Smooth JazzNotes

Randy Jacobs is one of the most in-demand sidemen in Smooth Jazz. He was the lead guitarist on the Dave Koz cruise in November and he will be playing on both cruises this month. When he isn’t working in the Smooth Jazz genre, he’s playing with his own band, The Boneshakers, a renowned blues band. At 22, he co-wrote the top 10 R&B hit Wide Receiver with former Miles Davis bassist Michael Henderson and later co-wrote the worldwide pop smash Walk the Dinosaur as a member of the alternative Detroit group Was (Not Was.) He has backed such artists as Bonnie Raitt, BB King, Willie Nelson, Tears For Fears, Marcia Ball, Dr. Dre, Billy Preston, Bruce Hornsby, Ringo Starr, Ofra Haza, Kris Kristopherson, Iggy Pop, Earl Klugh, Khaled, Paula Abdul, Commissioned, Chet Atkins, Diane Shurr, Michael McDonald, Elton John, Herbie Hancock, and Seal to name a few. More recently, he has worked in Smooth Jazz being a sideman for Jeff Golub, Warren Hill, Rick Braun, Euge Groove, Mindi Abair, Dave Koz, Michael Lington, Oleta Adams, Wayman Tisdale, Peter White and Marc Antoine among others.

SJN: When did you first start playing guitar?

Randy: When I was 13 years old. I was inspired by a lot of people in the neighborhood. At the time, Earl Klugh lived two blocks from me. Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier lived down the street, Stevie Wonder lived around the corner and a lot of the guys from the Miracles lived just blocks away. In Detroit when I was young, there were a lot of great guitar players around. Guitarist Eddie Willis, was one of them. He played on a lot of the Motown records. I met Bruce Narzarian, who was a guitarist with Brownsville Station, and a lot of other Detroit acts which I learned a lot from. It was a good place to be and learn. I used to go to the Baker’s Keyboard Lounge when I could get in, even when I wasn’t old enough to get in, and I would see great people play like McCoy Tyner.

SJN: Do you play any other instruments?

Randy: I play bass, and a little keyboards and drums. Although, I haven’t attacked drums in a long time, so just scratch off that one.(laughs) If you look at my card, it just says guitar player, you don’t see songwriter, producer, Cuisinart guy, foot massager…you just see guitar player, that’s who I am!

SJN: How did you get started in the music business?

Randy: I was 13 years old and had only been playing for five or six months, but I had a real affinity for playing rhythm guitar, I loved playing rhythm and there was a singing group that asked me to play for them called OPUS 4, but I really didn’t know what I was doing(laughs). Sylvia Moy was the writer and producer. She wrote Fingertips and My Cherie Amour for Stevie Wonder and that was my first real foray into making records. Then I started playing out a bit, I met Motown singer songwriter Barrett Strong, then producer Don Davis. I continued to play for a lot of local acts. I started playing with Brook Benton for a couple of shows when he came into town and that’s where I met Michael Henderson, Miles Davis’ former bass player, but he also had some success on his own. He wrote You Are My Starship, which they still play on smooth jazz radio. I played with him for six years and from there made the jump to Was(Not Was). One moment you are playing at somebody’s house and the next thing you know you are in the studio. Detroit was that kind of place and I am sure it was that way for a lot of people.

SJN: You have had a blues band called the Boneshakers since 1994. I understand that Bonnie Raitt gave the Boneshakers their name. Could you please tell us about that?

Randy: We were working on Bonnie’s Longing In Our Hearts and singer Sweetpea Atkinson and myself were standing outside just waiting. We had just finished tracks and we were standing and talking just waiting to go back in and Bonnie came out and said, ‘What are you doing out here just shaking those bones?’ We had just started working on songs and I was looking for a name, so we became the Boneshakers.

SJN: You have released five CD’s with the Boneshakers?

Randy: Yes, three studio, and two live. Our first two records are on Point Blank/Virgin Records and the last three have been released by myself.

SJN: And now you have released your first solo CD, From Me to You. Could you please tell us about that?

Randy: That started at Yoshi’s two years ago in October of 2004 when I played at Yoshi’s with Rick Braun. I would play an acoustic interlude that led into, Love Will Find A Way and a lot of people in the audience said, 'You know it would be great if you did a whole record that sounded like that with acoustic guitar.' The more I started to think about it I thought ‘Well, I have the songs!’, because whenever I sit and play acoustic guitar I am always writing songs, whether it’s for the Boneshakers or songs that just come to me. So, I had a lot of music that I had no outlet for. I definitely couldn’t use them for the Boneshakers, but I thought ‘Wow, those could work perfect for an acoustic project!’ Initially in my mind, From Me To You was supposed to be a totally straight acoustic guitar record. But my co-producer Jon Gilutin, who is a great keyboard player, arranger, and writer had me go back and add electric guitar on some parts. He said it wouldn’t be a Randy Jacobs CD without some funk. That’s how it came about, from people originally asking me about my acoustic playing.

SJN: You seem to be the cruise king! You were on Dave Koz’s cruise in November and you are going on both cruises this month. I’m sure you realize a lot of folks out there really envy you, please tell us about the cruises?

Randy: Warren Hill played on a cruise in 2003 in which, I didn’t go because at the time my son had a science project due and I needed to be daddy. That cruise really wasn’t designed for smooth jazz. Andre Berry told me, when they got back that Warren was going to start up his own cruise next year (2004). Of course, being in Warren’s band he recruited myself, Andre Berry, Dave Hooper, and Ronnie Gutierrez to be part of his house band. At that time, we really didn’t have a set keyboard player, so he hired Brian Simpson. From that cruise in 2004, it just escalated. Dave Koz preformed three songs on that cruise and then hosted his first cruise in 2005. He liked our band and he needed a second band for his venue, so he had Andre, myself, Dave Hooper, Ronnie Gutierrez, and Ron Reinhardt come over and do his cruise. The next one I was involved with was the All Star Cruise hosted by Rick Braun. I did the All Star Cruise because I played with Rick and knew Mindi Abair and Euge’s songs. I had rehearsed with Michael Lington for another show that didn’t happen, so I knew everybody’s material. Ever since then, I have been the only guy who has done all of the cruises. So here we are again, I did Koz’s cruise in November, and I am doing Wayman’s (as house guitarist) and Culbertson’s cruise (with Down To The Bone) this month. I also did the Legendary Blues Cruise with the Boneshakers this past October. Just give me a captain’s hat!

SJN: Who will you be playing with this year?

Randy: After the cruises, This year I’m starting out with Dave Koz in February. He has a big show at the Beacon Theatre promoting his At The Movies CD. Then, I will be playing with Warren Hill and at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, which we played last year. It’s hard to say until I see everyone’s schedule, but I’ll probably play with Rick Braun, Warren Hill, and Dave Koz and I have shows with the Boneshakers as well.

SJN: What are your plans for the future?

Randy: I just want to keep playing and raising my son. I don’t sit around and think that I need to have a solo career to make my life complete. My goal is to do one more Randy Jacobs record and a brand new Boneshakers record by the end of the year. I’m going to Scotland with the Boneshakers in 2007. I’m hoping I can cultivate the Boneshaker thing for the European market. I want to continue to keep learning and enjoying myself with these great musicians that I play with. I want to be like John Lee Hooker where they wheel me out in a wheelchair, I get up and play, and I get back in the wheelchair and I go to the next place until I can’t play anymore.

SJN: You mentioned that you have a son, does he live with you?

Randy: He lives with me part of the time and he stays with his mom too. I was sort of in transition for a while getting a new place. It’s hard because I go out of town, she watches him and when I am back in town we are together all the time. It’s been great because one of the best things about smooth jazz is that I haven’t been away for long periods of time. Before he was born I was going away for five months at a time. I’d put all my stuff in storage and not think about it. When I got married I still did a little bit of that but after Daniel was born I stopped long tours. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t be gone for a five or six month tour. I knew if I was going to have a child I had to make him the priority and still somehow try to make music work. When he was only three months old, I got a call to do a Willie Nelson session and I had to take him with me and do the first two hours until his mother could come pick him up. The receptionists at Oceanway all lined up to help me. It was great. When Daniel was old enough to stand up, I played with Ringo Starr and I remember he wouldn’t sit with anybody so he was hanging on my leg and crying because he wanted me to pick him up all the time. Ringo was so cool about it and they totally understood. When the session was over I picked him up and gave him his bottle and everything was wonderful.

SJN: So how old is your son?

Randy: Daniel is 11 and will be 12 this year. He has an electronic drum kit that he bangs on. He really likes drummers Dave Hooper and Rayford Griffin. He’s checking out the best drummers in the business. I told him if he wanted to do music that he has to go to school for it. I’m self-taught but I told him if he went to school for music he would have a lot more opportunities. He’s really good at gymnastics and basketball like I was when I was young. Maybe he can be like Wayman and do both of his loves.

SJN: Thank you so much for allowing us to interview you.

Randy: Thank you and have a wonderful 2007!!