Eyes of the World is Ari Joshua’s Single Out Now
Good Day Noir Family,
Ari Joshua returns with a new single and today we want to hear from his own voice the pillars of his artistic vision and what led him to reinterpret this song
Eyes of the World is Ari Joshua’s Single Out Now
1) Tell us more about yourself. Why did you decide to create your own music?
I am a creative person. A lot of my story has to do with my family history and the values I was raised with. I have had a lot of ups and downs in life, and here I am still alive looking for ways to be better. What made me decide to create music? I am not sure I had a choice. Art means different things to different people. I am not sure if an artist can ever really convey why they do what they do in words, it’s complicated, but if there was a reason it would be like the same reason why people make gardens and families, and why the stars are all there. It’s a way to connect and express oneself. I am pretty sure some really smart folks out there can break down how the whole universe is related to music and the laws that govern it. It’s a shame there isn’t more value in it from society, but I love it. It keeps coming back anyways.
As a person driven by the desire to improve, creating music became an inherent part of my existence. Art holds a profound meaning for different people. Although it’s challenging to articulate why artists do what they do, I believe music, just like some many things has an intrinsic value in our world, one thing that is great about music is you can innovate and create with limited effort. It’s an open field to everyone. It’s really fundamental.
2) What are the bands or artists that inspire you?
Too many to list. I have about 100 songs I contributed to out there for the public to consume. Maybe I would ask you? If you listened to my music what would you hear? I like to think I can intuitively sense where a band or artist is really coming from. I think there is a common thread there but it’s a tough one to answer. What do you hear?
(Well for sure you have your own style but when I listen to your music I hear nuances of many legendary songwriters of the past like Young, Mellencamp, etc)
3) You have a new cover single “Eyes of the World” out now, can you tell us more about the recording process, and what inspired you to record this song?
As for the song, it’s just a standard for my generation of musicians. Just like for Miles Davis and John Coltrane there was a stack of tunes all the cats seemed to know or at least like to play. Eyes of the World is like what ‘It Could Happen To You’, or ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ was like for them. Or for a rock n roll guitarist in the 80’s everyone could probably play ‘Johnny B Goode’.
It’s a beautiful song. I first probably heard it on the double disc release of ‘Without a Net’. Branford Marsalis I think was on that recording, a live recording, and one that I studied really closely as a teen. It’s a song that you can share with some players and it can have legs really quick. We also hit a handful of originals and did a lot of improv on the session. There is another release already out there ‘Eye Just Called To Soul, I Love You’.
The process was chill. We all got there in the morning and set up the gear and just got to work after lunch time. I was in NY already doing some recording with some heroes of mine up in Woodstock, NY. I was coming off one of the best weeks of my life. The session with Billy Martin and John Medeski had just wrapped up, and this session was just falling into place. On the way down to Manhattan I stopped for a tour of Alex Grey and Allyson Grey’s home and art gallery, and even as this was coming together it was still just falling into place.
I needed a studio, my friends, actually my college constituents John Davis, and Aaron Nevezie started Bunker Studios in the early 2000’s. I mean it’s been through a few locations. I recall when they first started in Brooklyn. It’s come a long way and it’s absolutely brilliant what they have created. They were always the sweetest guys, I have great memories of us playing in the various ensembles in the early 2000’s, and just hanging out and talking about music back in the day. The date range we set for the recording was moving around and it converged in a serendipitous way. I spoke to John Kimock a bit about what we may be able to accomplish in the window we had, he mentioned Andy Hess, and I got a on a call from a parking lot I pulled into driving down from Woodstock, I could tell by talking to him he was the real deal, such a sweet cat. Eden and I met after a Kurt Rosenwinkel concert, and I actually was aiming to get him on a jazz recording, but this was all manifesting at the same time. Eden is amazing. You should check out his material. He’s brilliant. His rhythm is so interesting it’s like perfect, he plays with such a great pool of players, he’s great. As for John and Andy, their music just speaks for itself, there is a reason they attract the players they do. In my opinion John has a lot to offer and he’s on a great trajectory with what he is doing, all the players where a dream come true to work with… It was just an easy go with the flow situation.
4) About those lyrics, what is your favorite line and why?
The lyrics for this song were written by Robert Hunter. He’s a genius. I like everything he writes. He’s like Bob Dylan, or Edgar Allen Poe. He’s just on point. I like the opening line because it sets a scene right away.
5) Your artistic vision is still evolving. What constantly drives you to change? What is the focus of your inspiration?
My inspiration is maybe a combination of just the wondrous universe we are in here. The way it was put together is priceless. How can you not be inspired? In spite of all that though a lot of the inspiration also comes from fear, and pain, and just grappling with those moments as they come. There’s a lot to learn, as you learn you evolve. Evolving is changing.
6) What do you think about the music business today and the quality of music in general nowadays?
I think the business is in a challenging state. I think it has been for too long. I hope it gets a lift. Maybe AI will favor artists and help fix this mess, but all in all there are gatekeepers, and people who know what to do. I am not entirely confident in these gatekeepers’ ability to discern truly incredible art, from what they think fills their pocket books, but there is all kinds of amazing music out there. There seems to be more people making music than ever, so it makes sense there’s just more great quality music available.
7) Tell us a quote you would like to be remembered by the world?
“If you learn music you’ll learn most all there is to know.”
― Edgar Cayce
8) Where do you see yourself a year from now?
I hope to be making an impact by inspiring people to learn music, and expanding my reach through The Music Factory, and working with people that are willing to drive around and travel a bit to gain more resonance with the music. I hope to have more people out there to work with and make cool things happen. One thing I really wanna do also is find a comfy place to live and set up a recording studio. Maybe in a cabin or the woods. I’d like that for next year.
Eyes of the World is Ari Joshua’s Single Out Now!
Superlative!
Eyes of the World is Ari Joshua’s Single Out Now
Ari Joshua, in collaboration with an exceptional group of musicians, proudly presents ‘Eyes of the World.’ This standout tribute, composed by the legendary Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, offers a fresh take for fans. Recorded at the esteemed Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, NY, it comes at a perfect time with the farewell tour of Dead and Company captivating audiences across the nation.
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