February 27, 2019 In Uncategorized

NY Artist Q&A: Louis Alexander Gasser Londoño

For this series of bloggy interviews, I’ve shared questions with young artists and musicians living in New York. This time: bass player Louis Alexander Gasser Londoño. I’ve met him through Berklee College of Music, since we were studying at the Global Jazz Institute together and I’m excited that he wanted to be part of this little Q&A – couch session. In addition to the questions, we met up and played a few songs in my place in Brooklyn together.

 

Q&A with Louis Alexander Gasser Londoño

* WHERE ARE YOU FROM, WHAT DO YOU MISS ABOUT HOME?

Born in Lincoln Nebraska but raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico I miss my circle of friends/craftspeople/artists, the warmth, people’s accents and the laid back yet somehow productive pace of life.

* FAVORITE PLACE IN THE CITY

Toniña’s (on Grand Street)

* FAVORITE NEW MUSIC

Aaron Burnett and The Big Machine! Check out Anomaly, just released!

* FAVORITE OLD MUSIC

Brian Ferry Orchestra

* WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NON-MUSIC THING TO DO

Includes gathering friends to cook a meal, reading, being silly in public, dancing.

* WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON MUSICALLY

Trying to improve my bandstand listening/arranging/following/remembering skills and learning tunes. Solo guitar/voice Album of original songs on the back burner

* WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST FANBOY MOMENT?

At a press conference for the 2013 Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Fest I got the chance to publicly acknowledge Danny Rivera’s presence at said event and express my gratitude for his version of the Puerto Rican classic, Villancico Yaucano.

Louis Alexander Gasser Londoño

Louis Alexander Gasser Londoño

* CRAZIEST GIG EXPERIENCE

I almost played a gig In Vienna. This was our first stop of the tour. Being late to the show, our bandleader insisted on a soundcheck through about 3/4 of the other act’s time. After an exchange that included bandleaders yelling in a language I didn’t speak, warnings and death threats, our bandleader was punched in the face. The concert was canceled.

 

* WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?

In debt but very healthy.

* YOUR WEBSITE

http://michaelbaldwinbruc.wixsite.com/louisalexander

* LINK TO A VIDEO OF YOU

February 5, 2014 In Uncategorized

Taking a breath with Danilo Perez and Joe Lovano

What I’ve been working on these days? – Air 🙂

Screen Shot 2014-03-14 at 5.32.25 PM
A while ago I had class – with Danilo Perez and Joe Lovano (!!!). And I had to sing a song with the band. After the song Joe commented that the sound could be deeper. I needed more air…And one of the exercises they made me do in class was lying on the floor with a computer on my belly, sing and take air… Of course is singing for these two big jazz peeps slightly nerve wrecking and in those moments you’ll always loose more air than you want to. That said, its very important for a singer to have a well trained breath support system.

Here a couple of exercises I work on to strengthen my abdominal muscles, support my diaphragm and posture while singing.

First of all, I work with the Gayam Ball – as you see it on the picture. When you sit on it, there is no way of bad posture because you have to keep your balance on the bal. Also its an easy way to do simple workouts. The dvd’s you can find online are actually quite funny too! Screen Shot 2014-02-07 at 11.26.09 AM

Another way to control breathing and posture is by doing Yoga or Tai-chi. Meditation and focus on long and deep breaths will

The third way of training breath support is in the pictures below, the exercise consists of three steps that are build up from another three steps. Combining inhaling, exhaling, singing, hissing and sipping air will result in a more controlled way of taking and giving air. Strengthening the diaphragm and the muscles around your core.

October 25, 2013 In Uncategorized

Garzone en Patitucci @Berklee Global Jazz Forum

Today (3 Oct) we had a amazing duo teaching our Global Jazz Forum: George Garzone and John Patitucci. They spoke about playing together, how to take and give space and then played this amazing duet!

I’m so thankful for having the opportunity just to be here, listening and learning from them 🙂

January 10, 2013 In Uncategorized

Global jazz & spring registratie…

“The Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI) is a performance program designed to foster creativity and musicianship through various musical disciplines, with pianist and composer Danilo Pérez as its artistic director. The BGJI provides a comprehensive contemporary music environment where students are given opportunities to explore their creativity to the highest level possible, advance the power of music as a tool for the betterment of society, and connect musical creative thinking with the natural environment.” http://www.berklee.edu/focused/global-jazz.

Het honours programma dat ze voor Berklee performance majors bieden bestaat uit lessen met grote jazz namen zoals Danilo Perez, Joe Lovano, Ben Street, David Liebman, Adam Cruz, Marco Pignataro & John Patitucci. Elke week komt er iemand anders een masterclass geven. Daarnaast heeft de groep optredens en activiteiten m.b.t de samenleving, en reizen ze naar internationale jazz festivals.

Begin october begon het auditie proces. Lange brief schrijven, resumé updaten. Dan eind november op auditie, en dan uitgebreide motivatie brief, en na de auditie nog een vragenlijst beantwoorden met essentialistische vragen, en tot slot begin december nog op gesprek. En… ik ben toegelaten. We zijn totaal met 30 studenten in het programma en er is nog een andere zangeres. Ik heb er heel veel zin in, het is een eer om met deze mensen te mogen werken.

Toen was er de spring registratie. Dit is atijd stress… wat zal ik volgend semester voor vakken kiezen… waar wil ik me op focussen, en welke docenten wil ik graag les van hebben… Berklee heeft alleen al 50 zangdocenten en ongeveer 1200 vakken om uit te kiezen, dus het is allemaal niet niks 🙂

Hieronder een selectie van de vakken volgend semester:

AR-331-001 Big Band Arrnging & Score Analysis
Dit is een vak over het arrangeren voor Bigbands. Vorig semester heb ik voor 6 horns gearrangeerd, en nu wordt het dus weer een iets grotere groep. Het vak wordt gegeven door mr. R. Lowell.

CM-385-001 Post Bebop Harmonic Innovation
G. Hopkins geeft dit vak, een post bebop schrijf/componeer klas. Ik ga dus weer meer muziek schrijven dit keer in een idioom waar ik nog niet echt iets in geschreven heb… spannend.

ILPN-271-004 Jazz Harmonic Techs for Pno 1
J. Covell – pianoles, met de focus op voicings….

PSIJ-321-002 Jazz Improvisation Techs 2
Door Ed Tomassi, waar ik afgelopen semester ook les van had.

PSHR-321-007 Harmonic Consider. in Improv 1
Over improviseren ….

PIVC-XXX-T2397 Priv Instr – Voice
Mijn prive les krijg ik dit semester van Christine Fawson (trompet en zang) en van Ed Saindon (drums en vibrafoon). Later meer over hen.