Doug Kistner has spent decades playing keyboards for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, John Waite, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and The Lords of 52nd Street. But with Studio D’Lux, he’s stepped out from behind other people’s music to create his own. The Allstar Project brings together legendary musicians from Chicago, Steely Dan, and Billy Joel’s band. Kistner sat down with Jason Barnard to discuss how this supergroup were formed and what comes next.
What first made you want Studio D’Lux to be a project rather than a conventional band?
It happened by accident really but the moment I had three major musicians recording on ‘Aint Good Enough,’ I knew this was something special and yet it was not a band.
What was the conversation like when you first approached someone like Liberty DeVitto or Leland Sklar about this project?
Even though I had been in the Lords of 52nd Street with Liberty for many years, I was nervous asking him if he would play on one of my songs. He’s been on every song since then and encouraged me to write another. I think all the guys were up for recording when they heard a song there and that they could play what they feel for the track. Plus you’ve got Liberty on drums and Bill Champlin etc on it too.
Ron Nevison mixed ‘Turn The Page’ after working with Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Ozzy. What did he bring to that track that surprised you or changed your original conception of it?
He gave it a clarity a step above I think. He put the instruments and vocals in certain spots when youre listening in headphones especially.
You have toured and played with major acts. What freedoms does this project give you that those roles did not?
Way more freedom to create, and say something. Sometimes you have little freedom in those gigs. It was very exciting to hear what the guys add to the recordings also.
The Allstar Project includes songs like ‘Slow Burn’, ‘Turn The Page’ and ‘Easier Said Than Done.’ What connects these themes lyrically? Does the album tell a story about lessons learned after living through decades of experience?
I think so. I think the lyrics are relatable to things we ve experienced. I took alot of time on the lyrics to try and convey something and have it say something without being preachy and have it mesh with the melodies.
How did you sequence the album to create that unified vision across previously released and new tracks?
I knew I wanted the new song ‘Turn The Page’ to be at the top. Since Champlin is on four songs, I wanted to space them out. ‘Nothing’ is a slower darker song so I thought right in the middle would be the right place for that one.
Growing up in Verona surrounded by the great classic rock bands, then playing keyboards with Trans-Siberian Orchestra and other classic bands shaped your musical vocabulary. Which of those experiences most directly influenced the sound of Studio D’Lux?
Honestly, I dont think those gigs influenced what I write. The big influences are when you are younger. For me, Chicago in all of their phases. Also, Steely, Gino Vannelli, Elton to name a few.
You have a live show at The Suffolk in Riverhead coming up. Can you tell me more about your plans for that evening and what to expect? How does the live group reshape songs that were built in such layered studio environments?
Really excited to play three Studio D’Lux songs with Keith Howland and the band with a great horn section too. We’ll be playing songs everybody knows from the 70’s. Thanks for mentioning it.
The album has just been released, the show is March 1st, and then what? Does Studio D’Lux keep recording with this roster, or was The Allstar Project always meant to be temporary?
I hope we have more live shows. I think that’s the piece we are missing. But we can always release more singles which I’m sure we will.
