For a guy whose current CD Just Play, received the award for Best Instrumental Jazz CD in the highly competitive L A Independent Music Awards, drummer Craig Pilo comes across as a sincerely humble guy, who spends more time crediting his mentors and fellow collaborators, than he does talking about his personal accomplishments. Pilo, who graduated from the University of North Texas College of Music in 1995, a school that has gained a reputation as a jazz factory, has throughout his career performed with notable artists such as Edgar Winter, Frankie Valli, Pat Boone, Player (“Baby Come Back”), Billy Vera and Deniece Williams. Pilo’s film and television credits include, CSI Miami, Malcolm In The Middle, Ally McBeal, and Dirty Dancing II: Havana Nights, just to name a few. 

“Shades Of Blue,” was one of the tunes that caught the ear of the nominators for the L A Independent Music Awards, and the drummer describes it as a funky blues type of song. The other tune that bent the ear of music professionals in Los Angeles was “ECM,” a tribute to Herbie Hancock. The song title reflects the record label of the same name, which Pilo says more than anything became associated with a particular style of music.

About the award, Pilo says, “A few people in town told me that it is the biggest award show for independent music, across several different genres. I couldn’t believe that I had won; (in fact) I was quite surprised that I was nominated, because drummers typically don’t win those types of things. How many drummers can you think of, that (others) even consider as songwriters?”

Pilo’s humility mode kicks in when he says, “I have to give credit for the CD winning (the award), to the two piano players on my CD, Mitch Forman who played Fender Rhodes, and doesn’t need a lot of explaining, because anybody who is in jazz (knows him). The other guy is Ed Czach, with whom I work quite a bit. Both of those guys probably deserve the bulk of the credit for my winning. I wrote the arrangements, and three of the tunes on the CD, but it is a little harder to implement ideas, than it is to come up with them. I would make these real vague charts, and come up with a cool groove. My writing is pretty diatonic, and a lot of the chords that you hear came from those two guys. I did all of the arrangements, and all of that kind of stuff, but those guys gave the music a life, and all of those cool color chords that you hear. I certainly think that has to account for something, because I definitely couldn’t have come up with those on my own. They came up with a lot of the parts.”

Just like the old Linda Rondstadt tune in which the singer proclaims that she,  “Marches to the beat of a different drum,” Craig Pilo’s missive in the liner notes of Just Play, sends out a similar message, that  of being true to oneself. In the liner notes he writes, “Often times worrying about what’s appropriate, acceptable, traditional, or correct can prevent us from doing anything at all. The simple fear of being criticized for doing our own thing can damn us to our practice rooms without ever seeing the light of day. At some point, I honestly feel it’s important to let the critics be critics, and for better or worse—Just Play.”

“I have had a lot of inquiries concerning that quote, and a lot of people who are happy that someone said it. I think that part of the quote comes with age. I remember being in a practice room at the University of North Texas, and I kept practicing, while trying to absorb as much technical and musical ability as I could. In music school, it is always a pretty high-pressure situation, with a lot of peer pressure. We would sit out there and as drummers, we would critique other drummers. We would sit there and say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe he did that or he is doing this. This guy is excellent, but not good at this.’ In doing so you realize that when it is your turn out in the field, there could be three hundred guys sitting there, ripping you apart, and critiquing everything that you do. At the same time, while it makes you a little stronger, it sure builds up a little fear that, if you play (a certain way), somebody might not like it. To be honest with you, that can just go on forever, and you can sit there and talk a recording to death. I have seen that happen, and I have worked with artists who will do that. At some point, you just have to do what you do, go out there and just play. That’s where I got the title for the CD,” says Pilo.