Breakout

Ever wondered how one's interview gets translated into another person's words? Here's a typical example of a Q & A. Notice how the interviewer begins with the premise that jazz is prevalently percieved as "puzzling" and "too sophisticated" ("to put it simply"). This is a strategically important interview for a widely read publication (circulation: 10,000, but I can't reveal the name), and so I'm in a tight bind. And thus the task unfolds.

When the issue comes out in print, I will re-post this Q & A coupled with a softcopy of the finished article. Then let's compare the results. Lord have mercy.

–Johnny

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Q & A for Johnny Alegre

Q. The prevalent perception of jazz is, to put it simply, puzzling. And a little too sophisticated for the average Juan. As one of the contemporary purveyors of jazz music, how would you address this perception? What are the steps you are taking to change this mindset?

A. I believe we all crave for something extraordinary in our lives, even in the soundtrack of our lives, and perhaps jazz provides our listening experience further possibilities and challenges. Jazz has been around for the longest time, and the styles have changed through every generation and decade. I've encountered so many opinions and arguments about what it's become and where it's going. This happens to all genres that have been around long enough, including rock, folk, what-have-you. Contemporary jazz practitioners like me must therefore find our own vocabularies out of a dire necessity to be in the here and now. This is something every artist must struggle to achieve: to construct his own music (forms, etc.), to find one's own voice, to suit the parameters of one's technique. The searching eventually expands the repertoire.

Q. How would you situate jazz music in the current atmosphere of original Filipino music? What is its relevance?

A. Jazz has been in the Philippines far beyond our time, from the military brass bands and orchestras in the American Occupation. My own interest in jazz started from a young musician's desire to learn more chords and write more ambitious songs. I was also intrigued to learn how solos were put together. I think this is a common desire among young musicians; we've got many of them going to our gigs asking us all sorts of technical questions, many of the same I used to ask the elder guys when I learning to play.

Q. How would you describe the type of jazz music you play?

A. Probably just good music that I can live with, the kind I don't mind putting my name to, that people feel comfortable categorizing as jazz for various reasons. If I talk about labels and markets and sub-genres, we'll just be opening a can of worms.

Q. What are the difficulties or challenges that you have encountered in bringing your music out there? In alternative venues, outside formal environments? In getting radio airplay?

A. The upside is that AFFINITY has managed to play for some very good crowds. It's been very satisfying in that respect. The dynamics of the music we play in AFFINITY is so wide that I, for one, can actually customize the sound and choice of songs to blend with the room or the stage, so it's not like we get boxed in. I absolutely refuse to be stereotyped. I think, the risks we take, the sensation of danger that comes across the stage, this business of bringing audiences with you into "the zone"; this adds a lot of vitality and growth to our sound.

Q. How did the Affinity start? Any memorable performances that you can share with us?

A. AFFINITY was formed in mid-2002, initially as a project to do one recording, then another, and then finally an album. Deciding to play live was just a logical step after deciding we really wanted to continue doing this kind of music. We've had some personnel changes through the months, but I'm fortunate to have all these remarkable musicians coming back and forth in the line-up, and especially so because we're all friends. The best AFFINITY gigs so far include the major ones like the album launch in London in late 2005; and the 3rd Manila Jazz Festival sponsored by Jewelmer (that was issued on DVD) and the U.P. Theatre gig sponsored by Upsilon (also issued on DVD). But we've also played some absolutely mind-blowing gigs in small places like 70s Bistro, Conspiracy, Penguin Cafe, Ardi's and Saguijo. In fact, we're planning an album of our live highlights; and I'm almost certain this should get the hardcore fans really excited; we may even convert some of our detractors.

Q. Improvisation is a huge part of playing jazz music live. How does this happen? What does your instinct tell you at that moment of improvisation? Can you describe for us the sort of invisible link that you have with your band members as you travel down (and up) chord progressions and seamlessly blend with each other.

A. Some of the best improvisations I've heard are those that arose because the music essentially called for them to happen. In effect, the music simply dictated itself. The responsibility of the musician, in the most sweeping of terms, is to be able to effectively deliver the music, whatever the music demands. Like a good athlete, in this case like a good musician. So in this frame of mind, we're messengers; we're just delivering. It's just necessary to focus and surrender, to sensitively pay attention to everything that goes on around us and translate that energy through one's instrument. How the music unfolds is all a consequence of this chanelling. I try not to get too distracted by mechanics, like, okay we're going to solo for thirty-two bars each at such and such a tempo. We play and respond. There's an opening, an ending, and a path that runs right through all of that. It's a little hard to explain; (we can talk about the technique all day, but there are many abstract spaces like time, communication and intuition where we'll have to step lightly.)

Q. How was the reception of the UK audience to Affinity's cutting-edge jazz?

A. The reviews were perceptive and insightful, I think. Jazzwise Magazine gave us three stars in a four-star system. What a thrill to be reviewed in Jazzwise! And the Nottingham Post gave us four stars. What greater satisfaction can one have?