He came to listen to you at a club in New York. What was this first en- counter like? - The first encounter was about a week after he heard us at the 55 Bar in New York City. We met to rehearse the piece “Sue, or in a season of Crime” with Maria Sch- neider. It was exciting to be in the same room with him and we talked as the day went on. He was fully engaged in the re- hearsal, taking all the music in, an incred- ible man… When you first heard “Blackstar”, you said it was a very emotional experi- ence. Why is that? - After working so hard on the mu- sic, recording it, and then not hearing it for months, to finally hear it in its finished state, with the amazing mix and different layers added to what we’d done was over- whelming. I loved it! I loved how David sounded and how the band played. It was special to hear the musical interaction that I remembered from the studio all there on the record. That’s part of what makes the record so compelling: that the intimacy of the conversation is all there. Tell us why you chose the saxophone as your instrument? What is it that makes this instrument almost mag- ical? - It was an impulsive decision when I was 12 years old. Looking back I think I chose it because the saxophonist in my father’s band when I was a child, Wesley Braxton, was a charismatic player. A hippie with tie dyed shirts and who played crazy solos with squeaks and shrieks coming out of the horn, he sometimes whipped the au- dience into a frenzy with his solos. I think it’s the players and their life experience that makes the instrument seem magical. Who are the people who left the greatest impression on you in terms of music? - There’s too many to mention! I’ll give you some; Duke Ellington, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bela Bartok, Wayne Shorter, Thelonius Monk, The Bea- tles, David Bowie, Gil Evans, Joe Hender- son, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and so many more! You fuse jazz and electronic music. How would you describe this fusion? - I call it the exploration of the inter- section between improvisation and elec- tronica music. What would you say to the Belgrade audience, who can hardly wait to hear you perform? - I can hardly wait to be there and share
Ja jedva čekam da dođem u Beograd i podelim noć sa svima vama I can hardly wait to be there, in Belgrade, and share the night with you all
the night with you all!
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