"Take Five" Q&A with Danny Janklow!

Q1: What's the best music gear or app purchase you've made recently? 

The best gear I’ve gotten lately has been my new Yamaha 82z Bronze Artist model alto saxophone. It’s truly made my life better in all regards. I loved playing my Mark VI and was fortunate to grow a lot on a great vintage horn, but, switching to an ergonomically advanced instrument has helped in my ability to relax more and still get a bigger sound and more control of my registers - especially consistency in pitch!

Also, my AEA NUVO N-8 microphone has been one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I’m able to get the live gig/recording sound every time I use it. It sounds like me - no innate frequencies that are out of wack. It’s enabled me to record more from home and also to build my virtual online studio and reach many of my fans in lessons from all over the world.

Q2: What's your funniest or worst gig story? 

See #MyWorstGig storyhere!

Q3: What's one concert you've attended that has had a lasting impact on your life? 

I’ll say that concert was quite recent to be honest… As many of you may know who follow my IG page, I’ve been talking about the importance of knowing the deeper cultural truths of this music. To me, “Jazz” is not a real thing and really hasn’t ever been an appropriate name for this celebratory art form. 
This is more accurately a Black American Music. On a recent phone call with Nicholas Payton, who spearheaded this movement 8 years ago, I learned that he was greatly influenced by the spirit and message of the legendary alto saxophonist and freedom thinker Gary Bartz. I had never seen Gary play, but, I’d always studied his records and admired him greatly. Just a few weeks ago I was able to see the man himself play in my hometown Los Angeles. The room was packed full of friends, heroes, teachers, lovers, and above all else a huge amount of young folks! They came to pay their respects to the 78 year old master Bartz and celebrate his deep cultural and unifying message… That we are all from Africa! 
Black American Music was celebrated in a huge way that evening and it was long awaited cultural revival of this music taking form in a big way right here in my hometown.

Q4: What's a specific skill/exercise/technique that has taken your singing to the next level?

Learn the “licks” you like and shed them hard in all keys. Then turn them on their head and try it that way. Try that again in a different way. Do that until you like that lick but it doesn’t sound the same as what you learned in the first place. 

Q5: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self entering the music scene?

I don’t have any advice for young Janklow. He had to learn the way he learned and be humbled by the experiences he went through. The music has always guided young Janklow towards the truth and he always pursued learning the depth and having integrity in the face of all odds. I’m grateful that I had parents and mentors that endorsed me being an outlier and not following social norms at every given turn.