Wise Words From a Jazz Vet

Jeremy Steig
Flute on the Edge
“You Don't Know What Love Is”

Jeremy Steig is a lifelong jazz man, a real vet. (He’s also a painter, like me. That’s his artwork on this blog. Wild palette, right?) I’m talking like 45 years in the music business. I reached out to him through a drummer friend of mine, and tried to talk to him about selling some of his music through Metalabel, but he has serious reservations about the digital music business, and the music business in general. I can’t say I blame him, after what he’s seen and experienced.

But during that conversation, he was so personable and engaging that I couldn’t get off the phone with him! He plays jazz flute, which is my favorite woodwind instrument (yes, even above the sax. I love the flute’s sound so much I sought to purchase one and take lessons, but even the student flutes were so expensive I had to try to learn clarinet instead). I just think the instrument just has a beautiful voice, and Eric Dolphy is my favorite classic jazz player.

We ended up scheduling a dinner, and on Friday, April 4, Ryann and I met him at Bar 6, the same café where we first discussed Metalabel. We all ordered crème brûlée, and Jeremy proceeded to drop knowledge for about 4 hours.

We ended up walking back to his crib, cause I wanted to buy some CDs. So we got to meet his wife, and continue our discussion.

I ended up buying four CDs, all full of good music. My favorite is Flute on the Edge. He does a lovely rendition of “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” and I’m not the only one who thinks so!

It’s been almost two full weeks since that evening, and it took just about that long for me to wrap my mind around all we discussed.

While I won’t go into specifics, I can tell you that meeting Jeremy reconfirmed us in our mission to supersede the record label system and construct another avenue for independent artistic success.

I’m saying—when labels don’t even want to pay for studio time for their own artists, or when they have to partner with soap companies to be able to “afford” marketing their own artists, we need something new.

So, thanks, Jeremy, for the wisdom and knowledge. Keep playing!

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