Singer Youman Wilder Talks about Jazz/Soul and Hip Hop and his lastest project Pearls In Gold
Youman Wilder .Pearls In Gold
Pearls In Gold
Artist Interview by: Kenya D\’ashabi
Written by: Kenya
Youman Wilder is running late from the theater where he is dong a small role on the Off Broadway show
“The Dutchman”written by Amiri Baraka.
I had been trying to get Wilder to agree to do a sit down with me, and he finally agreed,as long as we could meet at a vegetarian restaurant,and I the meat eating Southern Girl would try some Zen Palate vegetarian cuisine,in which I agreed too.
Wilder strolled in and was greeted by the restaurant staff,and he then set his eyes upon me, and I had noticed that he {Wilder}looked more relaxed and at ease than the last time I had seen him in Brooklyn at a party that a mutual musical friend of ours had thrown.
He greeted me with a strong but tender hug,that felt heart warming. We joked about some of our past meetings and mishaps along the way.
Wilder is charming funny and has a youthful way that is infectious, after we order some drinks and our dinner we get down to music, and politics,and why he now is single after a long relationship and painful break up.
Jazz News:Why does Youman Wilder never pick up his phone?
Youman Wilder:{laughs} C’mon I pick up my phone all the time, OK most the time, if I don’t it’s because I am either sleeping or traveling,but for the most part I really do pick up.
Jazz News:You seem more relaxed now?
Youman Wilder: don’t know, I am always kinda even keeled,I try to stay level about most things that actually matter to me.
Jazz News:Such As?
Youman Wilder:To many to name, I am a huge fan of African Art and painters and Western African sculptors and Caribbean art. I love traveling, and great books.
‘I often tell young Black Brother’s if they knew the history and the beauty of Africa and African peoples contributions to the world the word Nigga would never come out their mouths’
I love great food,and living here in New York really makes you see the difference in cuisine and taste.
Politics is a great passion of mine along with writing and words, and how they can inspire or tear someone’s life apart.
Jazz News: Hey we have an African American President?
Youman Wilder:I am just glad we actually have a forward thinking intelligent President.
What we had in the past Several years was a total embarrassment to this country and the world stage.
Jazz News:You are such a New Yorker? I was listening to your song
“Caught Up In A New York City Minute” The song just talks about your love of New York and Brooklyn in general.
Youman Wilder:Hey I am a proud Brooklyn Boy, I love where grew up in Bed Stuy,and I love the people who raised me and molded me.
Jazz News:But people associate you with Harlem and the Apollo Theater?
Youman Wilder:Yea I have been living in Harlem for a long time,and of course the Apollo has always been like my second home,so I get people who believe I am from Harlem, but no I am a Brooklyn boy to the bone.
Jazz News:When will you and your band mates Weird Stories be traveling again?
Youman Wilder:I don’t think we will be traveling a lot this summer, we have so many different individual projects that we may just stay really close to New York and the East Coast,we will be doing the Vermont Jazz and Blues Festival and we will also do the New Heaven Ct Jazz Summer Festival,and the Jazz on the Hudson Music Series.
We have some dates lined up for Philly and Delaware and Washington D.C I think because we were known as a road hog band,that played so many concerts,people think we don’t work with each other when in all actuality we work with each other all the time on various projects.
Jazz News:I know I have seen you guy’s at least 6x, you are known for having a really loyal fan base?
Youman Wilder: Yes that’s incredible,we sometimes have people show up at ten or twenty shows in a year,its a blessing that these people come out and continue to support us. I always acknowledge love.
Jazz News: Now who are you listening to?
Youman Wilder:I am really into Ravi Coltrane and Joni Mitchell and Marcus Roberts and I really have been getting into Carmen Mcrae’s old stuff and Maxwell’s newest record right now.
Jazz News:You are always into the old sound and the new sound and always combining the two, why is that?
Youman Wilder:I love music and textures and melodies,whether old or new.
I must say that most of the music I hear on New York Radio is extremely disappointing so I listen to very little music,when I am home. I mean if I have to learn new material and rehearse I will listen to music without a break.
But for the most part music is not on at my apartment,and when its on you will be hearing original new music,by new singers and bands. I like to listen to new talent or a fresh way at bringing music to life.
Jazz News:Do you support the local music scene in New York?
Youman Wilder:It depends,if its a Jazz band and artist I do,but if its just a cover rock or soul band doing cover tunes no, Its just not what I wanna hear, don’t get me wrong there are some great singers who cover songs, but for me I need to hear the new stuff that challenges your comfort zone.
Jazz News: I see you have been taking some old classics and really putting your own stamp on them?
Youman Wilder:Which ones?
Jazz News:”Are You There”, which I found out was a Dionne Warwick Song and “The Makings Of You” by Curtis Mayfield
Youman Wilder:Oh those are two great songs, I had been hearing “The Makings Of You” forever,and really I loved Gladys Knights version, and then I heard the Curtis Mayfield version along with Aretha Franklin’s version which I really enjoyed, so I decided to try it and we always would jam with it in rehearsals, so we just decided to try it when we were in concert in Montreal,and it just worked and now we are just keeping it in our show.
“Are You There” is a song I heard by Dionne Warwick, and just heard some melodic changes that would suit my style and approach to the song its such a great song.
And would you ever record “Body and Soul”
Jazz News:”Love Dance” Is a great old standard that you updated?
Youman Wilder:No I didn’t update that much,its just a different approach that I=2 0took, it’s been done by so many other artist.
We just added a different twist that is a little more updated and a little more Neo Soul based.
“Body and Soul” is such a great song, I don’t think I have it down as well as I want to record.
Jazz News:I know you get tired of being asked this, but are you an Jazz Artist or an Soul Artist?
Youman Wilder:Both, I come out of both traditions, I embrace both,I love both art forms.
There are always ways to express music,in a different and artistic type of style and delivery,and that’s how I look at what I do, I am a singer so if you put good music in front of me I want to sing it no matter what style it’s in.
Jazz News: You are adored in Europe, why are you such a solid draw in Europe?
Youman Wilder:I think its because the European in many ways value history and soul music and jazz music is a music they have come to take very seriously there,you have these young kids there who of course have come to love and appreciate hip hop music,but they still have a huge connection to the classical style of music from Bach to Brahms to Beethoven.
So they look at that music created 7OO hundred years ago and its accepted and still worshiped, while here in the States we call an act old and out of date after several years, so there is no connection to greatness to the classic soul artist, and I am strictly talking about Black music, because white artist like say Bob Dylan, or Steely Dan or Jimmy Buffet still travel and sell records and are still=2 0supported in many ways,
while Black acts are deemed to old by black radio and the up and coming artist.
“I mean the standard of Black Music is at an all time low,this may be the least talented and produced music in the history of the Black Culture”.
That’s why I always have a foot in Jazz because you have to understand the music,and live and breathe the notes.
It’s about tone an phrasing and intelligence and soul.
It’s not to be played with or watered down to fit a format that plays the same several records every other hour, while the DJ talks or screams about how he has beef with another DJ at a rival station.
Its all rather juvenile and ass back wards to me,I thought the music was what was important not the beef the DJ had with someone, put the dam record on and shut up and while you’re at it stop screaming.
I think that’s why satellite radio has really taken off,because you can hear real music, new music as well as older music presented by DJ’s who are smart intelligent and really understand the essence of music as well as the history.
I feel that Black commercial radio is dying a slow death, because of the really bad music that has to be pumped up and the really bad quality of the DJ’s who really bring the product of the music and presentation of the music down.
Jazz News:In your shows you seem to be singing a lot about love found and love lost,and you dated only models for a long while, are you heart broken?
Youman Wilder:Wow,I think about love lost and opportunities lost as well, I must say I have had some great love affairs and great relationships so I am not bitter, or dwelling on what might have been,because if it was meant to be I would have made that leap.
And I didnt just date models, that may have been all you seen me wth but the sisters I date are a wide variety.
But I am extremely happy with my life and who may come into my life,my passion is and will always be the
Black Woman,I am sure there is a sister out there that may save me one day?
Jazz News:You have written some really good song’s on the topic of Black Women and Black Men who seem to run away from them.
Youman Wilder:Yea it seems to be the latest thing, well not the latest cause the Black Man has been running away from sisters in droves for the last Forty years or so,but for me my spirit and my passion for a Black Queen is unconditional and will never waiver.
Now I do have friends who are in great strong loving relationships with people of other races and nationalities, and I love them with out question, but for me I just got a thing for the sisters and that’s just how I roll.
Jazz News:Is that why you named your project
Pearls In Gold?
Youman Wilder:Yes I have always seen Black Women as Pearls. I always remembered my Great Aunts and Great Grandmother always having these elegant Pearls that they would wear only on certain occasions,like to a wedding or a Baptist Church social event or Easter,and they always had these great gold jewelery=2 0that was tasteful and elegant, so I remembered those days those great days and decided to name the project “Pearls and Gold”
Jazz News:I loved the song “Sweet Black Children Of The Ghetto” It just made me think of back in the day, you know block parties and people cooking and children around?
Youman Wilder:Its about a song about a Black Child knowing they are still loved no matter what their economical situations.
I mean so many kids are thought of as nothing because of where they live and what they wear,
I mean rap music pretty much tells you,you aint shit cause you aint got the latest kicks or you aint rocking that rock or this bling, and I say rock that college degree.
If you have to rely on some former drug dealer who now raps about the destruction of Black people and the disrespect of Black Women while they basically do the bidding for their cooperate record masters then you are doing the right thing by being an individual and educating your self to be more forward thinking than stuck in stupid.
Jazz News: So there is no Rap in your Ipod?
Youman Wilder:As a matter of fact I been playing a lot of Nas and Lupe Fiasco when I do play Hip Hop and rap music Common,The Roots,KRS One. Its always gonna be something on that positive vibe.
Jazz News:The song “Celebrity” that you wrote is very interesting.
I see you really went at it hard?
Youman Wilder:Yea I remember a ll the craziness that was happening when I was In LA last year with this Lip Synch Artist,I was staying in West Hollywood at the time and to drive into Hollywood was a task, because all these Paparazzi guys were all on her car holding up traffic.
What freaked me out was this was a lip synching act that I had seen on television never singing a song live and just you know limited talent,and these guys were treating her like she was Aretha Franklin or
Barbra Streisand.
So the song kinda came to me, its not about talent anymore, because this particular artist had none,its all about the chase for celebrity and being famous for nothing or famous because you are a whack job ready to do something silly and destructive that the media can make money off of at your pride and characters expense.
Jazz News:So you are known, would you want to be chased by the press or paparazzi.
Youman Wilder:I have seen it up close and personal, and I have seen some people handle it like they are true pro’s and some with no clue.
I think for the most part, I would just live in NYC and do what I do, I mean living here in the city you really can live a life without so much attention and drama I feel.
I do have some rather famous friends and when they are here in NYC they just seem to relax and are able to disappear in a city of millions.
Jazz News:The song you wrote for your deceased Aunt. “And Now She Can Live” Its so dark and really touching,its a song that has hints of Gospel and and a strong jazz chord structure as well.
Youman Wilder:Yea her death this past February was really something that bought me back to my mother and fathers deaths,my Aunt’s name was
Barbara McPherson, and she was a Lesbian during the 60’s and 70’s and it was just hard on her, so many name callings and men who just treated her with the utmost in disrespect.
And of course the church casting her to the flames of hell. So I wrote a song about her and her life, and how much I loved her and respected her integrity and her independence to live and die as she wanted.
I miss her..
Jazz News:Do you Like being compared to Al Jarreu all the time?
Youman Wilder: Man, Jarreu is like one of my major music influences, I mean I get that comparison here and there, and its fine, So to even be mentioned in the same breath as he, I am fine with.
Jazz News:Will you ever go solo from your group Weird Stories?
Youman Wilder:No I am there for the long haul.
I really enjoy performing with them and writing with them, so I don’t see my self leaving, we have created a really solid tight unit, and I don’t think I could find that sound I have with the Stories any where else.
Jazz News: Hey here is our dinner.
Youman Wilder: Yea its gonna be great Jazz News:A I start wi th my dumplings that taste divine, Wilder laughs a and says “Told You Would Like it”, and I do, just like I continue to enjoy my time with a innovative and and open artist
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