D.S. No trouble. I'm very happy to talk to you - it's always great to see new local venues opening.
BMJ. We're really looking forward to your gig on feb 7th. What music will you be playing?
D.S. The music will be mostly taken from our debut album When Life Was In Black and White, which we released in September 2005. We will also be playing a few new tracks from our new album which is due out later this year. Since we recorded our first album, which was only about the 4th or 5th time we had ever played together, the music has really taken on new depths and has developed into much more energetic music especially with the inclusion of Ben Waghorn on saxophones. Ben joined us last October and has been great to work with and we are all very much looking forward to recording the new album with him.
BMJ. I believe you have sound clips on your web site.
D.S. Yeah, I have a few tracks from the three albums I have done, on my website at www.davestapleton.com and also at www.myspace.com/davestapletonquintet. I have also recently, for anyone who is interested, made the DSQ scores and parts to all tracks on the album available to download on my website. You can preview and download them from www.davestapleton.com/shop/
BMJ. Is your album for sale and will you have copies available for the gig?
D.S. Yeah, my album is for sale and is available on many different websites - www.redeyemusic.co.uk, Amazon, www.davestapleton.com . I will also have some at the gig. It should also be in some shops or at least you can order a copy from HMV and Virgin.
BMJ. Tell us a little about how the album came together.
D.S. As a group we played our first gig together at Brecon Jazz Festival in 2004, which was a great success. I had played some of my music with different personnel before but it wasn't until that gig with Paula Gardiner on double bass, Elliot Bennett on drums, Jonny Bruce on trumpet and Marcin Wright on saxophones that it clicked and prompted us to take it further. Following Brecon Jazz, we recorded some demos and then finally recorded the album in May 2005 at Wales Millennium Centre. We were also very lucky to have Paul Dunmall as a guest on the final track of the album. I have been a fan of his playing since I first met Keith Tippett and asked him whether he would be up for it. He said he was, as long he didn't have to read any notes, so I wrote the final track Lazy Blinker with that in mind. He just kept playing until I cued him to stop. He was amazing in the session, we did two takes and each time he blew me away.
BMJ. Apart from promoting the album, what are your next plans?
D.S. I am currently finishing writing the parts for the new DSQ album which we are recording this April. The album will then be released in September on Red Eye Music and we will be touring in August, September and October. Aside from DSQ I am halfway through a commission for a saxophone quartet and piano piece which will be performed and recorded by the Lunar Saxophone Quartet and myself. I am also heavily involved with the running my record label which has some exciting releases coming up this year which will be announced very soon - keep posted! - www.redeyemusic.co.uk
BMJ. Dave, many thanks for taking part, and we’re looking forward to seeing you and the band at Black Mountain Jazz on Wednesday 7 February.