Date/Of/Birth is a phenomenon. Brought together by a distinct passion for making spontaneous yet sophistcated music, the trio combines acoustic and organic elements with electronic and programmed sounds to create a unique musical experience. A combined music sensibilty that takes the listener from the church to the classroom, from the streets to the livingroom, Date/Of/Birth stretches the mould of the conventional Piano, Bass and Drums trio.

MD: How'd you guys hook up?

DERON: I met Oscar first about four years ago. We were playing as a duo in my studio...just writing and jamming...we were actually supposed to be introduced to one another a decade ago thru a mutual friend who thought our we sound together would be amazing...so I knew when I finally met Oscar we would instantly lock into it...when we first sat down to play we came up with the tune "fall from grace"...we knew we would have to get a bass player or maybe even cello, it didn't matter...so Oscar immediately thought of Brett. Brett is not your typical jazz bass player and that was exactly what we wanted...he came in with all of these pedals hooked up on the upright, also a baritone guitar and playing Cello as well!

BRETT: My introduction to this musical situation was magnetic. The minute I stepped into the room with Deron and Oscar, I knew something special was happening. Oscar was a mate from Chicago, we did occasional gigs throughout the city. When I moved to Los Angeles I looked Oscar up, knowing he had relocated to LA a year or so earlier. It just happened that Oscar had been casually playing with Deron, just vibing. The two invited me over for a play and sparks flew. So here I was, having been in Los Angeles not more than a month, creating and playing music that I had been trying to discover up to that point. It just happened. Happenstance.

OSCAR: We met through a bass player from Chicago, but face to face at the Temple Bar in LA. Deron mentioned to me about a project, so I came by his house to hear the music he had, and we developed the music and hung out that whole day, and developed this sound over the course of a year. I knew Brett in Chicago for ten years. We did some gigs around town, but soon after that I moved to Los Angeles. Brett moved out a while after me. I thought about him for this project because of his upright bass playing so I called him up. He liked the idea and we set up a date to all play together and he immediately filled in the gap.

MD: Who would you consider to be your biggest influences musically?

DERON: Any music that stretches my imagination and makes me then want to then create in my own voice...there are so many that make my insides churn.

BRETT: Yeah, what he said. I personally don't have a "biggest" influence. It's all the small parts that make up the influence that I hope to be to others.

OSCAR: The biggest influence growing up was gospel music. It inspired me to want to listen to other styles of music.

MD: Each of you has your own distinct style. How do you make it blend?

DERON: Blending styles is something I have always been into. breaking down the barriers of category that the suits put on us...the great thing about music to me is that anything goes...if you are rooted in a tradition like jazz or blues or classical music, those are jumping off points to then discover new sounds...Our sound is that mixture of being open, or transcending form, and having maybe the chordal structure be that of simple folk chords...

BRETT: This seemed to be simple for us. We do each have a very distinct voice, but within those distinctions lies a common undercurrent of our mutual eclectic tastes. It's kind of an oxymoron, because we don't really "blend", the nature of how we make music is kind of a tension and release. I've come to call it "Open Music", as some of our most cathartic moments occur when one of us creates a spark that fuels the other two, and that pattern goes around and we suddenly find ourselves an a entirely different place. This becomes a sort of musical chairs, literally.

OSCAR: Part of the blend is listening to everyone's vocabulary.

MD: What's your opinion of the jazz and/or music industry these days, in general?

DERON: Well, the music industry is just that...an industry. More than ever, music is being dictated by corporate moguls who think they know what is best for the world to hear...thus creating a very homogenized mixture of art and commerce. Most of the music we hear today on every level is about collecting dollars...we all want to make a living, but at what expense do we sell ourselves and forgo any sense of self worth. As far as jazz is concerned, Miles Davis said it best concerning the reason why he "couldn't play ballads anymore", his reply, "because he loved ballads so much. Jazz is ever changing and as long as it can shed it's skin and listeners and players understand that, we will have nothing to worry about as far as keeping this treasured music alive.

BRETT: I try not to think about this one too much. But fact is, aside from all the moaning about how relentless and morally devoid the music industry is, it is actually a very empowering time for those who wish to get something out there without the corporate reigns of control. With digital audio enabling one to create, record and digitally distribute one's masterpiece, there has been a revolution that has left the major labels scrambling to find which way is up.

OSCAR: My opinion of jazz music, with the exception of a couple of artists, is that everybody wants to write and play safe, especially to get airplay. And nobody wants to open their mind up and create.

MD: Where do you guys see yourselves in five years?

DERON: Five years from now is more like five days from now, however, music and visuals seem to be relating very well these days so I will be working with more young directors and have this group provide musical landscapes for film and then use that in a live setting.

BRETT: Next year DOB will be playing European festivals, including Montreux!

OSCAR: Jesus it's already been five years and we ain't nowhere! Hopefully we can release the record and promote it so it can reach across the world, along with preparing for a new record.

MD: What kind of music are you listening to? iPod? Mp3s? Cd's?

DERON: At the moment I misplaced my ipod, but I am currently listening to a lot of Wayne Shorter, and Bach's Goldberg Variations. For a dose of caffeine I will listen to a new band called Bloc Party.

BRETT: Anything and everything in no particular order...

OSCAR: Man I am listening to every-goddamn-thing.!I am just vibing on different experiences.

MD: Any music you don't like? Or care to weigh in on?

DERON: Any music induced with hormones to make it appear like it's worth listening to. (Brittany Spears' Toxic excluded).

OSCAR: Any music that doesn't come from the heart.