March 28, 2024

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Interview with Norbert Schneider: Hopefully I bring a little joy to the people: Video

Jazz interview with jazz guitarist Norbert Schneider. An interview by email in writing. 

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

Norbert Schneider: – I grew up in a small town near Vienna. I have 4 siblings, everyone was allowed to learn an instrument. I chose the violin and then played for 7 years. When I was 13 I started writing songs and singing, quit the violin and learned the basics of the guitar from my sister. So the most interesting thing about music was and still is the chance to create something independend.

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

NS: – I’ve just always made music since I can remember. I have been a full-time musician since I was 18. For the first few years I tried to copy my great role models as well as possible. Then I thought about what suits me best. And I’ve been trying to sharpen this profile ever since

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

NS: – My exercise routine is constantly changing. I always try to work on my weak points. Fortunately, I have a lot of natural talent in terms of rhythm. I’ve never done specific rhythm exercises.

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

NS: – I hope to prevent it. I´m just doing my thing. I´m interested in a lot of different things musically, combining stuff that I like. All that is good in my opinion, as long as you also share something truly personal, unique in your music. Good taste is also desirable.

.JBN: – How do you prepare before your performances to help you maintain both spiritual and musical stamina?

NS: – It is important for me to know the program to be played live inside out. It should never look like work on stage. To relax right before the concert, I usually lock myself in the toilet for 5 minutes. Often the only place where I can be alone.

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.JBN: – Ism is culled from a variety of lives dates with various performers over the course of a few years. Did your sound evolve during that time? And how did you select the musicians who play on the album?

NS: – I don´t understand the first sentence…

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

NS: – I just know that the music I like best works on both levels.

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

NS: – When the audience buys a ticket for my concert, they want me and my music anyway. So i do my thing. The few that had to be with will survive the two hours.

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

NS: – I used to back up American Blues Musicians who came to Europe. One of them was Big Jay McNeely, a great sax honker who had his hayday in the 1940´s and 50´s.  we played kind of a roudhouse gig, the band was already on stage-we always played an opening number . in the middle of the song he would regulary join as on stage. He had a wireless mic on his saxophone, so people could hear him when he was entering the room.

That night big jay didn´t show up. We played that super-fast swing blues opener for about 15 minutes. The bass player thought maybe something wrong with the effect pedals that he used on stage. So he stepped on every little knob he found on those pedals, even the UV light effect was turned on afterwards… we stopped the song after 15 minutes. Started a new one in C, finally Big Jay arrived in an undefinable  sound construct of pedal madness and was pretty pissed.

After the show we asked him about his delay, he simply answered: wig issues.

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

NS: – Bringing some kind of relevance is definitely an advantage. In my case it is the language. I have been singing in my mother tongue for years and this has enabled me to develop an intimate relationship with my audience. My taste in music is probably not so much in focus for many of my fans, some come more because of the lyrics. That gives me the opportunity to do exactly what I want to do.

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

NS: – It would be so nice to understand. Or maybe not …

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

NS: – Prohibit Autotune.

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

NS: – Well, it´s Christmas time. Dean Martin, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Ella, Frank Sinatra,…

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

NS: – Hopefully I bring a little joy to the people.

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

NS: – To be in minton´s playhouse may 8, 1941 would be quite a thrill. Charlie Christian did his famous live recording that evening/night.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan

Interpret "Norbert Schneider Trio" | HIGHRESAUDIO

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