September 9, 2011 (New York, NY) -- "It took a year and a half and every dollar I didn't have to make this album," singer/songwriter and master keyboardist Jon Regen confesses during a chat at his New York City home. He's talking about his exceptional new album "Revolution", which features guests a-plenty like Benmont Tench from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Andy Summers of The Police and Rutle Ricky Fataar, not to mention a co-write with Grammy winner Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20.
"It wasn't a matter of just getting names to play on the record," Regen says. "Each one of these guys is famous because they are truly great. These are guys who really know how to listen. They serve the song effortlessly." And Regen knew they could bring something special to the record. "Really, I was lucky to get them to contribute during holes in their schedules."
Of his collaboration with Rob Thomas, Regen says it grew out of a friendship that came about almost by accident. But his admiration for Thomas is clear. "This is not a guy who sits around looking for his name in the trades. This is a guy who has had tremendous success and yet he still gets up every day and goes to a studio to work on new music."
Using frequent flyer miles and all the time and favors he could muster over the course of his 18-month journey Regen didn't stop until he knew he had something special. "You do have to know when to stop. That's true," Regen told me with a chuckle. "But really you just don't stop until you can listen to your own album. As an artist you hear every imperfection, so if you can sit down from beginning to end and enjoy it then you know you're done."
"Revolution" hits stores and the online world next week and Regen will tour here and Europe in support of it, bringing audiences the fire he exhibited at a recent live DVD shoot at Le Poisson Rouge. But first comes a record release party at Greenwich Village's Blue Note on Monday.
"There'll be special guests," Regen said, enticingly given the list of players on his album. But this will really be a celebration for Jon Regen.
"You have to believe you did everything you could. I approached this as a career-defining album."
Jon Regen is proud of "Revolution" and should be.
Check it out.
And don't miss the party at the Blue Note on Monday.
This article is copyright 2011 by Jeff Slate. No part may be reprinted or referenced without permission and/or attribution. All rights reserved.
Comments