A LEGEND is defined as “an extremely famous or celebrated person, especially in a particular field,” and in the case of world-renowned musician David Sancious, that moniker expressly suits him. With his extensive career and vast array of accomplishments, very few have enjoyed the unprecedented success that this man has achieved. And yet even in his busy schedule and with another album looming on the horizon, David still makes time for his fans and those who want to discover just a bit more beneath the surface and within the psyche of this tremendous talent. I am honored to share our brief but newsy chat about how David got started in music, his early entry into the performing arena, and what we can anticipate from him in the near future.
RH: David, it is so good to get to talk with you today. As a fellow musician. I love chatting with those who enjoy and appreciate music as much as I do. And your success is unparalleled. Quite impressive.
DS: Wonderful to talk to you too, Ruth. Always a treat to share with my fans both new and old.
So how did you get started in music?
I got started around the age of six. I started playing piano basically because of the influence of my mom who I used to listen to play when I was a little boy. I was mesmerized by all the sounds and beautiful music coming out of the piano. She taught me piano for a year, and then she got me lessons with a very good classical pianist. I trained under this pianist for about eight years. In the meantime, I was influenced by the rest of my family. I have two older brothers who though not professionally involved in music, they are avid music listeners, and they have their own taste in music. And their musical preferences had an influence on me, and that was how it all started.
I continued to study music throughout my school years. It might be said I studied everything from “Chopin to Coltrane.” I experienced everything from classical, to jazz, to blues, and rock. A very eclectic education you might say. I actually left school at the age of fifteen and started my own professional career.
Wow, that is truly amazing! We don’t always hear success stories like that, so kudos to you.
Thank you. I was an original member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and over the years I have gotten to work with such amazing musicians as Sting, 
Peter Gabriel, Eric Clapton, Seal, and Aretha Franklin, to just name a few. Since my first album in 1973, Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. {with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band}, I’ve had the privilege of performing on over fifty albums. And the good news is that I’m not done yet. It won’t be long before I’ll be back in the studio, creating and releasing even more music for my fans. This will be my ninth studio album.
That is something for us to definitely anticipate. As you prepare to return to the studio, what can you tell us about these Treehouse Concerts of yours that you are hosting this summer?
This month {May} and next month {June}, I will be offering concerts that will be similar to an artist at residence at a university or at a concert venue. The difference is that I will be doing this artist in residence program at my house. I have transformed my recital studio into a concert area that will hold about forty-five people. I am the featured performer, but there will be others as well. It will incorporate a wide variety of musical styles which will include singing, keyboards, and guitar. The purpose is to provide more personal access to the performers than you would normally have in a typical concert venue. It’s a gorgeous setting with a natural view of the Hudson Valley that we will make sure the concertgoers are able to appreciate while there in this relaxed setting. You will hear mostly original music with spontaneous improvisation. The blues part of the program will contain some traditional blues music, but all the rest will be original music that my fans will recognize from my many albums.
For those who may not be familiar with your music, how do you describe your music?
Some people have a hard time doing just that, but I class myself as a mixture of harmony and melody from the jazz and classical traditions combined with rhythms from the rock and R&B traditions. I think that covers everything. And for anyone who doesn’t know, I am also a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Thank you so much for taking the time, David, to share with us today.
It was lovely getting to talk with you, Ruth. I hope your readers will enjoy my music and look out for my new music and album, which I hope to begin very soon.
Chatting with David was truly one of the least complicated things I have ever done. His warm, simple, and gracious manner is able to set one at ease from the very beginning of the conversation. He makes it a point to listen to and connect with what you are saying, and for the time that you are privileged to interact with him, all outward distractions are removed as he focuses on the dialogue at hand. Thankfully, over the course of his career, David has not permitted success to intrinsically change him, and there is nothing of the word “celebrity” about him. He is a dedicated musician who continues to pursue high ideals as well as excellence in his craft. For him, music is the focus of his life, and I would venture to say that he is merely grateful to have been able to do what he loves for a living for a good share of his life. I would invite everyone to check out his links below, and if you are in the Woodstock, New York area any time between now and June, I would invite you to consider checking out his Treehouse Concerts for an experience you will never forget. However, even if this is not possible, as we know that a new album is in the works, be sure to follow David on twitter and check out his website periodically for updates so that you won’t miss a moment of this amazing man’s career!
FOLLOW DAVID
Website: davidsancious.com, t hetreehouseconcerts.com
Twitter: @DavidSancious
For tickets to the Treehouse Concerts:
http://apmff.com/festival-tickets/
