Interview with Pablo Ziegler: We should always follow where our soul takes us to: Video

Jazz interview with jazz pianist and composer, the musician who is the owner of the 60th GRAMMY winner for Best Latin Jazz Album Jazz Tango Pablo Ziegler. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.Space: – Dear Mr. Ziegler, first we congratulate you once again for the owner of the 60th GRAMMY winner for Best Latin Jazz Album Jazz Tango. Does it oblige you to do something?

Pablo Ziegler: – Thank you. I’ve been doing what I do including composition and piano since I was 4 years old. My mission as a composer is to keep pushing the boundaries of music genre and exploring new destiny of my music.

JBN.S: – How does a jazz musician feel after rewarding the 60th GRAMMY winner for Best Latin Jazz Album Jazz Tango?

PZ: – It’s a great honor and I’m delighted to receive the award. Even great musicians sometimes feel that all the effort they’re putting every day is rarely recognized or almost invisible. This kind of award gives me the chance to feel that I might have done something that people can enjoy. It gives me a tremendous joy and more energy and inspiration to create something new.

PZ: – For me, this is not just about me getting an award but I’m happy because my music was recognized as part of Latin Jazz which has been represented by the beautiful Caribbean jazz for many years. Argentina is far south but we’ve finally arrived after a long trip! I hope the audience get to experience a different world of Latin jazz through my music.

This tells about the power of jazz music that can penetrate in a country like ours and I’m glad to have been able to come to this point where my love for jazz and the music from Buenos Aires made a real marriage.

JBN.S: – Grammy rewarded musician in jazz many concerts today or an invitation to jazz festivals?

PZ: – Winning a Grammy Award doesn’t give you a direct flight to the jazz festivals or jazz clubs. (I wish it were like that!) It’s really a great honor and I’m sure it helps to gain some visibility in the industry. So far, I’ve been receiving more invitation to perform at jazz festivals and venues in Europe and Asia.

To be honest, not too much are happening in the US so far. It has never been easy to enter the American jazz world playing my music or jazz tango. Now that my music became part of Latin Jazz, I hope it will give me more chance to perform for the audience in the US.

Historically, every time when even a small change happens in the music history, it always provoked a friction or resistance. That’s what happened to Piazzolla and even to Bebop.

JBN.S: – What do you love most about your new album 2018: <Solo>, how it was formed and what you are working on today.

PZ: – My fans probably know that I enjoy a musical conversation with my musicians through improvisation. So, this is quite different project compare to all the previous albums I released because I’m the only voice in this album. The most challenging part was to try to translate all of my orchestration or the arrangements for my band just with a single instrument. At the same time, I enjoyed the process of this new discovery within my music. I’m still working on expanding the improvisation around these pieces I recorded in this album.

JBN.S: – Why this year Solo or maybe there will be something else that kind of trio or …

PZ: – The solo piano project has been requested for long time. Probably more than 20 years… But I was never convinced until now. Many people have encouraged me including a president of Sony, my producer from Steinway and Sons and musician friends and finally decided to record this album. This is the first time that I felt it was the right moment to do this recording with a collaboration of Steinway and Sons. Through this project, I was able to find a different side of myself and I hope the audience will enjoy this intimate conversation of myself with the piano.

JBN.S: – Which are the best jazz albums for you of 2017 year?

PZ: – I like the album “Reborn” by Billy Childs.

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

PZ: – A musician shouldn’t think when we’re composing or performing. If you start thinking, it will lose the authenticity. We should always follow where our soul takes us to.

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

PZ: – In every concert, we have some interesting stories. I’m a gourmet hunter and whenever I go on tour, I try what’s best food in town. I have so much recipes I collected through years. My Japanese wife and I cook together very international repertoires. We love to taste food from different tour in different countries to bring back good memories to home.

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

PZ: – I would be very happy if I can focus just on my composition and performance without dealing with the business side of this world.

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

PZ: – I really love my current life. I’m finally with my love of my life and I’m full of inspiration for composition. It should only get better. So, going back to the past is not my option. I always look forward and never look back. Maybe I want to see 100 years from now just because I’m fascinated by the advance of music and technology.

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

PZ: – Okay. Let me ask myself what my dream is… I want to composer more and more! I’m interested in composing for theatre, ballet, opera, anything that inspire me.

JBN.S: – Thank you for answers.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan