Meet Kyle Simpler

I currently live in:

Fort Worth, Texas

I joined All About Jazz in:

2002

Why did you decide to contribute to All About Jazz?

That's an interesting story. I discovered All About Jazz mostly by accident. During the early 2000s, I worked for a company that published newsletters, and one of my responsibilities was researching upcoming concerts in different areas to include on event calendars. We would tailor each newsletter for the particular city where the client was located. Anyway, I frequently came across articles on All About Jazz while I was researching online. At the time, I had been writing book reviews for a local newspaper, so I decided to contact All About Jazz to see if I could write some reviews. Fortunately, they let me have a go of it.

How do you contribute to All About Jazz?

I write mostly album reviews now, but Michael Ricci has also been kind enough to let me do my own column. This is the sort of thing that makes All About Jazz unique. They value contributors and encourage them to explore their own interests.

What is your musical background?

Wow, where do I start? Music has always been a part of my life. I started taking band classes during middle school. I learned the basics, such as reading music, but we also got exposed to different musical genres. For example, we were exposed to experimental music alongside traditional compositions. I was also fortunate to grow up during the sixties and seventies. The music during that time was really great, and I had two older brothers, both musicians who were into the "cool" stuff. I was really fortunate to be able to listen to their albums. So instead of listening to cheesy pop music, which I would have been doing because all of my friends were into that sort of stuff, I was listening to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Cream—the usual suspects. But I also got into a variety of music other than rock, like Lightin' Hopkins, T-Bone Walker and Johnny Cash.

By the time I entered high school, I started playing bass in a garage band. This was also around the time I got interested in jazz. My brother was into all the fusion artists who were popular during the seventies, so I got into a lot of that. But there was also a radio program in the evenings that featured mostly oldies. The host would play a lot of great doo wop and late fifties music, which was pretty cool. He also played some jazz stuff mixed in, but this was way different from fusion. I mean, this was the first time I heard Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts," which was one of the best things I'd ever heard at the time. This opened up a broader scope of jazz music.

Later, when I was going to college, I was fortunate enough to work in a small record store that specialized in jazz and blues. I had been a regular customer at the store since I was in high school, but actually getting to work there was amazing. The whole experience was an education in itself. Even now, years later, I'm still learning and discovering new sounds. It's a cool trip.

What was the first record you bought that you would still listen to today?

Probably like everyone else, I bought a bunch of albums when I was younger that I thought were fantastic. Looking back now, though, many of these are pretty dated, and I would only listen to them now for nostalgic purposes. But the first album I bought that I would, and do, still listen to is Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. I remember buying that on eight-track tape without knowing anything about it. I just thought it had a great cover. Oh man, that opened up something for me, and I still dig it as much as I did back then. Yeah, I'm just not listening to it on eight-track anymore.

Aside from jazz, what styles of music do you enjoy?

I will listen to just about anything except for most top 40. There's so much cool music out there to explore. I love classical, all sorts of traditional folk music, reggae (especially ska and dub) and musique concrète. Basically, I'm just always digging new sounds.

What are you listening to right now?

I've been listening to a lot of John Scofield and the Grateful Dead lately. Scofield and Jerry Garcia are both such unique players. I've basically had both artists on repeat a lot.

Which five recent releases would you recommend to readers who share your musical taste?

These aren't all from this year, but they are fairly recent releases.

John Scofield: Uncle John's Band
Palle Mikkelborg: Strands
Andrea Zacchia: Anemoia
Freddie Hubbard: On Fire: Live From the Blue Morocco
Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen Trio: Bees In The Bonnet

What inspired you to write about jazz?

Well, I was an English major, so writing has always been important to me. The real issue, however, is finding a genre or some outlet for your writing. I know many English majors who have an interest in writing fiction, and they have a talent for that. But I've always been more interested in writing about music. When I was in college, for example, I used to write short essays about whatever I was listening to at the time, which was often prewar blues artists like Blind Lemon Jefferson or Tommy McClennan. I never intended for any of that stuff to get published. I mainly made it to show my friends. I know it drove them crazy because they couldn't care less about reading a piece about Barbecue Bob or whatever I did.

What do you like to do in your free time? Any hobbies?

I've been taking jazz guitar lessons for a few years, and I like getting together and playing with other musicians. I've also been playing trumpet. I played trumpet in the school band, and I bought a cheap one a couple of years ago to see if I could still play it. To my surprise, I could.

Outside of music, I enjoy reading and drawing cartoons. My cartoons pretty much always deal with music in a somewhat satirical but good-natured way.

What role does jazz music play in your life?

That's an interesting question because it goes beyond simply music. I'm a semi-retired teacher, and the structure of jazz really helps in my approach to the classroom. There's a sense of improvisation that sometimes happens during teaching that can be very rewarding. There is actually quite a bit written about teaching as analogous to jazz.

How does writing about jazz contribute to the music itself?

One way is to help connect the audience with the music. After all, musicians create for an audience, and writing about jazz can potentially raise awareness and interest in the music.

What do you like most about All About Jazz?

I love the freedom and variety it offers. There is a great material to explore here. It's an excellent resource!

What positives have come from your association with All About Jazz?

It's been great to not only write about music but also to have the opportunity to get to know some of the musicians. And, of course, getting exposed to all the cool music.

Vinyl, CD or Streaming?

Vinyl. I've always been a big vinyl collector. I do listen to CDs and streaming, but vinyl comes first for me.

Which article from your archive is the most memorable and why?

I'd have to say it's the Rhythm and Roots article about the influence of jazz on early ska and early reggae. I know others have had more views, but I really loved researching and writing that article.

If I could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?

There are so many choices, but I would go with Wes Montgomery. He had a pure, natural talent, and he always seemed to be enjoying whatever he played. I honestly think there would be some really cool conversations about jazz and life in general. Having dinner with Wes would be a real learning experience. His knowledge and joy for life would probably make the evening memorable. And as far as the food goes, I doubt he would get hung up on whether or not something was gluten-free or sustainably sourced. Yeah, he'd be a cool hang.

What's the song or piece of music you wish you could hear again for the first time?

"So May It Secretly Begin" by The Pat Metheny Group.

What is your favorite jazz guitar solo?

"Miss Ann's Tempo" by Grant Green

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