The News Tribune Tim Reynolds Interview

[DMBZeppelin]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/ae/story/632714.html

Tim Reynolds ready with new rock jams

On Saturday, guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds and his experimental rock trio, TR3, will headline Tacoma’s Jazzbones. But the last time I caught Reynolds, he and longtime friend Dave Matthews were on a much bigger stage, celebrating one of the year’s most momentous events at KeyArena.

April’s Seeds of Compassion benefit concert commemorated the Dalai Lama’s visit to Seattle, and it was one of the first topics to come up when I caught up with Reynolds on the phone recently.

“Anything having to do with the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism is always profoundly joyous and beautiful,” Reynolds said from somewhere in Arizona. “I was really lucky to be asked to do that gig and then to get to meet him.”

Reynolds said his fascination with Tibetan Buddhism was sparked by Ram Dass’ popular book on spirituality, “Be Here Now,” which he read between gigs in the late ’70s. Since then, he’s been involved with Buddhist groups in Charlottesville, Va., where he met Matthews in the ’80s, and New Mexico, where he lives now.

“It’s still a lesson to be learned,” Reynolds said. “Being a musician and being on tour … it’s kind of hard to stay focused in the Way like the Dalai Lama is. And that’s why I admire him so much.

“I feel like an animal next to that,” he added, chuckling. “Also, my calling is to be a musician, so you kind of have to embrace part of the animal to have the energy to keep goin’ and all that.”

In mainstream circles, Reynolds, 51, is best known for “Live at Luther College” and “Live at Radio City,” two acoustic-oriented live albums he recorded with Matthews. Their friendship can be traced back to a Charlottesville bar named Miller’s, a joint that sounds a bit like Jazzbones.

“I played there every Monday for about 10 years,” Reynolds said. “It was kind of a restaurant bar that had jazz and blues and rock.”

Matthews was a bartender who had also made a name for himself locally as an actor. (And you thought he was just dabbling with “Because of Winn-Dixie” and “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.”) Some of the future rock star’s earliest musical gigs were with the TR3.

“He was a really great actor, and also the bartender that would keep Miller’s open late at night and serve musicians drinks till odd hours,” Reynolds recalled.

“He came to some gigs and sang. But he was so talented (we thought) he should kind of have his own band instead of just joining somebody else’s, you know what I mean? (Fans) saw the charisma and all of that, and that’s what kind of sparked his career.”

Reynolds has performed with Matthews off and on over the years, including touring with the Dave Matthews Band last year.

When asked if he should be considered part of the DMB at this point, he said, “Yeah, I think so. Right now I’m planning on doing the summer tour and currently working on their new record.”

I asked him to elaborate on the new DMB album.

“It’s not really my thing to kind of discuss that right now,” he replied. “Like I say, it’s still in the process. But I can tell you it’s gonna be really good.”

What he could expand upon was the sounds he and his trio – also bassist Mick Vaughn and drummer Dan Martier – will put on display Saturday. Fans shouldn’t expect to hear anything like the DMB, or even “Betrayal,” a trippy solo number he played at the Seeds of Compassion show.

Reynolds said TR3’s new album, “Radiance,” is a departure from industrial-rock influenced material he’s done in the past.

“The last couple albums I did with drum machines was fulfilling in a way,” he said. “But to do it with a real live band, to flesh out the music with that, I’m kind of psyched about that.”

There are “some instrumental songs that range from almost bluesy numbers to a little bit of metal,” he said. “We don’t do blues per se. But there’s a little more rootsy kind of music; you know, reggae and a little bit of a New Orleans kind of thing; but also some metal kind of stuff as well (and) punk. And the last song on the album is a Chris Whitley cover, called ‘Wild Country,’ that’s a really great song.”

Hear more of what Reynolds had to say, including interview clips about fallen DMB band mate LeRoi Moore, on Bring the Noise (blogs.thenewstribune.com/ej).

(I copy and pasted the blog below)

Dave Matthews collaborator Tim Reynolds on new tunes, Buddhism, DMB tour plans
Dave Matthews fans know guitar virtuoso Tim Reynolds from the live CDs “Live at Luther College” and “Live at Radio City.” Several thousand saw the dynamic duo headline a concert in honor of the Dalai Lama last April at KeyArena.

But Saturday (Feb. 21), Reynolds will bring his main band, TR3, to Jazzbones. And recently I caught up with him to talk about Tibetan Buddhism, songs from TR3's new “Radiance” disc, and his roots in Charlottesville, Va., where he met Matthews and helped push him toward arena rockin' glory. Here are a few clips from that interview.

Part 1: The music he'll play this weekend with TR3
Part 2: Tibetan Buddhism and how he got involved with the Dalai Lama show
Part 3: Dave Matthews' early acting career, his role in getting him to start the Dave Matthews Band
Part 4: Touring and recording with the DMB this year, missing LeRoi Moore

[vikes989]

thanks for posting this zep

[DMBZeppelin]

Didn't see this posted anywhere, but I thought it was note worthy because Tim says he feels a part of DMB.

[dre2142]

Originally Posted by DMBZeppelin

because Tim says he feels a part of DMB.

Not sure why he wouldnt feel that way since the 90s

[DMBZeppelin]

Originally Posted by dre2142

Not sure why he wouldnt feel that way since the 90s

Because he's always declined to be apart of it.

Where as now he's done

2008
D&T mini-April tour
Summer Tour
South America Fall Tour

2009
Spring Tour
Summer Tour
Winter Tour (if there is one)

Not to mention since early 08' he's been working on the album with these guys. He's never toured this extensively with DMB for this many consecutive tours.

[JacobLovesYou]

thanks for posting this zach

[Joyride4136]

Originally Posted by DMBZeppelin

Didn't see this posted anywhere, but I thought it was note worthy because Tim says he feels a part of DMB.

and yet he says "their album"

[DerekJTR2]

Tim saying it's going to be really good is all I fucking need to hear.

[Rylan]

Shit. I live 5 minutes from Jazzbones. That's what I get for not paying attention.

[ExperienceJones]

I was at the show at Jazzbones last night and it fucking ruled. One of the best shows I've seen plus we got to meet and chat with Tim after the show. It was awesome.

[rhymenreason88]

Originally Posted by DerekJTR2

Tim saying it's going to be really good is all I fucking need to hear.

[smokew11]

good stuff

[maccajo]

good to hear

[aggiekjw]

I think Tim Reynolds saying the album is going to be REALLY GOOD means a whole lot. If Tim Reynolds is beefing up a less than spectacular album is very unlikely in my opinion. The guy knows good music, but, most importantly, knows good dmb music. These comments are very positive. This, along with the very expansive tour, are two signs that should tell us all this is going to be good.... Yes, it might not be crash, but it certainly won't be stand up or everyday if tim says its good. I'm feeling a sax/jazz heavey mix between some devil and busted stuff....

[puddlepirate]

i was at the tractor show in seattle, and i can honestly say tim is a wierd phuck and he sucks balls live. 1/2 the people there thought dave was gonna show up and a good 30-50 people left about 4 songs in.

if it wasnt for dmb , no one would know who the hell tim reynolds is. plain and simple.

[DMBZeppelin]

Originally Posted by puddlepirate

i was at the tractor show in seattle, and i can honestly say tim is a wierd phuck and he sucks balls live. 1/2 the people there thought dave was gonna show up and a good 30-50 people left about 4 songs in.

if it wasnt for dmb , no one would know who the hell tim reynolds is. plain and simple.

[canes101190]

Originally Posted by puddlepirate

i was at the tractor show in seattle, and i can honestly say tim is a wierd phuck and he sucks balls live. 1/2 the people there thought dave was gonna show up and a good 30-50 people left about 4 songs in.

if it wasnt for dmb , no one would know who the hell tim reynolds is. plain and simple.

uhhhh.....no

[Dramageek]

Originally Posted by puddlepirate

i was at the tractor show in seattle, and i can honestly say tim is a wierd phuck and he sucks balls live. 1/2 the people there thought dave was gonna show up and a good 30-50 people left about 4 songs in.

if it wasnt for dmb , no one would know who the hell tim reynolds is. plain and simple.

While I agree Tim Reynolds would likely have remained in relative obscurity without DMB, I enjoyed TR3. They played the Hard Rock in Pittsburgh in October, and everyone, even the DMB fans, stuck around and seemed to have a good time.

[PantalaNagaMan]

Tim seems absolutely pumped for this album, from various sources.