Volume 15, Issue 56
Published May 28th, 2008
Locals Only
Jonah Koslen Takes A New Approach On Telling On Myself
By Anastasia Pantsios
Who would have thought that Jimmy Buffett would have given one of Cleveland's most talented songwriter/musicians a new lease on musical life? Yet, as Jonah Koslen, known for his work with the Michael Stanley Band, Breathless and the Heroes, explains on the tune "God Bless You Jimmy Buffett" from his new disc, Telling on Myself, that's pretty much what happened.
When Koslen came home to Cleveland after 13 years in Los Angeles, he was burned out on music. He'd spent his time in LA trying to write for other artists until his muse became a taskmaster. Returning to Northeast Ohio in 1997, he devoted himself to Web design, playing occasional Breathless reunions and guest spots with Stanley. The guy who'd been a founding member of the Michael Stanley Band and played on its first three albums, contributing such fan favorites as "Ladies Choice," "Nothing's Going to Change my Mind," "Waste a Little Time" and "Strike Up the Band," appeared to be through with music.
But the bug was still there, although dormant. About five years ago Koslen saw an ad in a local paper for a gig at the Bahama Breeze in Beachwood. Doing Web sites had lost its appeal. "I was looking into doing something else. They wanted someone to do island music — calypso, reggae, Jimmy Buffett. I had to learn 50-60 songs in four weeks. I'd never really done cover material. I'm not a good imitator. So I interpreted the songs and did them my way."
Being unfamiliar with Buffett at the time, Koslen focused on tunes by classic artists like Harry Belafonte and Bob Marley, adding the Buffett tunes as he became more familiar with the artist whom he says he's never seen perform. And he found that starting to play again oiled this songwriting machinery and got his inspiration flowing again. That led to the new release, which he'll debut at Brothers Lounge this weekend, in a show that'll feature both acoustic and electric material, with members of Breathless joining him. It features 11 easygoing original tracks such as "Jamaica in Your Mind," "Flip Flop Song" and a new version of the old MSB favorite "Ladies Choice," coasting, like many of the tracks, on a languid reggae-style beat. The sun- and sand-infused songs feature the sort of flowing, organic melodies Koslen was always known for, with more personal lyrics that reflect an upbeat, survivor attitude.
"When I was in LA I tried so hard to write songs that other people could cover," he says. "I had lost the pleasure of doing it and it was all about the business. When this came along and I realized I could make money doing it, that was a big thing. I always liked reggae and calypso stuff. We'd done some reggae-tinged [songs] in MSB and Breathless. It was a surprise to me that I could go out and do something I enjoy and make a living."
"I'm writing all the time now," he says. "The CD is 11 songs. I have another 10 songs I didn't have time to finish up and put on there. I used to be intense about writing. Now I let it come to me rather than seeking it out. It's an enjoyable process. With computers now I can do the whole thing myself. Rik Williger came and played a little keyboard, a little harmonica, but other than that I did it all myself. I did the cover, too; I did the Web site myself. I'm a one-man island band. I went at my own pace which was a lot more leisurely than it could have been. I probably could have done it in a year, but it took me two years to do."
Needless to say, the type of material he was doing led Koslen to the Erie Islands where he's become a regular, playing Middle Bass Island and Kelly's Island during the summer. But, he says, he leans on his material — both his own and his covers — more than the risque stuff that many of the resort artists rely on. "I'm a song stylist. I really depend more on my music, my singing, my playing. And people respond to it so I must be doing something right. I wear a flowered shirt but that's pretty much my concession to it."
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