Interview with Devin Gray: The deceiver in jazz! Video

Jazz interview with a bad musician, as if drummer Devin Gray. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.Space: – First let’s start with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music?

Devin Gray: – I was born in Portland Maine and raised in Yarmouth.

JBN.S: – What got you interested in picking up the drums? What teacher or teachers helped you progress to the level of playing you have today? What made you choose the drums?

DG: – Simply the sound of drums! Love it! Teachers like, Steve Grover, Jeff Williams, Phil Verrill, Brad Ciechomski, John Riley, Howard Curtis.

JBN.S: – How did your sound evolve over time? What did you do to find and develop your sound?

DG: – I keep living in NYC and traveling and trying to listening and watch and play as much music as possible!

JBN.S: – What practice routine or exercise have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical ability especially pertaining to rhythm?

DG: – I practice both rudimental and classical snare drum pieces, it keeps me on my toes…

JBN.S: – Which harmonies and harmonic patterns do you prefer now? You’re playing is very sensitive, deft, it’s smooth, and I’d say you drift more toward harmony than dissonance. There is some dissonance there, but you use it judiciously. Is that a conscious decision or again, is it just an output of what goes in?

DG: – I love all types harmonies and don’t feel the need to academically categorizes my choices outside of knowing personally that they are honest.

JBN.S: – What’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

DG: – Its all the same to me. Try to live happily and be a better person.

JBN.S: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; you’re okay with giving the people what they want?

DG: – If they want music, then without a doubt, I am giving them that.

JBN.S: – Please any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

DG: – I always like jam sessions, there were a couple in Baltimore years ago that I always enjoyed going to and playing standards at. The excitement in the air was real!

JBN.S: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?

DG: – This has nothing to do with standards, it has to do with concentration of listening and education. We need listening classes.

JBN.S: – John Coltrane said that music was his spirit. How do you understand the spirit and the meaning of life?

DG: – Today is his birthday! My spirit are to try to live health and happy and treat people well.

JBN.S: – If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

DG: – All Living working artist should get paid properly in 2018 terms for their music and efforts. After that, yeah maybe its best that its free…

JBN.S: – Who do you find yourself listening to these days?

DG: – Live concerts in NYC.

JBN.S: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go?

DG: – Easy, I’d go to the Village vanguard, maybe the 60s to hear Trane, but also maybe some of that stuff in the late 70s would be really cool.

JBN.S: – I have been asking you so far, now may I have a question from yourself…

DG: – Is Devin Gray’s music main stream New York City jazz?

JBN.S: – Thank you for answers. Yes …

Interview by Simon Sargsyan