Ozzie Ahlers, a big part of the Secret to Craig's Success', as a co-writer, co-producer, co-arranger, musical director, and the keyboardist with the Craig Chaquico ACOUSTIC HIGHWAY recording and touring band!

In Tune with Ozzie Ahlers -from an interview by fan club president, Lil Duarte, for a previous edition of  the Craig Chaquico Fan Club Gathering of the Tribes Newsletter

1.) Let us introduce you to Craig's good friend and band mate, Ozzie Ahlers.

"Craig and I met back in the 80s when he was in Starship and I was playing with The Jerry Garcia Band. We would see each other at gigs and some promotional shows and got to talking. Later, when I was doing the feature songs for "The Gumby Movie" (that's right the green clay boy) I had a guitar player set up to do all the guitar parts but it didn't work out. I stopped by a local pub where Craig happened to be cooling his heels and Craig and I started talking about our day. I said, "I lost a guitarist for this movie project," Craig said, "I just happen to know one." So, Craig came in and recorded all of Gumby's guitar parts (yes, he's Gumby dam-bit!), we decided to try some of our own music together. We went into Craig's studio and wrote and recorded what now is "Acoustic Highway" and the rest as they say, is history."

2.) Do you have a favorite song that you love doing live?

That's a hard one, because it used to be "Return of the Eagle." Something about that out chorus, like "Freebird," just keeps winding up and up, we don't know how high we're gonna go, some nights that song would put me in a trance, like in a dream and it feels like the band is going to lift off the stage. Lately, "Compared to What" gives me an incredible rush. Maybe it's because like Craig, I was a rocker first and jazz came to me only in drops. Like "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" or "Take Five." When I heard Les McCann do "Compared" live at Montreux Jazz, something clicked on in my head. It wasn't bebop, it was rockin' jazz. When we play it, I get to do the piano intro which is my "tip of the hat" to a jazz legend.

3.) What's your most memorable experience from being on the road?

Again, to pick one; there's so many. The first Memorial Concert for the Survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, meeting brave little Sklyar at the Ronald McDonald House Benefit (...where Craig donated musical instruments to the RMD house and invited Skylar to actually perform with the band in concert that night) , performing at the Bammie Awards the first year we won, playing the Royal Theatre in Barcelona, Spain.

4.) What advice would you have for anyone aspiring to make it in the music industry?

Get out while you still can! No, just kidding. You must be committed to it, but not just the music part. We all have talent, some much more than others, but a musician or even a producer, writer, engineer today must have some business sense. The day of the ditsy rocker who doesn't have a clue and who lets someone else make all the decisions because they're too spaced out is over. That's not to say it's more business than music, but good business choices are real important, that and putting your whole heart into every song, every performance and every relationship you have. It will pay off in a much more wonderful way than you could ever dream.

 

More info and photos to come!