New Age Artist Shambhu Interview With The Final On Vinyl

Second interview after over a year with Shambhu as we discussed his most recent release.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

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Transcript

Speaker 0:13

Hello everybody, this is Keith MuzikMan Hannaleck with the Final on Vinyl Podcast, and we are on with Shambhu, who I actually uh interviewed last June, and he most recently uh put out an album called Life Passage, which I covered was released September 29th. Hello, Shambu.

Speaker 2 0:35

Hey, how are you?

Speaker 1 0:36

Very nice to be back with you.

Speaker 0:38

Good.

Speaker 1 0:39

Glad to have you on board again. And uh wonder if you would like to talk about this album. Um I was immediately struck by the cover and the title.

Speaker 0:56

Can you uh let the listening crowd up there know why you chose that title, Life Passage and the cover and what that whole journey was like for you.

Speaker 2 1:08

Yeah, this album really grew out of the pandemic time when many of us were sort of holed up wherever we were, trying to stay motivated and creative. And so I I ended up producing uh two albums during the pandemic, um Heart Awakening, and then this one, Life Passage. So the song Life Passage was sort of an homage to Chick Carria, who I was studying with during the pandemic. He had an online music class, and I was one of 15 or 20 people that were taking the class with him. A genius pianist, jazz pianist, composer who really influenced me. And then just a couple of months after the class, he died out of the blue.

Speaker 1 1:52

He was gone.

Speaker 2 1:52

Yeah, I remember that. And it was so remarkable during during these online classes. I I just saw how abundantly creative and driven he was. He just had music coming out of every pore of his body, and uh it was so inspiring to be with him. So this song Life Passage, which became the title cut of the album, really grew out of uh kind of a way to honor Chick Korea, kind of a reflection on his passing and uh a bow to him.

Speaker 2:23

Nice, nice tribute. Uh I actually saw him at the Concord Jazz Festival in 1985. And uh he was one of many artists that I saw that that day, and I'll never forget it. And of course, all of his great music, his solo music, and um with the great albums that Return to Forever put out, that great super group. So I'm I'm I'm sure you're familiar with all of that work, right?

Speaker 2 2:51

I'm very familiar with it. And uh I actually got a chance to meet him briefly at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Uh and and I think he won that year for Five Peace Band with John McLaughlin, who's another favorite of mine, who's another person who I knew quite well uh through my meditation life. Studying meditation, I met John McLachlan.

Speaker 3:14

When you say that name, the the first thing that pops into my head is Birds of Fire, one of the albums that I had remember that one? Yeah.

Speaker 2 3:23

His second album was remarkable. I mean, I I was a real fanboy of John McLaughlin and kind of got into meditation following his inspiration in Leeds. So uh he's kind of a big influence in my life. And you know, you kind of hear in my music a blend of jazz and new age coming out of my meditation and uh and even pop influences in in my music. But for the most part, Life Passage is a very contemplative meditative piece. Uh, you know, it's it's kind of one of my more artistic uh efforts, very acoustic. Uh you know, holed up in the pandemic, nobody was going into a studio, there were no ensemble recordings happening. So I just kind of recorded this thing at home as I do on my acoustic guitar, and then we added a couple of instrumentalists later.

Speaker 4:15

I see. And just five tracks this time out is the reason why you did it that way, didn't do the normal ten, eleven, twelve tracks.

Speaker 2 4:26

Well, you mean doing it with five tracks rather than ten?

Speaker 1 4:30

Right.

Speaker 2 4:32

Um, you know, I I kind of did my my Heart Awakening album with five tracks, and I decided to put it out versus waiting for another five tracks. So I kinda you know, if you put together Heart Awakening and Life Passage, you get one long album. But the the cool thing is, you know, I I ended up having two of the songs from Heart Awakening play on Sirius XM, which is one of the better venues for music these days. Oh yeah. Yeah. You know, so two out of five on that one. And you know, I've had a cut on Sirius XM for all my albums at least. So hopefully we have some success with uh Life Passage and we get some exposure online.

Speaker 5:15

I'm sure you will. You're one of the staples out there in the genre, that's for sure. And I I noticed uh because of you, the first track featuring Michael Manring, has a very distinct bass sound that um you know just reminds me of a few of the greats that have come and gone. These uh well, Eric Scott really, is the first one that came past the road. Yeah.

Speaker 2 5:43

I met Michael in 2010 recording my first release, Sacred Love, and uh Will Ackerman introduced him to me and and he ended up doing a track on on that album, which is absolutely wonderful. And uh and I and he was recorded extensively with me on my third album, Soothed. Um and that album too, we had two cuts on Sirius XM, which are still playing. So I had I had this cut because of you, and I I just needed this beautiful sustained bass that Michael Manring delivers so perfectly. And uh and it really became kind of a feature of the song hearing that that ebo that he uses to sustain the notes.

Speaker 6:26

Very lovely. Oh, that's what he does. I was just gonna ask you, what is he does he use petals or what's he using to get that effect and that sound?

Speaker 2 6:35

He's got that ebo, which kind of uh makes the strings resonate and sustain as if it was like a cello.

Speaker 6:44

Oh, okay. Can you explain a little more how that works, what that looks like to the folks?

Speaker 2 6:50

I mean, it's just a device that goes in your pick hand and you hold it over the string, and uh the current in that device activates the string to resonate.

Speaker 7:04

Ah, got it.

Speaker 2 7:05

Yeah.

Speaker 7:06

Interesting. Yeah. That that once you start explaining that, uh I I remember now how that that works. Very cool and uh very cool tool for an instrument, you know. And there's just so many different things out there that people use. Are you into using any um vintage equipment? Older older guitars, things of that nature?

Speaker 2 7:29

I would say I'm not. Uh you know, I I I was lucky to discover Taylor guitars around 2008. And uh and then when I did my first album, uh they kindly kind of uh invited me to become a Taylor artist. So I've been using Taylors exclusively, but you know what? I actually love Taylor guitars. They're they're the acoustics are so resonant uh and and full-bodied, and and they also have a really beautiful, bright, balanced tone. So um, you know, you you'll hear on my acoustic and and when I play live acoustic electric, they're tailored guitars. So I haven't really explored vintage guitars. I don't think I could afford them.

Speaker 8:14

So so being a Taylor guitar artist, does that mean they send you guitars to try out and promote and attach your name to it?

Speaker 2 8:22

That kind of probably if I was one of the biggest uh biggest drawing guitar players out there, that might happen. In my case, they've very kindly allowed me to go to their factory and try out a bunch of guitars, pick the one I want, and then uh and then uh I you know I I I get some kind of uh compens you know uh dispensation on the price a little bit as a courtesy.

Speaker 8:47

Nice. Well that's pretty cool. They go to the factory and have did you watch them put guitars together?

Speaker 2 8:53

I I've watched their repair shop, which is incredibly impressive. Uh uh and and they've also done you know re refurbishing of the guitars and and they make them like new. So you know the whole Taylor guitar operation is sensational. I love the sound, and they they really know what they're doing in terms of maintaining their guitars and and uh so they sound amazing. I actually need to take my acoustic and carry it over to their factory in San Diego and see if they can do a quick turnaround. Yeah.

Speaker 9:29

So you're out in California?

Speaker 2 9:31

Uh well, I'm flying to California uh end of the week, but I'm in New York. I'm based in West Hampton, New York.

Speaker 9:37

Uh probably so Made in America, Taylor Guitars, how long have they been around?

Speaker 2 9:48

I don't know. Um, just say as I don't uh I'm not an aficionado of historical guitars, I don't know the history. I'm kind of ensconced in the music, you know. My whole purpose is really um, you know, making music that helps to lift people up uh in these stressful times, you know, music that isn't so much entertainment, but it's sort of like an inner nourishment, you know, so that when you when you're listening to it, you know, you kind of feel a little calmer, a little uh yeah, you have a greater ability to just sort of let go and dream and drift uh and get into your own headspace versus uh being affected by all the stresses around you. So, you know, my music, album to album, even though some of the ja are jazzy and rocky and whatever, you know, for the most part, you know, the music really helps to calm people down and center them. So uh especially with this album Life Passage.

Speaker 10:53

So what does that do for Shambu when he's creating the music? Is that the same effect?

Speaker 2 10:59

Well, it's not it it's more than that actually, because uh like when I'm recording uh especially the songs on this album, you know, I I have to s sort of like an actor get into the mood and the space you want to convey. It wasn't just sort of playing the notes, but it's sort of putting my own inner meditative feeling into the note so that the note carries more than just its own sound, but it carries a consciousness, you know, a feeling. Uh yeah. So that's my approach to uh recording and making music, and it's kind of my purpose too. Uh you know, not not I'm not out there to make a lot of money or have a huge fan base, though I'd love both. I'm really out there to put out music that inspires people and uplifts them and gives them a better day.

Speaker 11:53

Um so it's an extension of you. Most music is, I think, for musicians, but in this case with the new age genre, I think it's a bit deeper. You know, it's an extension of really who you are to get down inside and how you want to share that with others and make them feel better, like you say, you know.

Speaker 2 12:16

It is. And in my case, you know, in my in my uh twenties, uh for about 29 years, I studied meditation with John McLaughlin's guru. His name is Sri Shinmoy. So um, you know, when I when I got into doing my own album in 2010, you know, I had already had like 30 years of meditative practice behind me, and and I decided that it would be a good purpose for my music to uh you know play play kind of soulful, meaningful guitar versus do pop, rock, studio, bossa nova, styles like that, which I've been doing my whole life uh professionally. Just when I came to my own music, I wanted to do the meditative um and the new age and and do something that was really uplifting versus sort of entertaining and and exciting people.

Speaker 13:11

So you've always played an instrument and um just got to the point after all those years of meditation to decide to record from you know that point in your life. Well, what happened that made that happen?

Speaker 2 13:27

That's a great question. You know, when I got to that point in my life, I I actually said to myself, I I you know, I'm a guy who's had a couple of different careers. You know, I've done nonprofit work, I was successful, built big events around the world. Uh I've worked in the technology public relations side, helped launch internet companies, and I've kind of been doing that for a couple of decades. Um that was a way of earning income. And by the time I got to 2007, I said, wow, why am I not giving attention to this God-given talent called music? You know, like why don't I have a fantastic guitar? You know, I just have a guitar that I could use for gigs. Why am I not giving more uh kind of gratitude to that gift that I have? And so I ended up buying myself the best guitar I could find, which was a Taylor. I happened to be in in Sedona, Arizona at the time, and I got this beautiful acoustic that I record with. And um and then I I decided I would put the time in to finding my music. You know, I'd always played, but I never really knew what's my music if I was going to make an album. What is my sound? What are my songs? You know, and it took me about from 2007 to 2009 to kind of find my sound, you know, recording and listening, and it took about like almost 18 months for me to even like what I was doing. And I found my sound and I started to find songs, and a friend of a friend hooked me up with Will Ackerman who said, Wow, I like your stuff, and I think I can help you. And so I ended up recording my first album with Will Ackerman, and I had guys like Jeff Oster helping, uh playing the Swivelhorn, and just brilliant musicians like Eugene Friesen and others getting on board, and we ended up with a beautiful album. So that whole thing worked in that I was able to kind of take my intention to produce my own music, something that reflected my heart, and and put that out and not have to compromise or become commercial or or or change the sound because someone thought it would sell more. I just did what I wanted to do. And I ended up like on the ZMR thing, I ended up with the number one album that year. And then the next year I won Contemporary Instrumental Album of the Year for Dreaming of Now. Um I think you reviewed both of these. Thank you. Um, you know, I so I got into it basically to be grateful for the gifts that I had, the musical gifts, not to take them for granted, not to die without having done something with them, uh, versus making a little money. So, you know, I've ended up now, I have a catalog of close to five dozen songs. Um, a whole bunch of them are played on Sirius XM in rotation, um, and played all around the world. And, you know, I have a small new age career, but I'm doing exactly what I want to do. I'm living out my dream, my passion, and and I'm playing music that's true to me and reflective of who I am, and and uh and an offering to the people that want to listen and enjoy it. So that's how I got into it.

Speaker 16:43

So I was just thinking about Will Ackerman, and I remember back in the 80s uh when he had Wyndham Hill, and I believe he's using the same formula that he used back then by having that collective of artists that put out something new all the time and they they collaborated a lot, and it worked so well then, and it works well now.

Speaker 2 17:05

Yeah, I mean I I I am like a disciple of Will Ackerman. He's just a brilliant uh visionary, brilliant artist, uh totally original and creative in himself, always reinventing himself, and he has the ability to take people like me and make it sound better. Um so I wouldn't say he's he's not formulaic at all, but he has a sound, he has a kind of um artistic approach to the music, and it's all based on the heart, it's all based on feeling and really giving every note what it deserves. You know, um he's an amazing producer to work with. I I am completely grateful to him for having uh work with me on my first two albums. So uh uh Will it will is really a special, special guy.

Speaker 18:01

He's kind of like the uh the quarterback, like Tom Brady would always bring everybody up a few more levels, you know, and just uplift everybody around him and make everybody a star. And you take that component away, then they're just normal, regular ball players, you know. But I would see that happen. They'd go to different teams and then you'd never hear about them again, you know. So that's how important that one key component can be to that stepping stone to what you end up with, one great album, you know.

Speaker 2 18:35

So yeah, and in Will's case, he m he almost makes every album great. I can't disagree with that, that's for sure. Yeah, and you've reviewed a lot of them, I'm sure.

Speaker 18:48

Uh I have, yes. Yes.

Speaker 2 18:51

Countless artists that that he works with. Um and Tom Eaton, of course, is his kind of partner on these projects now. And uh he's also a brilliant guy who who uh co-produced my my album Dreaming of Now, my second album. So Tom Tom uh is someone who I've appreciated working with since about 2012?

Speaker 19:14

I was just thinking, um, you know, you said you got some awards. There's a lot of different aspects that go into that for people making a selection, like, you know, here's this award for for your album, and uh you're the best new age artist this year. I mean, uh, do those folks, those people from that part of the community, do they actually go and and read reviews? Or are they basing it on how many plays you had on Spotify or how many how much you sold, or is it all of the above?

Speaker 1 19:48

I think I think it's probably all of the above, but you know, there is there's always somebody behind the scenes who who is sort of you know uh separating out the junk from the quality.

Speaker 2 20:05

And and um and then and then there's probably a collective of people who make a choice. Um I mean I've been nominated for uh all kinds of awards. I mean my album Lilex Sky was nominated for a San Diego Reader Award, which I thought was pretty cool. It's a weekly newspaper, the culture and art newspaper out of San Diego. I was kind of proud of that. Um I did not win that one, but I was still proud of being nominated for Best Jazz Album for that. Um so I I think there are good people behind these awards, and uh and uh some of them have more weight than others, but you know, I think in in the new age world, everybody takes whatever they can get and tries to leverage it for some momentum.

Speaker 20:54

Right. Because, you know, unfortunately, you're in the minority, you can't compete with these rock stars that sign these multimillion dollar deals with record companies and people that have that that kind of weight and push to get that music out there. So it's it's it's a tougher road. But it sounds to me like it's a lot more satisfying internally for folks like yourself as as you've gone over in this this talk we've had. So I really do appreciate all of your input, and it's been a great conversation, and uh hopefully we'll do this again when the next album comes out.

Speaker 2 21:31

Thank you, and people can check me out at shambu music.com, sh a m bumusic.com.

Speaker 21:40

You heard it, folks. Shambu. Thank you so much for your time.

Speaker 1 21:45

Alright, Keith, appreciate it. Take care. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.