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The Brian
Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project Part II of Tomas Pena’s talk with trumpet player, composer and bandleader, Brian Lynch.
Biography A respected insider within both the hardcore straight ahead and Latin Jazz communities, Brian Lynch is as comfortable negotiating the complexities of clave with Afro-Caribbean pioneer Eddie Palmieri as he is swinging through advanced harmony with bebop maestro Phil Woods. An honored graduate of two of the jazz world’s most distinguished academies, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and the Horace Silver Quintet, he has been a valued collaborator with jazz artists such as Benny Golson, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Charles McPherson; Latin music icons as diverse as Hector LaVoe and Yerba Buena; and pop luminaries such as Prince. As a bandleader and recording artist, he has released a series of critically acclaimed CDs featuring his distinctive composing and arranging, and toured the world with various ensembles reflecting the wide sweep of his music. He currently holds faculty positions at New York University and the Prince Klaus Conservatorium (Netherlands), as well as conducting clinics and workshops at prestigious institutions of learning the world over. His talents have been recognized by top placings in the Downbeat Critics and Readers Polls; highly rated reviews for his work in Downbeat, Jazziz and Jazz Times; a 2004 Grammy award nomination, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Chamber Music America, and Meet The Composer.
Interview
TP: The last time we spoke was in October of 2005. At the time you were in the thick of the recording sessions for your project with Eddie Palmieri. Now that it’s finished, have you had an opportunity to catch your breath?
BL: It’s great to have the recording out at last! I’m well satisfied with the way everything turned out. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so there was a LOT of time spent in post production, making sure everything was right, from mixing and mastering, to the look and design of the CD package. It’s the first time in my recording career that I’ve been so directly responsible for every aspect of the production, and I’ve learned a lot! Now that the CD is out, I’m not catching my breath as much as going on to the next phase, doing all I can to see that this recording gets out to the public the way it should.
TP: Let’s bring everyone up to date on the ArtistShare concept. In the past, you have described ArtistShare as a container enabling the creative process to be directly presented to its audience without mediation. Could you elaborate?
BL: As ArtistShare release is produced by the artist independently, from start to finish. What ArtistShare provides is two things: First, the unique concept of presenting and documenting the process of making the recording in all its aspects, through web logs, photo galleries, audio & video (note: see I-Tunes for a free Pod Cast of the Simpatico sessions), written music and so on, through the ArtistShare web interface system. Second, ArtistShare gives the artist a direct line to his or her audience, not only by distributing direct via online, but also through the personal relationship created through the sharing process. With ArtistShare, I don’t have consumers, I have participants. I’ve made new and close friends with the participants in this project, and I enjoy having direct contact with my audience through the ArtistShare system.
TP: I don’t think many people are aware of the fact that you and Eddie go way back. You became a full member of Eddie’s band during the late 1980s, after leaving Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.
BL: I’ve been blessed to have enjoyed the best of both musical worlds during the course of my career, “straight-ahead” jazz and la musica Latina. In my early days in New York, during the mid 80s, I was able to gain experience playing with both jazz great Horace Silver and the beloved Hector La Voe at the same time. My tenure with Mr. Palmieri was interrupted for an eventful two years with the Jazz Messengers (I actually started with Eddie in 1987).
TP: So you were actually with Eddie prior to the Jazz Messengers and returned to his band after Blakey passed ...
BL: Yes, coming back to Eddie’s band felt natural, like both bands had the same kind of spirit and fire. Eddie and Art have been two of the big influences for sure! My luck is still holding out, to be able to continue my musical journey with Eddie at the same time that I pursue other musical activities with the likes of Phil Woods and my own jazz groups.
TP: You attempted to facilitate an Art Blakey/Eddie Palmieri Project but it never came to pass. Nonetheless, on Simpatico you bring together two giants - Eddie and Phil Woods (check out Jazz Impromptu, Guajira Dubois and Slippery).
BL: I’m always thinking in terms of how I can bring different parts of my musical family together. My association with Phil and his quintet (since 1992) has been another important part of my musical life. So it was a natural to bring Phil in as an important part of the project. It was great to see my two “bosses” together in the studio, letting me have it! A real highlight of the tracks featuring Phil is my ‘Jazz Impromptu’, which also marks one of the first times on record to hear Eddie work out on a “straight ahead” jazz number.
TP: Eddie has been headed in that direction for years. It’s great to see him finally take the plunge. Furthermore, he nails it!
Quoting you: “When I grew up, I thought it took a long time to really be qualified to say something in jazz. You play with everybody, do all kinds of things, marinate a while, and the payoff comes in your forties and fifties.” Your comments.
BL: I’m feeling that maybe I was right, at least as far as I’m concerned! I’m having the most fun playing and doing my music that I’ve ever had, and I also feel more satisfaction from it than ever. I feel like I have more control over what I’m doing, more musical maturity now. I still have a long way to go in my life’s musical journey, but I feel in the last ten years I’ve made some good progress.
TP: On another note, how did you manage to work around the busy schedules of: Phil Woods, Lila Downs, Donald Harrison, Gregory Tardy, Conrad Herwig, Mario Rivera, Edsel Gomez, Boris Kozlov, Ruben Rodriguez, Luques Curtis, Giovanni Hidalgo, Pedro Martinez, Little Johnny Rivero, Dafnis Prieto, Robby Ameen, Marvin Diz, Adam Rogers and Pete Rodriguez?
BL: Scheduling is everything! I’m a meticulous planner, so I had fun sitting down and figuring out the choreography of when various musicians would be showing up and handling off to each other during the course of the recording sessions. It’s kind of like doing a crossword puzzle in a way. My assistant producer, and good friend Tom Dambly helped a lot with facilitating rides, keeping track of everybody, and filling out al the important food orders. An army marches on its stomach . . .
TP: Let’s talk about Simpatico. I am always curious to learn about the inspiration for a title. What did you decide to call the album Simpatico?
BL: The title was my idea. I think Eddie and I have indeed developed a rapport over the years that made this project possible and perhaps inevitable. There’s a warm personal feeling that has come from all the years together on the road and in the studio, from the respect I have for his genius and mastery and the appreciation Eddie’s shown to me for working hard to understand and get with a little piece of what he’s doing. That is our “Simpatico.”
TP: Let’s begin with The Palmieri Effect (Track 1). Anybody who is familiar with Eddie’s music is familiar with his “vocal augmentations” (growls). Is that the Palmieri effect?
BL: Aaah, you picked up on that! The Palmieri Effect’s title is made in tribute to the sublimely expressive growls that Eddie emits when he’s really getting into it. This tune was the first that Eddie played on from the session, and when we listened to the play backs, we noticed that the “effect” was in full force on Eddie’s solo, where he’s getting down for real! We decided that instead of adjusting the mike setup to compensate and taking it again (and losing a classic Eddie solo), we would let the ‘effect’ flourish on this track in all its glory and even celebrate it! We then made adjustments before recording the rest of the music (smile).
TP: Undoubtedly, vocalist Lila Downs is the big surprise here. For those who may not be familiar with Lila, who is Mexican-American, she is known for her incredible vocal range and unique style. Her style ranges from Mexican cumbia and rancheras to Woody Guthrie, reggae and jazz. Did the Maestro (Eddie) “school Lila on the fundamentals of clave and the like?
BL: Lila had never sung salsa before this, at least not on record. However, someone with the talent she has is going to be able to sing anything after a bit of study, you know? Eddie did coach her a bit on the “inspiraciones” in the studio (there is a great picture of Eddie and her during this process on the website). I think she killed on it! - and brought such a unique flavor to ’Paginas’ (de Mujer) as well as the bolero we co-wrote, Que Seria La Vida. I’m quite proud of that song as itss the first time I have written a song to a lyric. It was a great experience working with and getting to known better know Lila. Shess a warm, expressive, for-real person, just like her music.
TP: Guajira Dubois, Impromptu, Slippery and Freehands represent the jazzier side of the equation.
BL: “Slippery” and “Freehands” are two of the pieces that Eddie and I composed together especially for this recording (you can listen to excerpts from our composing sessions as part of the online material for the ArtistShare project). “Slippery” almost reminds me of Randy Weston piece in its feeling and harmonic structure. On this tune Eddie came up with the basic form and the A section and I came up with the bridge and detailed it. Most of the melodic content is mind, developed from Eddie’s forms. The collaborative process was similar on “Freehands.” ”Freehands” is a great piece, one that I’ve already been playing in my own group. It spotlights two immense talents, those of alto saxophonist Donald Harrison and master percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo. Now, my own “Jazz Impromptu” is a real departure, one that turned out very cool. The changes are spun out from a initial movement that comes from the (Horace) Silver type of piece formed itself very quickly (I wrote the tune in an hour the day before the rehearsal). This is the first time on record that I know of that Eddie Palmieri has played a straight-ahead jazz thing. You can really hear his love for Monk in his solo on this. Phil Woods is magnificent o this tune, delivering one of his instant classica solo statements. Perfect for drive-time! “Guajira Dubois” celebrates Phil in its title (Dubois = Woods in French) and contains another great Woods solo, as well as classic Eddie.
TP: Azucar (from the Azucar Pa’ Ti LP) is undoubtedly one of Eddie’s most popular tunes. How do you approach a tune that has such a history behind it?
BL: ”Azucar” is one fo the great works of American music, in my opinion. I did the same thing on “Jazzuca” as (saxophonist) Charlie Parker did on Gershwin’s - I Got Rhythm to make Moose the Mooch; fashioning a new jazzy melody on the changes of the piece. We kept the general form of the original arrangement, tailoring it to fit the great solo work. Duos alternate with solos throughout the piece; Donald Harrison and Conrad Herwig, with myself rounding the form off in solo. Azucar has always been a great frame for improvisation, so to me it makes perfect sense to emphasize the jazziness in it, not by changing the rhythm but by making a purely instrumental piece out of it.
TP: What do you remember about the recording sessions? Were there any outstanding moments?
BL: There’s so many great memories from the sessions that it’s hard to single out any! I think the photos from the sessions (available on the ArtistShare web site as part of the Participant experience) really express a lot of the good times and special moments. Some highlights were the meeting of Phil Woods and Eddie (and them both letting me have it at the same time!), Giovanni and Pedro Martinez’s two congas tandem of Jazzucar, the trades between Donald (Harrison) and Conrad (Herwig) on the same tune. Maybe the most magical moment of the whole session was the take of Que Seria La Vida with Lila. There was no arrangement on that song, just a lead sheet, and there was magic on that take. Listen to it and see what I mean . . .
TP: Looking back on the entire experience, is this the beginning of a beautiful relationship between you and ArtistShare?
BL: I think ArtistShare is great tool for empowerment for the musician in this day and age. I’d gladly do it again! I think I will be doing more projects this way; it’s been incredibly fulfilling for me.
TP: I am quoting author (of Cuba and Its Music - From the First Drums to the Mambo), musician and soul brother Ned Sublette: “This is what happens when musicians meet the highest standards - their own. Eddie Palmieri, one of the seminal American musicians, joins with Brian Lynch, a major-league soloist who expresses himself on the trumpet, has paid all his dues, and emerges as a composer. The result contains the essential beauty that we always complain is missing from crappy corporate music. And with Lila Downs, no less. A damn fine record.”
BL; I’m really proud of this recording! I think all of the love I put into it shows in the high quality of the whole work. It’s great to have such sincere appreciation of my efforts from such a respected source. Ned is one of my favorite writers and a wonderful musician as well. Thanks, Ned.
TP: I agree with Ned. In my opinion, its a frontrunner for the best and most exciting album of the year!
Will there be a CD release party or a live performance to celebrate the release of Simpatico in the New York area?
BL: We are working out the details for the CD release gig right now. The hard part is to find the time when everyone can come together to play; everyone’s very busy all over the world, you know! Hopefully we will get on the bandstand to celebrate sometime around the end of the year.
TP: I should mention that Simpatic is available exclusively through your
ArtistShare website:
For a taste of Simpatico:
www.myspace.com/brianlynchjazz.
Congratulations to you, Eddie and everyone concerned with the making of Simpatico.
BL: Thank you so much Tomas!
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