Interview with Hans Loelv: What would life be without music? Video

Jazz interview with jazz pianist and composer Hans Loelv. An interview by email in writing.

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

Hans Loelv: – My first 3 years I lived in Vasa,Finland and my father played jazz accordion at that time. I heard a lot of jazz in my childhood.

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

HL: – It was a very long way to the piano.I got my first accordion at the age of 3 and then I played organ(pump) and electric organ.Then came Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes and finally after my youth I got in to the real piano.I have never had any teacher.

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

HL: – I worked in ballet classes mostly modern dance for 30 years in a school and was improvising all the time with the movement in the dance.

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

HL: – Just try to follow the dancers.

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?

HL: – Try to find my own path and off course listening to great guys like Bill Evans,Herbie Hancock,Chick Corea and so on …

JBN.S: – How to prevent disparate influences from coloring what you’re doing?

HL: – Listening to classical music.

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

HL: – 92 % soul and 8 % intellect.

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

HL: – No … I always play ”my self”.

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

HL: – 1983 I was touring with the art rock group ”Von Zamla” in Europe 28 gigs in 30 days… 2 days off in Berlin.That was part of my music school.

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

HL: – Show your own face all the time in your playing and always play with your heart.

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

HL: – What would life be without music?

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

Less is more.

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

HL: – Sometimes Brasilien radio.

JBN.S: – What is the message you choose to bring through your music?

HL: – Love, humour and happiness.

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

HL: – Some night at the Village vanguard listening to Bill Evans trio.

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

HL: – Why do you ask me all this questions?

JBN.S: – Thanks for answers. To learn more about you, about your intellect, who you are. But you did not show your intelligence.

JBN.S: – So putting that all together, how are you able to harness that now?

HL: – Life is beautiful.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan