Stereo Embers The Podcast 0196: Chad Lawson

“The Comfort Of Discomfort”

You’re about to learn a great deal about Chad Lawson in our conversation, so before we begin, I’ll give you a few essentials. The classically trained pianist first had the inclination he wanted to be behind the keys after watching Sha Na Na on TV when he was 5. Lawson went to Berklee College of Music where he declared himself a jazz performance major, but while there he became an in-demand studio musician so he dropped out, not seeing much point in staying in school. He later formed the Chad Lawson trio, toured as part of Julio Iglesias’ band, hit number one on the Billboard Classical albums chart, composed for the podcasts Lore, Unobscured and Cabinet of Curiosities, signed a deal with Decca Records, and launched his own podcast called Calm It Down. Inspired by everyone from Keith Jarret to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench, Lawson plays with fluidity, finesse and grace. He’s a dextrous and thoughtful player who’s innovative, creative and intuitive. And he never does the same thing twice. You probably think that’s the kind of thing a podcast host says, but it’s not. I mean it is, but it’s not in this case. Consider this: Lawson put out a jazz reinterpretation of the Wizard of Oz, released an album of covers including tracks by Soundgarden and the Police, reinterpreted Chopin with a violinist and a cellist and his newest track is a take on a number by Billie Eilish. You can’t pin this guy down.And given his marital arts background, I’m guessing you REALLY can’t pin him down. This is a revealing chat and one I think you’re going to find has some pretty amazing life lessons. Yeah, I know—another podcast host thing to say but trust me: it’s true.