Jon Cleary, photograph courtesy of Jon Cleary management
As for the singers I liked, they were all influenced by gospel music. That’s where it comes from.
Jon Cleary and company, photograph courtesy of Jon Cleary management
There’s a line in one of my songs, ‘Your funk ain’t gonna be funky unless it’s cooked in the soul.’ I think that’s a very important thing for someone who loves soul music.
If you’re going to be a sideman or a session musician, you’ve got to have the chops. You have to have control. It’s good discipline. It keeps you on your game.