COOL YULE
Sax player Vandell Andrew in the mix at Super Soul Holiday show
Vandell Andrew embraces the opportunities technology presents him.
The saxophone player can’t be everywhere at once, so he turns to Facebook to put on live concerts.
“It’s a little different,” he says during a recent phone interview. “But it’s really cool. I can get online and do a short show and interact with the audience via comments. It can be a little distracting to keep reading the comments. But I find it’s the most immediate way to get involved with my fans without actually touring.”
Andrew will be one of the guest musicians at this year’s Super Soul Holiday Celebration at the African-American Performing Arts Center tonight.
He will be joined by Tracey Whitney, Shake Anderson and Joel McCray.
Anderson is the guitarist for Stevie Wonder.
Andrew says such collaboration shows are his favorite.
“All of the musicians are professional, and they bring out the best in me,” he says. “They challenge me to up the ante when it comes to playing. I enjoy also coming in and just truly collaborating with other musicians.”
Andrew was born in New Orleans, and many would think he was immediately drawn to music.
It took him some time; he didn’t join any of his middle or high school bands.
“I started at jazz summer camp,” he says. “The first thing I learned was music theory, and we learned simplified jazz standards. On Fridays, we would have concerts. Then the clubs would open for us during the day and we’d be able to put on shows as part of the camp. From that point on, I began to fall in love with music and it became a huge part of my life.”
Andrew also recently released his new album, “All for Love.”
“I started out going into the studio each time I had an idea,” he says. “I put a lot of pressure on myself. It’s a lot like giving birth to a baby. Now the album is out.”