Page 8 - ION Indie Magazine_JulyAug 2021

GH: Well, I don't know that it qualified as an actual tour, perhaps a mini tour. I only had a week
available to pack as many shows as we could because I am working on my music degree now and
the semester had just begun. We planned the trip around an event called the Big Jive All-Dayer,
which is 12-hour jive-a-thon in Worthing, Sussex, England. That's the southern part of England, so
we started with a show at the famous Troubadour in London and worked our way down to Sussex.
It was good fun and the shows provided time to rehearse the songs that would be on the album.
Of course, since school had just begun for me, I would have to get online and complete homework
every evening but thank goodness for the time difference! I was always ahead of schedule!

MH: I've asked this question before to another artist in Germany. Do you feel the audiences
in the U.K. have the same energy and enthusiasm at your shows versus the audience here
in the states? Or if not, what is different?

GH: Yes, for sure. There is a difference. I love performing in Germany and the audiences vary
depending on the venue. I once performed in Germany at an international dance competition on
the closing night. The best dancers in world were there. After the it was over and I was back at the
hotel, I ran into one of the dancers from the competition and we ended up dancing in the street in
the middle of the night in Munich. It was magical! I'm not sure I've ever experienced anything like
that here in the states. When I play in England, the fans are so welcoming. They love to talk and
take pics after the show. Many times, people will wait in line to tell me a warm anecdote about my
father, sometimes driving from very far away. I love that so much. Every story helps me to feel
connected to my father and I cherish the fans for that. Once in a blue moon, I may meet a person
here in the U.S. that has a story to share. But honestly, I can't remember the last time that
happened. I personally feel like for some reason, Americans in general are not as nostalgic as the
Brits or Europeans. There is a greater sense of a need to preserve the past with great care over
there. I am not saying that doesn't exist here in the U.S. because it does, but just not on the same
scale as what I've seen over there. It's the same reason why not very many people know who Bill
Haley & His Comets are anymore. Ask a stranger in England, France, or Germany who they are
and there's a good chance they'll start singing!

MH: I should have asked you this earlier…what style or genre of music do you consider
yourself?

GH: R&B 1940s-1960s, jazz, sometimes I'm neo-soul, often I'm a classical pianist!

MH: Let's talk about your music. In one of our email conversations, you were sharing with
me that you had recorded an album in London, England, last March, right before the
pandemic. Tell us a little about that. Has the album been released since then, and if not,
what are the plans?

GH: In Feb-March of 2020, I recorded a short album of 10 songs in Essex, UK, at this great vintage
studio called Sugar Ray's, the idea being that we would record live just like they did in the 1950s.
It was an amazing experience as we only had two days to get it done. The band I work with is
based out of England, so we didn't have more than a few days of preparation. I was already going
to be in England for a few shows, so we decided to leave the recording for the end of my small
tour, this way we'd have had a few shows done that would act as our rehearsal for the studio.
When we arrived at the studio, we set up, did a few mic checks, and basically just hit record and
played through our songs. It was magical because we were recording with the same kind of
recording equipment that many early rock and roll artists would have used back in the day. I flew
back with the masters on March 4, 2020. Just a few days later, the country went to hell and the
lockdown began. Because of that, I found it difficult to proceed with plans to get the album
mastered, and so here it sits on my computer just waiting. Now, that things are looking brighter,
it's time to finish it up! It's exciting.

MH: You also told me know that you worked with a band in the U.K. called The Jive Aces.
Are they musicians that played on the album with you?