Interview with Danilo Blaiotta: The soul must be controlled by the intellect: Video

Jazz interview with jazz a bad musician as if pianist Danilo Blaiotta. An interview by email in writing. 

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

Danilo Blaiotta: – I grow up in north of Italy, in a small town on the Maggiore Lake, near Milan. I interested in music first of all as a piano student in classical music, when I was 5, and I delevoped interesting in jazz music at the age of 13.

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

DB: – I studied a lot of classical music. I graduated in conservatoire and studied with Aldo Ciccolini, one of the best classical pianist in the world of the XXI century. With him I studied the french composers of the first half of 1900, and I developed my sound based on Debussy’s compositions. After few years, I mixed that sound with jazz inspiration, particularly inspired by Keith Jarrett’s music.

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

DB: – I studied jazz language starting from the bebop experience. My practice routine include scales, jazz harmony and voicings.. And I practice a lot on standards. About rhythm, I practice many times on odd times and develop different solutions even on a 4/4 or mainstream time.

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

DB: – I’m not worried about influences. Influences are ABC of jazz language.

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

DB: – I feel very relaxed before a performance. I’m not scared of the stage. Stage is life..

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?

DB: – I selected my musicians thinking on their experience in classical music, and their friendship. We all live in Rome, wich is a real music City.

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

DB: – That’s a very hard question. To me, soul is the most important thing in music, but must be controlled by the intellect. If you got a free sound and your intellect become your heart, you won.

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

DB: – No, I’m very happy to give my music to the people. People are happy if you give your soul without limitations. They feel you onesty. They want your onesty.

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

DB: – In classical music, the piano concerto op. 18 of Rachmaninoff. I played it with Ucranian Donetsk’s Symphonic Orchestra – 2009.

In jazz, the italian tour with Logan Richardson and Tommy Crane – 2016.

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

DB: – You have to focus on harmony. In my opinion, harmony is the most important thing in musical’s emotion.

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

DB: – The spiritually is in everything. You can be a spiritual man without gods. Spiritually is in poetry. And poetry is everywhere.

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

DB: – Probably I would to stop the predominance of the majors. It’s the imperialism’s problem.

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

DB: – I’m listening to Kenny Barron’s piano playing. He is wonderful.

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

DB: – There’s not a specifical message. I would be happy if people get emotions with my music.

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

DB: – Absolutely in the 70s.

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

DB: – Probably I want to ask you your 13 question…

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

DB: – Futur is a question mark … But now I feel better!

Interview by Simon Sargsyan