October 19, 2019 In NY Artist Q&A

NY Artist Q&A with Mariel Roberts

For this series of bloggy interviews – NY Artist Q&A – I’ve shared questions with young artists and musicians living in New York. This time: Cellist Mariel Roberts. She actually lives next door to me in Brooklyn and we will play a couple of shows in the Netherlands in November. (Nov 13, 2019, at Pom Eindhoven and November 15th at Museum de Lakenhal Leiden with ChocoJazz Vervool).

I’m excited that she wanted to be part of this little Q&A – couch session. In addition to the questions, I love to share a 2-minute video of a jam that we did in my place in Brooklyn together.

NY Artist Q&A with Mariel Roberts

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

I’m from Denver, Colorado. I miss the sky there… its enormous and the smell of the pine trees. I also miss my family!

* FAVORITE PLACE IN THE CITY

The Met Museum. I wish I could live there.

* FAVORITE NEW MUSIC

Tim Hecker is always a huge favorite of mine- he has two recent albums which are great.

* FAVORITE OLD MUSIC

Been revisiting Schubert piano trios! And slightly less old, I’ve been listening to Alèmayèhu Eshèté.

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

Pretty much anything outside, running, walking, hiking, exploring any new city on foot.

* WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON MUSICALLY

I’m trying to integrate improvisation more firmly into my life as a performer, so I’m trying to think about different ways I can approach that which could bring together a lot of the different musical backgrounds and interests I have.

* WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST FANBOY MOMENT?

Definitely meeting and playing with Bjork- I don’t know if I said anything to her that didn’t just come out as a squeak..! Or meeting the composer Helmut Lachenmann for the first time, he’s a giant both literally and figuratively.

* CRAZIEST GIG EXPERIENCE

My favorite gig story is always a wedding I played in high school. It was on a mountaintop in Colorado, I played the theme to “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” on solo cello in the middle of a field while the bride and groom rode up on horseback. They also did their vows from horseback if I remember…

* WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS?

Hopefully having a happy and healthy life playing music with people I love and respect!

* YOUR WEBSITE

www.marielroberts.com

* LINK TO A VIDEO OF YOU

If you like this series of bloggy interviews, check also the one with Louis Alexander Gasser Londoño. Also, if you want to support me, follow me on Patreon.

May 9, 2018 In Jazzopinie, NY Artist Q&A, Uncategorized

NY Artist Q&A: Jesse Byrom-Carter

For this series of bloggy interviews I’ve shared questions with young artists and musicians living in New York. This time: Bass player and composer Jesse Byrom-Carter. In addition to the questions, we met up and played a few songs in my place in Brooklyn together. Here is our collaboration on the standard ‘Everything must change’. 

Q&A with Bass player – Jesse Byrom-Carter

* Where are you from, what do you miss about home?

I’m from Perth, Western Australia. I miss the beaches, good coffee (I’m a little snobby about it), the weather, my family and friends and especially my Dad’s home cooking!

* Favorite place in the city

That’s a hard one. I would say West Village for the vibe, proliferation of jazz clubs and bars. I also really like Central Park when the weather is good!

* Favorite new music

I’m really digging David Binney’s music. Especially albums like Anacapa, South, Welcome To Life and Graylen Epicenter. Wayne Shorter. His new quartet stuff and the album High Life. Some singer songwriters like Gabriel Kahane and Becca Stevens, Nine Inch Nails and Chris Potter’s Underground and solo albums.

* Favorite old music

Anything Motown, funk or soul influenced, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Al Green, Parliament Funkadelic. Old school jazz – Miles Davis, Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans Trio, Monk, Sonny Rollins, Hank Mobley, Clifford Brown, Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Mingus, Sergio Mendez and Brazil 66, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius….the list goes on.

* What’s your favorite non-music thing to do

Exploring the city, walking.

* What are your currently working on musically

I’m working on some new compositions that have more of a through composed, with some interesting chord changes and meters. I’m also working on some songs with vocals and lyrics written by yours truly, featuring some great NYC based vocalists. It may end up as some kind of concept album, we’ll have to wait and see. Also working on releasing my debut album featuring guitarist Adam Rogers and Grammy nominee Alan Ferber. It’s going to be called ‘The Next Tomorrow Is Yesterday’, relating to the pace of NYC. Before you know it, tomorrow is already yesterday and you still haven’t done that thing! Hopefully mid-late this year is my target.

* Whats your greatest fan boy / girl moment?

My biggest fanboy moment was meeting my bass hero John Patitucci and helping load his car after a gig. I’ll never forget it!

* Craziest gig experience

My craziest gig experience happened last year at the show ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage’. On tour, we played a show in a small town called Dixon Illinois. The theatre that were in had a small stage which we had to fit upright bass, drums, electric piano and any props/scenery for the show. The curtain was literally right behind my back, and brushed me any time it moved. There was a notable difference in temperature between the back of the stage and the front. Towards the end of the first act, the curtain started to balloon out from the center, causing a ripple wave-like effect through the curtain. At one point in the show, the waves became so big they threatened to completely engulf me and my bass! I just managed to desperately brush away the curtain as it was closing. Any moment of hesitation would have meant me and my bass being capsized live on stage! It was really hard trying to complete the rest of the show without bursting into hysterical laughter.

* Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Still in New York, many records later. Touring with my own and other artists music, with less struggle, content and happy, living in a studio apartment in Manhattan. Possibly with a dog.

* Link to a video of you

The Next Tomorrow Is Yesterday – https://youtu.be/3WrAD-xewr0

* Link to your website

http://jessebyromcarter.com/