Interview with Guitarist Jeff Cotton (Former Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band)



By Mick Michaels




Cosmick View: Hello, Jeff! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.

CV: After years of being away from the music industry as a performer and songwriter, why do you feel it took so long for you to comeback and release a solo record? Was there something preventing you from such of an endeavor? Had you been continuing to write music during your almost 50 year hiatus?
Jeff Cotton: After CBMB and MU, I was led to start a family of my own, as I realized that a genuine relationship is built upon quality time spent with one another. I’d seen how relatively few relationships had had a successful go of it. It was purely free choice on my part. And during this nearly fifty year period, I was continually writing new music, and my wife and I did A fair number of performances, both in Hawaii, as well And some performances in British Columbia, and in Alberta, Canada.

CV: They say that time offers us a second sight. "The Fantasy of Reality" dropped this past August. With some time now since its release, have you taken on a different perspective of the album and it's track listing?
JC: I do not see much difference in my perspective, nor in the track listing. It was my intention to bring a kind of synopsis to my previous accumulated musical experiences. I consider this album to be sort of a smorgasbord.

CV: Do you feel fans of Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band will find the music of "The Fantasy of Reality" to be of a similar sound or even reminiscent of your ground breaking work with your Beefheart alum? Or will fans be surprised to discover you have gone a completely different path?
JC: I would say that there are a number of tracks that the Beefheart alumni can relate to and most definitely the MU fans. Keep in mind, that I was writing my own material previous to joining the Magic Band, and after my exit, I was very pleased to get on with it! You can probably imagine that Don Vliet allowed no-one to have any creative freedom, other than in the delivery of the music which he was writing. However, I do think there has been some surprise as to my musical direction on “The Fantasy of Reality”.

CV: If you had to pick one track from the album to represent it, which would it be and why?
JC: I could name a few tracks that I believe do represent this work, yet I would have to say the single from the album, “Does it Work for You” to be a synthesis of the material, both musically as well as in lyrical content.

CV: After completing this album and releasing it, is doing another album something you would want to do again in the near future?
JC: Ah yes! The 2nd album will follow within a relatively few months and is currently receiving its finishing touches. I am personally very excited about the content!

CV: How do you see the music business now as compared to 1969? What changes were you stunned to have found in dealing with the modern music industry?
JC: Great question…. Obviously, although musicians today have the freedom to play and say what they like, because of the great lack of monetization and the sheer volume of music being released on-line daily, not only is it easy to get lost in the fray, it can also be very difficult to be found.

CV: What's different for you, as an artist, this time around?
JC: I’ve had quite some time to mature as a writer, and life has taught me to have an adjusted sense of self…an adjusted sense of proportion. Another way of putting it, much of my younger perceptions were more akin to fantasy than to reality. Those who have a teachable spirit will tend toward a clearer vision of reality, as well as what true success really means.

CV: What more can fans expect to see coming from you as 2023 begins to get closer?
JC: Fans can expect more music from me, as long as my biological clock continues to keep ticking, and I expect it will for quite some time.  

CV: Thanks again Jeff taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
JC: Much gratitude to The Cosmick View for sharing my thoughts and thank you for reaching out to me. Until next time!

Check out Jeff at:
https://www.madfishmusic.com/artists/jeff-cotton/ 

 
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word.  Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.




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