My Interview with Trevor Rabin

Trevor Rabin has a remarkable career. He taught himself to play guitar when he was 12. He was part of a hugely popular boy band. He wanted to become a lawyer like his dad until his father basically encouraged him to seek his true passion – which is why my exclusive interview with Trevor, who has a new album, Jacaranda, is being posted for Father’s Day – and Manfred Mann (“Blinded by the Light”) asked him to help on one of his records in London before recording mogul David Geffen invited him to come to Los Angeles and write songs. That’s exactly what he did and the result – the distinctive 90125 album by Yes with the band’s only number one record, “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” written by Trevor Rabin – changed his life. He had continued to make records, including 35 film soundtracks, and at 58 he told me that he considers Jacaranda the best music he’s made so far. His politics are the opposite of mine (he supports Obama, who used one of his movie scores for an election victory rally) and he’s a true artist and gentleman. I am enjoying the jazz/rock instrumentally driven Jacaranda, especially “Zoo Lake,” “Rescue” (from the heroic Kevin Costner/Ashton Kutcher movie The Guardian) and “Me and My Boy.” Trevor also supports the musical pursuits of his son Ryan (Grouplove), who is featured on Jacaranda and is admired by his dad for his ability to be “in the moment.” So I am looking forward to meeting Trevor Rabin tomorrow night at his album release party in Beverly Hills (the same night President Obama is attending a fundraiser at the Four Seasons’ Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills) and I’m happy to offer my interview with him as an example of well-done fatherly love that’s embracing of the child at his best.

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