trip or what? Chico Jeff is brilliant! A mad scientist of sound, for sure. We've talked about putting something together again (after briefly playing with a band called Resistance Message with Jef) with Adam Guth and hopefully that will happen in the new year! Chronicle You also are currently working with my good friend Phyllis Chapell and Siora. What's it like working with our gal Pee? Chico Actually I haven't really been working with Siora but am happy any chance I get to make music with the wonderful Phyllis Chapell! When she dances the samba sometimes I forget to play, though. ;-)
Chico To be truthful all honest music is my passion. I'm kind of a jack-of-all-trades but master of none. I love it all! Presently I'm playing a Christmas show and one of the other acts on the bill is the incredible Foghorn Stringband. I'm so impressed with them, they're so dug-in to that style of music. In some ways I wish I had one thing I really did 100% but, on the other hand, it's a blast trying to nail as many styles as I can manage. Chronicle What's your take on the state of jazz today? Chico That's a big question. Not sure I'm totally qualified to answer. I do find myself returning often to Miles, Coltrane, etc. but that doesn't really mean I think jazz was better then. I think I just have a deeper connection to these artists as I grew up listening to them, I learned about jazz listening to them. This goes for early Weather Report, RTF (etc) as well. I suppose jazz has become a lot more stylistically broad now. There's some incredible music being composed and played now and I need to make an effort to search it out. Johnathan Blake has a beautiful album out called "Gone, But Not Forgotten" that really caught my ear. Very organic. Chris Potter and Mark Turner are just tearing it up! I've taken a lot of detours listening-wise: electronic music, old time music etc. Jazz is still very much alive and vibrant, incredible young players keeping the flame burning and adding their own flavor. The new year will find me going out more and hearing more live music, no doubt! Chronicle At one point you had your own band, The Sunday James Band, is that still happening? Chico The Sunday James Band is a wedding/party type band. It's a pay-the-bills band, but I'm very fortunate that some of my favorite all-time musicians are in the band. :-) Chronicle Having a jazz band and keeping it viable is a daunting task, are you comfortable in a band leader’s roll? Chico I don't have a jazz band but would like to when I grow up! Chronicle Is your dream to play Carnegie Hall still on your bucket list? Chico I think I need to practice some more. Ha! Chronicle What's the future look like for Chico Huff? Chico I'll keep playing music as long as I can. I'd also love to one day drive cross-country and up through the Canadian Rockies. Been a dream of mine for years! Chronicle Chico, we wish you all the best man, and again thank you for taking the time to speak with The Drivetime Chronicles. https://www.facebook.com/chico.huff
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