1) In your
last concert Barcelona, I could see how you are able to play songs
Monk. This is extraordinary because everyone in jazz know how
difficult is to play Monk well. Said this, what pianist do you think
has influenced you most?
You’re
right! Playing Monk in a personal way is a big challenge, because his
voice is so strong. It’s hard to break away from. Monk is
definitely one of my biggest influences, whether or not you can hear
it directly in my playing. His search for a personal sound, his
commitment to his own esthetic, and the profound structure that
underlies all his compositions — these things continue to be very
inspiring to me. Other jazz pianists who’ve influenced me over the
years: Keith Jarrett, Art Tatum, Ahmad Jahmal, Bud Powell, Chick
Corea, Brad Mehldau.
2) Your
style do you think that is more similar to Monk, Oscar Peterson or
Bill Evans?
That’s
a difficult question for me to answer. I’ll leave it to the
audience to judge. My learning has not consisted in trying to learn
the style of one player, but rather in listening to many different
great musicians and letting all those influences come out in my
playing subconsciously. I will say that Monk and Bill Evans are much
bigger influences on me than Oscar Peterson, though.
3) Reading
your biography I am not sure if you are french and american, or both.
Tell us something about your origin?
My parents
are from Oregon, on the West Coast of the USA. They moved to France
in 1978. I was born there in 1982, and lived in France until 2000. So
I’m both French and American — I carry both passports and feel
culturally close to both countries.
4) During
the Jazz´s Classic times, plenty of players come to Europe because
here there was more respect and interest in Jazz. Now, in a global
culture, do you thing that there are many differences between Europe
and USA towards Jazz?
It’s
difficult to generalize about the American audience. In New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago or other major centers, there’s a young audience
that’s passionate about new developments in jazz. In many other
parts of the US, it can be more difficult to reach young people; jazz
is seen more as an old-fashioned thing. In Europe it also varies a
lot from country to country, but I feel, generally speaking, that
Europeans are more interested in looking for transcendence in the
music they listen to that Americans. The dominant culture in America
is commercial culture, so that has accustomed many people to expect
nothing more from music than entertainment. However, these are only
generalizations; I’ve had fantastic experiences with audiences in
many surprising places in America, Europe or Asia… Every person is
different and every place is unique.
5) Generally
are you able to tell apart between American and European Jazz? I am
right if I think that actually the differences are more between every
autor (or genus) than between countries?
This
is changing constantly. I used to feel like there was more of an
emphasis in the US on technique and ability, whereas there was more
of an emphasis in Europe on concept. But this has changed in the last
10 years. I see young players in Europe who are just as passionate
about craft now as the Americans are. This may be a result of jazz
education, or the fact that information is so accessible now on the
internet. In any case, I’m optimistic about the future of the music
on both continents.
6) You have
stayed sometimes in Barcelona. Have you ever visited some other
places in Spain? Have you played in other places in this country?
I have
a real fondness for Spain — some of the warmest and most attentive
audiences I’ve experienced have been there. On top of frequent
visits to Barcelona, I’ve played Badajoz with my trio, Almuñécar
with Pharoah Sanders, San Sebastian with Lee Konitz, Madrid solo…
And I’ve visited many other places in Spain. It’s a special
place.
7) Beeing
half-freench I can expect your answer but, in Europe, what country do
you think leads in audience, tradition and jazz-musicians?
I
really don’t know — it’s constantly changing. I’ve been very
impressed, for example, by the young musicians I’ve met in Poland
in recent years. There are some very committed people out there. Of
course France has a very long history with jazz, with an amazing
number of jazz festivals. But Scandinavia is also an inspiring place
with regard to the music, with a very distinctive point of view from
both musicians and audience. There are great talents everywhere,
especially now that information is so freely accessible.
8) Do you
know many spaniards players of jazz, particularly pianists?
I know
a number of Spanish musicians, but not too many pianists. I’ve been
fortunate to get to record with Perico Sambeat and Marc Miralta on
Alexis Cuadrado’s projects, and of course I know and love Jorge
Rossi. I’d love to hear your listening recommendations!
9) From my
point of view, your best cd is your interpretation of Goldberg
Variations. It´s incredible how you are able to play some
improvisations of Bach´s most difficult classic. Are you thinking
about playing another classical jazz adaptation? It could be really
fun do something about Liszt in Jazz! What do you think?
I like
to follow my nose with my musical investigations. The Goldberg
Variations project happened simply because I love that music and
wanted to study it. Slowly, over many years, I started to learn more
and more of the variations. Naturally I felt like using them as the
starting point for improvisations as well. But it’s a project that
happened on its own. I don’t have any plans as of now to adapt
other classical works — we’ll see what happens. It’s important
to me that any process like this be fully organic, not forced. Right
now I’m more interested in exploring the possibilities of
algorithmic music, bringing together my love of music with my love of
technology and programming.
10) Tell us
something about your last disc with Jo Wallfisch. Have you been at
ease playing a vocal duo? What´s your opinion about this beautiful
voice?
I’ve
always loved playing with singers. My mom is an opera singer. She
grew up singing jazz standards with her father, who was a jazz
pianist on the West Coast. So I grew up playing standards with her
too. The voice is the greatest instrument, the most powerful. Joanna
Wallfisch is a big talent — not only a great singer, with a very
pure voice and perfect intonation, but also a remarkably original
songwriter. I’m proud of how the disk with her turned out, it has a
lot of heart.
11) In your
career Lee Konitz have been specially important to you. How you met
him?
I was
introduced to Lee by the great French pianist Martial Solal, who was
a mentor of mine growing up in Paris, and who has recorded and
performed with Lee many times since the 1960’s. Somehow Lee and I
hit it off right away, and we’ve been playing, recording and
touring together every since.
12) Do you
think that, maybe, Konitz have been undervalued towards others
saxophonists in jazz´s history?
I think it’s
possible that in the eyes of the audience, Lee is less famous than
other players like Wayne Shorter or Sonny Rollins. But in the eyes of
musicians, I think Lee is as respected as anyone. I’m constantly
impressed at how many young players come out when he and I tour
together. He’s clearly one of the greatest inspirations for the
next generation. I think that’s because he’s someone who has
stood up for the ideal of pure improvisation, without compromise, his
entire life, and who continues, at age 88, to search for the truth of
the moment every time he plays.
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