An interview with singer-songwriter Ad Vanderveen.

The joy in your playing has brought joy to so many others, including and especially me. What do you think is its secret?

IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO HEAR IT BRINGS JOY, IT COMES FROM JOY AND IT’S FROM THE HEART.

What are the experiences of your life that led you to see music as a spiritual endeavor?

MUSIC IS LIKE A THERAPY AND THAT LEADS TO MORE SELF-KLOWLEDGE AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO SPIRITUALITY.

Life is more than just music, is there any other field that has influence on your music?

ALL OF IT, ALL EXPERIENCES. YOU NEVER KNOW WHICH IN PARTICULAR WILL TRANSLATE INTO MUSIC.

Where does your creative drive come from?

GOOD QUESTION. NOT SURE I KNOW THE ANSWER.

But in your formative, figuring things out, years, whose sense of rhythm did you admire? Who has impacted you rhythmically?

MOSTLY ROCK’N’ROLL AND BLUES RECORDS.

What are you doing to keep it relevant today, to develop it and present it to the youth?

NOT MUCH, JUST TRYING TO STAY IN SHAPE AND IN TOUCH WITH MY INNER WORLD.

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album?

I WORKED CHRONOLOGICALLY, FOLLOWING THE SONGS AS THEY APPEARED. IN THAT ORDER THE ALBUM IS ALSO SEQUENCED, EXCEPT MAYBE ONE OR TWO. AS  I ALWAYS WORK, IT’S MOSTLY FIRST TAKES AND REAL TIME.  

Do you share the opinion that your live albums are some of your best records? What is it about you and your music that works so well for live recordings?

IF THAT’S THE CASE IT COULD BE THE REAL TIME COMMUNICATION FACTOR, AND THE FACT THAT SONGS EVOLVE THROUGH TIME. MY STUDIO RECORDS ARE USUALLY THE FIRST PERFORMANCES OF THE SONGS, AT THE POINT IN TIME WHEN THEY ARE NEW AND FRESH AND CLOSE TO THEIR SOURCE. THERE’S A GREAT VALUE IN THAT I THINK, BUT SOMETIMES IT ISN’T UNTIL LATER THAT THEY COME INTO THEIR OWN.

And how did you select the musicians who play on the album?

THEY ARE MOSTLY OLD AND TRUSTED FRIENDS. I VALUE COMMITMENT AND RELATIONSHIPS MORE THAN VIRTUOSITY AND SKILLS, ALTHOUGH YOU CAN HAVE BOTH TOO SOMETIME

How have you managed to so successfully pull so much of your life and personality through so much of your music?

IT TAKES A STRONG DREAM AND WHERE THAT COMES FROM I DON’T KNOW. AND THERE’S HELP THAT I’VE BEEN GETTING OVER THE YEARS. FOR SOME REASON I’VE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO GET GOODWILL FROM PEOPLE IN RECORDING, DESIGN, PLAYING, AND BUSINESS AREAS.

Did your sound evolve during that time? 

I THINK IT HAS AND IT’S UNPLANNED. YOU FOLLOW WHAT YOU HEAR IN YOUR HEAD, THE SONGS, THE RECORDING CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PLAYERS. FOR SOME REASON EACH RECORD GETS ITS OWN DISTINCT IDENTITY, ATMOSPHERE AND UNITY.

What´s been the highlights in your life and career so far?

MOSTLY LIVE SITUATIONS AND TRAVELS, THEY GET THE MOST INTENSE. RECORDING WITH MY FAVORITE PLAYERS IN NASHVILLE WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE.VAN MORRISON’S INVITATION TO OPEN FOR HIM IS ANOTHER. BUT EACH TOUR IS A HIGHLIGHT ACTUALLY. AND EACH ALBUM IS A UNIQUE ADVENTURE TOO.

Your life is an open book or that your life is always open to new experiences, or something else?

IT ISN’T REALLY, I’M A VERY PRIVATE PERSON. BUT SONGS DRAW OUT WHAT I NORMALLY WOULDN’T SHARE AND I GO WITH IT, SORT OF.

What would you say characterizes Jazz scene in comparison to other local scenes and circuits?

NOT REALLY FAMILIAR WITH A JAZZ SCENE, OR ANY OTHER.

Do you think there is an audience for young people to become future audiences and fans?

I LIKE TO THINK THERE IS ALWAYS AN AUDIENCE FOR GOOD HONEST MUSIC THAT COMES FROM THE HEART, FOR OLD AND YOUNG.

(From a previously unpublished promotional interview, May 2024.)