Stephen Bishop

Masterclass with Eric Harland
Excerpt from online masterclass

JM: And then to have Don [Was] around, knowing all the records he's made, I want some of that Southern/Northern California, sunny, coastal 1972 vibes. And that's the thing, as musicians, we get to time travel. Everything I've written is a little love letter to a thing, or a place, or a time. And I do kind of make records—I go, oh, I want to visit this era. Right now, I'm very into, like, 70s FM radio era, A.K.A. "yacht rock."

There's no one who doesn't love yacht rock. It brings everyone together. [Sings "On and On" by Steven Bishop.] You know that song? Stephen Bishop, "On and On?" Forget about what you think it sounds like. “Oh, it might be a little”—you put it on, people go like this. [Makes face indicating enjoyment, continues singing On and On.] Is it cool? It's probably never been cool. But is it great? Yes. And is “great” cool? Yes. Therefore, it is cool. Steel guitar, and bongos, and ace session players, and this voice that's like a sine wave [sings "On and On"]—great. That's great.

So I'm into this thing right now where I just like things to be great. Like super pleasant, musical cashmere. Especially now, in these days. I was working on a record, and I kind of feel like it's from a different time now. I started all over again, and everything just has to be like, “Oh, that is lovely.” That's kind of where I am right now.