Jazz musician Aaron Durr, who was born and raised in Central Valley, but now resides in Los Angeles, brings his pop-esque take on jazz via various residencies, including one at the Culver Hotel every Thursday. We spoke to Durr about his career so far, and what we can expect on Thursdays.
CULVER CITY NEWS: WHERE ARE YOU CURRENTLY BASED WITHIN LA? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?
Aaron Durr: I’ve been living in Canoga Park for eight months now, and I’m enjoying the West Valley. The most consistent area that I perform and visit within the city of LA is Culver City, and I really enjoy the downtown there. The guys and I usually meet early, have dinner together at one of the restaurants on Culver Boulevard, walk around, and grab a coffee before we play at the Hotel.
WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING / SINGING, AND WHEN DID YOU START TAKING IT SERIOUSLY AS A POTENTIAL CAREER?
I started on guitar at age 8. Then, drums and precision from 7th grade through high school. I picked up piano and started working on singing when I was about 18, because I wanted to start writing. It wasn’t until I was about 25 that I really started taking it seriously – I had tried many other things, and came to the realization that I could make more money, and feel much more fulfilled by writing, arranging and performing music. My family is full of musicians, so the influence was always there. However, it was drilled into me since I was a child that music is a hobby, not a profession – so it took me a while to gain the confidence to treat it as a career and express that to my family.
DESCRIBE YOUR OWN SOUND AND STYLE…
I love all types of music, but most of my knowledge does not come from formal training. So, my sound is an organized kind of chaos; lots of individual sounds & themes meticulously ordered into songs and arrangements. I grew up listening to standards – Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra – so I developed kind of a crooner sound to my vocals. Instrumentally, I love rock and roll – as soon as I discovered the Beatles, I listened and learned to play every album. Hearing what Ben Folds does with a piano and rhythm section is what got me playing piano, so there’s a dash of his passion and angst in my playing as well. The producer I am currently working with described my sound as “taking out the trash in a tuxedo;” I like that. It’s piano pop rock with a sensitivity.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING AT THE CULVER HOTEL AND HOW DID THE RESIDENCY COME TO BE?
I was heard at a different venue by one of the employees, and invited to perform at the Culver Hotel for an audition. The staff and management felt we were a good fit and invited us to have a permanent residency there.
WHAT KIND OF CROWD DO YOU GET THERE? BUILT IN, OR PEOPLE COMING JUST TO SEE YOU?
Downtown Culver has a great scene, and many people walk in to check out the music at the Hotel. Now that we’ve been there a year, we have developed a regular following, and recognize many faces from week to week. And of course, our friends and fans from other neighborhoods in LA come out to see us too. Occasionally, we have the opportunity to invite other friends of ours who are performers up for a song or two.
DO YOU HAVE CD/ALBUMS/SINGLES AVAILABLE?
Published songs are available on iTunes, Spotify, Youtube, and other streaming services. I stopped making CDs when people stopped asking for them in lieu of online streaming. Unpublished recordings are available upon request; I’ve shared unreleased songs via flash drives and online for people who want to hear more!
WHERE ELSE DO YOU PLAY? WHAT ELSE IS COMING UP?
We also perform at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. The band will be there on Sept.16, 7 to 11 p.m. The Beverly Hills Hotel also has us at their “bar nineteen12” on Fridays in Sept 7 at 10:30 p.m. They have a beautiful grand piano and deck area.
Aaron Durr plays at the Culver Hotel every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; 9400 Culver Blvd., Culver City; 310-558-9400; culverhotel.com.
