Janek Gwizdala

Bassistes, musiciens, luthiers ......découvrez les interviews
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Bruno Chaza
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Janek Gwizdala

Message : # 19144Message Bruno Chaza »

En anglais une interview de Janek Gwizdala je la post ??
Dernière modification par Bruno Chaza le 27 déc. 2009, 10:26, modifié 1 fois.
farid601
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Message : # 19147Message farid601 »

Oui bien sur! même si je ne connais pas le personnage ce serait surement intéressant!
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Bruno Chaza
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Message : # 19155Message Bruno Chaza »

Voilà déjà un lien pour faire connaissance
www.myspace.com/janekgwizdalaproject
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Bruno Chaza
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Janek

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· What were the critical aspects of your musical development (other musicians, specific books, getting to know a standard, a personal revelation, a certain practice method, etc.)?
I started out taking lessons on drums and classical guitar when I was about 11 years old. My classical guitar teacher, Peter Woodings, in London was my first biggest influence, and nurtured my playing for many years. He taught me about sound, time, how to play melodies, how to practice and so much more. It wasn't until I was about 16 that I went to a small jazz gig in London to hear Laurence Cottle play one sunday lunchtime. He's an incredible bass player and has been a part of many great recording sessions and tours from Black Sabbath, to Eric Clapton, Mike Oldfield to Bill Bruford. I was immediately drawn to the instrument and his style of playing and decided right there and then that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I went out the next day and bought a bass and never looked back. I started practicing large numbers of hours every day, and focusing my whole life on the instrument. Laurence became my new mentor and would take me to gigs all over the country that he was playing. Coming to pick me up before the show and dropping me home afterwards. I would record everything I heard on a small tape machine and then stay up all night once I got home from the gigs learning all the stuff I had heard that night. Peter Woodings and Laurence Cottle were the two biggest influences on my playing, and are responsible for the facility I have on the instrument today. I would later have a couple of teachers such as Geoff Gascoyne, also from the UK, who turned me onto some key jazz recordings that really helped to shape my initial voice as an improvisor. Transcription was one of the key things from an early time as a bass player that helped me out more than anything. I still have books of transcriptions that I did 12 years ago, and continue to work on and add to to this day. One book that really helped my technique in the past ten years was the "Hanon Virtuoso Pianist". I work on thes exercises in that book almost every day still, and it really keeps my technique fluid and in shape.

· If I want to go out and buy a CD of yours tomorrow, what do you recommend I listen to?
Well I only have two CD's as a leader so I would of course recommend getting them both! Mystery to Me - Live in New York was my first album as a leader, and was recorded live in one take, in front of a studio audience. It was such a fun album to make and seems to have stood the test of time as I still get some very nice emails about it 4 years after recording it. The new album, "Live at the 55bar", was recorded (as the title suggests) in NYC's 55bar in the west village. This was done live to two track with just two mics and is also a complete set of music in one take. I had the 7 piece band for this one and really concentrated on the writing and arranging as the horn players are so incredible for that sort of vibe. I have also recently launched an online store at www.janekgwizdala.com which right now is offering live bootlegs of shows the band has played over the past year since the album was made.

· Are there still musicians that you listen to who give you strength and energy? Could you talk about that?
I would have to say that first and foremost the musicians in my band are the ones that give me the most strength and energy. They are the reason I play music and write music, and are the most supportive group of people both on the bandstand and off that you could possibly hope to be around. And of course I check out as much music from all over the world that I can. There are just so many amazing projects and artists emerging every day that it's hard to keep track of. But there are many many musicians that really grab me and make me sit there and listen over and over again to what they're doing. Lately I've been very much into singer/songwriters like Ray Lamontagne, Nick Drake, Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, and many others.


· Could you tell us something about your recent projets ?
Well aside from the 7 piece band that plays on the new album I've recently been working with singer/songwriter Jem, and also just this month have started working with Delta Goodrem. Delta is the highest selling female artist in australia of all time, and we're currently working in the US promoting her new record "Delta". I recently put together a trio gig in NYC with Adam Rogers and Sean Rickman which was totally burning so I hope to do some more playing in that setting, and I'm always looking for more opportunities to play with Jojo Mayer. We have a great time whenever we play. We toured with his band last year in Asia and Europe, and we've done a couple of things with my band this year. I also spend a great deal of time in the studio producing records for other people too which is my kind of day job, or behind the scenes action. It's a totally different pace from being on the road or writing for my own group, but I really enjoy it very much.


· What basses do you play ?
It really depends on what gig I'm doing. For my own music I play a Fodera which gives me a huge range for soloing, playing solo, grooving, writing etc... for more pop or rock orientated gigs I normally go with the P-bass from Fender. I've been playing it live and on TV with Delta Goodrem recently and it's been rocking.

· Do you have a favorite one or do you practise different instruments according to styles and functions ?
I seem to always shed on the Fodera. I do spend most of my playing playing that bass live, and it's the one I'm most comfortable with when it comes to working on my technique for certain soloistic pursuits.

· Is your student’s musical experiment only with Jazz ?
I'm not sure I really understand the question..... as a student of music I'm open to all forms of music, and I don't just experiment with jazz at all. I'm heavily influenced by electronic music as it really started in the UK where I'm from, and I'm very much into songs and songwriters so I'm influenced by that side of the music business in a big way too.

· Do you feel you have made yours keys in your musical journey, a special way to play a chord or chord’s groups ?
Shortly speaking what were your ways to make technique fade away from freedom of playing ?

I think once you've asked yourself enough questions about where you want to be musically in your life, or at least which vague direction you want to head, then technique naturally fades away behind the music. Im order to make creative progress you can't let whatever technique you have get in the way of your musical ideas. For me the basic technique of the instrument is very important as I want to be able to express as wider range of ideas as possible. But I don't dwell on it and use it as a tool to get the crowd to spontaneously applaud by playing something very fast over and over again.

· Could you describe a typical week in your life (your interactions with other musicians, your courses, rehearsals, practice)?
That really depends on what my schedule looks like in the book. Last week for instance involved a gig monday night playing completely free music with some cats in LA, then I got on a plane the next morning and flew to NYC to play the David Letterman Show on wed night. Thurs I got to shed for about 5 hrs, Friday I had a four hour rehearsal with the same artist from letterman, and then saturday we played a show in Central Park which I had to be at soundcheck for at 9am. Sunday I got to Shed some more, about 6 hrs, and then monday I was back on the plane to LA where I am this week. I'm trying to practice more and more these days, kind of going back to how I was ten years ago. but with the flying schedule it's almost impossible to to get to the instrument every single day of the week. I think I did 13 flights just in Sep so that's pretty much every day gone that I fly. when I spend more time in one place, either Los Angeles or New York, I get to really develop ideas on the instrument and through composition. But I tend to work in the studio producing and playing for other people so a lot of time is spent learning and working on music for other people. I would say that a majority of my practice time these days is spent working on the music for whatever project I'm about to start doing next. And then once I get in the groove on that music I can re-introduce my own ideas back into shedding.


· What is your preferred ensemble – the trio or the quartet? Do you think a certain ensemble works best or does it depend on your mood?
I'm happy playing no matter what size of ensemble it is. Everything has it's challenges. Whether you're playing with an orchestra or playing a duo with a guitar player you are always listening to what's going on around you, and finding your place in the music and serving the song. I do like the interaction in the trio setting so I'm thinking more about that these days possibly for a new record. And I'm touring in the UK in Nov with the trio so that will be interesting to see what comes out of it.

· Along the same line, do you have a favorite tempo? What keys do you like to play in?
I don't have favorites at all. I will say that there are many tempos to play in that are very challenging. I recently did a rare gig where I was playing a more straight ahead jazz thing and we did a tune at 92 bpm. It was a real challenge to be creative and keep the time feel at that tempo, and I ended up coming home that night and shedding that tempo for a few hours.

· Do you consider the bass as a rhythm instrument or do you also find appeal in freeform soloing and chord-playing?
I find freedom on all instruments and will almost all music. I really don't consider the instrument I play ever, it just happens to be the instrument that I have the most ability to say something on. And it's totally rhythmic, melodic, grooving, soloistic, chordal, all those things. but I think if I played tenor sax, or drums, or piano I would be the same musician, and the music would be all those things too.

· Where do you think Coltrane’s experiment with two basses in one band could lead music?
I think experimentation of any kind can lead music all over the place. I think John was one of the most dedicated instrumentalists that ever lived and loved to try out different sounds for his music. I'm not sure that that particular experiment led to a long term trend change in music as we know it, but it was something very hip at the time that he was obviously hearing in his head and wanting to hear live. James Brown also had two or more of many instruments in his later bands, and I believe there was a steps ahead recording that had two drummers on it, and I know a friend of mine went to the UK once to play with the rock band Tool as the second drummer for a few shows. So it's definitely an aspect of modern music, but i have no idea if those people took that idea from Trane or not.

· What advice would you give to young musicians reading this?
Be honest, and always listen first and play second. Those were the best pieces of advice given to me as a young player, and it's always come down to those two things for me. This industry is very fickle, and there are a lot of hard knocks to be had. You have to be honest with yourself about that. But as long as you have a voice that is unlike anyone else out there, you will be recognized over time as an individual, and as a person of integrity and respect.

· Do you think there are any solutions to the crisis in the recording industry, the struggle of those who try to make a living as musicians, and the digitalization of music?
There are many solutions. Pat Metheny once told me when I posed a similar question to him that "the best cats do really end up being successful". And I think he means that true talent, innovation, hard work, mental strength, and persistence ultimately prevail. There are a lot of people who can really play well but sit around thinking the world owes them a living because of that. This is a new age of music, and you have to be way more pro active to spread the word about what you do than ever before.

· Do you think the internet can provide a forum for a musical counter-culture or open new possilbities for musicians, or do you think the web will alienate us even more?
I think this fits right on the end of the last question..... The internet is really the only place for independent artists to reach their fan base across the world, meet other like minded musicians to interact with, and to ultimately be some sort of success at what they do. It's been the driving force behind anything I've done in the last 5 years or more, and it continues to help my mini empire grow to help me sustain a living as a musician. I don't foresee any huge crash of the internet marketing scene anytime soon, but who knows? you may read this in ten years and say "what was this guy thinking? didn't he see this coming?". I think no matter what the medium is we all have to adapt with the times and make use of everything available to us there is. I think that perhaps spamming too much is one downside of the internet and some people can get burnt reading so many emails or myspace messages about "the next best thing" you're trying to sell them. But I think you have to be so focused on who your audience is. I'm always trying to expand my audience to cross genres etc... but I never lose sight of who the core of that group of people is. I find a lot of bass students and music students in general, life long fans of jazz, and many more. Of course I would like there to be a situation where I could play my music to 40,000 people per night..... but I think that's going to take a little while, and I don't want to lose sight of the fact that jazz or improvised music came out of night clubs and really feels good being played in small jazz clubs still today. The energy I get from the audience in a small club where there are 200 people packed into a tiny room all listening to the music.... that's something pretty special.

· Without getting into a deeply philosophical debate, do you think musicians have something to say about the world’s troubles: global warming, conflicts, economic struggles?
Absolutely. A lot of my musician friends are very active in raising awareness about the worlds problems. And I think you'll find that most musicians are fairly liberal when it comes to their political viewpoint, so they want to stop global warming, and economic struggle and poverty etc..... and right now there are a number of great jazz musicians raising money for Obama in NYC for his campaign for the presidency, so I think they have a lot to say as musicians.

www.janekgwizdala.com

Janek Gwizdala - Bruno Chaza
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Mr.LeBelge
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Message : # 19207Message Mr.LeBelge »

Vite.... mon dico d'anglais :lol:

Bon ok... j'comprend rien, mais c très bien de l'avoir mise pour les anglophone qui pourrait passer et pour les bilingue du forum :wink:
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