MICHAEL MAZZARELLA INTERVIEWED BY JOHN BORACK

Michael Mazzarella is many things. He’s a visionary, a melodist without compare, an amazingly poetic lyricist, and one of pop music’s greatest hidden treasures. His recent DVD-only release, Only Hope For Winter, finds him moving in bold, new directions, re-shaping and re-inventing classic Rooks tunes with new textures and presenting new ones with his trademark sensitivity and passion.

I caught up with Mr. Michael recently and here’s what we chatted about…


JB: First off - why a DVD? It seems to be a pretty novel idea. How did the idea originate?

MM: We planned on issuing a VHS release of footage of me performing songs in a recording studio setting from the start. During early discussions, producer Bill Maura enlightened me to the fact that, because of the format that we then chose to work under, it would eventually enable the venture to come to fruition as a DVD project. I thought that it was a cool idea, knowing that there aren't so many independent DVD releases available.


JB: How did you pick the players who are accompanying you (aka "The Fellows of Mortimer")? Will this be "the new Rooks?"

MM: Kristin [Pinell, former Rooks guitarist] could no longer commit her time to The Rooks as she had done in the past. It got to a point where we could never plan on doing anything extensive due to her priorities with [the Gripweeds]. Every time I wanted to coordinate something, it seemed she was unavailable, which also got in the way of booking shows. Things began to fall apart and I sensed that she may not have been so thrilled with the direction that my songwriting was taking. Fair enough; all things must pass and times change. I've known Huw Gower [lead guitarist, formerly of The Records] for nearly 18 years and I met Greg Field [keyboards, guitar] over twenty years ago. They've both done guest spots on Rooks sessions before. The two are tremendous musicians and I thought that they would be perfect to finish the work-in-progress Something Blue album with me. The DVD project was unfolding and they also jumped on board with that. The entirety of the DVD was shot in Greg's Outer Realm Studio in Hartford, Connecticut. So, one scenario neatly cross-faded into the next and we've come to realize that we enjoy playing together. There's a chemistry that we have and I suppose that it stems from us being friends first, with respect for one another as people and as musicians. To make a long story short, they are now members of The Rooks. The never-ending revolving door swings.


JB: Tell me about the new songs on the DVD.

MM: Well, I thought that it was important to include songs that our fans had not heard yet. I chose some songs from the next album and others that are older, but were left collecting dust. I pulled the cobwebs off "Folk Hero" just before Kristin's departure, wrote proper verse lyrics and decided to include it on the DVD. "If I Knew" was written early on when I played with The Broken Hearts. I originally demoed the song as a guitar composition, but thought that it might translate well at the piano when selecting songs for the DVD project. So there it went. "Only Hope For Winter" was written across the filming process. The song was met with very positive reviews by the guys so much to where John Bezzini called for it to be the title track, as it were. It was written inspired by my dislike for the summer. I'm an autumn/winter person. We did our best to capture a feeling and present a mood for those seasons.


JB: How was the comfort level as far as rearranging some of your old songs? Did you fear any sort of backlash from diehard Rooks fans?

MM: I went into the project with the idea to reconfigure some of the songs, so the comfort level was absolute. I mean, the rearrangements weren't so drastic as to where songs became unrecognizable. The response has been beautiful. I would hope that fans wouldn't be so close-minded to where a backlash would manifest.


JB: The fact that the rearranged Rooks songs sound better than ever is a testament to your songwriting. Are there any particular arrangements on ONLY HOPE that you are particularly fond of and why?

MM: Well, my favorite, and definitely the most notable rearrangement came in the form of "Reasons." I had very little to do with that, other than perhaps to make the decision to not sing the middle-eight section. Everything else came out of the head and fingers of Huw. He "Nick Drake'd" it. It's almost another song entirely. I was pleased with the outcome.


JB: Yes, Huw Gower is definitely an amazing guitarist. How did you hook up with him and what do you feel he brings to the table?

MM: As I've said, we've been friends for a long time and we have also worked on various projects together over the years. He played the recorders on "India," the heavy, snaking lead guitar on "Meditation" and the solo on "Wish You Well." He even filled in for Kristin once as our guitarist on a show in New York City when she sprained a finger. I've also helped him out on his solo albums, singing background vocals. So we've worked together for some time now. As I had a guitarist of great caliber as a friend, it was only natural for me to get around to playing with him. Kristin stepped away and I thought I'd approach Huw. I look forward to working with him and Greg...and whoever else may jump on the vehicle that is The Rooks. Huw brings a great awareness of not only his instrument to the table, but he also has a vast knowledge of many types and styles of music.


JB: How long did you and the guys rehearse before the taping of the DVD?

MM: We didn't rehearse---we played. Often times I would set the tone as to how I wanted a particular song to be played...in feel...and we would go. For example, I thought that it would be fun to perform "Down" as a bluesy adagio and then we came up with the idea for Huw to play slide guitar on it. This all unfurled as they were setting up lights and discussing camera shots around us. That's how it happened, most of the time. For "Trip," I decided on the spot to attempt it for the first time at the piano. I asked Greg to play a 12-string on it and within five minutes he came up with the guitar motif that runs throughout it. It was that easy. Dave Rave (the third "Fellow of Mortimer") didn't know what I was playing for "Nightfall"...he just followed me. To this day he couldn't tell you what chords I was playing. He trusted himself and it turned into a take. If you notice, he wasn't even wearing headphones...as an accident. Therefore, he could barely hear me singing and had no idea as to what Greg was playing. He had no headphone mix to refer to; he just played.


JB: Will any of the tunes on the DVD make it to the next Rooks record?

MM: Three songs ARE on Something Blue; "Nightfall," "Long Ago" and "Blue." It will give fans an indication as to how that album will settle.


JB: Excellent! All three of those are great tunes. Who is the DVD's director and how did you find him?

MM: Bill Maura was the director and he's been a great friend for many, many years now; the same with John Bezzini who manned the camera for most of the performances. Those guys were, to say the least, invaluable to the project. In fact, we wouldn't be sitting here discussing this subject if it were not for Bill. He had the equipment and edited the footage as best he could, taking into account that all but one of the 21 performances were shot with only one camera. That's all we had at our disposal until the final wrap-up shoot, which happened to be "Only Hope For Winter." That performance was a two camera capture. Brad Ragaglia lent us his keen eye and ideas for the finale.


JB: The new tunes seem to follow along the path of the Rooks' A Wishing Well; that is to say, they're more introspective. Would you agree? Is this a conscience decision on your part?

MM: You know John, I just follow to where an inspiration will take me. When I was younger, those tendencies leaned more toward songs like "Love Said To Me" or "Colors." "Love Said To Me" was written in 1986 and "Colors" in 1991; that's a long time ago now. I've expanded my writing canvas from that time period. I have never made a conscious or premeditated decision to move my songwriting boundaries one way or another. You go with where you are as an individual and you have to factor in everything you pick up along the way. A writer needs to let that happen naturally, like a painter. Maybe I'm in my "blue period" now, who knows? I don't question it, I run with it. Consider that I may have been writing for a live, rock and roll band during the early stages of The Rooks...subliminally. My writing emphasis may have naturally metamorphosed into writing for recordings...and moods; sort of settling and writing for a feeling. I'm older now and I don't feel so inclined to write a song like "Monday Morning" these days. It's not that I don't want to; I just don't do that now. Perhaps I'm disappointing some fans out there. I can't write by painting the dots. Also, I'm working more at the piano. I'm sure all of these variables contribute to where I am currently. I'm not saying that my songs are better now. They are what they are. They are who I am. If we lose fans because of that, I'll live and die by my sword. I never put my name on a contract with a promise to be the great power pop king. My aspiration is to always be musical and keep melody as the central heartbeat of my work. If listeners want something else, they can turn to The Strokes or Fountains of Wayne. That's okay, too. I'll do my best and hope there's somebody out there
who still cares.