Anil Prasad - Innerviews: Music Without Borders

Since the website launched back in 1994, Music Journalist Anil Prasad and does his homework very well and going beyond the spirit and the artists to go beyond the music business and the industry to seek their path in their spiritual guidance, philosophies, storytelling, and creative processes they go through to move forward. For me, Innerviews: Music Without Borders is my go-to website whenever something new happens when he interviews some of the musicians I admire and the ones I watch out for that might peak my interest.

In an interview back in April of 2011 on Echoes (NPR) by John Diliberto, at the time people were listening to Def Leppard and Van Halen, Anil delved into bands and artists like Brand X and Kate Bush to name a few from the record stores to show there was more than just the big names in hard rock when he was a young man. From 2000 to 2014 he was a contributor to magazines such as Guitar Player, Bass Player, and Frets. The book was released back in 2010 and it’s done in alphabetical order and it delves with amazing conversations with 24 artists in alphabetical order from Jon Anderson of Yes to the late great Joe Zawinul.

Whilst I enjoy his interviews, his book offers the interest of their perspective of bringing them close to the edge. There are some favorable moments in the book that opened my eyes. Japan’s David Sylvian talking about people opening up the context of creative music to work it out for themselves in whatever they want to decide which direction they want to delve into, McCoy Tyner’s key philosophies as a band leader provides enough room for the person to be comfortable to do whatever they want and both listening and responding are very important.

Bjork’s channeling brainstorming ideas into songwriting and listening and making the music can be a spiritual experience for her, and Stanley Clarke’s story on why he turned down to be in a group with Miles Davis along with his experience with Return to Forever in the 1970s as he looked back in his time with the band as a university. Prasad shows no sign of stopping from his journalism and research.

And 23 years later, he still is going strong with the web site. Whether it’s an interview with Leonardo Pavkovic of MoonJune Records, Steven Wilson, Richard Barbieri, Tim Bowness, Peter Hammill, Julie Slick and Canadian Music Journalist, Radio, VJ, TV Host, and Author, Laurie Brown, Anil is a busy man. While the book may open people’s eyes to how these artist go through various ideas, the website is worth exploring.

Here's Anil Prasad's website, Innerviews: Music Without Borders
http://www.innerviews.org/