Artist Spotlight: Jayson Tipp

Jayson Tipp is not only a successful solo artist, he is also the founder of the ensemble Under The Lake. The group’s new single “In The Moment” is instantly enjoyable and we feel has potential to top the Smooth Jazz charts! We grabbed a few moments with Jayson recently and here’s how it went.

Allen Kepler: Jayson, thanks so much for taking some time with us. This new single “In The Moment” really conveys a positive sound and vibe. It instantly feels familiar, vibrant, hummable and memorable. Tell us how the tune came about.

Jayson Tipp: Like any songwriter / producer, I'm constantly generating ideas – snippets of songs, hummable ideas or musical sketches. All my songs start that way. Some are inspired by something or someone specific.

For example, my most recent single as a solo artist, "George Is His Name," was inspired by George Duke though that may not be obvious to the listener. This track didn’t have a specific influence like that. It was more broadly influenced by some of my favorite contemporary jazz recordings of the 70’s by folks like The Crusaders, Jeff Lorber Fusion and keyboardists like Don Grolnick. It started as a simple riff that that’s not even part of the song any longer. Originally, I thought I would record it as a solo artist but I played the idea for Quintin and he said, “that sounds like an Under The Lake track...” and that inspired me further.

AK: Your partnership with Quintin Gerard W has also created an amazing sound for Under The Lake. Tell us how that came about.

JT: This is one of my favorite stories to tell, and I’ve told it many times over the years... certainly on every show we do together. At the time we met, in February or 1995 or 1996, the band and I were based out of San Diego. Quintin was based in Los Angeles. Under The Lake was hired to perform at a large, after-Grammy event in the LA area. At the time we were working with another fairly popular sax player. The band was setting up and doing our soundcheck, but the saxophonist hadn’t arrived yet (he ultimately no-showed). We played a song or two and as we were tweaking things between songs, Quintin walked up and introduced himself. It was a huge event with multiple performance venues. He was playing at the event with another group and asked, since we didn’t have a sax player, if he could sit in with us. 

I thought, who is this guy? I explained that we did original music and while I had charts, he’d have to prove that he could keep up. We did one more song as a sound check and Quintin played. In my mind, I wanted to ensure he could play the music or at least prove that he couldn’t, so I chose the most difficult chart on our set list to run through. The tune, The Slider, has a fast tempo with a detailed, syncopated line that the guitar and sax play in unison. We kicked it off and then the sax and guitar line came in, and Quintin nailed it. He nailed the entire tune. I got chills up my spine. We finished the tune and Q was hired. He was our sax player from then on, and he’s been my primary collaborator for 30 years now.

AK: Teaming up with hitmaker Adam Hawley was a great choice. How did you initially meet and connect with him?

JT: Adam and I have been connected going back decades but started working together in 2023. At that time, I had just recorded my first solo single, Groove Together, which was co-written and produced by Darren Rahn. Darren encouraged me to work with different producers. I talked with a number of friends about who I might work with next, and again, Quintin was in the picture. Quintin had recently completed a track produced by Adam and nudged me in that direction.

Adam and I co-wrote, and he produced my second single as a solo artist,"Time To Roll," which featured Quintin on sax. That track proved to be very popular and successful on smooth jazz outlets. Adam and I have stayed in touch but hadn’t found the right time to work on another track again until earlier this year. Adam reached out, I shared some musical sketches with him, and here we are. It’s easy to say in retrospect, but this was a great track to work with Adam and Adam’s is always great to collaborate with.

AK: The melody on “In The Moment” is instantly familiar sounding. Tell us about your process when it comes to melody.

JT: Sometimes the song starts with a melody idea but that’s not the case with this tune. This one started with a rhythmic idea for the chords. Once that rhythm and the chords started to solidify, a melody suggested itself. I tend to create demo recordings when I’m writing that include the drum rhythm and bass track idea. The way I was playing the chords and the drums and bass were coming together, it was leading the key notes of the melody.

But that’s where collaboration with someone like Adam becomes impactful. Adam had a reaction to the demo that spurred creative ideas for him which further extended and elaborated on the melody line. Certainly, for us both, what we write is influenced by decades of popular music and jazz, so it’s hard for familiar thematic ideas not to leak into the process. I listen to a lot of yacht rock. I’m a huge Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers fan, so you probably hear some of that showing up.

Sometimes the song starts with a melody idea but that’s not the case with this tune. This one started with a rhythmic idea for the chords.. - Jayson Tipp on "In The Moment"

AK: How do you compare your live performances with your work in the studio?

JT: The genre has shifted since I started recording more than 30 years ago. We didn’t think much about the length of the tune. If it was 5 minutes or 6 minutes long, that didn’t matter. We were trying to express ourselves and complete an idea. Today, in smooth jazz, having a track much longer than 4 minutes is challenging if you want a strong commercial response. Live gigs, generally, still provide an opportunity to bring more to the performance of a single track. If you’re doing something interesting with the music, playing a single tune for 8 or 10 minutes can work well and provide something enjoyable for the audience. 

There are also fewer venues for our genre than there were 30 years ago and fewer artists have opportunities to perform live under reasonable economic conditions. As I’ve transitioned mostly to a solo artist over the last few years, I’ve focused more on recording than performing. I last performed live in early 2025 after having a series of bad experiences with venues not meeting their commitments. I hope to get back in front of audiences again soon but for now, I’m focused on the quality of the performances, not the quantity.

AK: Tell us about how your process has changed over those 30 years, and the challenge of maintaining a creative career as an artist.

JT: Originally, Under The Lake was predominantly a live band that also recorded. We performed nearly weekly throughout southern California and toured regionally as well. Under The Lake was the expression of all my musical energy. I didn’t do anything independent of Under The Lake. After the band’s 2021 release, Quintin – who had done several solo releases by that time – encouraged me to try releasing as a solo artist.

My basic writing and performing process hasn’t changed much between the two approaches except that I now take advantage of the opportunity to work with different producers and a variety of different musicians. In a very short period of time, I’ve been able to refine my personal approach through those interactions. Of course, the technology and cost of technology have changed quite a bit and that has opened further opportunities for expression. Social media has shown up, as well as streaming, and even in the last few years all of that has evolved. As an independent artist, you have to wear many hats. Technology has made that more accessible but also forces you to be more than just a musician. I wear a lot of hats, every day.

AK: Speaking of “Under The Lake," where did that name come from?

JT: This is a much less interesting story. I went to a seminar in college and heard a music attorney and agent explain how important it was to protect your intellectual property. Part of his narrative was how important it was to choose a band name that was unique and unlikely to be used by anyone else. Later, when I was talking with friends at the time about band names, we threw out lots of ideas. Under The Lake was one of them. That band ultimately chose a different name, but this one stayed with me.

I think recreational drugs were involved in coming up with the name but basically, it’s a name that is intended to describe something that can’t be described. When we look at a lake, we see what’s on the surface but don’t see what’s below the surface. Who knows what is under the lake? There’s a Crosby, Stills and Nash song "Anything At All" that includes the line: “just below the surface of the mud.... there’s more mud here.” It’s that idea.

AK: Tell us about some of your early musical influences.

JT: I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s. My earliest musical influences were classic rock. My early favorites included Steely Dan, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Steve Winwood and Traffic, CSN, and Todd Rundgren. I wasn’t much into jazz until one rainy night while driving a long distance I was listening to a college radio station and heard this haunting track with stunning guitar that I’d never heard before. The song was "Are You Going With Me" from The Pat Metheny Group’s "Offramp" album. It took me weeks to find out who that was. Even though I had grown up playing brass instruments in jazz band in school, and was familiar with Weather Report’s "Birdland" from that, The Pat Metheny Group really unlocked my journey with contemporary jazz and fusion music. I was playing keyboards in a rock band that immediately began playing fusion tracks too. It all started there in the mid-80's.

AK: Any summer plans?

JT: I live in Portland, OR and am a boater. I have a slip on the Columbia River and spend as much time as I can in the summer on the boat with my wife and two dogs. 

AK: Thanks so much for visiting with us Jayson. And thanks for all of the amazing music over the years! Our readers can find out more at www.JaysonTipp.com.

Solo Photos Courtesy: Kitta Bodmer Photography