An Exclusive Interview with The Redd

1) Introduce yourself.

I am The Redd from the West side of Chicago

2) How did you come up with your stage name?

My mother, God rest her soul, called me Redd as a child because I actually had red hair and I still have a red beard and mustache

3) What sets you apart from other aspiring artists?

Versatility, I think people will be surprised to see how many different sounds and genres I use in my music

4) What single or project are you currently pushing?

“Get Naked featuring Rotimi” from the “Get it in Blood” album (soon to be released)
He’s working on his role in “Boss” for Starz right now so I was really happy we could get our schedules together and work on the title track together. He’s a great guy with a lot of talent. I know he will do well and I’m wishing the best for him.

5) What is the philosophy by which you live by?

Live by the sword die by the sword

6) Which artists have inspired you to pursue music?

Tupac Shakur

7) Who does most of the songwriting?

I do all the songwriting. I write the music but then I also bring in a host of other artists to contribute. It’s always interesting and more fun when you get input from other creative people.

(8) What is your opinion of the current state of the music industry?

It has room for an artist like me, but it’s really tricky to get your music heard these days.

For more, read the interview on Ucombo Artist Interviews.

A Conversation with Song Writer Roro

We had a conversation with the 23 years old Song writer, Music Producer, and a Rap
artist Rolandis, better known as Roro this week.

1) Introduce yourself

Hey whats good everybody. My Name is Rolandis but i’m better known as
Roro. I’m 23 years old and I’m a Song writer, Music Producer, and a Rap
artist. I’ve been doing music since I was 7 years old.
I’m originally from Orlando, fl but currently living in Japan. My father
is a hip-hop rapper/producer by the name of Little Ko-chese; He was
internationally recognized for his hit song titled “booty swang” in 1993.

2) How did you come up with your stage name?

Well my stage name was given to me by the uncle i got my middle named
after Levell. I’m not sure how he came up with the name but i’m guessing since my first name is Rolandis, then Roro was shorter, and much easier to remember.

3) What sets you apart from other artists?

Well first thing that sets me apart from others is I’m an international
writer, producer and rapper. so i just don’t just write and produce for U.S artists; I write and produce for people in various countries. I am currently in japan working with japanese artists, so what makes me different than other producers is I try to mix the culture and traditional sounds with today’s sounds. I also don’t just write and produce for hip hop. I also can write and produce for any genre, whether it be jazz,rnb,pop,rock, dub step, etc. I can adapt to any and every style or genre out there. Also my purpose in doing music is to uplift and help others that are lost, find direction. I think all those things set me apart from other artists/producers.

4) What single or project are you currently pushing?

Read more, visit Ucombo Music Review.

A Conversation with Twenty 30

Twenty30 is a four (five now) piece outfit from Philadelphia playing Rock N Roll with a punk attitude and relentless energy. Building a following from regular airplay on www.indie104.com and live shows, Twenty30 appears poised to break out on the national scene. Their debut recording, Departure, was release in July 2008. Departure includes six songs mixing modern rock edge with a punk mentality and classic rock finesse.



1) Introduce yourself:

Hello! We are Twenty30 from Philadelphia, pleasure to meet you it’s a real honor.

2) How did you come up with your stage name?

After many disagreements and quick band name changes we were in the studio recording our first album and as a last resort Lyle our singer/rhythm player said how about real serious (jokingly) and said what about our ages, as some are in our twenties and some thirties and finally it was settled.

3) What sets you apart from other aspiring artists?

What sets us apart is a real desire to make a family of our friends and fans, we all work full time and some of us are married so our time away from home and our spouses means we really want everyone to have a good time and hang out together including ourselves. Considering our free time is limited, it makes for a more memorable experience to play with bands we enjoy and are friends with and hang with people who all get along and want to party together! Too many bands just want to climb to the top of the charts, we make music we love and want to share with others.

4) What single or project are you currently pushing?

We are currently pushing our new self titled E.P. we finally feel like we really captured our live sound and put it to tape, we put everything we had into this and you can stream the whole thing on our website!

5) What is the philosophy by which you live by?

Have fun and keep your family and friends close to heart.

6) Which artists have inspired you to pursue music?

Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Brand New, Incubus, Superchunk

7) Who does most of the songwriting?

Lyrics are by Lyle, all music is a complete band effort.

8) What is your opinion of the current state of the music industry?

It is overly accessible now making it harder for original bands and a real fight to get peoples attention, but when the hard work pays off it makes the experience unforgettable and something to be proud of.

For more, visit Ucombo Artist Interviews.

Man with Upside Down Face - Wachichoo

1) Introduce yourself

Hi I’m Chris Strange, keyboardist a/k/a Throwing Bones

2) How did you come up with your stage name?

Wachichoo was the name given to settlers by native Americans, meaning “Man with Upside Down Face” b/c they had shaved heads and beards. I’m not sure how it happened, but at the first rehearsal, this name came to us in a shared vision. And honestly, Wachichoo was a fun name to say.


3) What sets you apart from other aspiring artists?

We are real musicians and have all paid our dues. We are a rock-type band with no guitar, which is something you don’t see all the time.

4) What single or project are you currently pushing?

For more, visit Ucombo Interviews.

Meet the band Stereo Crowd

Jamie Robinson (drums), Robert Keith (guitar), Paul-

Anthony(guitar & vocals), VFerg (base & vocals)

How did you come up with your stage name?

Well the band was given birth to on the rooftops of South Harlem. It started as just a lot of musicians getting together and jammin’ out on P-A roof on 111th street. We invited anyone and anyone who wanted to play or hang and listen. Before we knew it, we were getting over well over 100 people on the roof listening, and another 20-30 musicians or so jamming.

It was wild! P-A looked around and said to VFerg, “yo… we should start a band,” so they had another party; this time a covert band naming operation was at play. Throughout the night, people put over 150 names in a jar. The next day, P-A picked out two: “Uptown” and “Stereo Crowd.” When he called VFerg about it, VFerg lost his sh*t, because of all the names in the jar, P-A picked out the one that VFerg put in… “Stereo Crowd.”

The name represents what we saw those first few nights and what we still see today – a very diverse crowd that blends together like the left and right channels do in audio, to create stereo. In this case, that stereo signal of left and right that have come together as one, is a crowd.

What sets you apart from other aspiring artists? Hmm… well some people are like us.

They work as hard, build team, put out their own content, etc… It’s the extent that we take it, along with our style of music, that’s makes us different. We have soooo much fun playing this music! Some people are all pissed off… we just want you to shake your rump! Then when it comes to building our business team, we want to crush it! Bring in and engage as many fans as we can.

Fore more, visit Ucombo Indie Music Reviews.

Aerias - an emcee from Chicago

We recently had a conservation with Aerias, an indie artist from Chicago.

1) Introduce yourself:

My names Aerias, an emcee from Chicago. I also play the guitar & freestyle a lot at my shows. I was born and raised in Chicago so Im familiar with all the genres of music and artists that come out of it. I’m known locally…for now.

2) How did you come up with your stage name?

Its a play off my last name. My lucky number is 3 and one day I was trying to come up with a logo when I saw the 3 looked like an “E” cause my hand cramped up from writing haha. After that the only place I could put the “E” so it made sense, was after the “A”. So the “E” in Aerias is actually a backwards “3″ thanks to cramps and numerology haha.

3) What sets you apart from other aspiring artists?

I don’t just aspire. I do. And when I do, I do different. I’m sure everyone says that. What really sets me apart isn’t just my music, its who I am outside the music. I’m weird, deadly and eccentric…lyrically of course.

4) What single or project are you currently pushing?

Right now, Im pushing Bootleg Broads. A single off my new album “Scream Like You Mean It”. Its basically a song poking fun at certain people. The title should give you a clue haha.

5) What is the philosophy by which you live by?

Inspire and motivate. I don’t just make music for me. I make it for the people and the fans. I believe music should remind people they’re not alone and push them through trials and everyday drama. I appreciate all kinds of music. But my music has to help, make happy, make forget, make fight and make strong. Its not all about me yknow?

6) Which artists have inspired you to pursue music?

Wow. The list can go on forever. I’m an empath so I pick things up from everyone. But the main ones and that come first to mind are Jimi Hendrix, KRS-ONE, Kanye West, The Doors, Coheed & Cambria, Thrice, Bob Dylan, The Vines, Common, James Brown, Bob Marley, Lauren Hill, Nas & Hott 22 to name a few.

For more, visit Ucombo Music Reviews.

A conversation with Tunde Olaniran

As a child of an American social-activist mother and Nigerian Christian immigrant father, Tunde Olaniran has been instilled with the infusion of culture, consciousness, and rhythm since birth. Growing up, he lived in Germany, Nigeria, and England before settling in Flint, MI for his late adolescence where he was exposed to urban, folk, and soul influences of the small, humble city as well as a strong jazz influence on his mom’s behalf. We had a conversation with him this week about his music and life.


Hi Tunde, please introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m just a guy living in one of the most dangerous cities in the country.. making weird, dark electrosoul.


How did you come up with your stage name?
Tunde Olaniran is my real name! Go to Nigeria.. it’s as common as “John Smith.”


What sets you apart from other aspiring artists?
I think my music and performance sets me apart. I take really divergent musical influences and strip them down into a lo-fi aesthetic. My performance pushes against racial and gender boundaries and has a compelling DIY aspect.


To read more of the interviews, go to Ucombo Interviews.

Charnett Moffett – a Man on a Mission

American jazz musician Charnett Moffett is a man on a mission. Throughout his 25 years on the scene, Moffett has been bringing people together on the planet through his music. “That’s part of my calling here in life,” according to Charnett Moffett. Charnett Moffett plays piccolo bass, double bass and bass guitar and is a current member of the Manhattan Jazz Quintet. The group was formed in 1983 at the suggestion of Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal and the King Record label and became quite a success in Japan, earning the Gold Disk Award of Swing in 1984.

Charnett’s new CD release The Art Of Improvisation is his personal manifesto for the bass and one of his most eclectic outings to date. “I’m just trying to be true to form,” says Charnett. “All you can do is be who you are anyway, so you might as well go ahead and play all of the music that you enjoy.”

Ucombo music editor Meg Dilts interviewed Charnett Moffett this week about his early musical training, his career, and the release of the new CD entitled “The Art Of Improvisation”.

Meg: Hi Charnett, thank you so much for talking to us. A jazz musician on the scene for 25 years, you are truly living a life of every musician’s dream. There is a story that your first name was created as a combination of that of your father (Charles Moffett, the jazz drummer) and that of Ornette Coleman (the jazz saxophonist). Is that true? What was the exact story of making your name?

Charnett: Yes that is true, my father Charles Moffett played drums for Ornette Coleman in the sixty’s, they grew up together in Texas, they became friends playing music together in school, so by taking the ‘char’ from Charles and the ‘nett’ from Ornette when put together you get Charnett. So I really had no choice but to become a musician.

Meg: In that case, then you were destined to play jazz music. It’s wonderful that you truly love it too. How old were you when you started taking lessons? What instrument did you play first?

Charnett: My first instrument was the drums, with my father being a drummer everyone in the Moffett family began playing on drums (smile) I was age two. I later moved to trumpet by the age of five, by the time I was seven I found myself playing bass. The following year in 1975, I was on tour performing with my half sized upright bass with The Moffett Family Jazz Band, we were touring Japan. At that time there was also another bass player on tour with us, his name is Patrick McCarthy, He taught me the technical positions of the instrument, my first bass teacher, at that time he was the principle bassist for the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. The Moffett Family Band consisted of two drummers, my father Charles and my brother ‘Cody’, two horns, my brother Mondre on trumpet and my brother Charles Jr. on sax and two upright basses, Patrick McCarthy, and me on my half sized bass. During the tour Patrick had to return to the Symphony so my career as a bassist had begun.

Yes Meg, I loved the music then and I certainly love it now.

Read more of the interviews with Charnett Moffett on Ucombo Music Reviews.

An Exclusive Interview with Jerry Costanzo on His New Release "Destination Moon"

Considered one of the best and busiest singer/bandleaders on the scene today, Jerry Costanzo and his own big band – the Jerry Costanzo Orchestra, have gained popularity among audiences young and old.

The critiques have called his style of singing “brings a Sinatra-like quality as he leads”. Dedicated to the preservation of the American songbook, Jerry released his first CD entitled “Destination Moon”.

Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to interview him on his musical upbringing and the release of his first CD.

Meg: Hi Jerry, thanks again for letting us interview you. You were born into a musical family and you started listening to Jazz at an early age, how early?

Jerry: I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s and my parents were from the “Hey Day” of the “Jazz & Swing era”. They constantly had records playing and the radio on. As young kids, my brothers, sister and I were not allowed to listen to Rock & Roll when traveling with my parents in the car. We knew all the great standards before we were teenagers.

Meg: Your father started teaching you saxophone when you were in third grade, was that the instrument of your choice?

Jerry: No! My father was a reed player and so was my grandfather. So my first instrument was my grandfather’s alto sax that he played in the Army band during WWI. I wanted to play the piano but we never owned one and my father was not going to pay for lessons when he was perfectly capable of teaching me the sax. I always tell him, I might have found my voice much earlier in life if I didn’t have a mouthpiece plugging up my face!

Meg: You studied acting at the Herbert Berghoff studio in NYC after high school. So you were not thinking about pursuing a career in music initially?

Jerry: Nope! I didn’t start pursuing music/singing until I was in my 30’s. I was a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none before that. You name it! I was an Auto Mechanic, Salesmen, painter, electrician, plumber, and carpenter. My major trade was Communications lineman. I sang a lot of tunes hanging off of telephone poles. One time a lady yelled out her window. “Hey Mister. You missed your calling, you should be a singer. It wasn’t long after, that I took her advice LOL!!!

Meg: While you were attending the acting school you landed a job working for Al Pacino as his personal aid and chauffeur that must have been an interesting job. Did you get to meet some interesting people?

Jerry: Ok! Who did I meet? Let’s see… Francis Coppole, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Debra Winger, John Huston, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen, Mikhail Baryshnikov to name a few. That and a chocolate nickel got me nowhere. I was young and dumb, You know what they say “If I only knew then what I know now” Yikes!!

To read more of the interview, visit Ucombo Music Reviews

American guitarist Russ Spiegel is a musician who wears many hats.

American guitarist Russ Spiegel is a musician who wears many hats. Alongside performing – from solo guitar to running his ensemble The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra, Russ is a commissioned composer, written music for film, TV, and musicals, taught college-level courses, ran workshops & seminars, given private instruction, and has copied music for Broadway shows and major-label recordings, as well as having appeared in a number of feature movies as both a musician and actor.

A prolific recording artist, Russ also released several CDs. Ucombo Music Reviews editor Meg Dilts had the opportunity to interview him this week about his early musical training and his recent CD release entitled “The Russ Spiegel Jazz Orchestra ~ Transplants”.

Meg: Hi Russ, thanks again for letting us interview you. You were born in Los Angeles, but moved to Germany with your family while you were in high school. Did you receive your earliest musical training in the US?

Russ: Hi Meg, great to talk with you. I grew up in a musical household. My father plays trumpet, my brother Victor, who is a pianist and composer, was always rehearsing his band at the house, my sister Shelah plays violin and my mother would sit down at the piano from time to time. I tried playing trumpet like my dad when I was about 9 years old until about 12 but I was never really motivated to practice. When I was about 14 I discovered a picture of Fender Strat in my father’s music catalog and was fascinated by it. I don’t know why, but I just had to get one. My father said I could play guitar but only if I took lessons. We went down to the local music store in Fountain Valley and they started me off on a classical guitar. I practiced every day and that summer I got a part-time job and saved up enough money to buy a Strat. I kept taking lessons but got into a couple rock bands and learned a bunch of tunes from my bandmates. Then, my junior year in high school my dad got a job in Germany and that was it for my lessons for the time.

Meg: While living in Germany, did you continue your music studies?

Russ: I don’t think so. At the time, I was just trying to emulate people like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, and the like. I learned some solos and got some books and tried to work through some concepts, but it was really kind of half-assed, to tell the truth. I do remember a high school trip to Nuremberg for the Christmas Market. Pat Metheny had just released his groundbreaking 80/81 album and, I don’t know why, but I picked it up and listened to it a lot, but never really tried to play like that.

After a year in Frankfurt I moved down to Munich to go to college. It was funny, the place was the University of Maryland, Munich Campus! It was housed on an Army base in the southern part of the city. I was always on the lookout for new music, trolling the local record shops and discovered some recordings featuring Allan Holdsworth with Gong and Soft Machine, and later came across some Wes Montgomery records. I had a bass player friend named Jim Foitik who tried to get me to listen and play more jazz and who taught me a couple of standards. Another jazz-crazy friend of mine, Andy Heinze, dragged me to concerts around the city. I remember seeing Weather Report when they were at their peak, which was just an amazing show, and later we went up to the Northsea Jazz Festival for three days. I think at the time I was just listening to a lot of music, though I was always playing in different bands back then.

To read the entire interview, go to Ucombo Music Reviews.

Promote your Band Well: The Secret to Get Signed!

There are many talented music artists. Unfortunately, not all of them were able to land a recording contract. That is the sad plight that many bands of different genres and from different parts of the world are facing.

A recording contract is an important factor to spell a band's success. As mentioned earlier, not all the bands in the world were lucky to enjoy such a privilege. But even then, unsigned bands should never lose hope, especially now that avenues are available to promote unrecognized talents.

The Internet indeed has opened many doors of opportunities for every body – including record hopefuls. To date, there are countless online sites in operation that offer promotion grounds for unsigned bands and artists who are looking to get closer to their dreams of becoming recording stars.

Promotion and marketing need to be effective for any unsigned band to be recognized. Music sites serve as a pathway for band artists to get signed by way of featuring their music in a sweet, sweet package. Undoubtedly, they provide the elusive opportunity for the music of unsigned bands to get its needed exposure. When record honchos want to come up with a fresh talent, they look through those music sites and see what are in store. If anything impressed them, they would start getting in touch with the band and soon enough, a record (and stardom!) is underway! That process, however, is not as simple as it may seem.

For unsigned bands to get the recognition enough to land them a recording contract, they need to package their music (and the band itself) well. Getting rave reviews from random site users must be their goal because...Click here to read more about the Secret to get signed.

Helping Your Band Make Its Way to the Top

You have just formed your own band but do not know how to promote your music. Having an unsigned band promoted is tough for several reasons. For starters, you do not have enough money to help you promote your music and CDs. More so, even if you have gigs, there is no way that you can receive top dollar from those gigs for that fact that your band is just starting out in the business.

Aside from those reasons, another factor that plays a major role in promoting your band is your fans. If you are in an unsigned band it is particularly hard to acquire an audience and even if you do, only a few of them are willing to pay for your CDs or watch your live performances.

The music industry is a business. Not knowing the ins and outs of it can make one drive off course and lose sight of the goal. It is hard but important to learn the inner workings of the music industry but with helpful guidelines, you can slowly make your way to the top.

You have spent hours and hours in your garage trying to get your demo sound like an actual record though it does not seem to sound like one. Even if you have sophisticated equipments to help you create top-notch music, it is difficult to make a demo if you do not know how to make the most out of those equipments...click here to read more about promoting bands.

The beginning of an end of the traditional music distribution channels

The traditional record labels dominated music market is coming to an end. If you haven't noticed the latest MP3 download services on Amazon.com, you're missing the beginning of the end of traditional music distribution era.

The big players now are teaming with social networking sites such as myspace.com to find new ways to sell music. Why? They can't help it. People don't want to pay for CDs anymore. Plus, there's no need to buy CDs when you can download music for free somewhere on the internet. After several years of battling, the big labels finally realized the trend is irreversible.

However, this is not new for the independent/unsigned musicians. Indie musicians have long been promoting their recordings via unconventional channels. The entry of the big record labels on the internet music communities will have an impact on the indie musicians. But unsigned musicians still have one obvious advantage over the big labels – giving out music for free.