[Creative Fridays] #4: Azmyl Yunor

Tweet

For today's [Creative Fridays], I have the cool singer-songwriter/college professor Azmyl Yunor! I first met Azmyl many years ago in a underground music hub called Paul's Place. At that time, it was located in Damansara Uptown.

In fact, I have a blog post from 2004 documenting that very encounter here: [First time I met Azmyl Yunor]

Let's check out what inspires Azmyl and what he's up to now....

 

1. What's your latest project? 
New album "Wilayah" by Azmyl Yunor & the Sigarettes! Full on folk rockin' with my touring band! Launch on Monday 5th March 2012 @ No Black Tie! Mari-mari!

2. What inspires your music? 
Walking or wandering around a new town; idling while looking at nature; talking to strangers; traveling or driving somewhere; getting lost; feeling sorry for myself; empathy; the kindness of strangers; history; local food & beverages (Malaysian and anywhere I travel to); 

3. What's your 5 Desert Island Albums? [ the five albums that you could listen on repeat forever]

- "Pujaan Pop" (Best of...series)  - A. Romzi & the Hooks
- "Pujaan Pop"  (Best of...series) - Kassim Selamat & the Swallows  
- "Return of the Repressed: The Anthology" - John Fahey
- "Murmur" - R.E.M.
- "Album Best Seller Selection" (Best of...) - Iwan Fals

4. Who's one artist/musician that you love but most people probably don't know of? [you can include specific album or songs if you'd like and why you like his/her/the group's music.]
Datuk David Arumugam of Alleycats - his plaintive rough-around-the-edges voice in songs like "Hingga Akhir Nanti" and "Andainya Aku Pergi Dulu" made me wanna a sing as a kid. 

5. What's an advice you wish someone told you when you started in the arts? 
Do it for yourself first, everything else second. 

6. How do we reach you?

Website: http://www.azmylyunor.com [currently under renovation!]
Twitter: twitter.com/azmyl
Facebook: facebook.com/azmylyunor
Email: azmylyunor@gmail.com
Blog: reverbnation.com/azmylyunor

****
If you liked this interview, do read other [Creative Fridays] posts here:
http://www.azsamad.com/creative-fridays

Tweet

PI Jazz Fest 2012 for for the win!

Tweet

Tweet

[Philippines VLog #1]

Tweet

Tweet

[Creative Fridays] #3 : Dylan Kay

Tweet

I first met Jazz Guitarist Dylan Kay while we were both studying in Berklee College of Music. We had a mutual friend, Swedish guitarist Magnus Lindstrom and at some point we became a guitar trio and had different opportunities to perform together. We remained friends even after graduating and I've visited him a bunch of times when he was based in London. Fairly soon though, he will be relocating to New Zealand. My own dream is to get a chance to tour with him when he's finally based in the same region.

More about Dylan: He's been on faculty at Guitar Insitute London, led his group 1224 Project and has been teaching for year at differents schools in London. For an exclusive lesson with him, check out his guest blog post on A Chord A Day here.

For now, in our 3rd installment of Creative Fridays, we'll learn more about what inspires this creative musician....


 

1. What's your latest project? 
“What Happened to The Foot” is my latest CD with 1224 Project. It’s all original compositions (plus a re-worked medley of a couple of Nirvana tunes). The trio features two incredible musicians (and great friends) I have played with for a long time – David Bouet (drums) and Leslee Booth (6-string bass).

2. What inspires your music?
My mum, Lynette Kay, is an abstract artist. Through enjoying her work, I have become more and more aware of the similarities and differences between these art forms. I am always hugely inspired by visiting galleries and exhibitions (I also studied a lot of Art History at university…)

3. What's your 5 Desert Island Albums?
"Bright Size Life" Pat Metheny
His first album as leader... a big initial inspiration for me.

"Yo Hey" David Tronzo
Live album from 1996. Incredible music and playing! A genius. (See question 4)

"Quiet" John Scofield
I used to listen to this endlessly – a radical departure for Sco, but absolutely beautiful in every way.

“King of the Delta Blues Singers” Robert Johnson 
This scared the hell out of me the first time I heard it, and I really did not know how to relate to it. Unbelievable.

Blue" - Joni Mitchell. An album I have listened to intensely for a long time. Just beautiful.

4. Who's one artist/musician that you love but most people probably don't know of? 
It has got to be slide guitarist David Tronzo. I think it’s absolutely criminal that this guy isn’t a household name. Tronzo is possibly the most incredible musician and most fearless improviser I have ever heard. A huge inspiration to me (and pretty much anyone else who’s heard him play…)

5. What's an advice you wish someone told you when you started in the arts? 
I often find that people have already told me what I needed to know – I just didn’t realize it at the time! Perhaps this would have been particularly helpful though: to know that everyone progresses in their own way, at their own pace. Don’t be swayed or intimidated by people who seem to be further down their own particular path.

6. How do we reach you?
Website: www.dylankay.co.uk
Buy CD/Album/MP3 Link: www.1224project.co.uk/music

Tweet

[Creative Fridays] #2 : Deborah Crooks

Tweet

Welcome to the 2nd installment of [Creative Fridays]

Today, I talk to San Francisco Bay Area-based singer-songwriter Deborah Crooks. When I first arrived in the Bay Area in 2007, the very first gig I played was a show at Caffe Trieste in Downtown San Francisco. She co-hosted the show with singer-songwriter Steven Kacsmar. It was a fun gig and since then, I've followed her career updates even though we didn't crossed paths again in gigs for two years. 

In 2010, at the very cool Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse Open Mic in Downtown Berkeley, we met again and started to talk while waiting to sign up to play. We had a chance to talk, catch up & since then probably been more connected than ever! I'm grateful for the combination of social media platforms (FB & Twitter) that now we're definitely more in touch -- even after I've relocated back to Malaysia.

Deborah Crooks's music is personal - a blend of Americana, rootsy rock and confessional storytelling. Come and learn more about her as she shares her inspiration, current projects and favorite music.

1. What's your latest project? 
I'm in Mysore, India right now, having sort of a writing retreat and yoga study intensive for two months, with the goal to start recording my third full-length CD upon my return to the US at the end of January. My latest complete project was making my first video, a collaboration with Blue Lotus Films for the song "Let's Move" from my CD '2010' (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deborahcrooks2) You can see the results here:http://youtu.be/3U7rdTB0qn8 

2. What inspires your music? [real life experiences, nature, art, people you know etc.] 
Pretty much facets of all those things! Subject-wise, I'm most concerned with the emotional landscape of various real-life experiences and family history, and I have a long-standing love of the natural landscape (I have a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on Natural History from UCSA) so geographical and avian references often crop up in my lyrics. As far as straight-up inspiration, my go-to's are regular yoga practice (Mysore-style Ashtanga) and listening to live music.

3. What's your 5 Desert Island Albums? 
Oh, these type of questions are painful! That said, I'd want a mix of excellent songwriters I look to for inspiration, artists to whom I can always rock, and a bit of jazz and classical, so today, I'll say, in no particular order:
1) 'Car Wheels on a Gravel Road' Lucinda Williams
2) 'Time (The Revelator)' Gillian Welch
3) 'Lift Every Voice,' Charles Lloyd
4) 'The Live Anthology' Tom Petty
5) 'Clarinet & Bassoon Concertos', Mozart

4. Who's one artist/musician that you love but most people probably don't know of? 
A songwriter who I think is doing great work but is as yet, not super famous, is Nashville artist Sarah Siskind. She has a beautiful voice that's at once full, smooth and raw, is fearless in her level of lyrical honesty and made a wonderful album"Say it Louder" that's both heart-breaking and redemptive. 

5. What's an advice you wish someone told you when you started in the arts? 
Someone may have told me but I think it's the most important thing: don't try to be anyone but yourself and respect your process.

6. How do we reach you?
Website: www.deborahcrooks.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/deborahcrooks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeborahCrooksMusic
Tumblr: http://deborahcrooks.tumblr.com/
Blog: www.deborahcrooks.blogspot.com

Next week: [Creative Fridays] #3 with London, UK Jazz Guitarist Dylan Kay! 

Thank you so much for reading! 

If you liked this post, please Tweet or Click Like! =)

Tweet