Interview with Manoel Cruz: The soul always touches the deeper than we feel: Video

Jazz interview with jazz contrabassist Manoel Cruz. An interview by email in writing.

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

Manoel Cruz: – I was born in the interior of the state of Paraná – Brazil and I moved with my parents to São Paulo, still one year old. And I became interested in music at the age of 10 listening to Led Zeppelin and Jon Paul Jones.

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

MC: – I started playing young people in Live Music Bars, very young, even though I’m self-taught, I believe that the development of my musicality has taken place with the older musicians and that I always play all kinds of music that develops in these places.

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

MC: – My exercise routine for a few years had been the forms of scales typing, plus the rhythmic and a separate issue has to do with Brazilian music playing with many samba groups during my youth.

JBN.S: – What harmonies and harmonic patterns do you prefer now? You are touching is very sensitive, skillful, is good, and I would say that you approach more of harmony than of dissonance. There is some dissonance there, but you use it judiciously. Is this a conscious decision or, again, is it just a way out of what happens?

MC: – This is a complex question and a little difficult to answer, because I do not think much of it, tastes of melodious and harmonic sounds, always what I like to hear. Music leads us along paths that sometimes when we look back we have already gone through it and we have not even given ourselves a chance to consciously analyze what happens, just transposed us to another side of the universe.

JBN.S: – How to avoid disparate influences from coloring what you are doing?

MC: – I do not think of avoiding influences, because they make us part of who we are and what we become as musicians and human beings.

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

MC: – Also a difficult question, because whenever I use the intellect in music I do not feel satisfied, but the soul always touches the deeper than we feel, this balance is very complex. I think it’s more the fact of being satisfied with what we heard in the end.

JBN.S: – There is a two-way relationship between audience and artist; Are you good at giving people what they want?

MC: – Of course when we look at the audience and feel their joy and satisfaction at listening to a song that you composed or is performing, and an indescribable feeling, likes it makes me feel good.

JBN.S: – Please any reminder of gigs, jams, open sessions and studio sessions that you would like to share with us?

MC: – A Show at the Casa Teatro Festival in Santo Domingo in 2013 was a unique performance with an audience watching and listening to the music we performed tonight.

JBN.S: – How can we attract young people interested in jazz when most standard songs have half a century?

MC: – What I realize today is that more young people are interested in jazz or instrumental music in general, what we can do in musicians to change the scenery and offer our music and we produce more more always, the more offer of good music the more people we will reach.

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

MC: – Yes, John Coltrane was a sage and untiring researcher on what he believed and what he heard in his heart. What I say is that music is like a religion and the way we can express our soul, was to expose our feeling in every way. Life without music would be very sad.

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

MC: – I think the teaching of music would be great if they were more accessible to all children around the world.

JBN.S: – Who are you listening to lately?

Kyle Eastwood, Brian Bromberg, Christian McBride and others.

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

MC: – Listen in a good volume and enjoy without moderation.

JBN.S: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, then where and why do you really want to go?

MC: – I do not think about the past, what I think and desire and that my music takes me to all the places and hearts that it can touch.

JBN.S: – I’ve asked you so far, now I can have a question of your own. …

MC: – What is the song that most touched the album Brazilian jazz and why?

JBN.S: – Thank you for answers. Desafinado’ from Jazz Samba – Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd!

JBN.S: – So, putting all that together, how can you take advantage of this now?

MC: – I’m already very happy for in less than two weeks of the album released worldwide on the digital platforms, you have invited me to this interview. I feel honored and grateful for your attention and affection for my music and work. Also I can not fail to thank here the wonderful musicians and friends that contributed to this new album to be realized.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan