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Scott Cossu's music benefits People For Puget Sound
9/3/09 Olympian profile of jazz musician Scott Cossu
9/3/09 Olympian
Jazz pianist's 'heavy mental' music
MOLLY GILMORE; For The Olympian
Maybe Scott Cossu should have been a comedian.
The nationally known jazz pianist, one of the original Windham Hill recording artists, is always quick with a joke.
So much so that he begins a phone conversation with a joke about scaring off telemarketers and ends it with a proud “I kept the jokes to a minimum.”
In between those, he tells a story about a radio interview in which he classified his music, but not as jazz, new age, adult contemporary or neoclassical – a few among the many terms that have been used to describe him.
“I had to come up with something to cover all bases so I jokingly came up with the title of ‘heavy mental,’ ” he said. “The interviewer said, ‘We’re starting a new section for that right now.’ ”
....His latest work, “Tides Between Us,” debuted in July at number 33 on the Top 100 New Age/Ambient/World Radio/Internet Airwaves chart.
The title reflects an inspiration for the music – a liquid, flowing quality. “I try to have a lot of movement, a fluidity of the music,” he said.
It also reflects a concern with the environment that is dear to the pianist’s heart.
“I decided to dedicate this recording to cleaning up Puget Sound,” he said. “I’m donating a portion of the proceeds to the environmental group People for Puget Sound.”