Welcome to a special installment of The Truth in His Art from Artscape 40. I am your host, Rob Lee, And this episode is presented by Verizon and Crust by Mac. Today, I'm featuring a conversation with a Baltimore based multi instrumentalist whose work is rooted in jazz. I'm catching up with him after his captivating performance yesterday with his band Elevate. Please welcome Lionel Lyles the second.
Rob Lee:Welcome to the podcast.
Lionel Lyles II:How you doing?
Rob Lee:And I and I said that thank you. And I'm doing doing alright.
Lionel Lyles II:Okay. Okay.
Rob Lee:Yeah. It's back here maxing, you know, I've been able to eat. I haven't been out there, like, braving the temperatures that some folks have. Yeah. I've been in air conditioning.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Smart man.
Rob Lee:So, you know, before we get too deep into the the the conversation, I wanna give you a space and the opportunity to to introduce yourself. And in it, if you could share with us one of your earliest, like, summer creative memories. Like, we have these festivals, like ArtScape. We have, like, you know, art shows. We have music festivals.
Rob Lee:All of these different things that happen during the summer, And it's like a good cache of, like, memories during that time. So if you could start with introducing yourself and then we're going to the memory.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah. Got me digging in the crates early. Well, thank you for for the intro. My name is Lionel Lyles the second. And I am a native.
Lionel Lyles II:Well, wasn't born in Baltimore, but I grew up here. So I could, you know, I called myself native and, you know, I was here. I I moved here when I was 2.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:And, so saxophonist, multi instrumentalists, in the area. East Coast. I've been around the world a couple times. So you asked me about an early a early, summertime memory.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:I wanna say my first, experience, I think, really on a high level, it was probably like 2,003.
Rob Lee:Sure.
Lionel Lyles II:I wanna say I started playing professionally in 2000. So like during this time, you know, like I said, I'm a multi instrumentalist. So my main instrument is saxophone. But at at this time, I was playing trombone very heavy.
Rob Lee:Mhmm.
Lionel Lyles II:And, I used to play with this group called Fertile Ground and, just playing trombone in that group. And I wanna say we did, Afram. One, that was one of my earliest summertime music festivals, you know, in Baltimore. At that time, because like I said, you know, I was just really getting my feet wet the on the scene and, you know, I had just graduated from Morgan State University. So, you know, I'm just trying to, you know, get in where I fit in.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah. And, and and so, you know, we we we did Afram. And I wanna say this was when Afram was over at, M and T. Over at the football stadium. And, you know, it was just this huge I mean, it was cement, you know.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Out there, you know, no grass out there. Not like, you know, hardscape. But it was just out there on the parking lot. And, I wanna say I mean, it was just the the energy was really, you know, really high. And really enjoyed myself that that evening.
Lionel Lyles II:And and what made it special was, like I said, it was my first time really being on a large stage. You know, I've done, you know, the restaurant scene. I've done, you know, the but like when it comes to, you know, these, you know, stages where, you know, you're gonna you're gonna thousands of people are gonna see you. Yeah. I wanna say that was the first time.
Lionel Lyles II:And so that was, like, really fun for me.
Rob Lee:Oh, yeah. Love it. Also, a Morgan alum as well. Okay. So yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:That's what what year?
Rob Lee:03. I mean, I'm sorry. Oh, 7. 07.
Lionel Lyles II:07. Okay. I came out in 02. So Okay. Nice.
Lionel Lyles II:Right yeah. It was missing. Cool.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah. Cool, man. That's what's up.
Rob Lee:So and and thank you for sharing that, man. Yeah. That's that's cool. And there's something I definitely wanna ask you before moving to this next question. Yeah.
Rob Lee:You know, I read this this in your your email signature. And correct me if I'm wrong here, but it's positive energy activates constant elevation. Yes. That made me curious. Yeah.
Rob Lee:How does that philosophy show up in your work? Well, because I think it's a good philosophy. We draw from
Lionel Lyles II:Jersey. You know, I I I try to always be positive. I believe in energy. What you put out into the world is what you're gonna get back. And so, you know, if you're constantly putting positive energy out, you know, you're just gonna keep going up elevate elevation.
Lionel Lyles II:And and, you know, that that's actually where the name of, one of my bands came from, except I, you know, I changed the the e l e to just a l, a vape. But but, you know and and so what I try to do is just just pump the positivity and creativity into the music. And so I feel like if you do that, you you'll always be on the winning side. You'll always be on the side that's just gonna keep going up. And, and if and it's funny because, you know, I I didn't have this in mind when I did it.
Lionel Lyles II:But if you if you take that acronym, each letter, it's it p e a c e piece. Uh-huh. So yeah.
Rob Lee:Sounds like a a branding and marketing background. I'm wondering if you can find
Lionel Lyles II:it right at one point. Might get it on a t shirt. I don't know. We'll see how that goes.
Rob Lee:But, yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:But, yeah. But that I mean, that's literally what it is. You know, I just I just I'm I'm a positive person. I try to, you know, be kind to whoever I meet. And, even if they're not kind to me, you know, you know, even if I have to remove myself from a situation, I'm always gonna be, positive and uplifting.
Rob Lee:That's good. I love that. Thank thank you. Because, I saw it and I was like, you know, whenever you see, like, one of those jewels, it was just like, hold on. Run that back real quick.
Rob Lee:And I and I had a a similar thing, a similar dialogue with, DJ Quicksilver. He had one of those gems. I'm like, I heard that. That stuck out to me. Yeah.
Rob Lee:So I need to, you know, explore directly from the source. Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah, man.
Rob Lee:So I've been asking folks this, like, all weekend. And I think this is an important question because folks have described what they do. It's like you may see a title like music director, creative director, musician, and so on, but how folks present themselves. Like, I've used I used this term at the beginning of this weekend. I called myself the patron saint of pod Okay.
Rob Lee:Which is wild. Right? And that's how I would describe my art. What I do is not just, hey. I'm a podcaster.
Rob Lee:Mhmm. And I think having this perspective over the last year as an educator has helped me really realize why I love it and why I do it Mhmm. And expressing that to sort of next generation of podcasters that I'm helping along. So for you, in that same vein, what is your art?
Lionel Lyles II:What is my art? As far I'm I'm trying to
Rob Lee:Like some some folks will call themselves a musical storyteller versus just purely a musician.
Lionel Lyles II:Man. Yeah. Hey, look. I'm a very simple person. I mean, you know, within within music, our our, you know, we're taught, you know, at least the purest when it comes to, like, you know, musicians that are doing it at the highest level.
Lionel Lyles II:We're we're we're musicians, but we're taught that we're having a conversation. So you can call me a conversationalist. You can call me a storyteller because I'm I'm conveying a story. Every every composition that I write is it's based on something that I that's that's either happened to me or it might have happened to somebody else. But it affect me in in in such a way.
Lionel Lyles II:So, you know, so and painter, you know, I'm painting a picture. So I mean, you know, it's it's I'm a very simple person. You know, I'm a musician but I'm all of these things, beneath the surface. Musician is just on the surface but then underneath, you know, I'm a scientist, I'm a historian. You know, I'm a I'm a painter, I'm a storyteller.
Lionel Lyles II:List. I'm trying to talk to you.
Rob Lee:You know?
Lionel Lyles II:I'm trying to, you know, so all of those things kinda just, you know, you know, you said you've been to New Orleans, you know, it's in that it's in that gumbo, you know?
Rob Lee:You get it? It. Yeah. You get it? See, that's why I was driving this.
Rob Lee:He answered it very well. Yeah. You know, people go on that surface level, and that's all it is. And it's like, times, we have 1, 2, 3 more complimentary things that we do very well that perhaps one could be on the stage for outside of the thing that you were here for, or I'm here for. It's like, hey, I wanna be I wanna be an emcee.
Rob Lee:Yeah. I wanna do this. I wanna do that. There's a skill and there's an art to that.
Lionel Lyles II:That's right. It's nice. It's it's not just the music. It's not it's never just one simple thing.
Rob Lee:Yep.
Lionel Lyles II:You know, the the the musicians, the artists that that thrive in the industry understand that it's more than just, you know, whatever you whatever you do very well in the surface. You know, like for me, I'm an instrumentalist. Right? So it's more than just holding the instrument. It's more than just reading the notes on the page.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:You know, it's what can you bring to it. And so yeah. So that and that's where all of the things beneath the surface
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Come into play.
Rob Lee:So in that vein, we're we're a day removed. We're almost literally we're, you know, a little over 24 hours removed from you just crushing on stage yesterday. Right? Thank you. Yeah.
Rob Lee:And, so I I wanna get your perspective. What did you do at ArtScape 40? We're this milestone installment. So what'd you do at ArtScape 40 for the listeners out there?
Lionel Lyles II:Well, first of all, it's you know, it it hasn't even really hit me that it's 40.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:You know? Like, I've been hearing that, and then, like, when you said it, it just clicked like 40. Oh my gosh. 40. So, you know, like I've I've played R Scape many times before but never under my own name.
Lionel Lyles II:So this is a monumental, you know, milestone for me and it's just awesome that it's it just happens to be R skate 40. But, yesterday I had my band Elevate which is I have 2 bands. I have my traditional jazz swing, straight ahead which is the Lionel Lyle's quintet. Yeah. So you know, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, things in of that nature.
Lionel Lyles II:But then, Elevate is more of my, you know, if if if like if you had to put if you had to combine Roy Ayers with with Robert Glasper.
Rob Lee:You know
Lionel Lyles II:what I'm saying? That's that's that's really the the direction that that band is, supposed to go through. Like, I haven't really it hasn't been realized yet, you know, financially because, you know, I have, man, you know, I I dream big. So, you know, you know, Elevate has a MC, has some vocalist, has a DJ, you know, a couple horns. Yesterday, I was the only instrument, you know, lead instrument other than guitar.
Lionel Lyles II:But, you know, so yesterday, we just came through and we let off our escape at 11 o'clock in the morning and, you know, I just wanted to play some tunes that everyone knew man. So we, you know, we played some Herbie Hancock. We did some, Stylistics, some Anita Baker. You know, just songs that I felt I felt like everybody could connect to. Sure.
Lionel Lyles II:You definitely heard them before and, you know, we just wanted to just just warm the the stage up
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:For the rest of the day. So that's that's that's literally what we did, you know. But we but everything is always grounded. Even though I said hip hop and neo soul and R and B and stuff like that, everything is always grounded in jazz. So it's always gonna come from that jazz point of view.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:But we're just gonna put a different vibe on it. You know, as we say in the music world, putting a different vibe on it.
Rob Lee:I love that. Yeah. So you you and you touched on it a moment ago. Like, this isn't the first time you've been on a stage. This is one of those milestone years Yeah.
Rob Lee:But not the first time. How how does performing on that arts, artscape, like, stage and even this one being the main stage Mhmm. Like, how does that, like, feel, like, special compared to, like, you know, sort of other events? And even, you know, being a person that calls Baltimore home. You're pro you're performing in front of, like, your your your your maybe your neighbors, maybe your friends.
Rob Lee:People like,
Lionel Lyles II:mine know him. Yeah. Yeah. And and that definitely happened yesterday. I mean, it's it's special because everybody can't do it.
Lionel Lyles II:That's number 1. You know, it wouldn't be special if anybody could just get up on that stage and do what they, you know, and do anything. So, you know, I've worked very hard to get there. So yesterday was very special because like I said, it was my first time
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:With my name on the marquee, you know. And, and but I don't wanna downplay any other time. Time. Sure. You know?
Lionel Lyles II:Because every time any any opportunity I get a chance to perform, it's a very important moment not to be taken for granted because in a minute, all of this could be gone.
Rob Lee:Right.
Lionel Lyles II:So I don't wanna downplay anything else I've ever done, anything else I've ever done with somebody else. But yesterday was very special just for the simple fact that it was it was my band and I could put it together. You know, I could rehearse the the ensemble. I could talk to the crowd and, you know, and in in a way that I've never been able to before on that type of stage. Now if you've ever seen one of my shows, you know, it's I'm very vocal.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:You know, I talk to the crowd. I always say, you know, I'm performing for you but I'm performing with you. So, you know, I always let the crowd know I need your energy
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Just as much you need ours. So, you know, it's it's I try to make it an experience and yesterday was one of those days where it was a very positive experience. It was early in the morning but those people that were there and people came in as as the hour went on.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:But so so that that in itself made it special too. Just having people come in that that never that may have never had an opportunity to to hear what I can do. Yeah. So, yeah, that's always a special thing.
Rob Lee:That's wonderful. And, you know, I was talking to, Tara Marcus earlier and I was describing, like, sort of for the the vendors that are posting up, for folks that are, like, pulling up early, you know, having really good tunes that sets their background. Yeah. It's just like, man, I gotta pull on my artwork up, man. I gotta pull up, man.
Rob Lee:It's 11 o'clock. I'm time when it's speaking in the noon.
Lionel Lyles II:But look, though.
Rob Lee:Let me
Lionel Lyles II:say let me Clean. Have you ever been at the house and you, you know, like, you got you cleaning Yeah. And you put some good music on in the background, it just makes whatever you're doing so much easier. So, you know, look. I got a job to do.
Lionel Lyles II:So even if you were, you know, and I I probably should have said something now that you just mentioned that. You know, if you were like setting up like beyond the hill, you couldn't see us, but you could hear us, You know? I'm serving you too. You're welcome. You're welcome.
Lionel Lyles II:Right. You know? So, yeah. That's that's an interesting thing, man. Thank you for saying that because now you're giving me perspective.
Rob Lee:I mean, I'm listening while I'm setting up. I'm like, alright.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah. Yeah. Because sometimes, you know, sometimes you gotta close your eyes and just, you know, open your ears and no matter what and then whatever you're doing, it just makes it easier. You know?
Rob Lee:Was was preparation leading up to and you touched on it a little bit, but was preparation leading up to performing yesterday, like, maybe different, modified for sort of it's August. It's it's on this stage. It's in this setting. Was there any sort of changes of how your normal, like, process would go?
Lionel Lyles II:Well, it's, you know, preparation is always an interesting thing because, you know, sometimes I can't get the musicians that I want or you know, somebody's schedule might have a conflict. And so as a band leader, it's always a challenge to just get everybody in the same room.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:But once you get everybody in the same room, that's when a magic can happen so that it translates to what you hear on the stage. So the process isn't different but every time you go to the process, it's a little it's not different in the steps of things that you have to do, but because you have different personalities and different people, that's what makes it different. And then figuring out, you know, you wanna play to everybody's strengths. You know, it's one thing I learned from Billy Eckstine, you know, Duke Ellington. He's he always composed and performed for the people that he had in his band.
Lionel Lyles II:Right. So if I know that I have x, y and z, you know, I'm a I'm gonna cater to them. So it's not always about me all the time. Even though my name is up
Rob Lee:there,
Lionel Lyles II:you know, I I wanna put forth everybody, you know, because it's not always about me.
Rob Lee:That that makes a lot of sense. Like, when I'm when I'm doing this and I try to find that common ground of commonality Mhmm. Like, I'm almost 800 episodes in Yeah. You know, on this podcast. And you can imagine That's crazy.
Rob Lee:800. Whoo. And you can imagine, it's different people. Like I
Lionel Lyles II:said, you're the third one for
Rob Lee:the day. Yeah. And it's almost this thing of telling folks, like, hey. We're just talking about it, but it's a conversation. Yeah.
Rob Lee:And kind of bringing it down because there's a certain degree of nerves on both sides. Yeah. The person going in is like, what to expect? You know, what are the questions like? And Yeah.
Rob Lee:Even me, I I've joked about it, but I've called this podcast in many instances, like, blind dating with creatives. And you're you're trying to figure it out.
Lionel Lyles II:No bell.
Rob Lee:No no bell. No balloon. I
Lionel Lyles II:like that.
Rob Lee:I like that. But it's it's definitely trying to figure out, like, what is the the person's strengths. And as I I said to Todd earlier, like, that was the most recent one I did prior to this Mhmm. Was like, I'm starting to improvise. And, you know, oftentimes, it's then the question's over.
Rob Lee:Sure. But when I feel like it starts to feel a little scripted Yeah. I was like, I'm losing something in it. So time to go left.
Lionel Lyles II:So so so it's funny that you say that because you're doing exactly what I do, improvising.
Rob Lee:Your thinking, but you're not thinking about it. Yeah. That's that's jazz, man. That's jazz. That's jazz.
Lionel Lyles II:That's jazz. That's jazz. Your thinking, but you're not thinking about it. Yeah. That's that's jazz, man.
Lionel Lyles II:That's jazz right there.
Rob Lee:See, look, this is the full circle. I love that. Let's isolate that.
Lionel Lyles II:Everything is relative. Everything is relative.
Rob Lee:So 2 2 things I wanna get from from you here. This first one goes, from your perspective, like, you know, you know, there's a collaboration piece there's and I think that's very, evident here in Artscape and with a lot of the creatives and artists in Baltimore. Right? What would you say is a defining characteristics of Baltimore's arts and culture from your perspective? Like, something that that sticks out.
Rob Lee:I've heard the the DIY thing. I heard the experimental thing. I heard the, you know, resilient. We'll figure it out. Again, back to the DIY.
Rob Lee:But what comes to mind for you?
Lionel Lyles II:Energy. That's that's always been the the number one thing. Now, look, Baltimore, there's so much talent here. Raw talent. Refined talent.
Lionel Lyles II:But no matter the talent, it's intense. Look, I've been around the world. Look, I, you know, I've done I've I've been in like for instance, 2013, I was in Venice, Italy and I was, sitting in a green room with a band from Poland. Yeah. Just Poland.
Lionel Lyles II:And just being over there. Where you from? Baltimore. They knew. They knew.
Lionel Lyles II:You know what I'm saying? And so like no matter where I go and I can say where I'm from, it's always this level of energy that they expect. And not only do they expect, they've experienced it and it's what they know.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:And that's a cool thing. It it is raw, you know. Some, you know, it it it some of us control it better than others. But but but, but it but it's raw and that's a start. And, you know, and and and through, I think, just the the state of Baltimore Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:I think that's I believe not think. I believe that's what gives Baltimore that edge. If, you know, if you wanna get a little deeper than just the music, just how we navigate this city. And then we take our experiences and we pour it into what we're being creative. And it doesn't even matter.
Lionel Lyles II:It doesn't even have to be music. It could be art. It could be architecture. It's just a certain level of like I'm here. Yes.
Lionel Lyles II:I'm in your face. You know what I'm saying? And and and it's almost like I can't go back. You ever heard of that before? It's like, you know, like in basketball, like Cassey coming to league, you know, man he playing like he ain't trying to go back.
Rob Lee:You know
Lionel Lyles II:what I'm saying? And that's how I feel like that's how a lot of Baltimoreans that are creative are. Because we're trying to pour so much of ourselves into our art. We're not trying to go back. We're trying to bring people with us.
Lionel Lyles II:We bringing the city with us. But it's just that level of energy that I feel that, you know, it's it's, you know, I've been to Philly. It's not quite the same.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:And as intense as New York is, it's not quite the same. Delaware is not quite the same. You know, I lived in Miami for a while. It's not quite the same. You know, New Orleans, not quite the same.
Lionel Lyles II:Cali, Chicago. Yeah. It's it's no place like Baltimore. Not to say that these other cities don't do what they do Sure. Because they do.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:You know. But but, you know, Baltimore definitely has a place at the table when it comes to the level of respect and just the musicianship and the artistry that we bring to the table.
Rob Lee:I If we're serious. If we're serious. That's a that's a good distinction there. Yeah. And and I agree with that sentiment where, you know, when I go to these other cities, many of that you mentioned Yeah.
Rob Lee:I'm looking for that Baltimore ism of it. I'm looking for it there, and it's like, I get it. I see when people are doing their thing. Yeah. And I see sort of we're here for the same creative intent.
Lionel Lyles II:Mhmm.
Rob Lee:And folks will ask me and they try to to pin it to another place. Mhmm. When I especially if I go to, like, Philly, if I go to New Orleans or something, I'm doing interviews. Where are you from, bro? Yeah.
Rob Lee:I'm from Baltimore.
Lionel Lyles II:Because it it sticks out. Yeah. And and and you and it and it and it's and it's like it it just oozes off of you.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:And it's not even something that you deliberately do.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:You just walk in the room like that. Yeah. You know, you're like, you know, your light shines bright.
Rob Lee:You know? There's a certain aura that's popping off.
Lionel Lyles II:You know?
Rob Lee:They're they're not even they're not quite sure how to pin it down. It's like, you don't seem like you're from here.
Lionel Lyles II:Right.
Rob Lee:And and and even here at Tom, they're like, you're not from Baltimore because I don't have the the accent. Right? And I was just like, look, man. It's it's fine, but it's sort of your your point that that realism, that authenticity, that that sort of in your face. And I think with opportunities like artscape and being able to be on that stage and see people who your peers are and who, like, people you look up to are and even people who are, like, headliners who are, like, legends outside of here Mhmm.
Rob Lee:Potentially being on that stage, it just they're like, I gotta show out a little bit. Mhmm. I think that that's a piece of it. Yeah. You know?
Rob Lee:You're like, I can't put out, like I can't mail this one in now. I gotta I gotta really gas it up a little bit. You know? My people are watching.
Lionel Lyles II:Right. Exactly. That that part that part too. Yeah. You know?
Lionel Lyles II:So since our
Rob Lee:escape has this eclectic mix of musicians, like, you know, I've seen everything from, like, house to hip hop, neo soul, and of course to jazz. Talk a bit about sort of having, you know, jazz reflected, especially I've seen a lot today. You know. How how has that been from from your vantage point as far as, like, having this state really, you know, focus on that that genre specifically for, like, the local jazz community artists getting those opportunities to be out there on the stage and doing their thing.
Lionel Lyles II:Well, I think it's a I think it's a beautiful thing because, you know, at one point jazz wasn't popular music. It's it's not. And so as a if you call yourself a jazz musician, for me it's just music. But but if you call yourself a jazz musician, it's it it can be a struggle to to get that art form to the forefront because it's not popular. It's not in your face.
Lionel Lyles II:You know, you you have to go look for it. And and then if you're if and then if you're in that genre no matter if it's, you know, hip hop, r and b because, you know, like I said everything is grounded in jazz. You know, you you have to be sensitive to the intellectual and the emotional side of it. And and, so it can be a challenge for that to be pushed forward. So for art scape to really focus on it to a degree as far as, like, getting different lanes in jazz or whatever to to perform.
Lionel Lyles II:It's a beautiful thing because it's something that the people don't necessarily get a chance to hear every day. And I always tell a lot of my, young, musicians that are just getting into the game that's trying to, you know, figure out how to go out and network that whole that whole side of it. You know, it I always try to tell them that lost my train of thought. I try to I try to tell them that, you know, you you just have to keep an open mind and open heart and work hard. Work work don't don't put the next person down, but work harder than the next person.
Lionel Lyles II:If you think somebody is up at 1 o'clock in the morning, you stay up till 2. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So that you can be the best musician that you can. So when so when these opportunities like arts State Art State come about, you're ready for it.
Lionel Lyles II:And then and then support everybody. Yeah. You know, go out and listen. Go out and listen, and and and just like I said, positive energy activates constant elevation. You know what I'm saying?
Lionel Lyles II:You you you you you you put that energy out amongst your colleagues and you can't go nowhere but
Rob Lee:Yeah. Like, you know, that's that's the intent in all of in all of this that I do. And I mentioned the number earlier. It's it's always there. It's like the intent is this.
Rob Lee:You know, I can't say that every interview is gonna be this, every interview is gonna be 40 minutes, or every interview is gonna have sort of these questions in it, but the intent is consistent in each one and always trying to be better. And as you touched on a moment ago there, where when that opportunity call came and called, I was just like, Rock, can you do this? Yeah. I was like, sure. Yeah.
Rob Lee:Yeah. You know, this is this is what I need. If you have a system in mind of how you're gonna go about it to achieve that goal and you're ready, it's not like, oh, man. Let me figure it out. I'll see if I can.
Rob Lee:It's like, no. I'm ready to go.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah. Stay ready so you don't have to have to get ready.
Rob Lee:100%. Yeah. So I got one last, like, sort of request before I move into rapid fire questions. Even you are gonna get the rapid fire questions.
Lionel Lyles II:Here we go.
Rob Lee:This is the the last last sort of request, that I have. You know, sort of like final thoughts since, you know, this is, like, the last day of RSK 40. Any final thoughts, insights that you have on on this year, or any final things you wanna say about RSK 40?
Lionel Lyles II:Well, I think it's a 6 it's a it's an ace I think it's a success.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:I'm really looking forward to our state 41. The weather kinda rained on, you know, kinda tore it down because I I think I think Shaka got rained out on Friday. You know, Sheila E got rained out yesterday. Hopefully, you know, it's supposed to rain again a little bit today, but, hopefully it's gonna, you know, not rain enough to shut it down again. But, you know, that means we doing something right.
Lionel Lyles II:And I really like the direction of the people that are putting our skate together. Because, you know, you're only as good as the people who who are leading and preparing. And, you know, you can get all the musicians and artists and, you know, you can get all these people in, you know, to to come. But if it's not it's not gonna mean anything. So I really like the leadership now.
Lionel Lyles II:I really like what's going on behind the scenes. I really like what how they're treating the musicians and the artists, you know, before and even after they perform.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Which is which is, you know I've been in some places man where, you know, it's like you walk in, I go play. Alright. Then you get off the stage, alright get out of here. You know what I'm saying? And so, you know, Artscape really has exceeded my expectations when it comes to just hospitality
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:And just the warmth of just understanding that art is here. Yeah. And so I can't wait to see what we do next year and who comes and hopefully, you know, the weather will be a little bit more kind to us And, you know, so I'm just happy to be a part of it this year and and hopefully this won't be my last time.
Rob Lee:That's great. Yeah. Thank you. So I got 3 rapid fire questions for you. Oh.
Rob Lee:The first one, the first one. I I I asked this. This is like a throwback question from those those jazz interviews I was doing. Okay. What is your favorite jazz related, like, slang or saying?
Rob Lee:I've heard it a few times.
Lionel Lyles II:So, look, man. Go on. Cats.
Rob Lee:Everyone says cats.
Lionel Lyles II:I always say it. I go like, yeah, man. Like, that that's a that's a that's a smooth cat right there.
Rob Lee:These young cats, man.
Lionel Lyles II:Yeah. These jazz cats. You know? I don't even know why I picked that up. It's like, you know, it's like when you go back and you watch a lot of the old videos and Miles Davis, you know, just the lingo.
Lionel Lyles II:And that's- and it's worse, you know. But I think that's the one word that I- that I really picked up and, you know, even at my age now, I still say it. And people be like, Casper? Hey. I I I'm a musician.
Lionel Lyles II:You know?
Rob Lee:Sorry. It's undefeated.
Lionel Lyles II:I I can't and you so you've you've heard you're familiar.
Rob Lee:Yeah. What is what has been the arts the the Artscape highlight? So Artscape 40 highlight for you? Well, performance
Lionel Lyles II:for me. Easy. Easy. I mean, I can appreciate everybody's artistry. I can appreciate every- what everyone is bringing to the table and I love it.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:And, I'm, you know, I'm at the point in my career where I enjoy listening
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:A little bit more than I do playing. Yeah.
Rob Lee:Yeah. You
Lionel Lyles II:know, there was a time where if I wasn't playing, I couldn't be in the room because I wanted to play that bad.
Rob Lee:I hear
Lionel Lyles II:you. But now, you know, I enjoy listening. So, I I've enjoyed every artist that I heard at ArtScape but I would say the highlight for me is just the fact that I had an opportunity to be a part of it, lead it off yesterday, and and just, you know, put forth my best, you know, show. Put Put my best foot forward. And, you know, if there's only one person that walks away from our escape that didn't know who Lionel Lyles was, Maybe, you know, you know now and you'll follow me.
Lionel Lyles II:So that's that's that's the biggest highlight for me.
Rob Lee:I love it. It's it's something really important and special about being able to open the open up a day, setting the tone, and something about closing everything down. Yeah. You know, wrapping it up. And, so this is the last question that I got for you, but it's really more of a request, more of a full circle of it all.
Rob Lee:Okay. Could you tell us one more time what peace is?
Lionel Lyles II:What peace is?
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Lionel Lyles II:Positive energy activates constant elevation.
Rob Lee:Thank you so much. Yes, sir. So these final moments, I wanna thank you. For 1, I wanna thank you for 1. And, 2, I wanna give you the, opportunity to tell folks where to check you out on the socials.
Lionel Lyles II:Okay. So my website www.llqmusicmusic.com. I'm on Facebook, the Lionel Lyles Quintet, elevate to 2 different band pages. Hit that light. You can you can reach me directly, Lionel Lyles the second on Facebook.
Lionel Lyles II:LLQ Music. See, I always say if you can remember LLQ Music, you can pretty much just put that into any any social media platform and you'll find me. Instagram. I'm the director of jazz at Morgan State and so we have, you know, on on Instagram, you can find me over at at atmorganjazz1700. Love it.
Lionel Lyles II:So you can find me there to just Google me. You know what I'm saying? I'm I'm I'm all I hate saying that to everybody.
Rob Lee:No. No. Don't don't don't don't don't. Don't don't don't don't.
Lionel Lyles II:I hate I hate saying that. But but but no. For real. Atllqmusic and you can you can always find me.
Rob Lee:And there you have it, folks. I wanna again thank Lionel Lyles the second for coming on and chatting with me about his set at ArtScape 40. In addition, I wanna thank my presenting sponsors, Verizon and CrestbyMac for helping to make this all possible. And for Lionel Lyles, Cross Buy Mac, and Verizon, I'm Rob Lee saying that there's art, culture, and community in and around your neck of the woods. You've just gotta look for it.
