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Non-Prog Interviews

Real Be Easys

Interviewed by Gary Hill
Interview with Evan Jaffee of The Real Be Easys from 2007
MSJ: This interview is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2007 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Can you catch the readers up a bit on the history of the band?
Sure. Paul and I, are two guys from New York. And you can tell by our leather jackets. He’s from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and I’m from Great Neck, LI. But interestingly enough we met because we lived 3 doors away from each other on the second floor at the Claflin Hall Residence of Boston University. This all went down in 2003. Shortly thereafter, Paul and I wised up and left Boston, moved back to NYC and formed the Real Be Easys. We were eager to hit the scene so we wrote about 20 hard hitting Rock Tunes with firm hints of Led Zeppelin and Stone Temple Pilots reverberations. After playing out everywhere in NYC and Brooklyn for 2 and half years we released our 10 Song LP called Lost Paradise. We are re-releasing Lost Paradise this coming October 1, and the new Package will now contain a DVD with 4 Live Music Videos and will be available on our website www.realbeeasys.com and our www.myspace.com/realbeeasys.

We are culminating the re-release of our album Lost Paradise with our first ever regional tour back and forth to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Asbury Park, Dewey Beach, and to other Parts of Delaware and Jersey. It’s been several years and a hell of a lot of jams since the Real Be Easys got together to embark on their quest to change the standard of Music, and the tunes just keep getting better (me thinks.)

MSJ: I know artists are not crazy about having their music pigeon-holed, but how would you describe the sound of The Real Be Easys?
The sound of Real Be Easys, is one which grooves consistently. The sound of Lost Paradise is one of Rock with an awful lot of Funk in it. But none the less, you’ll find hints of blues and jazz everywhere, as they are everywhere in life.
MSJ: Who do you see as musical influences, both personally and as a band?
We try to combine a modern experimental improvisational sense with the unfaded greatness of the Old School pros that showed us the way; i.e. Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the Experience, Curtis Mayfield, the Beach Boys, Lou Reed. Something all 3 Easys share is the addiction to the Groove. We all love to funk out, and really settle in hard to a thick rock groove channel, and I believe this will remain constant no matter what our sound evolves into in the future.
MSJ: Where did the name come from?
The name came from a phrase we used to say all the time. It’s more of a rule of living than anything else, and that’s what makes it so important. The phrase “Be Real Easy” says it all. It’s the best way we know how to say “chill.” Often in life, things just work themselves out better if you just remember to “Be Real Easy.” Real Be Easys just felt natural, and clearly demonstrated our mission to make Music “Real again, and Be Easy Always.”
MSJ: What’s ahead for you guys?
Ahead for us, we have the Dewey Beach Music Festival. We’re extremely psyched about this. Supposed to be beautiful girls, parties, shows, free drinks and all that. We have a show at The Lighthouse on September 27th, check out our myspace page www.myspace.com/realbeeasys or our official website www.realbeeasys.com for more information. Also, you can plan to see us riding the merry go round in our Regional Tour Circle back and forth between our favorite clubs in Philly like Doc Watsons, and Millcreek tavern, and The 8 X 10 in Baltimore Maryland, the Saint in Asbury Park NJ and everywhere in between.
MSJ: Are there musicians you’d like to play with in the future?
As a musician it’s my personal philosophy that you can learn something from everyone. As a result I always encourage jamming with people, and do it all the time. I personally would love to play with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver, as a matter of fact Slash is also huge in my book, also Jack White of the White Stripes, Paul McCartney, Method Man, and Doctor Dre and Rick Rubin.
MSJ: Do you think that downloading of music is a help or hindrance to the careers of musicians? It’s been said by the major labels that it’s essentially the heart of all the problems they are having in terms of lower sales – would you agree?
I think downloading music has changed the way the Music Industry will operate in the future years to come. Like anything else, when s**t hits the fan you have to revolutionize.

Obviously the downloading of music is causing less people to go out and buy CD’s and this is messing up the works for anyone who used to make their money based on number of CD’s sold. With the industry in such shambles, how is success even measured? Once a new method and measurement for success in the record industry is developed, labels and artists will go back to making money in the traditional sense.
MSJ: In a related question how do you feel about fans recording shows and trading them?
I’m fine with a fan recording a show and trading it. To me it’s a whole different ball game when you capture a live sound. Often live, there is a certain magic or dynamic that you may only hear that one time, and then it might abruptly disappear never to be heard again. Therefore, any means of holding onto that magic is OK with me. And sharing that live show with friends, just spreads the love of that magic. We like to jam during our live shows, and often listen to the jams of our rehearsals. The improvisation that we do, which I call “jamming” makes up like 2/3 of all the playing we do live/rehearsal, so of course I’d be down with others sharing that live improvisational experience.
MSJ: What was the last CD you bought, or what have you been listening to lately?
The Last CD I bought was the new Spoon CD, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - just recently and I haven’t gotten into it yet, but I love all Spoon CD’s so I’m not worried. I also just got done playing out the new White Stripes CD, Icky Thump. And the whole band takes our daily Vitamin Dosage of the Beach Boys - Pet Sounds, every time we hit the road.
MSJ: What about the last concert you attended for your enjoyment?
The last concert I attended for my enjoyment was Joe Walsh about a month ago when he played the Beacon Theatre in NYC, Manhattan. Gotta love the James Gang. Since the show we now cover a Joe Walsh song. I’ll give you a hint it’s Funky.
 
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