In
the arts whether you are a painter, writer or a composer, there tend to be
more followers than there are true innovators. That is not to take anything
away from the talented artists who interpret a particular art form through
their own lens, but instead it serves as a compliment those who initially
blaze the trails, often at the risk of having their art rejected. In the
world of music, the pressures to conform are often even greater for an
emerging artist, because commercial success can determine the longevity of
careers. It is therefore, always refreshing when one has the opportunity to
sit down and chat with a truly creative force such as New York City’s Dana
Leong, who fuses jazz with hip-hop, while creating brilliant arrangements.
“I guess some people could see it as a risky way to operate, but honestly, I find that I am just creating the music as it comes to me, and using my time as wisely as I can. At the point when I was ready to debut my first album, I was on the fence as to whether or not I was going to use lots of lyrics, with the spoken word and music, or if I was going to go with something truly instrumental. The split was not so much between art and commerce, but it was about the presentation of the music and what direction it was (aimed at). The way that I look at it, there are two types of music; there is music for presentation in the traditional art format, when you are in a venue that is seated and meant for listening. The people are less reactionary and more about taking in the experience of the concert. The second (kind) of music is for situations which take place in different types of venues, where the people may be able to stand, drink, dance or talk. No reservation exits as far as to how they can interact with the music and the musicians,” says Leong.
Responding to our question concerning what type of audience he usually attracts to his concerts Leong responds, “There is a pretty mixed demographic, and that surprises me every time. A lot of times, there is a large age range and I am really surprised at that. There is no real cultural demographic. We just get music lovers coming out. I get a lot of crossover audiences from having toured with Paquito D’Rivera, Henry Threadgill, and other jazz masters. We get people who come out and want to see what I am up to, and people who are cutting edge technology freaks, who follow viral marketing, myspace and youtube. We get some very active crowds. “
“Bonefied,” the opening track from Anthems Of Life released in November of 2007, introduces the listener to Leong’s Avant-garde approach to music. The track features the rapping of Sam Strange, backed by trumpets and trombones. For those who love to feel the beat of hip-hop, the music gives them ample reason to move their feet and hips. For those who like to dig a little deeper into the arrangements, they too should come away with sufficient reasons to keep listening.
Leong explains how “Bonefied,” came to be, “It came about very organically. It was something that came to me while on the subway going to a gig at Nu Blue, a club in downtown Manhattan. I told the band that we were going to do it, that this was the direction we were going to take, and this was the feel (of the music). (The club) was a party (atmosphere) with people dancing, having drinks and talking. We would improvise to keep the pace moving, and at the right speed, so we could keep people in the groove. We still had solos, improvisation and different lyrical aspects. I liked the vibe. It was like a big wall of sound. That is how it started, and then as a band, we started to tighten it up.”
“I recorded it (“Bonefied”) in the studio by myself. Every single instrument from the drums, the synthesizer, the bass, all the guitars, all the trombones, all the trumpets, and the string section which was done with a single cello, was all done just by me. I brought in a good friend Sam Strange to co-write some lyrics with me. We tried a number of MCs, before we came up with the idea of using Sam. We were searching for a certain type of sound, character and lyrical quality. It is a strong and majestic song,” says Leong.
