ambrosia: access all areas! patrick rossi interviews steve "doug jackson"-part 1

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“Interview With Doug Jackson- Part 1”

Doug Jackson
W/
Patrick Rossi

Patrick Rossi

Sometimes change is a hard thing to accept.

Sometimes change is a hard thing to accept. After being around Ambrosia for so many years and developing a friendship with the members in it, one can be skeptical of an outsider being brought into the “family” of familiar faces.

I have known the band since its original line up and “been there” when additional talent was brought into augment Ambrosia’s sound and yet “again” when those faces were replaced by others.

This brings us to yet another truly talented musician being brought into the fold.

When one of the original members decided to leave Ambrosia, Doug Jackson was brought into the family to fill that spot… and what a wise choice that was.

After seeing my first show with Doug and hearing the new release, all my doubts have been thrown to the wayside.

Ambrosia today sounds tighter, fresher and happier than I’ve heard or seen in a long time. One thing I now realize is that change can be a good thing.

I guess the best way to sum this up is to quote a verse from one of the bands songs… “Endings” are places where all things begin!

With this interview, I’d like to shed some light on the talents and history of Ambrosia’s newest member… Doug Jackson.

Patrick Rossi

Questions

Q.) Can you tell us about your background? When did you show an
interest in music, etc.?

A.) My interest in music began very early in my life. I got my first
guitar (a plastic one) when I was about 4 years old. I dragged it around
and pretended to be a musician. Then when I was six, I received a "Decca"
acoustic steel string as a gift. I remember taking lessons right away from
a local teacher in Dallas. I learned to read music from the start. I would
play out of books by Mel Bay and then graduated to more difficult material
such as Carcassi's Classical Guitar Method. I am so grateful to have
learned to read music early on because it opened me up to things I never
would have been exposed to. I played acoustic guitar exclusively until I
was about eleven. I would make up little finger picking tunes. This I
believe was the start of my solo acoustic playing style.

When I got my first electric (a Fender Telecaster) I had just moved to
Colorado and I played it for about a year before me and a friend started a
rock band. We played Led Zeppelin tunes and the Blues and just about
anything that was happening on the airwaves at that time. I would learn the
tunes off of records. That was great for ear training.

When I was thirteen, I joined the school stage band and was exposed to jazz
for the first time. I did this all through High School and was playing
music by people such as -Toshiko Akiyoshi, Sammy Nestico, Thad Jones & Mel
Lewis, Wood Herman, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Gary Burton, Charlie
Parker, John Coltrane, etc. A lot of this music was not guitar oriented, so
it was an eye opener for me in terms of harmonic and melodic possibilities
on an instrument. I studied jazz guitar when I was fifteen with a great
teacher in Denver named Ozzie Carlson. He was buds with Johnny Smith who
lived pretty close by. He taught me a lot about improvisation and harmony.
I remember sitting in a couple of times when he played with the legendary
Spike Robinson. That was so great. I also studied privately with my high
school band teacher who was a great saxophone player. He got me into
transcribing sols off of records. Real traditional jazz stuff and Be-Bop.
In fact, my high school jazz band won a national competition. I was lucky
to have had a school that was so progressive in the arts. I also studied
with the legendary Ted Greene. That guy is so ridiculously good it is sick.
He was very good at explaining chord substitutions and how to achieve a
pianistic style of playing on the guitar. During my time in high school, I
received five "Outstanding Musicianship" awards from the National
Association of Jazz Education and one from the National Honor Arts
Association before I went off to Berklee College of Music.

Q.) What other bands have you been involved with?

A.) I have played in many different playing scenarios including jazz,
fusion, heavy metal, country, rock and clues bands here in LA with all the
major session guys. I was in the house band for a couple of years at the
"Baked Potato" in the eighties. I have played with gospel singer Bryan
Duncan, Marie Osmond, Iron Butterfly, Roberto Carlos, Dweezil Zappa, Max
Bennett from the Crusaders, Nick Ceroli, Monty Budwig, Mac Davis, Sam Riney,
Nancy Sinatra and a host of others. I have also done quite a bit of jingles
and television recordings. I had my own rock/fusion band and played all of
my original stuff, such as what can be heard on my "Storm Chaser" CD.

My connection to Ambrosia comes through Shem. I met Shem through guitarist
Carlos Rios, who played with (Chick Corea, Lionel Richie, George Michael,
Tom Scott, Gino Vanelli). I played in a band with Shem called "The Doctor'
s" back in the late eighties. We were young and I must say that that band
was on fire. Damn Good! Shem is actually in the process of putting a CD of
that music together. I believe it will be available before the year has run
out. It is definitely worth getting.

Q.) How would you describe your style of playing? It seems intertwine
d to me...intense and ranged, but you don't try to overstep the other
members, allowing for everyone to be heard and enjoyed.

A.) You are absolutely right in that my style is intertwined. This is a
blessing and a curse. A blessing in that I feel I can be thrown into almost
any musical situation and do an excellent job. A curse in that maybe if I
focused on one thing, I would have a much more identifiable voice on the
guitar. My personality and the way I am makes doing one thing impossible
for me. I get bored sick by just doing one thing. I love all music and
must have my hands in all of it. As far as the intensity is concerned, I am
a very emotional individual and that probably has something to do with that.

Q.) How did you come to be with a band like Ambrosia?

A.) I originally got a call from Joe Puerta back in 1995 (per Shem's
recommendation) to fill in for a few dates, but I was sick and unable to do
it. I was bummed. I was thrilled when the opportunity came around again in
2000.

Q.) Were you very familiar with the band's sound and history before
joining?

A.) I really wasn't hip to how deep it went. I knew the hits and I loved
them and the sound of the band, but the progressive side was totally unknown
to me.

Q.) What was your first meeting like with the guys?

A.) It was at Burleigh's house and it was great. Everyone was extremely
cool to me.

Q.) Was there an audition?

A.) I guess in a matter of speaking that my first gig with them was the
audition. We had gotten together once before the first gig for a few hours
to just run stuff down. I knew this music was going to be a lot of fun to
play in front of an audience. I remember that I was overdressed. I looked
like a "Tommy Bahama" advertisement. After the gig was over, Rich Rees came
over to me and said, "Do you want the gig?" ------- I was thrilled!!!

Q.) Is there one song by Ambrosia that was a little more evasive for
you to put your own style to, without losing the original punch?

A.) No one song necessarily. But, I definitely have to conceptually play
within the parameters of the music overall. Ambrosia's music is very thick.
There are many textures and pallets of sound going on. The challenge is to
know when not to play and to hopefully play the right thing when it comes
times to play.

Q.) Do you have a favorite Ambrosia song?

A.) Yes. I have two favorite songs to listen to and a favorite one to
play. I love listening to Somewhere I've Never Travelled. Great song. I,
also love Holdin' On to Yesterday. That song has an eerie ominous quality
to me. A beautiful emotionally long kind of song. Life Beyond LA is a lot
of fun to play because it lends itself to some guitar madness.

Q.) What was your first live show like with the band?

A.) It was a lot of fun. I was however very much in a state of focus
(trying to remember everything). It is always more enjoyable to really know
the music and not have to be thinking a lot. Fortunately, I can relax a
little more now having had time to really know it.