JymalotMusic

Fan Club President Van Kookran recently conducted this brief interview with Jymalot Music founder/singer/musician/songwriter Jym in his summer home in Central, a small community in Louisiana. Kookran's questions are in italics.

So, Jym, thanks for allowing us the opportunity here to talk with you. It's a privilege.

Stop sucking up, Van. You can stay president of the Fan Club. I'm not gonna fire you.

Okay, then......well, let's talk about your recent release, "No Shame." You have called it an anthology. Does that mean you are retiring?

No, not at all. It is sort of a mini-anthology in that it includes songs from the band's beginnings all the way to recent works. For example, "Negro Woman" was a cut on the first Jymalot Music release called "Not Dead." "Serious Ambitions," was a cut on the third release and "The Company I Keep" was tucked away on the Mostly John release. Those three songs alone span more than 10 years. No, I'm not retiring. I just had a chance to use technology like Napster and the Internet to get my stuff out there. It was my wife's idea really. In addition to being blonde and beautiful, Stacie is smart.

Did Stacie create your website?

No, that was the product of my pal, Lionel. He's even smarter than Stacie.

Let's talk about some of your songs. A moment ago you mentioned "Negro Woman." What's that song about?

Have you listened to it?

Yea. I took it to be about the plight of the black woman in America.

It's not about her plight. It's about her success. Her achievement. It's about how she used to be stereotyped as a cleaning woman or a servant of some kind. But now, she's in charge. She's the boss. Look around you, man, the black woman is strong. And the paradox is, it's written in a one-four-five blues progression, so you're left wondering, is this the singer's lament or praise? Far out, huh?

Uhhhh........uhhh........ okay. Well, what about "Got Tell Herman?"

That's about little people with little minds who spend their lives living vicariously through others. It's about tattle tales, back stabbers, trouble makers. It's pathetic, but there are people like that. I've known them. I like my guitar solo in that one.

You mentioned paradox a moment ago. You seem to use that often, like "Jesus In Our Heart" and "This Day" seem to to express two very different comments on religion.

I was hoping someone would realize that. You're right. The former is almost a condemnation of the so-called Religious Right, a kind of shame-on-you finger point right back at them. "This Day" is a prayer, man.

"The Company I Keep."

That's me playing like I'm one of the Archies. Remember them? "Sugar, ahhhh Honey, Honey......." One of my favorites. A catchy tune. It's better produced than most. My buddy, Al, produced it down at Dragon Breath Studios. One take, I think.

You don't have any other members in the band. Is that on purpose, or is it because everyone thinks you're a dick and nobody wants to play with you?

Everyone thinks I'm a dick.

Isn't it kind of hard to play live without a band?

Not for most of my stuff. I do fine with a single guitar and my own vocals. But I don't play live much anyway. Just like John and Paul, I think the real creativity is in the studio, which in my case, is primarily in my extra bedroom in my house. That's where all these amazing songs are born. Playing live on stage is like throwing up. You're just getting rid of stuff, not taking anything in. No creativity, no birth. Just death.

Or could it be you're not really good enough to play live?

Well, there's that, too.

I know what you mean about playing in front of people, though, because sometimes when I'm working on my old car, and somebody is watching me, I'll grab the wrong socket and then turn the ratchet the wrong way, and then before I know it, i'm worrying about the people watching me, not about what I'm doing and that's when you can slip in the grease and then everyone is laughing, laughing at me, pointing their fingers, and laughing and my head hurts 'cause I hit it on the transmission housing, and then.......

VAN!!!!!! VAN!!!!!! That's enough. Let's get back to the questions you came to ask.

Sorry. Okay. Tell us about "Things Are Changing."

That's an interesting song. The verse is just one chord, no changes, and it goes on and on and on. And the vocals sing the same words over and over, no changes. Yet, it's telling you things are changing. It's political, really. You're told things are changing, and they never do. Heavy.

Is that Spanish in "Love Of My Life?"

Yes, it is. I couldn't come up with a bridge, so I sang a verse in Spanish to break it up. But I like the tune, and the D major seven to C major seven make for a nice progression.

Do you have any favorites on "No Shame?"

I really do. Two. I really like "A Hundred Seasons." I think it's a pretty song, but very sad. Can you imagine pining away for someone for 25 years? A hundred seasons, four seasons a year, 25 years, man. That's a long time to be hung up. And I think the guitar/keyboard worked well together.

The other is "Across The Universe." I think I do it as good as John.

I like it, too. Listen, I'd like to stay and ask some more questions, but I gotta go work on that car. I keep hearing that kthump, kthump, and I tried opening up the differential, but the axle clamp was torqued so I tried going in through the casing, but the grease dripped in my eye and when I went to get a rag, my wife yelled at me for tracking in stuff on the floor, and I said, hey it's my house, too, and then she .............

VAN!!!! Van...... just go.