“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. Organ music has its roots in ancient Greece, played at games and events. Ed Alstrom plays modern organ music that has its own roots, deep in the blues. He is something of a newcomer to the 'blues scene', but he made a significant impact in 2025 with his self-produced debut album, Flee Though None Pursue. His latest album, This Idea Of Humanity (Release Day: February 13, 2026), finds him at the top of this blues game, crafting eloquent tales of love and life in fourteen original songs.

(Ed Alstrom, itinerant musician and musical disater relief specialist / Photo by Chris Drucker

)Alstrom's majestic organ work simmers throughout, but his instrumental contributions also include piano, melodica, clavinet, synthesizer, Suzuki Andes, bass, guitar, percussion, and drums. Ed is in fact the sole musician and vocalist on a good portion of the album! His songs are intricately crafted visions of humanity that fascinate him; his gritty vocals enhance lyrical morality tales that spin from the whimsical to the sublime. This Idea of Humanity articulates Ed Alstrom's compelling musical visions of the humanity he tolerates with humor and compassion. It is a worthy follow-up to last year's successful debut, and rewards an attentive listen.

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.

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

I believe I am growing and expanding every day, every year. I feel that now, at age 68, my musical instincts are better than ever, and I trust those instincts more than I ever have.

I am constantly seeking to expand my knowledge in every type of music. I have played everything from 14th century music to avant-garde and experimental music to hip-hop, and everything in between. I have always been unnecessarily diverse, but two years ago I decided to focus on the blues, which is the reason we're having this discussion. My aim in doing the blues is to honor the tradition while attempting to expand and modernize it, and take it to some places that it doesn't often go. I think blues lovers are people who embrace all styles as well!

“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 is the story behind album’s title This Idea of Humanity”? Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new release?

There is a lyric in the track 'Humans' that goes, 'I love this idea of humanity; it's these humans I just can't tolerate'. That is where the album title comes from.
As far as the album itself, I was trying for diversity and a wide range of styles with the blues always in mind, but with more focus than my last album, 'Flee Though None Pursue' (2025). I am playing the blues, but often not modeled after traditional blues. See, I believe that blues audiences are more open-minded than they are given credit for, and more open-minded than many artists seem to believe they are. Hence, I don't pander to them; I give them a variety of bags under the umbrella of the blues, and so far they seem to like it, so I'll keep doing that for as long as I can.

How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music? Is there a message you are trying to convey with your songs? 

The songwriting process for me varies, but is most often triggered by a line I think of randomly, or something I hear someone say in everyday life. I then log that title in a notebook or on my phone, and come back to work on fleshing out a full lyric for it later. Sometimes the whole lyric comes out in one shot! After there's a lyric in full, I'll go about finding a musical setting for it. In each case, I usually go with my first instinct, and that usually winds up being that final framework. Of course, not every song comes to light this way; sometimes it's the reverse, where the music comes first and the words later. You never know when Ms. Muse is coming, or what she'll endow you with.

There can be a message in the song, or it can just be frivolous. Again, nothing is in stone, and I try to keep it diverse and interesting in terms of song content.

What keeps a musician passionate over the years?

If music itself doesn't keep you passionate, you shouldn't be doing it! As much as I've learned and think I know, I get my ass kicked everyday and realize that I don't know 1/1000th of what I should know about music..It has been a lifelong and joyful learning process to accumulate as much knowledge and proficiency as I can.

“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.” (Photo: Ed Alstrom & Odetta)

Are there any specific memories with Hubert Sumlin, Chuck Berry and Odetta that you would like to tell us about?!

My experience with Chuck Berry was just one musically disastrous and very disillusioning gig, which I'd rather not even discuss; several friends of mine had similar experiences playing with him. I got to play with Hubert Sumlin one time, right before the end of his life. He was at a gig I was on and the audience was asking for him to play, and he was quite ill and not up to it. But finally, they got him on stage with a guitar, and he sat in a chair and played the living hell out of it for several tunes!
Odetta, I played with her about 6 times, in different parts of the world, and she was delightful and very challenging (in a good way) to play for. At that point, she just sat on a stool and sang, and I played very sparse piano beinhd her, at her directive. She was commanding and brilliant as a performer, and a lot of fun to be with. One of my greatest playing experiences, for sure!

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.

How does your hometown (Chicago) that affect your music?

My hometown is not Chicago (although I do love Chicago!), but New Jersey, which is not thought of as a hotbed of the blues, but actually has a pretty good blues scene and a lot very fine musicians. The proximity to New York City in my youth was a plus, as I got to see and hear all kinds of wonderful music, especially jazz, which I adore and drift back to frequently. I think the diversity and melting pot of New Jersey fed my hunger to know about all types of music and not limit myself. The competitive nature of the NY area also forces you to stay at a very high level in order to thrive and be heard and get work.

”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.

”If music itself doesn't keep you passionate, you shouldn't be doing it! As much as I've learned and think I know, I get my ass kicked everyday and realize that I don't know 1/1000th of what I should know about music..It has been a lifelong and joyful learning process to accumulate as much knowledge and proficiency as I can.“

(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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