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I was interviewed for The Saxophone Journal by fellow saxophonist Skip Spratt. The interview will appear in the January/February issue. Here is an excerpt.

(Skip): Lon, my first exposure to your playing came on the 5th floor of Berklee back in 1982. My good friend and I would constantly listen to Brecker and Sanborn as well as your recording of “We’re In This Love Together” with Al Jarreau. I just dug everything about it. The studio effects, the production values – it really set the stage for the type of playing I aspired to do at that time.

(LP): I try to be melodic in the studio. That solo is really a paraphrase of Jarreau’s melody. It was a comp track constructed from about six different takes. It wasn’t one complete take. The engineer did a comp track, pieced it together quickly right on the spot and then I played it again. Let me tell you something about that studio effect. That was not a chorus effect. It was me playing the solo twice. I knew going in that they wanted to double track it. I kept the improvised lines simple knowing I would have to do it again. Even so, I’m never looking to show off technically when I solo. I really didn’t find that particular solo hard to double.