August 1, 2024 • 30 mins
Join me for an inspiring episode as I sit down with the talented saxophonist, Art Sherrod Jr. We reminisce about memorable performances, explore his musical journey from a small town in Texas to stages across the country, Art shares insights into his creative process. Tune in to discover the stories behind the music and the man who brings it to life.
Whether you're a long-time fan or new to his work, this episode offers a heartfelt look at Art Sherrod Jr.'s dedication to his craft and his unwavering passion for music, family, and faith. Don't miss it!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:15):
Music.
(02:18):
Complaints here. Look, the last time that I actually saw you, you were on stage.
It was at an event that I was actually hosting with Charm City Jazz.
Shout out to Roger Harris and his lovely wife.
That was a great show. It was yourself, Eric Robeson, Karen Lynette.
Like that night was fire. Great music, good singing and the audience.
(02:39):
Like shout out to all my Baltimore folks. Absolutely.
It's good to finally have you here in between all that you do.
Well, thank you for having me. Absolutely.
Now, Art, you may not remember, but I met you years ago, maybe around 2011 or 12.
It was at this cute little place in Elkridge, Maryland.
(03:02):
And I was working for artists and you brought your sacks and blessed the folks.
I don't know if you remember. I do.
You do? I do. And I'm trying to remember the name of the place,
but I remember it was a real small place. They only served desserts or whatever.
Yeah, I remember.
Wow, yes, it was a dessert and wine bar, I think. I can't remember.
(03:25):
Yes, it was a cute little place.
A lot of wonderful things has happened to both of us since that time.
But you know what? Today is all about you. Oh.
Listen, four projects, four albums, the art of love.
Like, I love all the titles. I like the titles alone make you want to listen.
(03:47):
No, really? Oh, man. Well, thank you so much. It's been fun,
really, recording all this.
It's been a big journey for me. So it's super exciting.
You grew up in Texas, right? What part of Texas did you grow up in?
A little bitty town called Palestine, Texas. It only has maybe,
back then, maybe like 17,000 people in the whole town.
(04:10):
And it's in East Texas. So some people, if you use Dallas as a reference point,
it's about two hours southeast of Dallas and about three hours north of Houston.
Shout out to all my folks in Palestine, Texas.
It is on the map, though, right? Yeah, it is on the map, but it's a little fun.
(04:36):
Yeah, it's okay. It's okay. A lot of great musicians come out of the state of Texas. Yes.
I was just there not long ago, so it's always good going back and playing for your home state.
Yes, because you had a mini city tour there, right? What, about five cities or something? Yeah.
Yeah. So it's always fun. Always fun.
(04:59):
So did you run into any homeboys from back in the day?
I did. Ran into, you know, believe it or not, you know, but yeah,
but ran into several peoples, people I grew up with.
In fact, some people that literally lived right down the street from me when I was a kid.
So and we were on the basketball team together and everything.
(05:21):
So it was real good to see them because some of them I hadn't seen in a long time.
I'm not going to date myself, but yeah, it was a long time.
Okay, it's all good. It's all good. Listen, we're glad to be here in the land
of the living. So it's all good.
So, Arne, I got to mention that you not only are a musician, you are a veteran.
So thank you for your service. You served in the United States Navy.
(05:44):
Yes, ma'am. Yeah, shout out to all my vets. Yes, my vets. That's right.
Appreciate you guys and ladies.
That's right. That's right. Now, now are you like, you started in the church, right?
Like for many artists, like their natural starting point in music,
in their music journey usually begins in a church.
Right. Yeah, I agree.
(06:06):
So your parents were active in the church, right? Your mom was a musician and your dad sang?
Yes. Yes. Mom, mom sang. She was, she played the B3 organ and,
And, you know, her music room when I was growing up was literally right across
the hall from my bedroom.
And so she'd spend hours and hours just playing hymns. You know,
(06:29):
she reads music. She doesn't play by ear.
So, you know, I would hear nothing but church music.
And, you know, I'd go and sit on the bench with her and, you know,
sing with her and she'd play.
And Dad has always been in the choir. higher and so I got a chance to get it
from both sides of it, from the musician side to the vocalist side.
(06:55):
So you like, you soaked it all in, huh? That's right. That's right.
That's what you're supposed to do. That's some good stuff right there.
When did you, like, when were you introduced to the sax?
Because, like, growing up in church, most, you know, most boys are naturally
or drawn to the drums, right?
Oh, trust me. Yes. I want, that's funny you ask that. So I originally wanted to play the drums.
(07:21):
That was, you know, boys like to bang on stuff. They make a lot of noise.
So I wanted to play drums, but my mom worked the graveyard shift at the post office.
So she would sleep in the evenings. And then my dad worked at the railroad.
And so at 7 a.m., he was on his way to the railroad.
(07:43):
So my parents were like, nah, the drums are not going to credit.
It that's not so that then
i decided okay well then i i want to
play the trumpet and i was all geared up playing the trumpet and
my aunt convinced my mother that the trumpet
would push my teeth my front teeth in and so my mom said you're not gonna play
(08:05):
the trumpet and so the the next instrument was you know i was it was a saxophone.
And i was just starting to notice that you know you know you start noticing
all these pretty little girls or whatever.
And so I said, you know what, what instrument would the girls like?
And that helped me just kind of nail down the saxophone.
(08:26):
And I'm glad it did because I took a natural liking to it.
And, you know, I practiced for hours and hours. And you'd always see me on the bus with my saxophone.
And, you know, so, yeah, so that's what brought me around the saxophone.
Okay. So, you know, you're right. The ladies like the sax, the saxophone is
(08:47):
what we call it. Right. The saxophone.
Yeah, the sexy sax. Yes, yes.
And the sax is like, it is such a beautiful instrument. It has so many beautiful
tones and sounds. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So, you know, I think this is a great time to kind of mention,
like, your love for God, your family, and, of course, music.
(09:10):
Oh, yeah. Well, you know, growing up in my household as a kid,
you know, my dad was on the deacon board, you know, after church,
you know, anybody that grew up Southern Baptist, they probably know this.
So, you know, after church and the accounting money, I'd have to sit and wait
because there were no, you know, there were no quick counting machines back
(09:33):
then. they did everything by hand.
And so, you know, church ended whenever it ended. And then I'd always be there
for another couple of hours and they count money.
And, you know, you just see. And then, then my house, when I was really small,
our house literally was right behind the church and right behind the church.
So I just grew up in the church and, you know, that's really where where my
(09:58):
foundation came from and as you start to play these instruments,
and you start to meet people, and you realize how much you're really touching
them by different music.
But I recorded a gospel record in honor of my belief, my faith,
(10:20):
and songs that I use to help me get to get through times or that I'm used to
get through times over the years.
And that record is called Intervention. And I felt that it was a good time to
record that particular record because
a lot of times people associate intervention with drugs and alcohol,
(10:42):
but sometimes we need a spiritual intervention or we might need intervention
on our love life and our finances, you know, in all aspects of our lives.
So I recorded that particular record and I mean, it really took off a lot faster
and bigger than I would have anticipated.
But yeah, so I have a great love of Jesus Christ and I have a great love for family as well.
(11:11):
You know, I have my wife, Georgia, and, you know, we'll be married,
what is it, 16 years this year.
Nice. Beautiful. Congratulations to you both.
Thank you. I have a 16-year-old daughter and a 24-year-old son.
You know, it's nothing better than to be around family.
(11:32):
Yeah, it really is. And as I get older, you know, I start to appreciate my kids
even more because you're like, I'm like, oh, it's so exciting to have them around.
You know, when they're home, you can't wait for them to leave.
But, you know, it's always great to have them around.
You have a great appreciation for family.
(11:54):
Yeah, and you got to cherish those days with the kids because once they leave
the house, I mean, they always come back.
But they start living, you know, start their own journey in life.
That's right. And hopefully when they come back, it's just for a visit.
That's what I'm hoping. That's what I'm hoping.
We'll see. I know. So I did go back and listen to, you know,
(12:16):
The Art of Love, Back to Business, Intervention, All for Love.
And it's very positive, fun music.
Well, let me ask you this. Would you say that when you create your music that
you are very intentional on the message?
Yes, absolutely. On the message, the song titles, the album titles, the whole nine.
(12:44):
I try to think about the audience because I don't record the music per se for me.
I really record it for my audience.
I mean, obviously, there's some satisfaction when I record, But I really try
to consider my audience when I record these different records.
(13:09):
And each song title has its own meaning, you know, whether it was All for Love
or whether it's Seasons, whether it's, you know, Intervention, Back to Business,
Art of Love, and then my upcoming record, which is called Feel So Good. So, yeah.
Feel So Good. That's right. Yeah. So I try to think about my audience and where
(13:34):
I am in life, because I think that that speaks to the music that you record.
And when you when you also consider where you are in your life.
I appreciate good music that make me feel good because, you know,
I believe in music therapy and music can take you a lot of different places,
you know, depending on what you're listening to.
So I really appreciate artists who are intentional when they create music.
(13:58):
So, for example, Intervention, I listened to that.
And let's just talk about Intervention, your gospel jazz project for a second.
Because it really kind of touched me. Now, you had some traditional gospel songs,
but not so traditional gospel music.
I mean, you know, it was a little toe tapping. I mean, I still felt good.
(14:23):
But tell us a little bit about how that all came together, because you had a
lot of great, you know, yeah.
So the concept of that was I wanted to pay tribute, you know,
because when I grew up, I grew up listening to traditional gospel music, such as like It Is Well,
you know, My Soul Has Been Anchored, Oh, Happy Day, Going Up Yonder, things like that.
(14:49):
But I didn't want them to sound traditional, but I didn't want to take it so
far to the other side where you didn't recognize it either.
But I wanted to add some light and modernize it, and think of how I would want
to translate that to the audience.
(15:12):
So once again, just thinking about the audience,
whether you're 80 years old, 90 years old, if I talk about it as well,
you're going to know that song.
Then if you hear it, I want you to still be able to recognize it,
but I want the younger generation to also be able to relate to it as well.
That was the whole concept for the record, where we were really taking an account
(15:38):
of traditional songs, and somewhat modernizing them, giving them a groove, a beat.
And then taking some modern songs and, you know, just saying them in a different way, possibly.
But like I said, never taking it so far out of context where you can't recognize it.
(15:59):
Now, Art, I must say that you are always working, which is a good thing for,
you know, independent artists. That's a good thing.
That's a blessing, right? That is very much so. And you're doing what you love
and you're blessing people's ears.
And you have worked with and shared the stage with many talented artists from Mesa,
(16:23):
Gerald Albright, Marcus Johnson, and just a host of other super talented artists now.
I don't want to get you in any trouble because I know you enjoy working with
everybody. But is there any one artist that kind of stands out that you just,
it was a really good music chemistry?
You know, I enjoy Will Downing, you know, I mean, one, he's a character and,
(16:46):
you know, and we, you know, just musically, he's a phenomenal person and you
know, so I enjoy going, I go out with Phil Perry, same thing.
It is always enjoyable because he gives you space to be yourself and play.
(17:08):
He's such a phenomenal artist.
I love going out with Lou Santins too. They're an amazing group and the energy.
Each one of those individuals, I pick up a little bit from them and I'm like, man,
because when you're standing on stage, you're looking out and you're
(17:29):
like oh man i never thought about doing this or this really translates well
and you watch how how the pros you know i look at it as the uh the ogs do it
and you know cuba gooding senior the main ingredient i learned a lot from him
this he was just an amazing person,
you know just to be around i mean first of all he was so energetic all the time
(17:54):
but he always was giving out little nuggets.
Same thing with Michael Henderson. You know, he was always giving out nuggets.
You know, history and, you know, you should do this and, you know,
be careful of this, watch out for this, that kind of thing.
So, you know, I can't say that there's just one, but I've just enjoyed the journey
(18:16):
of working with so many different artists and being able to learn from them.
Yeah, yeah. And that's most importantly, having some takeaways,
you know, Because we always got to be in the spirit of learning and growing. Yeah. Yeah.
So, Art, let's talk about just your stage attire. Ah!
Yeah, yeah. You know I'm going to let that get by now. Ah! I thought it was
(18:38):
going to slide through. No, no, no, no, no.
I have to state the obvious. Now, can I just say that, like,
you are one of the best dressed saxophonist players out there.
And then there's others.
But, you know, you kind of bring a little pizzazz on the stage.
Now, do you have someone that, like, custom make your jackets and your suits?
(19:00):
Because you're always blinging and clean.
Well, you know, sometimes I do have people who customize things for me.
Or I may find something that I like off the rack, and then I get it tailored.
You know, I just try to pick up little nuggets here and there.
(19:21):
So okay okay so do you do you have a favorite color
you know for stage attire it could be
anything for me i just you know i just
you know it's kind of one of those things they say if you if you look good you
feel good so most definitely yes even when i'm talking to younger artists i
(19:41):
i talk to them about stage presence and the importance of you know you're an
artist you're an entertainer.
And, you know, you know how when you're standing in a room and you look,
you see somebody, you go, oh yeah, he must be part of the band.
He must be an entertainer.
I want, you know, and I preach that to my band, you know, you want to look like
(20:07):
an entertainer, you know. Yes. You know, you don't want to just blend in.
And so that's just kind of my approach on that.
You know, you're not going to see me at Walmart with a blingy jacket or anything
like that, you know, but stage wear.
Well, you know, stage attire is important. And that's why I mentioned it,
because, you know, you're an entertainer and it looks good under the lights.
(20:30):
You know, the colors, the bling. It does. It looks good.
So just I'm glad you mentioned that. Especially to my, because I have a lot
of, you know, I have a lot of younger artists that tune in. And,
you know, it's important to know that you are an entertainer and you want to
be set apart from the audience, from your audience.
Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, you got to consider, like you said,
the lighting and things like that.
(20:51):
Like reds aren't good for me under the light.
You know, you just kind of have to know what works and play around with things.
Yeah. Yeah. For your hue as well.
So I know you mentioned the new project. So tell us a little bit about it,
you know, so the fans can be on the lookout. out?
All right. Well, the new project is called Feel So Good.
(21:13):
It has 13 tracks on there.
And this record feels different than any of the other records.
The industry has really embraced the record.
I did a lot of original songs, but I did do a few remakes of songs also.
(21:35):
And, you know, Because I always like to give homage to songs that I really like.
Some artists really get stuck on, I can only do original, but I want to do songs that feel good.
And that's kind of the approach that I took. And with my records, I always like to...
(21:57):
Pay homage to my faith, so I put a gospel song on the record.
And so I did a remake of Thank You.
Okay. And so I had that on there, and I did Patrice Rushin's Remind Me.
Ooh, that's one of my favorite songs. Okay. Oh, really? Oh, I hit a nerve. Yeah, you did.
(22:21):
You heard the voice go up. I know. I was like, wait a minute.
It was cool because I was on a show with her and I think we're in Indianapolis.
I was playing with Phil Perry, so it was Phil and Jeffrey Osborne and Patrice,
and I actually got a chance to give her a copy of the record with the song on there.
(22:46):
So I thought that was really, for me, that was like an all-time high for me.
And, but yeah, but, but this, you know, this record I did, you know,
you know, I did a remake of one of my, you know, Janet Jackson.
I've always loved Janet Jackson, you know, and I did.
And then everything else is, is original.
And, you know, you can hear it on XM, Watercolors and some of the other stations out too.
(23:10):
Nice, nice. But you know, we're going to be on the lookout for it.
So, yes, yes, indeed. Indeed.
So listen, before you go, I like to play a little game sometimes,
especially if my guests are as cool as you.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Are you down? Are you down for a little game?
I'm down, but I think I'm being set up. Okay, let's go. No, you're not. I promise.
(23:33):
Listen, listen. I don't do that. Look, it's easy peasy. I promise.
Okay. All right. I'm with you. Okay.
So it's called Pick One, Three Seconds, Three Questions. You ready?
Okay. Let's do it. Bow tie or traditional tie? Bow tie.
Super wealthy or super healthy? Super healthy. Okay.
(23:56):
Summertime, summertime or fall? Summertime.
Boom. There you see? That wasn't too bad, was it? No, no, it was not. It was not. Uh-huh. See?
You did well. You did well. Thank you. Thank you. Yes.
So I want to thank you for hanging out in the Artisones today.
Now, before you go, tell the good people out there who've never heard of Art
(24:19):
Sherrod, about how to keep up with all the good things you have going on.
Well, you can go onto my website. I have a traditional website, www.artshiradjr.com.
That's A-R-T-S-H-E-R-R-O-D-J-R.com.
And all of my social media handles are the same. So Twitter or no longer,
(24:44):
oh, it's called X, excuse me.
It's at Art Sherrod Jr.
Instagram, same thing, Art Sherrod Jr. on Facebook, Art Sherrod Jr.
Jazz Saxophonist. So just follow me there and hopefully I'll be coming to a town near you soon.
You can go into my website and put your email address in and then you'll get
all of the email blasts and we don't overdo it with email blasts.
(25:07):
So yeah, go on there and follow me. I'd love to see you guys.
Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much for hanging out in the AutoZone.
As always, It's a pleasure to see you and hear you perform.
Oh, thank you so much. And thank you for having me. And thank you for bringing
me in front of your audience. Absolutely.
Until next time, be well. All right. You do the same.
(25:31):
Now, Art has a catalog of great music. And he said that I can play any song
that I want to hear. And I got to admit, it was pretty hard.
But, you know, I'm a sucker for a great classic song because it always reminds me.
Music.
(30:28):
Music.
Music.
(02:18):
Complaints here. Look, the last time that I actually saw you, you were on stage.
It was at an event that I was actually hosting with Charm City Jazz.
Shout out to Roger Harris and his lovely wife.
That was a great show. It was yourself, Eric Robeson, Karen Lynette.
Like that night was fire. Great music, good singing and the audience.
(02:39):
Like shout out to all my Baltimore folks. Absolutely.
It's good to finally have you here in between all that you do.
Well, thank you for having me. Absolutely.
Now, Art, you may not remember, but I met you years ago, maybe around 2011 or 12.
It was at this cute little place in Elkridge, Maryland.
(03:02):
And I was working for artists and you brought your sacks and blessed the folks.
I don't know if you remember. I do.
You do? I do. And I'm trying to remember the name of the place,
but I remember it was a real small place. They only served desserts or whatever.
Yeah, I remember.
Wow, yes, it was a dessert and wine bar, I think. I can't remember.
(03:25):
Yes, it was a cute little place.
A lot of wonderful things has happened to both of us since that time.
But you know what? Today is all about you. Oh.
Listen, four projects, four albums, the art of love.
Like, I love all the titles. I like the titles alone make you want to listen.
(03:47):
No, really? Oh, man. Well, thank you so much. It's been fun,
really, recording all this.
It's been a big journey for me. So it's super exciting.
You grew up in Texas, right? What part of Texas did you grow up in?
A little bitty town called Palestine, Texas. It only has maybe,
back then, maybe like 17,000 people in the whole town.
(04:10):
And it's in East Texas. So some people, if you use Dallas as a reference point,
it's about two hours southeast of Dallas and about three hours north of Houston.
Shout out to all my folks in Palestine, Texas.
It is on the map, though, right? Yeah, it is on the map, but it's a little fun.
(04:36):
Yeah, it's okay. It's okay. A lot of great musicians come out of the state of Texas. Yes.
I was just there not long ago, so it's always good going back and playing for your home state.
Yes, because you had a mini city tour there, right? What, about five cities or something? Yeah.
Yeah. So it's always fun. Always fun.
(04:59):
So did you run into any homeboys from back in the day?
I did. Ran into, you know, believe it or not, you know, but yeah,
but ran into several peoples, people I grew up with.
In fact, some people that literally lived right down the street from me when I was a kid.
So and we were on the basketball team together and everything.
(05:21):
So it was real good to see them because some of them I hadn't seen in a long time.
I'm not going to date myself, but yeah, it was a long time.
Okay, it's all good. It's all good. Listen, we're glad to be here in the land
of the living. So it's all good.
So, Arne, I got to mention that you not only are a musician, you are a veteran.
So thank you for your service. You served in the United States Navy.
(05:44):
Yes, ma'am. Yeah, shout out to all my vets. Yes, my vets. That's right.
Appreciate you guys and ladies.
That's right. That's right. Now, now are you like, you started in the church, right?
Like for many artists, like their natural starting point in music,
in their music journey usually begins in a church.
Right. Yeah, I agree.
(06:06):
So your parents were active in the church, right? Your mom was a musician and your dad sang?
Yes. Yes. Mom, mom sang. She was, she played the B3 organ and,
And, you know, her music room when I was growing up was literally right across
the hall from my bedroom.
And so she'd spend hours and hours just playing hymns. You know,
(06:29):
she reads music. She doesn't play by ear.
So, you know, I would hear nothing but church music.
And, you know, I'd go and sit on the bench with her and, you know,
sing with her and she'd play.
And Dad has always been in the choir. higher and so I got a chance to get it
from both sides of it, from the musician side to the vocalist side.
(06:55):
So you like, you soaked it all in, huh? That's right. That's right.
That's what you're supposed to do. That's some good stuff right there.
When did you, like, when were you introduced to the sax?
Because, like, growing up in church, most, you know, most boys are naturally
or drawn to the drums, right?
Oh, trust me. Yes. I want, that's funny you ask that. So I originally wanted to play the drums.
(07:21):
That was, you know, boys like to bang on stuff. They make a lot of noise.
So I wanted to play drums, but my mom worked the graveyard shift at the post office.
So she would sleep in the evenings. And then my dad worked at the railroad.
And so at 7 a.m., he was on his way to the railroad.
(07:43):
So my parents were like, nah, the drums are not going to credit.
It that's not so that then
i decided okay well then i i want to
play the trumpet and i was all geared up playing the trumpet and
my aunt convinced my mother that the trumpet
would push my teeth my front teeth in and so my mom said you're not gonna play
(08:05):
the trumpet and so the the next instrument was you know i was it was a saxophone.
And i was just starting to notice that you know you know you start noticing
all these pretty little girls or whatever.
And so I said, you know what, what instrument would the girls like?
And that helped me just kind of nail down the saxophone.
(08:26):
And I'm glad it did because I took a natural liking to it.
And, you know, I practiced for hours and hours. And you'd always see me on the bus with my saxophone.
And, you know, so, yeah, so that's what brought me around the saxophone.
Okay. So, you know, you're right. The ladies like the sax, the saxophone is
(08:47):
what we call it. Right. The saxophone.
Yeah, the sexy sax. Yes, yes.
And the sax is like, it is such a beautiful instrument. It has so many beautiful
tones and sounds. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So, you know, I think this is a great time to kind of mention,
like, your love for God, your family, and, of course, music.
(09:10):
Oh, yeah. Well, you know, growing up in my household as a kid,
you know, my dad was on the deacon board, you know, after church,
you know, anybody that grew up Southern Baptist, they probably know this.
So, you know, after church and the accounting money, I'd have to sit and wait
because there were no, you know, there were no quick counting machines back
(09:33):
then. they did everything by hand.
And so, you know, church ended whenever it ended. And then I'd always be there
for another couple of hours and they count money.
And, you know, you just see. And then, then my house, when I was really small,
our house literally was right behind the church and right behind the church.
So I just grew up in the church and, you know, that's really where where my
(09:58):
foundation came from and as you start to play these instruments,
and you start to meet people, and you realize how much you're really touching
them by different music.
But I recorded a gospel record in honor of my belief, my faith,
(10:20):
and songs that I use to help me get to get through times or that I'm used to
get through times over the years.
And that record is called Intervention. And I felt that it was a good time to
record that particular record because
a lot of times people associate intervention with drugs and alcohol,
(10:42):
but sometimes we need a spiritual intervention or we might need intervention
on our love life and our finances, you know, in all aspects of our lives.
So I recorded that particular record and I mean, it really took off a lot faster
and bigger than I would have anticipated.
But yeah, so I have a great love of Jesus Christ and I have a great love for family as well.
(11:11):
You know, I have my wife, Georgia, and, you know, we'll be married,
what is it, 16 years this year.
Nice. Beautiful. Congratulations to you both.
Thank you. I have a 16-year-old daughter and a 24-year-old son.
You know, it's nothing better than to be around family.
(11:32):
Yeah, it really is. And as I get older, you know, I start to appreciate my kids
even more because you're like, I'm like, oh, it's so exciting to have them around.
You know, when they're home, you can't wait for them to leave.
But, you know, it's always great to have them around.
You have a great appreciation for family.
(11:54):
Yeah, and you got to cherish those days with the kids because once they leave
the house, I mean, they always come back.
But they start living, you know, start their own journey in life.
That's right. And hopefully when they come back, it's just for a visit.
That's what I'm hoping. That's what I'm hoping.
We'll see. I know. So I did go back and listen to, you know,
(12:16):
The Art of Love, Back to Business, Intervention, All for Love.
And it's very positive, fun music.
Well, let me ask you this. Would you say that when you create your music that
you are very intentional on the message?
Yes, absolutely. On the message, the song titles, the album titles, the whole nine.
(12:44):
I try to think about the audience because I don't record the music per se for me.
I really record it for my audience.
I mean, obviously, there's some satisfaction when I record, But I really try
to consider my audience when I record these different records.
(13:09):
And each song title has its own meaning, you know, whether it was All for Love
or whether it's Seasons, whether it's, you know, Intervention, Back to Business,
Art of Love, and then my upcoming record, which is called Feel So Good. So, yeah.
Feel So Good. That's right. Yeah. So I try to think about my audience and where
(13:34):
I am in life, because I think that that speaks to the music that you record.
And when you when you also consider where you are in your life.
I appreciate good music that make me feel good because, you know,
I believe in music therapy and music can take you a lot of different places,
you know, depending on what you're listening to.
So I really appreciate artists who are intentional when they create music.
(13:58):
So, for example, Intervention, I listened to that.
And let's just talk about Intervention, your gospel jazz project for a second.
Because it really kind of touched me. Now, you had some traditional gospel songs,
but not so traditional gospel music.
I mean, you know, it was a little toe tapping. I mean, I still felt good.
(14:23):
But tell us a little bit about how that all came together, because you had a
lot of great, you know, yeah.
So the concept of that was I wanted to pay tribute, you know,
because when I grew up, I grew up listening to traditional gospel music, such as like It Is Well,
you know, My Soul Has Been Anchored, Oh, Happy Day, Going Up Yonder, things like that.
(14:49):
But I didn't want them to sound traditional, but I didn't want to take it so
far to the other side where you didn't recognize it either.
But I wanted to add some light and modernize it, and think of how I would want
to translate that to the audience.
(15:12):
So once again, just thinking about the audience,
whether you're 80 years old, 90 years old, if I talk about it as well,
you're going to know that song.
Then if you hear it, I want you to still be able to recognize it,
but I want the younger generation to also be able to relate to it as well.
That was the whole concept for the record, where we were really taking an account
(15:38):
of traditional songs, and somewhat modernizing them, giving them a groove, a beat.
And then taking some modern songs and, you know, just saying them in a different way, possibly.
But like I said, never taking it so far out of context where you can't recognize it.
(15:59):
Now, Art, I must say that you are always working, which is a good thing for,
you know, independent artists. That's a good thing.
That's a blessing, right? That is very much so. And you're doing what you love
and you're blessing people's ears.
And you have worked with and shared the stage with many talented artists from Mesa,
(16:23):
Gerald Albright, Marcus Johnson, and just a host of other super talented artists now.
I don't want to get you in any trouble because I know you enjoy working with
everybody. But is there any one artist that kind of stands out that you just,
it was a really good music chemistry?
You know, I enjoy Will Downing, you know, I mean, one, he's a character and,
(16:46):
you know, and we, you know, just musically, he's a phenomenal person and you
know, so I enjoy going, I go out with Phil Perry, same thing.
It is always enjoyable because he gives you space to be yourself and play.
(17:08):
He's such a phenomenal artist.
I love going out with Lou Santins too. They're an amazing group and the energy.
Each one of those individuals, I pick up a little bit from them and I'm like, man,
because when you're standing on stage, you're looking out and you're
(17:29):
like oh man i never thought about doing this or this really translates well
and you watch how how the pros you know i look at it as the uh the ogs do it
and you know cuba gooding senior the main ingredient i learned a lot from him
this he was just an amazing person,
you know just to be around i mean first of all he was so energetic all the time
(17:54):
but he always was giving out little nuggets.
Same thing with Michael Henderson. You know, he was always giving out nuggets.
You know, history and, you know, you should do this and, you know,
be careful of this, watch out for this, that kind of thing.
So, you know, I can't say that there's just one, but I've just enjoyed the journey
(18:16):
of working with so many different artists and being able to learn from them.
Yeah, yeah. And that's most importantly, having some takeaways,
you know, Because we always got to be in the spirit of learning and growing. Yeah. Yeah.
So, Art, let's talk about just your stage attire. Ah!
Yeah, yeah. You know I'm going to let that get by now. Ah! I thought it was
(18:38):
going to slide through. No, no, no, no, no.
I have to state the obvious. Now, can I just say that, like,
you are one of the best dressed saxophonist players out there.
And then there's others.
But, you know, you kind of bring a little pizzazz on the stage.
Now, do you have someone that, like, custom make your jackets and your suits?
(19:00):
Because you're always blinging and clean.
Well, you know, sometimes I do have people who customize things for me.
Or I may find something that I like off the rack, and then I get it tailored.
You know, I just try to pick up little nuggets here and there.
(19:21):
So okay okay so do you do you have a favorite color
you know for stage attire it could be
anything for me i just you know i just
you know it's kind of one of those things they say if you if you look good you
feel good so most definitely yes even when i'm talking to younger artists i
(19:41):
i talk to them about stage presence and the importance of you know you're an
artist you're an entertainer.
And, you know, you know how when you're standing in a room and you look,
you see somebody, you go, oh yeah, he must be part of the band.
He must be an entertainer.
I want, you know, and I preach that to my band, you know, you want to look like
(20:07):
an entertainer, you know. Yes. You know, you don't want to just blend in.
And so that's just kind of my approach on that.
You know, you're not going to see me at Walmart with a blingy jacket or anything
like that, you know, but stage wear.
Well, you know, stage attire is important. And that's why I mentioned it,
because, you know, you're an entertainer and it looks good under the lights.
(20:30):
You know, the colors, the bling. It does. It looks good.
So just I'm glad you mentioned that. Especially to my, because I have a lot
of, you know, I have a lot of younger artists that tune in. And,
you know, it's important to know that you are an entertainer and you want to
be set apart from the audience, from your audience.
Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, you got to consider, like you said,
the lighting and things like that.
(20:51):
Like reds aren't good for me under the light.
You know, you just kind of have to know what works and play around with things.
Yeah. Yeah. For your hue as well.
So I know you mentioned the new project. So tell us a little bit about it,
you know, so the fans can be on the lookout. out?
All right. Well, the new project is called Feel So Good.
(21:13):
It has 13 tracks on there.
And this record feels different than any of the other records.
The industry has really embraced the record.
I did a lot of original songs, but I did do a few remakes of songs also.
(21:35):
And, you know, Because I always like to give homage to songs that I really like.
Some artists really get stuck on, I can only do original, but I want to do songs that feel good.
And that's kind of the approach that I took. And with my records, I always like to...
(21:57):
Pay homage to my faith, so I put a gospel song on the record.
And so I did a remake of Thank You.
Okay. And so I had that on there, and I did Patrice Rushin's Remind Me.
Ooh, that's one of my favorite songs. Okay. Oh, really? Oh, I hit a nerve. Yeah, you did.
(22:21):
You heard the voice go up. I know. I was like, wait a minute.
It was cool because I was on a show with her and I think we're in Indianapolis.
I was playing with Phil Perry, so it was Phil and Jeffrey Osborne and Patrice,
and I actually got a chance to give her a copy of the record with the song on there.
(22:46):
So I thought that was really, for me, that was like an all-time high for me.
And, but yeah, but, but this, you know, this record I did, you know,
you know, I did a remake of one of my, you know, Janet Jackson.
I've always loved Janet Jackson, you know, and I did.
And then everything else is, is original.
And, you know, you can hear it on XM, Watercolors and some of the other stations out too.
(23:10):
Nice, nice. But you know, we're going to be on the lookout for it.
So, yes, yes, indeed. Indeed.
So listen, before you go, I like to play a little game sometimes,
especially if my guests are as cool as you.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Are you down? Are you down for a little game?
I'm down, but I think I'm being set up. Okay, let's go. No, you're not. I promise.
(23:33):
Listen, listen. I don't do that. Look, it's easy peasy. I promise.
Okay. All right. I'm with you. Okay.
So it's called Pick One, Three Seconds, Three Questions. You ready?
Okay. Let's do it. Bow tie or traditional tie? Bow tie.
Super wealthy or super healthy? Super healthy. Okay.
(23:56):
Summertime, summertime or fall? Summertime.
Boom. There you see? That wasn't too bad, was it? No, no, it was not. It was not. Uh-huh. See?
You did well. You did well. Thank you. Thank you. Yes.
So I want to thank you for hanging out in the Artisones today.
Now, before you go, tell the good people out there who've never heard of Art
(24:19):
Sherrod, about how to keep up with all the good things you have going on.
Well, you can go onto my website. I have a traditional website, www.artshiradjr.com.
That's A-R-T-S-H-E-R-R-O-D-J-R.com.
And all of my social media handles are the same. So Twitter or no longer,
(24:44):
oh, it's called X, excuse me.
It's at Art Sherrod Jr.
Instagram, same thing, Art Sherrod Jr. on Facebook, Art Sherrod Jr.
Jazz Saxophonist. So just follow me there and hopefully I'll be coming to a town near you soon.
You can go into my website and put your email address in and then you'll get
all of the email blasts and we don't overdo it with email blasts.
(25:07):
So yeah, go on there and follow me. I'd love to see you guys.
Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much for hanging out in the AutoZone.
As always, It's a pleasure to see you and hear you perform.
Oh, thank you so much. And thank you for having me. And thank you for bringing
me in front of your audience. Absolutely.
Until next time, be well. All right. You do the same.
(25:31):
Now, Art has a catalog of great music. And he said that I can play any song
that I want to hear. And I got to admit, it was pretty hard.
But, you know, I'm a sucker for a great classic song because it always reminds me.
Music.
(30:28):
Music.
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