The Return of Keith Washington

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KEITH WASHINGTON

The cool & suave, R&B’s finest crooner makes a stake at the game again with his return to music in a brand new CD to be released in July of 2010 AND a graceful return to the stage with an upcoming concert on April 17th, 2010 at the Tatou Supper Club in Los Angeles! Mr. Keith Washington hung out with Terrill and spoke on these endeavors as well as touched on some areas of his personal life & the music industry!

TERRILL:  The urbanmusicscene.com, we welcome, the one and only, Mr. Keith Washington!  What’s happening Keith?

Keith Washington: Hey man, how are you doing? Everything’s good.

Terrill: Ok!

Keith: For the most part, everything’s been good with me man. We’ve been staying consistent, trying to stay hooked up, you know.

Terrill: Yes, I know how it is man. You had released a lot of great albums from over the years and I own all of them.

Keith: Yes.

Terrill: Some great music videos, some great singles…you’ve been out for a minute man, what happened? What took you out of the music scene for a little while?

Keith: You know what man? First of all, I have a daughter now.

Terrill: Yes.

Keith: To be honest about it, I wanted to be involved in my child’s life as much I possibly could because I didn’t want to be not spending enough time with her. I understood the divorce my mother went through with my dad. I just knew that I didn’t see him as much as I would have liked to. So I started spending a lot of time with my daughter, cause my daughter lived in New Orleans. I dedicated a lot of my time, effort and energy into my child. She got old enough to know and understand that I love her and if she doesn’t hear from me, it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. I had to create this kind of bond and relationship with my child simply because she and I did not build together. Although she frequently comes and visits me.  So therefore I spent all my time, not just some of my time, trying to dedicate that to my kid.

Terrill: I bet she has in company a blessing, because I know every other time man, you got that sweet lullaby to sing…

Keith: Yes.

Terrill: …and you probably sing to her all the time, huh?

Keith: Yes…you know! So, we are back on….back on the right track. We’re finishing my record and stuff.

Terrill: Ok. So lets talk a little bit about this now. You have a new album coming out?

Keith: Yes.

Terrill: Do you have a title for it yet? Or are you still putting the finishing touches on it?

Keith: We are doing the finishing touches right now. People have been asking what is the name of it and we haven’t even picked the first single yet.

Terrill: Ok… Alright.

Keith: And I say that because there’s quality music here. There’s also not only quality, but it’s music of sound. There’s something before you even open your mouth and you will like the production of it. So a lot of good music man. And then it took a minute to sit back, for me and my team, to sit back and approach this in a way that it could be accepted from the younger demographic to the adult contemporary people. We are trying to put everything in proper perspective. As far as writing and producing the music that we can have ready. Who we already have as high quality. Do you know what I mean?

Terrill: Oh, I know exactly what you mean. Now are you going to come back almost in a flavor of some of your previous albums or we’re talking about a whole new game here of quality music?

Keith: No, no, no, no, no, it’s a combination. To answer in a combination, it’s a heavy combination of what I’m about and there’s a very soft combination of productions from Hip Hop & where R&B is today.  And I say just a splash or seasoning of that.

Terrill: Right.

Keith: I love the glamour of coming back.  Same guy, but with more current. I mean people sometimes, you got to understand the game has changed a lot, you know.  I’ve changed a lot. I can actually appreciate what they are doing. I love and respect the fact that they too are putting a lot of hard work into being somebody and to being accepted and recognize for the hard work that they put into this game to be somebody.  I respect all styles of music. I just think urban R&B will always be here for the most part because the game has changed. It’s almost like there’s a large amount of music out there. You have to make sure that it’s a good record, that it can compete for radio, it goes into their format, you know… the whole nine. And I just want to do a straight up A/C kind of joint.

Terrill:  I know what you’re talking about Keith.  I mean you basically take your time in creating good music. We look forward to that new release. Any slated release dates that we should look forward to?

Keith: We were actually scheduled for July. Like I said, we’re finishing the final touches on it. We are kind of debating on what it should be. I mean we have a selection process going on about the music. We feel and hope the world will feel the same way. You put a lot of what you got into your work & we have a lot of good songs
.

Terrill: Next week is the concert at the Tatou Supper Club in Los Angeles…

(Keith Washington | Bring It On)

Keith: Yes.

Terrill: Yes, and it looks like a big night of some old school – Rolls Royce -, and some new school (Miki Howard, Jovonnie, etc). Saturday, April the 17th. Are you going to perform songs from off the new album?

Keith: Well you know what, no, not the new stuff. Well what I’m doing, Teddy Pendergrass has always been an idol of mine. A very strong mentor in a lot of ways for music and he actually, throughout my career, inspired me.  I can name a few others as well. But out of the few, Teddy stood up from and beyond these guys. He is somebody that I had admired. I admired his work & it inspired me. So few that I do have, he was the one that definitely inspired me. So part of my show will be like a melody of some of his songs.

Terrill: Oh yes. Oh definitely man.

Keith: Good quality music.

Terrill: Yes.

Keith: So, I’m doing my thing and I’m going to talk about the artistry of the business. So on and so forth and the quality of music and then I’m going to do this Teddy Pendergrass melody tribute. It’s going to be a great show man.

Terrill: Oh yes, I’ll be there man. I’m definitely coming out there to support you. We know that it’s going to be an exciting evening and it’s going to be a real good tasteful evening of soul music. I would like to just congratulate you for at least coming back and thinking about the music. Thinking about the game entirely. A lot of people can’t wait to see you come back Man!

Keith: Thank you so much man, I appreciate it!

Terrill: It’s a very important thing. In regards to the new project, are we looking to tour around the country, get on the club scene and start promoting it?

Keith: Man, there’s so much of that in our conversation! It’s exactly our game plan. Because my music is international. We have plans to tour Europe all over again, South Africa, all over there and back here. Who’s ever listening, that’s where we’re going.

Terrill: Oh that’s going to be nice man! And I hope the website will play a big part in promoting those dates, so be sure to keep us posted!

Keith: Yes.

Terrill: Let us know what those dates are man, we’ll drop it on the site, get the word out for you!

Here’s a change of pace: In talking about the new R&B music of today, is there somebody out there right now, today’s R&B singers, that has your interest? Somebody you think is hot right now?

Keith: Well no…you know that’s kind of interesting. And there’s no offense to the artists themselves, but back in the day, and I don’t say back in the day to say that the music was better.

Terrill: Yes.

Keith: There was a lot of things in the way music was presented and the way the writing was. We didn’t dog women the way they are doggin’ women now. Or how they are voicing their relationships as they are doing today.  Back in the day, when I was growing up listening to singers, they all had an identity.  

Terrill: Yes.

A: Everyone didn’t sound the same. Charlie Wilson didn’t sound like Otis Redding.  Teddy Pendergrass didn’t sound like Marvin Gaye, you know what I mean
?

Terrill: Yes. Bring it on!

Keith: Everybody had their own ID and you knew who they were. The only thing that I have to say about today’s music and the artist is it’s like everyone, it’s hard to identify it.

Terrill: Yes.

Keith: It’s hard to identify who’s who, you know, when you put your ears in listening to it… as it grows on you. OK, there’s (R&B Singer) Trey Songz for example. And granted, I like his work, it sounds like a lot of his work is the reflection on an extension of what R. Kelly was about – some of his work.  And that’s cool. Whoever you admire and that’s great if you like it. I don’t know, but  it seems as though everybody has no true identity anymore. I mean of course Brian and I came out around the same time, of course I love Brian’s work.

Terrill: Are you talking about Brian McKnight?

Keith: Yes. But you know he and I – of course, I love his work. But I just can’t really say that there’s anybody alive today that I can say that is good. Ok, it’s not that they’re not doing their job, for the taste that I like as a male singer, it seems as though I don’t see that ‘lumberjack’ kind of male singer like Teddy Pendergrass was. I mean, you listen to Jaheim. I like Jaheim’s stuff. But then again, some artists out there trying to work,  it’s like some of the songs are not really songs that will be around here for a long time. Copy write and publishing.

Terrill: I know what you mean.

Keith: Cause you have so many fast food songs and everybody trying to stay current and everybody trying to say ‘whatever, whatever’. It’s just kind of overlooking the longevity of the art of the work. And that’s one thing I love about what Monica just did. The old, what is it that track that Monica, the singer, the songs she has out now?

Q: Yes, that one song (Everything To Me) with that background sample from Denise Williams?

Keith: You see what I’m saying? She put her own melody and lyrics to it and even chirped on Denise Williams later on in the song. I hear that the song is doing very well.  Because what happens is – there’s some identification to it. It’s not sounding like so many artists that’s out there today.

Terrill: Right.

Keith: You know?

Terrill: That’s right.  I agree.

Keith: I’m just telling you that there’s no one for my tastes right now. I like them all, lets not get it twisted. I like them all because they are doing their dream, okay, but for my taste individually, I honestly can say that I couldn’t put my finger on it of who I could say that is really doing it for my preference, you know what I mean?

Terrill: Hey Keith, I appreciate your honesty. Because in your honesty, in your opinion, comes experience.  And there is a lot of opinions coming from different angles concerning the state of R&B today. Most importantly, we appreciate what you have to say about the whole thing.

Overall man, we don’t want to take too much of your time today. Once again, thank you so much for your time. Thank you and I will be seeing you on April the 17th.

Keith: That’s right.

Terrill: Is there anything you would like to share with the listeners out there?

Keith: Keep listening to urban music. That’s all. Just keep supporting us and have an open mind to music. To what music is – what it is. But thank you all for listening and please keep listening.

Terrill: Alright Mr. Washington, thank you so much! Man, would you like to do another interview right after that CD is released?

Keith: No question man. I’m in support of the record and the fans.

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