Questionnaire 2 - Europe

So here's part two of my questionnaire. In this edition I ask the questions of some of my European friends and colleagues and, as always, the answers are fascinating. You can see Part 1 in which I asked the same questions of my colleagues in Ireland Here )

Chander Sardjoe (Holland - drums)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting:


1. Melody:

"Santo Canto" by G.Rubalcaba New Cuban quartet on PASEO (2004) a great record with a unique musical language, i strongly recommend it!
"4 am" by Herbie Hancock on "Mr. Hands" (1980), "Neutral Zone" by Steve Coleman (1990)

2. Harmonic language:

Olivier Messiaen's Préludes pour Piano (1929), also the legendary chord changes on Dienda by Kenny Kirkland .

3. Rhythmic feel:

Linley Marthe, Anthony Jackson, Cannonball Adderley, Ignacio Berroa: in my book these are some of the people all worth transcribing in cut time to notate the details of their incredible phrasing as exactly as possible.

4. Classical piece:

Bach Sonatas and Partitas for violin solo 1720, Charles Ives Central Park In The Dark 1906

5. Jazz album:

My Favorite Things by John Coltrane 1961

6. Book on music:

Art Pepper Straight Life, for more technical stuff: "Musiques Formelles" by Iannis Xenakis - and K Ramachandrans "Mathematical Basic of the Thala System in Carnatic Music"

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

Rhythm People by Steve Coleman and 5 elements 1990

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

Sting

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Too many to name, but a few that come to mind are Larry Bunker, Mickey Roker, Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith

Lars Jansson (Sweden - Piano)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting:


1. Melody:

Bartok; Konzert für Orchester (Sz 116); IV. (Intermezzo Interrotto) Allegretto, Igor Stravinsky from Firebird - 'Ronde des Princesses', Lars Jansson-Ensemble MidtVest Worship of Self (Spice of Life)

2. Harmonic language:

II-V-I is still a lot to explore, the harmony of Olivier Messiaen

3. Rhythmic feel:

The Miles Davis rythm section, Hancock-Carter-Williams

4. Classical piece:

Alban Berg Violin Concerto, The String Ouartets by György Ligieti

5. Jazz album:

Herbie Hancock Trio with Ron Carter + Tony Williams (Sony), Ray Bryant 'Alone with The Blues', Jimmy Smith 'Organ Grinder Swing' (Verve)

6. Book on music:

All books by Bill Dobbins, Hal Crook 'How to Improvise', Fred Sturm 'Changes over Time', Stephen Nachmanovitch 'Free Play'

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

Chick Corea 'Now He Sings Now He Sobs', Paul Bley with Gary Peacock (ECM)

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

The music of Anton Webern, Alban Berg, György Ligeti and John Cage

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Swedish piano player Tommy Kotter

Nils Wogram (Germany - Trombone)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting:


1. Melody:

Bach cello suites, "So Tender" by Keith Jarret, Michelle (and many other songs) by the Beatles

2. Harmonic language:

Birth of the Cool, Quartet for the End of Time, Wozzek,

3. Rhythmic feel:

Elvin Jones/Jimmy Garrison, Tony Williams/Ron Carter, Philly Joe Jones/Paul Chambers, Hermeto Pascoal's rhythm section

4. Classical piece:

Wozzek by Alban Berg, Piano Etudes by Ligeti

5. Jazz album:

'Expectations' by Keith Jarrett, 'Steaming' by Miles Davis

6. Book on music:

"Dharma Art" (it is not just on music but on arts in general)

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

'Expectations' by Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis 'Steaming', Hermeto Pascoal 'Sa Nao Toca Quem Quer, Jimmy Knepper ' Idol of the flies'

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Zappa, Beatles, Radiohead, The Ruins

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Jimmy Knepper

Julian Arguelles (UK - Saxophones)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting:


1. Melody:

I particularly like the slow movements to many symphonies and concertos, (for example Mahler 5 and Ravel Piano Concerto - the two handed one). On the jazz side i love Kenny wheeler's tunes, Django Bates' too ..... i could go on.

2. Harmonic language:

The same as above.

3. Rhythmic feel:

Tony Williams groove on the Miles albums, the same goes for Jack DeJohnette's on the Miles albums. I still love the grooves on Stevie Wonder albums, and of course Herbie's Headhunters. Paco De Lucia with Camaron (especially when they were playing a Bulerias) was up there too.

4. Classical piece:

Beethoven late string quartets are great.

5. Jazz album:

The Jarrett albums with Dewey (all of them), the classic Coltrane quartet (any of them

6. Book on music:

I've not read many books on music but Thesaurus Of Scales And Melodic Patterns by Slonimsky, and the Charlie Parker Omnibook were huge influences on me

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

'Survivors Suite' by Keith jarrett, 'A love Supreme' by John Coltrane, Kenny Wheeler's 'Gnu High', Miles' 'Kind Of Blue', Ornette's 'Shape of Jazz to Come'

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

Paco De Lucia/Camaron

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Heinz Sauer

Simon Nabatov (Russia - Piano)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting:


1. Melody:

“In Tune” by Kenny Werner. It is, of course, not “just” the melody (the material in the upper voice) that fascinates me – everything there is working together – but the melody itself, the way it so organically, naturally slinky navigates it’s way through the rapidly changing meters, moods, even the whole genre-hints, while remaining perfectly homogeneous and true to the chosen story-telling mode. Delightful...

2. Harmonic language:

“Third World” by Herbie Nichols. Not so many, unfortunately, aware of the fact, that it was Nichols who, back in 1947, formulated the chord connections later known as “Giant Steps” progression – and that almost 15 years prior to Coltrane’s immortal contribution.
Well, in this case the chord pairs move the whole-tone scale down instead of the circle of fifths, but in some later tunes Nichols uses different strategies of stringing together those pairs, thus proving that it was in no way a fluke. Groundbreaking (no matter on how “small” of a scale) and wonderfully fresh, even today.

3. Rhythmic feel:

Maracatu – the powerful mesmerizing rhythm from Pernambuco, the northeastern state of Brazil. Of course, Maracatu is much more than the rhythm – it’s legends and stories, theater, sagas, costumes, dances, own carnival , poetry – it is a huge cultural tradition, harking back to the African ancestry and meshed together with the Brazilian sensibilities. The main rhythm itself, with the weak (or omitted) first and the strong accentuated second sixteenth of each group of four 16th, played against a bell pattern, has a wonderful duality about it, being strongly “off-centered” and clearly cyclical at once.

4. Classical piece:

Gérard Grisey “Vortex Temporum” - a breathtaking piece by the greatest spectralist composer. The way the most complex technical and formal procedures turn into the sensual (in the best French tradition) experience – also directly, as our sense of hearing is tested and challenged by the universe of the microtonal relationships – fantastic! And the piano cadenza, tuned 1/4 tone down, is as thrilling as anything I know...

5. Jazz album:

Nils Wogram’s “Root 70 on the 52 and 1/4 Street” – an ingenious blend of swinging jazz and quarter-tone music.


6. Book on music:

Helmut Lachenmann - “Music as existential experience”

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

“Press Enter” - Kenny Werner

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

Caetano Veloso

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Paul Plimley, Craig Taborn

Stéphane Payen (France - Alto Saxophone)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting:


1. Melody:

Perspicuity by Doug Hammond, (or any of Doug's melodies). But especially the melody of the drums chants ! And knowing the melody of the drums, you know how to hear the melody. Those two lines don't make "sense" if played separately, but when played together, it sounds amazing !!


2. Harmonic language:

the work from Malik Mezzadri (aka Magic Malik), using what he calls "signature tonale". Also the work made by Octurn - a band/collective based in Bruxelles - around modes from Olivier Messian on the music of Bo Van Der Werf. And the harmonic world of pianist Benoît Delbecq

3. Rhythmic feel:

The different rhythmic feels of Sabar music from Senegal. And this so-called "traditional music" is really alive.

4. Classical piece:

"Musica Concertante Per 12 Archi" by Hungarian composer Sandor Veress. "An Index Of Metals" by Fausto Romitelli.

5. Jazz album:

Marc Ducret "Détail" - Benoît Delbecq "Pursuit"

6. Book on music:

"Polyphonies et Polyrythmies d'Afrique Centrale" (2 volumes) by Simha Arom

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

I haven't heard it for years but I remember I was listening to it all the time : John Lindberg Trio: Give and Take with George Lewis, Barry Altschul (1982)

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

Michel Magne, great French composer well known for his soundtracks, but who did much more ...

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Guillaume Orti !!!!

Chris Wiesendanger (Switzerland - Piano)

Give us an example or two of an especially good or interesting::


1. Melody:

Many of Ornette Coleman`s deep and beautiful melodies (Lonely Woman, Kathelin Gray, Tears Inside), "I Have Dreamed" (Rodgers & Hammerstein), "I See Your Face Before Me" (Schwartz /Dietz), Harry Richman`s "There Is Danger In Your Eyes Cherie"

2. Harmonic language:

Morton Feldman "Coptic Light" , Japanese No Theater and Gagaku Music, Son House.

3. Rhythmic feel:

Stevie Wonder playing drums on "Music of My Mind", "Dearly Beloved" from Sonny Rollins` "The Sound Of Sonny" (Percy Heath
bass and Roy Haynes drums), all the Wilbur Ware recordings, Aretha Franklin`s piano on " A Brand New Me" from the album " Young, Gifted and Black".

4. Classical piece:

Mozart`s 2 last symphonies (G minor and "Jupiter"), Beethoven`s Symphonie Nr. 7, Schubert`s String Quintet in C, Sibelius Symphony Nr.4,

5. Jazz album:

Miles Davis/ Gil Evans "Porgy and Bess", Art Tatum "God Is In The House".

6. Book on music:

Gerald Moore "Am I Too Loud?"

7. Name a great recording by someone that has influenced you:

Steve Lacy with Don Cherry "Evidence"

8. Name someone whose music has influenced you, but that people who know your music would probably be surprised by:

Marc André Hamelin, the great swedish metal group Meshuggah, Johnny Cash, Rosemary Clooney

9. Name a player on your instrument whom you think is very underrated:

Billy Kyle, Mel Powell, Cy Walter, Jimmy Yancey