Cosmic blues freestylin’ by seanhaefeli
I know it’s been a long time since I released any new material. Recently, I unearthed this track from a few years ago. A friend invited me to the studio one night, where I met David “Edge” Posey. I laid down the bass and keys, while “Edge” worked his production skills. As the track came together, I jotted down some lyrical sketches, went into the booth and this is the result. Enjoy!
Moment before, nothing.
Moment after, nowhere.
A handful of happiness,
Sugar and water.
Enshrouded by layers, each one I shed, light that almost appears…
It’s a familiar story: an artist unappreciated in his or her homeland finally finds success in Paris. Even if clichéd, it’s sometimes true. Ask soul/jazz vocalist and pianist Sean Haefeli, an Indianapolis native and then-Chicago resident who popped over to France for six months last year.
“It’s just so much easier for music or art that’s not mainstream to get on the radar,” he says of France, where he scored interviews with glossy R&B magazines and prominent gigs before receptive audiences. “I was played on a radio station in Paris — and it would be like me being played on a Clear Channel station here, which is absolutely not going to happen. And that makes all the difference in the world.”
But Haefeli has more in mind for his career and art than radio airplay. He’s back in the States to study jazz piano at Indiana University, Bloomington. When reached by phone last week, he said that he was just trying to settle in, situating himself in an academic situation after performing professionally as far afield as Korea and Japan.
“It was one of the crazier decisions a lot of people thought I could have been making, including me at the time,” Haefeli says of his decision to head back to school. Having never completed a degree in music (he has a BA in literature from Depaul), he hopes that his studies will give him the tools to realize any musical ideas he might have in the future.
Haefeli has taken a roundabout route towards pursuing his passions. “The two things I’ve done the longest and am strongest at are martial arts and music, both of which I started when I was seven years old,” he says. Haefeli’s biological father — Carl Haefeli, a trumpeter with local ‘70s-era funk group Ebony Rhythm Band — may have bequeathed him a musical legacy, but was killed in an unsolved homicide in 1978 before his son was old enough to remember him.
But his mom was also enthusiastic about music, and Haefeli got started early, beginning with classical piano. He didn’t begin singing seriously until he was sophomore in high school, then studied opera for a year as college freshman before switching his major to literature. Haefeli’s academic pursuits dovetailed with his interest in the Chicago spoken word scene, with which he became involved as fan and then performer.
Haefeli says he’ll continue to work on his own material while in school, playing shows domestically between classes, overseas when on break. His two albums — 2004’s Natural Hunger LP and 2006’s Sound Strategy EP — bring together his interests in spoken word, jazz, soul and hip-hop. The songs onSound Strategy follow a consistent template, beginning with an unrhymed spoken-word opening theme (with a cadence that’s more hip-hop than Gil-Scott Heron), then segueing into a lengthy improvised jazz section that shows off the chops of Haefeli and his collaborators.
The album’s closer, “Balance,” brings together those long-held interests in martial arts and music. The zen-like teachings of martial arts — from which, like music, he took a break before resuming studies at age 20 — inform the song’s message about living a well-balanced life. Haefeli says of the song: “You try to find some equilibrium, so whatever obstacle you encounter can be handled in the right sort of way. It’s had a lot of resonance as I’ve been travelling around.”
–Scott Shoger, NUVO
These pictures were taken on the farm of my dear friend, Marie-Laure Valandro. Ever since we met, while hiking in Isle Royale, ten years ago, her family has provided me with a refuge from the city life. Their dedication to a self-sustained, agrarian way of life, unconcerned with society’s superficial fluctuations, technological obsession, and Marie’s unfettered spirit, have been both enlightening and inspiring.
I must begin this posting with an apology for derelection in my blogging duties. With nothing to report, I would not be culpable, but having appeared in Soul R&B Le Magazine, I certainly should have made an entry! Hopefully, some of you in France were able to pick up a copy, as I understand it is now difficult to find. Here is a link to their website: Soul R&B
This weekend performed for the Nu Jazz Review, in Dayton, Ohio, at Michael’s Dining and Jazz. Performing with me on the concert were Brandon Meeks, bass and Greg Artry, drums. Although the venue did not present the ideal space for performance, we had a great response from the audience. The best reaction came from a local artist, who exclaimed that she could not have imagined music that sounded like this!
Apollinaris, known as “The Queen of Table Waters,” has licensed Bedroom Window for a cd titled, Songs for Dinner, which will be distributed to their clients, in Germany. Other artists on the cd include Ella Fitzgerald and Jazzanova; an honor to be included in such wonderful company! Here is a link to their site:
Relax, have a Bratwurst, Pilsner, Apollinaris, and enjoy the music!
In one week, Tuesday, April 28th, I will be performing at Dakota Lounge, in Santa Monica, CA.
The band will be excellent, with Jevin Hunter on drums and Eric Sittner on bass. Looking forward to sunshine, beautiful people, good times, and laying it down!
What a fun weekend, and now, time to rest on this Easter Sunday!
On Friday, I caught the Lil’ Wayne concert, at the Sears Center. As my friend is the tour manager, I benefited by getting great seats. I have only attended a couple of arena concerts in my life, so this was quite an experience. I could appreciate the level of entertainment and choreography. No doubt, this was a full-on show! Then, the fun continued till 4 in the morning, at 10-pin, with tour’s artists and crew!
Last night, I attended a Bilal concert, at the Double Door, and promoted for my show, later this week. It was a fun concert, I loved the band’s extended grooves, transitions, and the “screaming” I had heard so much about, was kept to a reasonable level!