For me, seeing so many visitors from around the planet, just days after this site went online, reinforces the notion that music is indeed the universal language

In 2007 I did my first music interview, and so far they tend to fall into three groups:  extraordinary players, legendary studio musicians, and a few impressive young talents.

Up until 2013, all of my interviews were print interviews, but as a music lover myself, I always had a yearning to let others actually hear what I had the privilege to hear — that is the genesis of this site.

As you would expect, my print interviews have been tightened up, edited, organized, and stripped of conversational tone on the part of the interviewer.  However, what you’ll hear on these audio files are the unvarnished conversations. My early interviews were recorded with a simple in-ear microphone. Later I switched to a headset and you’ll notice an improvement in the audio quality.

On several of my extended interviews, for various reasons (time, audio quality etc.) I couldn’t include everything in the audio file, so if you want to learn everything that was said, you’ll need to read.  On the other hand, you can only hear Derek Trucks’ reaction when I told him about seeing Jimi Hendrix as a teenager — so each form has its upside.

Beginning in 2013, I started doing non-print audio interviews.  I have, however, retained my association with AllAboutJazz.com, the Internet’s most visited jazz website, where my print interviews can be read.  In addition to having my interviews here on this site, they will also be available for streaming at AllAboutJazz.com.

I never liked the idea of writing reviews, because I want to remain positive, honest, and enthusiastic.  So for that reason I stuck to interviews, and have restricted myself to musicians who move or impress me (or both.)  For that reason, I am selective about whom I interview.  So given that, plus the incredibly busy schedules that musicians maintain, and the complication of living in Europe, I won’t be churning out interviews.  In any case, I hope you enjoy the interviews, be they audio or print.

Writing from my little village in the German Alps near the Austrian border,

Alan Bryson

MY BOOK FOR MUSIC LOVERS

If you’ve read or listened to my interviews, then you know I’ve asked several musicians questions about what they would like to see if they could go back in time.  Day dreaming about time travel seems to be a fairly universal pastime among music lover.

I decided to take it a step further than day dreaming and wrote a bit of fiction for music lovers.  It’s the story of  Nathan Ballew  who has a brush with death and finds himself back in 1962 with his memory from 2013 fully intact.

The only drawback, he’s in the body of an 11-year-old.  So what would you do in this situation?  You you can read a few sample chapters, or download the Kindle book here.

I’m very passive on Twitter, but you can find me there