Bman: First I want to welcome LeRoi Records artist Alastair Greene, Hi AG. I appreciate you taking the time out from your incredibly busy schedule to talk with me. I see that you have a new recording, Through The Rain" coming out in a few days. The promotional materials that I've seen indicate that it's a totally different path from what we've come to expect from your band. Can you tell me about it?
AG: Thanks Bman! Well it's not a completely different direction if someone were to go back and listen to my debut CD from 2002 ("A Little Wiser" RM001). On that CD I think I hinted at a few different directions I could go with my songwriting. I have always had a heavier side to what I play and listen to and the time felt right to put out a CD of hard rock songs. The Blues and Roots music influences are still in there but mixed in with my heavier side. I really wanted to push the boundaries of what is considered "Blues Rock" with this disc. Musically the chord progressions, vocals, and guitar playing are very much Blues influenced but with lots of added twists and turns.
Bman: That sounds really exciting. When I place the description of "Through The Rain" over your previous efforts it sounds like the makings of a great cd. Is this a new direction for your solo efforts or is it just something that you've been wanting to get out?
AG: Both. It's new in that is is mostly a Hard Rock CD. This CD started as an outlet to record some of my rock songs and it just kept growing. Originally I didn't plan on having a fully realized rock record to put out. Some of these songs were written as far back as the mid-90s and some were written last year. I started recording songs for this in 2005 and then songs from other sessions seemed to work with a 'rock' record in mind. Now that I've accumulated enough cohesive material and I'm excited to finally to put it out.
Bman: You had the luxury of growing up in a musical family with your mom playing piano and your Grandfather, the late Chico Alvarez, playing trumpet with Stan Kenton! Did you always know that you were going to be a rock musician?
AG: I think when I started playing guitar when I was 15 I hoped I'd be a professional musician, whether it be rock or blues or something else. I'd played saxophone and piano before guitar but when I started playing guitar I really connected to it and that's when the light bulb went on.
AG: I certainly will be playing live shows to support this CD but will probably wait till the New Year to really crank it up. Alan doesn't tour very much so I always have a lot of different irons in the fire and time to pursue most opportunities that come my way.
Bman: How do you think working with Alan Parsons influenced your efforts on "Through The Rain"?
AG: I think any influence on this record would me more from as production standpoint and not so much from a musical one as I'd already been working on this record and writing for awhile with a specific Blues Rock sound in mind. I have done a fair amount of studio work with Alan over the last 7 years, so the AP influence was attention to detail and really taking the time to make things sound as good as possible.
Bman: I really enjoy your blues based sound. Are you going to continue to integrate your earlier materials into your "Through The Rain" tour or is it going to be something different altogether?
AG: That's a good question. There are a handful of songs on "Though The Rain" that I already play with my regular Blues band line-up. My Blues band can rock it up and also play in a traditional context. Some of the new songs won't sound out of place at all. As for the heavier rock numbers, I'm not sure at the moment.
Bman: Do you have a current "Through The Rain" tour schedule and can I release it or are you still working out the details?
AG: I don't have an official tour schedule to support the CD at the moment but if anyone wants to see where I'll be playing over the next couple of months they can hit my website. (www.agsongs.com)
Bman: Do you have any additional session work underway right now or are you free to tour?
AG: As far as session work I've been playing and singing on a series of Progressive Rock tribute projects but I'm not really sure how much I can say about them at the moment. I can say that I got to record a version of the Pink Floyd song "Money" with Alan in the studio producing. That was pretty amazing. I'm always looking for opportunities to play so the short answer to your question is, yes, I'm free to tour with my band or as part of another.
Bman: Good luck with the new "Through The Rain" recording. I really look forward to hearing it. Is there anything else that you'd like to share with your fans?
AG: Thanks! I hope the people that found out about my music through my Blues band and my last Blues CD (Walking In Circles RM005) will give this CD a listen. I won't lie, it's hard rocking, but so are a lot of other discs that fall under the Blues-Rock umbrella. As long as musicians keep the Blues alive by either playing it or pointing the way back to the founders and turning other people on to it I think it's all good. That's how it's going to survive.
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AG Websites:
http://www.agsongs.com
http://www.myspace.com/alastairgreeneband
http://www.reverbnation.com/alastairgreene
http://www.youtube.com/agbluesband
All the best to you in your continuing rock and blues career, AG. I've known you since the first grade, and have seen and heard so many of the levels of development and talent you mentioned in this article. I'm looking forward to hearing your career continue to grow in the future. Alan Parsons is lucky to have you along with his tour. Best to you always. Ryan Q.
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