Via Spill Magazine:
Canadian rock singer and songwriter Gino Vannelli is an icon. Since his debut album in 1973, Crazy Life, Vannelli has produced, written and recorded some of the most thought-provoking and original albums of the last four decades. Vannelli has not only been ahead of the curve but has also paved the road that others have travelled since. He has sold millions of records, won several Juno Awards, been nominated for Grammys, and even performed for the pope at his request. Not bad for a guy born in Montreal who originally aspired to be a drummer!
His earliest musical influences were not those that one would think of as typical inspirations of pop stars of the ‘70s. A young Gino was exposed to the big names of that era by his father, who was involved with Montreal dance/cabaret bands.
“I witnessed some of the great artists, including Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald,” says Vannelli. Seeing them live in small clubs, just performing their hearts out with such incredible skill. It is such a high watermark that when you decide ‘I want to do that, too’, you realize how high you’ve got to climb to get there. In the moment you crave that peak, wherever that peak is, you do become obsessed to do it over and over again.”
Recently, Vannelli has released his 20th album. Wilderness Road finds him continuing the path he started in 1973, still not allowing himself to be pigeonholed into one genre, and is an album that takes the listener through many sounds and visions. Quite a remarkable achievement after 20 albums!
Click the image to read the full article – http://spillmagazine.com/spill-feature-travelling-the-wilderness-road-a-conversation-with-gino-vannelli/
