Q&A: Ari Joshua

Can you introduce yourself?

Hi! my name is Ari Joshua. I am a composer, guitarist, educator, and lover of the arts and music. I have spent a lifetime making art, composing, and dreaming, following my dreams. I also have been empowering others to share their craft through building a music school. I take a lot of joy in being here, able to share my story.

Can you describe "Elephant Walk" in three words? and your latest release “Rare Groove” in five words or less?

I find it a little odd to describe music in words. I have a case of synesthesia, I see things in pictures and sounds more. Elephant Walk I would describe as Slow Slinky Funk. Rare Groove to a person who is more on the side of pop culture I would say it’s Amy Winehouse without the vocals. Five words, Vibrations, Thick Groove, & Classic Soul.

What were the first and last parts of these songs to be written?

Rare Groove was composed just for Delvon. I wrote it the day he said he could make the date the first thing was the guitar. I was going for the sound that Jabrille gets with The True Loves. Jabrille aka Jimmy James grew up with me, he was a few years younger than I was and I actually taught him a few things to get started. Now I am using his style as inspiration to compose. Pretty cool. The last part was the sax. We added that last.

Elephant Walk was composed for John Medeski. Both tracks are composed around the Hammond organ sounds. Both tracks are close to blues but not standard blues. I started with the riff and the progression. It was finished in real time as we played it. The last thing really was the piano.

What’s your favorite production element of "Elephant Walk"?

The layers of sounds. The way Billy Martin approached the tune. He heard it and chose these two layers of percussion over the traditional drum set. It really set a vibe. Billy is absolutely brilliant in the studio. Just a pure artist of the highest caliber. I saw his eyes light up for a moment when he heard the song. He made his move quick. It was like a spark hit him, he knew what he wanted. He looked at me as John was laying his piano and said, ‘Do you realize how lucky you are?’ I wanted to say yes, but I couldn’t I was just immersed in the moment, and there was like no sense of luck, it felt like this is where I should be. This is what I dream to do, to record with people I feel I resonate with.

How about for “Rare Groove”?

My favorite production element is the analog gear. Both Mell Dettmer and Jason Gray used equipment they are both so intimately familiar with, it’s like the way all those classic albums were captured by cats like Rudy Van Gelder. Just captured and treated with an artistic lens. The playing is fantastic but the recording and mixing really shows in the final product. It’s officially a shiny object, even though it’s not visible in a physical sense you can feel the analog character on the sounds. I have mixed and recorded in the box a lot, for those who don’t know the difference, in the box is like in the computer. There are lots of emulations in the computer to make it sound like the old equipment.it serves a purpose, but there is really no replacing the technology that they had in the 60’s and 70’s. The old components just add a level of warmth and realness.

Did you learn anything new about yourself while creating "Elephant Walk"?

I wrote this with an encounter in mind that me, my sister, and my father had in the 1980s in Kruger National Park in South Africa. I learned that memories can inspire melodies even decades later. A memory can take me to a sound.

Is there a certain place that you feel the most creative in?

I feel most creative when there is something coming up on my calendar to be creative for. Mostly a studio session. I feel like when the business has been or is being taken care of by other folks, or after I have done the stuff that makes up the business side, and there is a deadline my creative juices just thrive. I think I would enjoy writing for Broadway or for a film in that way.

Can you tell us about the lineups for these two releases?

Both songs feature myself on guitar for both I would be the composer. Both tunes have just amazing players and contributors. I couldn’t have asked for more blessings on these.

On Rare Groove the lineup is Skerik - Saxophone, Delvon Lamarr - Keyboards, Grant Schroff - Drums. The band is pretty dangerous, you know, the type of line up that just can’t really go wrong. It was magic from the first note. I wish someone would book us a tour. I could arrive in heaven with either lineup and be content forever. I’ve done a few podcasts and interviews on this project, I would love to get an agent who can fetch us some gigs. Pay these guys! As for the production, I highly recommend all these people. We tracked with Mell Dettmer at her Studio Soli, Jason Gray did all the mixing at Blue Mallard Recording, and Doug Krebs mastered it in his studio.

For Elephant Walk top-notch audio work by everyone involved — engineering was done by Chris Bitner at Applehead Recording in Woodstock, NY. Mastering was done by Ed Brooks of Resonant Mastering and mixing by Ari Raskin of Deepwater Studios in New York City. For the artwork, Paul Delaney came through with the amazing hand-drawn illustration. On percussion, Billy Martin orchestrated several layers of percussion at once to create a blanket of polyrhythms, alive and ever-evolving, and John Medeski played layers of Hammond organ and acoustic piano.

If you could transport listeners to the perfect location to hear "Elephant Walk" for the first time, what would that place be?

If I had it my way I would transport us all to the top of Table Mountain. Take table car to the top and take in the views and the surreal landscapes.

If you could transport listeners to the perfect location to hear "Rare Groove" for the first time, what would that place be?

If I had a location for Rare Groove it would be right there in Mell Dettmer’s studio. Just hearing it for the first time in the studio just like we all did in the moment.

If you had to describe your music to someone who couldn’t hear, how would you describe it?

I would describe my music as solid, rooted in fundamentals, and full of original interpretations of all the styles I loved growing up. I would say it is genuine and honest and imperfect, but also sincere, and full of love and life. Full of pain and sorrow as equally joys and optimism depending on the day and the night. I would say it’s a reflection of a life lived, born from inside the views of the masters that came before.

What comes next for you?

This year we are releasing another 24 tracks all from the various sessions I completed over the years but that I have been chipping away at for about 20 hours a week. I also spent a week in Oahu with Pierre Grill. Pierre and I spent a lot of time comparing notes on how we like to work. I prefer to throw paint at the walls and twist knobs, and try to get weird sounds. On the other hand his training goes back to the days of tape. He has a set of rudiments and fundamentals to where I have never met any engineers like that. There are even certain frequencies he can’t hear but he can see them on the graph. He’s brilliant, he really knows how to create a crystal clear mic. We are setting up some parameters to upmix my catalog slowly to surround sound, Dolby Atmos. I love that format, I love the spatial audio thing. I have been fascinated by that format ever since I can remember. I would encourage anyone to listen in that environment. Also hope to continue building The Music Factory and helping employ more musicians, and get kids playing more and to also do more traveling and playing.