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Photograph: Paul Brown
Q: One
of the things that I want to know about musicians is their approach to
the music. How do you approach music? Which were the first sounds that
you heard?
J.M: I
approach music the same way I do food. I have to taste the food to
have an opinion about it. With music, it's the same way. I have to
find different ways of composing, of performing, of different band
members etc. When I find a good recipe, I'll make minor
modifications so that it always tastes good, but also exposes the taste
buds to new flavors. I'm still young, so I haven't settled into a
groove yet.
Q: Jaki
Byard and Andrew Hill seem to be two of your main influences. Two
musicians that cover whose music covers - like yours - from the
traditional jazz language to the avant-garde. What thing makes them so
important to yo?
J.M: Jaki
and Andrew are two of my favorites because they know the tradition, but
are never imprisoned by it. I have also had the fortune of knowing
them personally rather than through a recording. That is a very special
relationship. They serve as mentors in a day and age when young people
need mentors the most. Jaki is gone now, but his sound will always
be a huge influence on my style and attitude.
Q: You
are now 27 years old and you have recorded four records on your own and
collaborated in a lot of recordings. You are part of Greg Osby´s group
that was also part of Andrew Hill´s band. The link is evident. It seems
like you were passing the baton to each other.
J.M: Yes,
I met Greg while still in college. I have been in his band for
more than 6 years, and that band was responsible for introducing me to
the international jazz scene. Greg and I have a very special
relationship musically. We have begun exploring it in duo formats
because it really exposes how tangled we are. I hope someday to be
able to pass the baton to someone else.
Q:
You
were part of Steve Coleman´s "Five Elements". Coleman is a
musician with a strong personality. To play in his group, do you think
it is necessary to believe in the "m-base" philosophy?
J.M: Well,
I don't know what the M-base philosophy is. It's more about having
an understanding of yourself as a musician. That is the best way
to approach steve's music because he is such a strong player and strong
personality. I was able to twork my sound with his sound and
concept. Steve's music is very demanding and it demands an open
mind.
Q: Your
fourth cd ("Modernistic- Blue Note 39838) is a piano solo record.
Piano solo is a risky formula because it is difficult to create on your
own. You walk from ragtime (in a very personal deconstruction of James
P. Johnson's music) to Muhal Richard Abrams' free language, to Robert
Schumann's romanticism. What was your criteria to create "Modernistic"?
J.M: With
"Modernistic",
I wanted to show what my piano history is. Each person has his own
view of the world. Each musician, has his own view of who is important,
etc. So, I have been very influenced by rap because
that is my popular music. At the same time, Muhal,
Schumann, and james P. are all part of my history. For me,
tradition is the key that unlocks the future. But you can't recreate the
tradition, you have to modify it, hence
"MODERNISTIC".
Q: . It
seems that your musical tastes are varied. You not only like jazz
musicians but others from different styles names such as Björk, Ravel,
Carmine Coppola. What characteristics must the music have to attract
your attention?
J.M: Musical
integrity. I am now listening to Prison Songs. These are men who
were in prison in 1947-48. There are recordings of these black men
on the chain gang. To pass the time, they sing songs. These men are not
professional singers, but the soul and depth of their cries is something
beautiful created by something awful, prison. So, for me, it
just has to speak to my spine. The music must align with my spine,
or else, i can't use it. It must make me FEEL, must have DIMENSION,
must have SOUL.
Q: Before
the piano solo work you have recorded with quintet, quartet and trio
formats. And in all of the works there is one link that unites them, the
"Gangsterism” variations over Andrew Hill´s "Erato".
It could be said that this idiosyncracy has helped you to prove your
evolution.
J.M: I
look at the Gangsterism series as a constant composition exercise.
It shows part of my evolution, but as I said before, I have a long way
to go. I only hope that my career and life will last long enough
to produce 50 gangsterisms.
Q: In
a few months we will able to enjoy your new cd. It will be live and with
your group "Bandwagon". This is the group that we will see in
your next tour. Will you please talk about the characteristics and
components?
J.M: The
Bandwagon consists of myself, Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on
drums. We have been performing together for the past 4 years.
We have been fired from some groups, and that made our bond strong.
We work together in a very loose way. Each member has an equal
part in contributing music, dynamics, solo ideas, etc. It is a
true collaboration because I trust them totally. I enjoy being
able to trust them in whatever we do artistically. We have grown
so much over the past 3 or 4 years, and it is a blessing to be able to
perform in front of audiences. It is great to present our
music to people who have no idea who we are. We have many converts to
our group, and all the new fans jump on THE BANDWAGON.
Q: There
are
few standards ("Body and Soul" in the last cd), in your
repertoire. Do you think jazz in USA has an excessive revisionist
fever?
J.M: No,
because the music was created in America. There is no revisionist
fever because there are so many progressive musicians still creating
fresh work. As in anything, to maintain a modern approach is the
main thing. There will always be artists who stand still in every
scene, whether it is visual art, sculpture, theater, broadway, dance,
opera, etc. That is what makes Björk and Radiohead stand apart.
Q: Which
are the key elements s for "jazz" to continue its constant
evolution?
J.M: A
knowledge of the history, a knowledge of the present, an freer rhythmic
concept,
and
to always challenge the rules, because you never know what you might
find.
Q: What
names of Jazz´s history and of the present time should we our
keep in mind in your opinion?
J.M: Steve
Coleman, Greg Osby, Graham Haynes, Scott Colley, Ralph Alessi, Gonzalo
Rubalcaba, Tom Rainey, Mark Helias, Rudy Manhanthappa, Mark Shim, Josh
Roseman, Tarus, Nasheet, Eric Harland, Eric McPherson. Those are the
names that come to mind right now. There are tons of creative
people out there, and my opinion only means something to me, it's up to
everyone else to make up their own mind. That's what makes the
world special.
Thanks
to
Diego
Sánchez Cascado for his translations.
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