As one of Australia’s largest and most recognised music events, the 2014 Noosa Jazz Festival is set to present a stellar line-up of the genre at the picturesque tourist destination of Noosa Heads from Thursday 4th September to Sunday 7th September 2014.
This year's line-up showcases the likes of Vince Jones, Grace Knight and Scream Big Band. But a man who has had the spotlight on him for all the right reasons lately is Steve Clisby.
TV viewers know him as a finalist on of 'The Voice' last year. But long before Australia fell in love with the towering soul man who made it to the final eight on the program, the 67-year-old had already lived a lifetime as a performer, travelling the world and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in music. He once reportedly jammed with Jimi Hendrix and as a member of the group American Gypsy, Clisby toured alongside the likes of Chaka Khan, Hot Chocolate, Kool & the Gang, Santana, Frank Zappa and Taj Mahal.
He was first drawn to music through his parents' record collection then expanded his musical palette with the radio playing the music of the time. He studied singing throughout high school then, in the '70s, packed up with a group of like-minded musos to take their music to Europe. He remained there for the next 28 years, mostly in Holland, but also had stints living in Spain and Germany performing all over Europe with R&B band American Gypsy.
His profile has risen on a national scale since competing on The Voice under the mentorship of pop singer Delta Goodrem. We managed to have a sit down with Steve and learn a little bit more about his incredible life.
One of the first questions that I would love to ask, is about how you came to live in Australia?
I was living in Amsterdam for 28 years and got a bit fed up with northern Europe and deeded that I wanted to live somewhere with sunshine and where they spoke English. I didn’t want to have to go to California, so I came to the conclusion that Sydney would be closest to the place that I had grown up.
Why Sydney?
My business partner at the time was travelling back and forth to Sydney when he started telling me about how nice it was, I really wanted to check it out. The song that afforded me the resources to move was Golden Ring which was recorded on Nina Cherry’s album ‘The Man’ in 1996, that paid the rent and allowed me to get out of Holland.
Can you tell us about how you fell into music?
I always loved and was excited by music and had no idea that I was going to do it for a living until I was 21, but previous to that I had fantasised about being in a group, I played piano since I was 7 and intrigued by the music my parents listened to and a huge part of my culture growing up.
Is there a particular sound that reminds you of your youth and parents?
Nina Simone is someone who really had a big influence on me, and a lot of female singers that my mum used to listen to like Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, they were the ones I listened to as a kid, I grew up with an appreciation for that genre.
It's easy to say that Australia was mesmerised by you on The Voice, can you tell us about the experience?
You have to make the best of every situation you are in, it was a challenge, there were many challenges along the way and many that I had never encountered, most of the things I had run into on the program could take with a grain of salt, that was work. But it was also part of being a team that was trying to put together a really great show, I felt the camaraderie and the creative collaboration and it was great being in an environment where it was all musicians and singers. You don’t often get that sense of community in the daily grind.
Your resume is formidable playing with and supporting some incredible acts in the past, can you tell us a little bit about those experiences?
The funny thing is, the thing that separated us from the people that were headlining wasn’t out ability to play it was the fact the had hit records and we didn’t. I remember playing with Chaka Khan and being on Tina Turner's tour and all the musicians were just there and on the same level, you are sort of in awe when it comes to Tina, but at that time when were doing Chaka’s tour, she was just another musician who happened to have really big hits. In the American music scene there is a tradition of competition and you go out wanting to do your best but you also go out wanting to blow your competition away, in the friendliest fashion. We gave them a run for their money each time.
On your new album you have enlisted some very prominent Australian producers, can you tell me a little bit about working with Andy Mak and Scott Horscroft?
I can only say that it was fantastic. I have known Scott for 5 or 6 years, he was the only person that got what I wanted to do, I wanted to do a live recording in the studio with an audience. The minute I mentioned it he lit up and said “yes we can do this” there was no hesitation and from that moment on we bonded and I could see he had vision. When I got ready to do the album he returned from New York he jumped at the chance and he introduced me to Andy, who I don’t think I’ve had more fun working with someone, it was so much fun.
For a guy in his late 20s, he knows the history and is phonemically talented, has the production sensibilities and is very confident and grounded. I can’t tell you how much fun we had! A creative party, which I think is the way the album eventually came out.
Walking These Streets is your upcoming tour, what people can expect?
A lot of great energy, particularly when we do the Noosa Jazz Festival, pumping that album and the single ‘Walking These Streets’ which I am really looking forward to playing live.
Do you have any words of wisdom to someone aiming to get into music?
It’s a tough business and without sounding to cliched, perseverance and hard work are really the corner stone of success — and I think you have to make up your mind that doing what you do because you love it, and not necessarily going to get a big house and a Ferarri.
I thought about quitting about six months before I went on The Voice, I was thinking most people are retired now, nothing significantly of any world wide magnitude had happened and I asked is it going to happen? I kept asking myself was there something else I should have done. The unfiltered voice in my head said you are doing what you are supposed to do, don’t let anyone else tell you different.
Steve Clisby will perform at the Noosa Jazz Festival in Septemebr.
