“I want music to remain a healing and uniting force, and stay clear of the political and social rifts that divide us. I want music to always be a positive force that everyone can relax with, commune with, and be at peace with, whatever their type of music may be.”

Ed Alstrom: Music of Life, Life of Music

Ed Alstrom has had a rich and diverse musical career. Sure, he’s a bluesman, but he’s also been a church organist and choir director, guitarist at a temple, conductor of a mandolin orchestra, Broadway pit musician, winner of a Backstage Bistro Award and a MAC Award nomination on the NY Cabaret Circuit, radio DJ, and keyboard designer for Casio. Ed has performed with Bette Midler, Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Herbie Hancock, Odetta, Dion, Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector, Steely Dan, Blood Sweat and Tears, Jimmy Vivino, Robert Hill, Rob Paparozzi, Hubert Sumlin, John Sebastian, and other notables. On his latest release, Flee Though None Pursue (Release Date: January 13, 2025), Alstrom deftly handles lead and background vocals, Hammond/ Farfisa/ pipe organs, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, synthesizers, guitars, bass, mandolin, melodica, alto sax, accordion, theremin and percussion, weaving them all into his original musical style, with a varied group of talented musicians.

(Photo: Ed Alstrom, itinerant musician and musical disater relief specialist)

He'll be representing the North Jersey Blues Society in the Solo/Duo competition at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. The album is also filled with the wit and wisdom of Alstrom's masterful songwriting, with an often-otherworldly lyricism devoted to his eloquent storytelling in the eighteen original tracks.

Interview by Michael Limnios             Special Thanks: Betsie Brown (Blind Raccoon)

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your life the most?

(Not sure what 'the music' is, but) Music in general, from classical to the blues and beyond, has provided the whole world with something to unite behind; something that is not polarizing, something that can bring peace and joy amid turbulence, and something that everyone can enjoy in their own way. I've had so many life-changing moments that I couldn't possibly pick one, but they're all related to music in some way. 

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I love so many different types of music, and my sound changes with whateverr genre I happen to be playing in, or whoever I happen to be playing with, or whatever feel I get from the audience. My creative drive is that my life is music, it's what I do, and that I never want to stop playing it. 

Which meetings have been the most important experiences for you? Are there any memories from gigs, jams, and studio sessions which you’d like to share?

Playing with Herbie Hancock one time was a life-changer for sure. It was just the two of us, him on piano and me on an array of samplers functioning as his rhythm section (bass, drums, and percussion). That was a level of musical communication that I never experienced before or since, and pushed me to boundaries that were unique. I've had many wonderful times playing with big name people, as well as people who nobody knows. I've been very fortunate to haver this range of experiences, and the beauty is that everything is different, every time.

”Music = Soul. Technique to me is a means to an end, not an end in itself, or anything to be flaunted out of context. Your technique should be comprehensive enough that you will never be confounded or embarrassed in any situation, but whatever the music calls for dictates how much of that technique you should use.” (Photo: Ed Alstrom started playing organ Hammond M-3 at age 5, guitar and bass as a teenager)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I, like many people, am of the belief that the arts of songwriting, singing, and playing have deteriorated over the years, and the world is not as fertile with opportunities for serious young musicians who want to get out there and cut their teeth and get valuable experience. Maybe there's bit of 'Old Man Shaking Fist at Cloud' in that, but maybe I'm wrong and the music that's being made now will be looked on decades from now as 'classic', and that great musicians coming up can contributre something unique and timeless to the lexicon. 

What is the impact of music on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the music to affect people?

I want music to remain a healing and uniting force, and stay clear of the political and social rifts that divide us. I want music to always be a positive force that everyone can relax with, commune with, and be at peace with, whatever their type of music may be. 

What's the balance in music between technique and soul? What is the driving force behind your continuous support for your music?

Music = Soul. Technique to me is a means to an end, not an end in itself, or anything to be flaunted out of context. Your technique should be comprehensive enough that you will never be confounded or embarrassed in any situation, but whatever the music calls for dictates how much of that technique you should use.

My diriving force is to play well for as long as I am physically and mentally able to.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Be a smooth character, be pliable, be capable, and make yourself sound and feel good so people want to play with you and hear you.

”I love so many different types of music, and my sound changes with whateverr genre I happen to be playing in, or whoever I happen to be playing with, or whatever feel I get from the audience. My creative drive is that my life is music, it's what I do, and that I never want to stop playing it.”

(Photo: Ed Alstrom)

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

My music takes a lot of different shapes and styles. I am never concerned with its 'relevancy today', and I don't worry about how to 'present it to a new generation'. I don't make any conessions to that. I do what I wanna do at any given time, and I am confident that whatever I do will be genuine and reflective of its influences filtered through my experiences, and that it'll be 'me'.

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