In October Blue Knights (Curtis McLaw, Jay Heye) was already at work on new studioprojects in the German recording studio-1, but only a few weeks previous they had completed a successful American tour promoting their second album Red Night (1993). Even though many European artists have yet to make it to North America due to the high travel and transport expenses DA music and Innovative Communications put together a mini-tour that included both Blue Knights and Dancing Fantasy, since both groups had made the charts in the U.S. and Curtis McLaw is the producer of both. The groups combined the studio musicians each had used into one super group, including George Bishop on sax. Dancing Fantasy would months later feature the concerts in their album Live USA.
What prompted the forming of the Blue Knights? Curtis and Jay met in a music store where Jay was playing and trying out a synthesizer. Curtis was amazed by Jay's "right into the pocket funky jazzy" playing and asked him if he wanted to work with him. You know the rest.
How were the U.S. tour dates? Do you plan to return? We played in Dallas, San Francisco, and Detroit. The audience in all three places was just great and we had the chance to play on the same stage with guys like Joe McBride and Richard Elliot whose music we really love. We can't wait to come back--hopefully in the Spring of '95.
Blue Knights has been called new instrumental, ambient-jazz, and a host of other names. Curtis referred to it as "happy-jazz" in an interview. How do you see the group being labeled? It's difficult to say. It's a mixture of almost everything: pop, jazz, funk and even dance floor!
Jay, what is your musical background and major influences? I grew up listening to black American music guys like Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder. I have maintained a certain view of music: always in the pocket and always for the dance floor. I also dig European bands like Level 42 and Nick Keshaw.
Curtis, after different projects, (Dancing Fantasy and Blue Knights) what are your next project ideas in the pipeline? All I can say is "You'll hear from me!"
