The new CD, The Way It Is has been released

and I had the chance to ask Snowy some questions about it...

The new CD has taken quite a while to come out, when we spoke last year, you were expecting it out towards the end of the year or early this year do you find the wait frustrating? (I know a lot of the fans have been waiting for this for a long time too)

It can be frustrating but there are good reasons why we have waited until now. I hope the people who listen to it think it was worth waiting for!

The video for Black Magic Woman is great, and another Peter Green track, why did you chose this one?

It's always been one of my favorite songs, especially in its original 1968 version by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Orlando Sandoval from Columbia came up with an arrangement that I liked so we tried it and I liked the result.

Will you be able to recreate the sound live? With all those horns, are you going to have a bigger band?

We have the brass on disc along with a click track so we have the possibility of doing it live and being able to use the recorded brass section. Working with a click track is not something I'm keen to do, as I don't like working within those restrictions, but on this occasion it probably would feel ok just for the one song. The band at present is just a four - piece, but I would like to add a percussionist at some point. Certainly there won't be any brass sections involved.

Are you going to tour with this album?

I hope to do some promotional shows but they probably won't be until end Jan/ Feb 2005

Will there be any gigs in the UK? USA?

I think I'll look at the possibility of some UK shows. As for America, I think it's best to concentrate on Europe first. Sorry to all the people who write to me from the USA asking about gigs! I would like to come over but, first things first.

With Richard drumming again do you find yourself looking back at some of the old songs you used to play together, I was very happy to hear "the answer" when you played in Holland earlier in the year, it hasn't lost its appeal

I have enjoyed playing a couple of songs from the first album I ever did, which Richard played on. We are currently playing The Answer and Lucky Star. I will be mixing/editing our live DVD in November in which we play these tracks, as well as a lot from the new album, plus various other songs. It should be available after Christmas. I'm really pleased with it as it has captured some very good performances from all the band.

I think my guitar has got a pretty good sound on this particular live recording, and the way Max Middleton plays the keyboards gives me much more freedom and space in which to play more lead guitar than was possible before with just the three-piece.

Check out the video for Black Magic Woman,