{"id":4030,"date":"2011-12-02T13:04:47","date_gmt":"2011-12-02T20:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2022-06-28T19:31:00","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T02:31:00","slug":"4030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/2011\/12\/02\/4030\/","title":{"rendered":"Timeless Funk Band Plans to &#8220;Let It Whip&#8221; at Anthology"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>An Interview With The Dazz Band<\/h2>\n<p><strong>by: Casey Pukl<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t think words can adequately express the level of excitement I feel about today&#8217;s blog. I think I\u2019ll just have to open with this video to set the mood.<\/p>\n<p><center><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iVcE8ggm_98\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\"><\/iframe><\/center>In a word, the Dazz Band is awesome. Yup, I said it. They\u2019ve been groovin\u2019 since the late 1970\u2019s, and landed their biggest hits with Motown in the mid 1980\u2019s. Throughout the years, the band has continued to record and extensively tour, bringing their danceable jazz around the world. This month, the band is bringing their show to Anthology, and we couldn\u2019t be more excited. I got the chance to speak with these fantastic guys yesterday morning about what they\u2019ve been up to, who they\u2019re listening to these days, and if there\u2019s a new record in the works!<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->Since there are a lot of characters in this interview, here&#8217;s the run down of who we&#8217;ve got! As always, I&#8217;m CP, but you knew that.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">BH: Bobby Harris (Sax, Clarinet, Background Vocals)<br \/>\nSM: Skip Martin (Trumpet, Vocals)<br \/>\nMM: Marlon McClain (Vocals, Guitar)<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Tell me a little bit about what you guys have been up to this year?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BH:<\/strong> We\u2019ve had a really great year. We\u2019ve been traveling and touring a lot of Dazz Band dates. We\u2019ve been touring in the Legends of Funk show with a lot of great acts. We\u2019ve been playing with The Bar-kays, Con Funk Shun, Slave, P-Funk, lots of acts on that tour. And then we spent some time in Kuwait and Iraq playing for the troops.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Sounds like a busy year!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BH:<\/strong> Yeah, but it\u2019s been great. Great tours with some really great acts.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Is there any talk of recording a new record anytime soon?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> You know, it\u2019s so funny that you just said that. We were literally JUST talking about that before you called in.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Oh yeah?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> Yes.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> And will there be another Dazz Band record on the horizon?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> Oh yes. We\u2019re talking about it in the near future.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> That\u2019s excellent! Tell me about your writing process for records. Do you all collaborate to write, or do you bring in outside writers?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>SM:<\/strong> Now it\u2019s all in the band. It\u2019s really changed over the years. You know, over the time you grow up and you learn a lot more as you go. We know a lot more than we knew then.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4040 aligncenter\" style=\"border-image: initial; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; border-width: 2px; border-color: black; border-style: solid;\" title=\"The Dazz Band\" src=\"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Dazz_Band_2011-6-1024x516.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"442\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Dazz_Band_2011-6-1024x516.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Dazz_Band_2011-6-300x151.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Do you feel like technology has changed the way you guys write and do business?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> Oh definitely. I think in a lot of ways it\u2019s made things much easier. It\u2019s really easy to use the technology to your advantage now as an artist. Now we don\u2019t have to go into some huge studio, there\u2019s the luxury of having a great home studio, or friends with a great home studio. We can do things independently now, which is great for artists.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Are you guys releasing material independently now?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> Yes, we\u2019ve been doing that for a while now actually. We released our album Time Traveler on our own label, Major Hits Records, as well as Charlie Wilson\u2019s album. The shift has really made the playing field easier.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>SM:<\/strong> The path to independent music has really made the market more advantageous to the artist. We have a lot more control over what happens, and you\u2019re not giving all of your money up.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> To expand on that, music is really going back to the genre of our era. Rap has been steadily expanding, now the bigger bands with horns are coming back. It\u2019s enabled us to keep on working. The direction really reminds me of the 70\u2019s. You know, we\u2019re seeing a lot more retro music and the retro cars and all of that. It\u2019s going back to what we came from.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> It\u2019s true- there\u2019s such return to that era now in pop culture. I mean, I\u2019ve known \u201cLet It Whip\u201d for a long time just from my parents and oldies radio, but it does have that staying quality. It\u2019s still such a fun song so many years later, and the show is still something younger people will want to see.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>SM:<\/strong> Absolutely. I think it appeals to the older folks because they remember it from growing up. It\u2019s the music they know the words to, and it\u2019s also something that\u2019s easy to learn. It\u2019s important for our show that people participate, and our music is easy to sing and dance to.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BH:<\/strong> We used to play these huge shows with anywhere from 10,000 to 18,000 people per night at Disney for the grad nights, and people remember us from those shows. There would be 20 different high schools all there for these weekend shows. It was huge.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> How different is it going from playing huge venues and outdoor shows for thousands of people to playing clubs for a few hundred? Do you have a preference of which you enjoy more?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BH:<\/strong> For me, I really love the intimacy of a small venue. You can really just feel the energy of a small room. You look out and you can actually see the crowd instead of playing to the first 20 rows of an arena. All of us started off in small clubs. I started in Cleveland and played every small club from the East side to the West side. That\u2019s how I cut my teeth. It\u2019s just more up close and personal.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>SM:<\/strong> I also really like the smaller audience. I love larger venues too, but it\u2019s just different. We\u2019d play \u201cLet It Whip\u201d in a large venue, and when it ends, for a second there\u2019s crickets. It\u2019s silent, and then all of a sudden there\u2019s this huge roar! (Laughs), it\u2019s cool, but in the small clubs you see people dancing the whole time on the tables dancing in front of your face and crazy things, and there\u2019s singing. You can hear the people singing and clapping, you can touch them, smell \u2018em. It\u2019s just different, the connection.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> I\u2019m really excited, well, all of us are, about Anthology. We\u2019ve heard such incredible things about it from other people who have been there and played there, that I think it\u2019s going to be great place for us. I also really like small venues because you can really get down and dirty (laughs). I think sometimes the small room really inspires musicians more because you can see everyone. You let the music out more. The huge venues have an energy, it\u2019s just different. It doesn\u2019t feel the same.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Tell me, who have you guys been listening to lately?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>BH:<\/strong> Oh wow. There\u2019s a lot that I listen to, just not religiously. If I catch it, I like it. I love Incognito, they\u2019ve got a really cool vibe. And then there\u2019s that female singer- oh man, what is her name? She is bad! She covers \u201cWhat Is Hip\u201d, and the band is kickin\u2019. Her arrangements are really unique. I can\u2019t think of her name, but she\u2019s definitely someone I like when I catch her.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>SM:<\/strong> Having a great concept and a great unique sound leads to legacy. I think there\u2019s a few things out there that really fit that. Mint Condition is one group that I love. They\u2019re still making new debuts. I like their vibe, and Stokley Williams has a unique voice. I also absolutely love Esperanza Spaulding. She\u2019s such a great package. She\u2019s a great player, singer, the whole thing. I really appreciate artists who can just be themselves. You know? I have to give big kudos to Taylor Swift. She\u2019s unique. She is who she is, and she\u2019s made a career of just being who she is. I like the way she\u2019s delivering it. And there\u2019s always Cee-Lo. That man has a voice. When he sings, people listen.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> I have to give props to Adele. That girl is incredible, and I wish her well and hope she sings again soon. Her record is, from start to finish, just incredible. The writing, the playing. Everything.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>CP:<\/strong> Well, thank you all so much for your time! I\u2019m really looking forward to the show!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MM:<\/strong> Thanks, Casey! We\u2019re excited to come play!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>You do not want to miss out on this show! There will be some seriously funky grooves, kickin\u2019 dance moves, and maybe if we\u2019re lucky, some of those rad sunglasses. Special thanks to Marlon McClain, Skip Martin, and Bobby Harris for taking the time out to chat with me! Be sure to listen to my Spotify playlist of Dazz Band favorites! It\u2019s sure to make your Friday the best one yet!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/open.spotify.com\/user\/caseypickle\/playlist\/1FIwYFn8g8r2A33gpSuaO6\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener\">The Dazz Band<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"font-style: italic;\"><em>WHAT: <\/em><em><strong>The Dazz Band<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-style: italic;\">WHEN: <\/span><em><strong>Friday, December 30, 2011, 7:30 &amp; 9:30pm <\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-style: italic;\">TICKETS: $10-$49 <\/span><em><a title=\"Buy Tickets\" href=\"http:\/\/artists.anthologysd.com\/funk-rock\/dazz-band-december-30-2011\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buy Tickets<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-style: italic;\">MORE INFO: <\/span><em><a title=\"Artist Profile\" href=\"http:\/\/artists.anthologysd.com\/funk-rock\/dazz-band-december-30-2011\/\">Artist Profile<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Interview With The Dazz Band by: Casey Pukl I don&#8217;t think words can adequately express the level of excitement I feel about today&#8217;s blog. I think I\u2019ll just have to open with this video to set the mood. In a word, the Dazz Band is awesome. Yup, I said it. They\u2019ve been groovin\u2019 since [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1442],"tags":[11512],"class_list":["post-4030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artists","tag-artist-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4030"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32969,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions\/32969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anthologysd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}