This podcast will feature interviews done by Jonathan Freilich with notable figures that relate in some way to the current vibrancy of the New Orleans music scene and community. It seeks to form a dialogue between ideas and motivations behind the music and the relationship of those ideas to the sound artifact being presented. The podcast will also address what the state of understanding is in audiences and whether understanding is relevant to the "success" of the musical artwork. Older interviews and further information can be found at www.jonathanfreilich.com
Tagged with: interview
Here is the first part of an interview I did with the great drummer, Carlo Nuccio back in 2015.
in this segment Carlo talks about early experiences as a kid in New Orleans, dancing, tap dancing, events at his Father’s businesses, the music that he was into it, what the differences in perspective are to New Orleans music inside and outside of the city…and other things are imparted along the way.
This was labeled as part 3 for years. I am thankful to a conscientious listener for pointing this out. Here now is part 4 which contains many intriguing things on neighborhood politics from that period which has only progressed. Other things too. Perhaps I will label it soon. But it’s highly worth a listen.
Luke Allen is the leader of an interesting local New Orleans group, The Happy Talk Band. He writes in a style unlike anyone else in town. He has a generous, though un-imposing, personality and this comes through well in his songs. In this conversation he explains a lot of where he came from and uncovers some connections between his life travels and New Orleans residency and how those things impact his songwriting.
The interview was conducted where he felt at home, Markey's Bar in the Bywater. There is background noise from the conversationalists and jukebox but it provides a nice backdrop for Luke's lively conversation.
Part 1- Where he came from, Salinas, Santa Cruz; how he came to New Orleans and why; how he started writing his own material; where the dark themed songs come from; playing music before Happy Talk; how The Happy Talk Band formed; how the band name came about.
Rex Gregory is an extremely talented, but also very disciplined, instrumentalist. He plays with a wide variety of people around town in a number of styles, many of them not fixed genres. Part of this comes from a great talent for getting with the "conversational" style that emerges when groups of players get together to improvise. Basically, he's quick! He's also young (27.) He plays flute, all the saxes, and clarinet and last year he released his first album as a leader, An End To Oblivion. He is very comfortable dealing with ideas both "intellectual" and in music. He enthusiastically tackles areas where he has no understanding and he is quite well read as a result. If you check his blog at http://rexgregory.blogspot.com/ you can see he writes confidently too, whether you are in agreement with his opinions or not. I felt this was an entertaining interview simply because Rex is comfortable with shooting off opinions. His website is at http://rexgregory.com/ The last section of this interview got into some very interesting areas that show a lot of the inner symbolic possibilities that are available in the basic elements of music.
This conversation happened outdoors so there is some wind noise. On the other hand it seems comfortable and you get the sounds of the Marigny on a pleasant late spring day.
Part 2- how Rex started on saxophone, background in Texas and music in his family, university selection, what was serendipitous about University of New Orleans instead of New York, herd mentality in New York, tribalism, influence of the previous generation of jazz musicians from Texas, Robert Glasper, Claudia Quintet, studies with Ed Petersen, studies with Brice Winston
Alex remembers what he can about previous years of the Chazfestival; bending self-imposed rules, the non-musical elements of the festival and those pressures, funniest chazfest story.
Martin Krusche- saxophonist, saxophone repairman, sailor, plasterer, leader of the magnetic ear. He played at last years Chazfestival (2009) and here he reflects on that experience, being an audience member at chazfest, the current magnetic ear, alternative festivals, sailing and music, and the bywater audiences' demand for mood variance in music depending on time and location.
Martin Krusche- saxophonist, saxophone repairman, sailor, plasterer, leader of the magnetic ear. He played at last years Chazfestival (2009) and here he reflects on that experience, being an audience member at chazfest, the current magnetic ear, alternative festivals, sailing and music, and the bywater audiences' demand for mood variance in music depending on time and location.
Martin Krusche- saxophonist, saxophone repairman, sailor, plasterer, leader of the magnetic ear. He played at last years Chazfestival (2009) and here he reflects on that experience, being an audience member at chazfest, the current magnetic ear, alternative festivals, sailing and music, and the bywater audiences' demand for mood variance in music depending on time and location.