Interview with Jason Seizer: The idea of  soul and intellect are just concepts: Video

Jazz interview with jazz saxophonist Jason Seizer. An interview by email in writing. 

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

Jason Seizer: – I grew up in Stuttgart. Music was integral part of family life, studied classical music playing recorder from age 4 and flute from age 11 until age 22.

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

JS: – I picked up the saxophone at age 21 after having listened to Coltrane’s BALLADS album and am self trained. Sound as “Tone” to me is the inner voice you hear transformed through the instrument you play. To develop a sound on the saxophone you should follow the teachings of Joe Allard or Sigurd Rascher. There is also a good book by David Liebman, where he explains their methods in a very detailed way which is called “Developing a Personal Saxophone Sound” if I remember correctly. The word “Sound” as used in jazz meaning your sound including articulation, timbre, expressing your personal voice on the horn is developed by listening to the great players in the history of jazz, you name them.

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

JS: – Practicing at 60 beats per minute. Whatever you practice, practice at 60 bpm.

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

JS: – Why would you want to prevent that? There are only influences.

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

JS: – Meditation and Yoga helps.

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?

JS: – I do not understand the first word of the question therefore can not answer that, do you want to clear me up on this one? Thanks

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

JS: – The idea of  soul and intellect are just concepts, I try not to think in those terms. Music is a personal experience for the musician and the listener. This experience is being shared without knowing about the other’s experience.

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

JS: – What does the audience want? I am glad if I have the feeling that one person in the audience might go home after a concert of mine and he or she can take something home with them. That can be a good feeling or just a melody.

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

JS: – Too many … remember one session in the early 90’s where Miles was playing in town in Munich and his band joined the session after their gig. I played Mr. PC together with the great Kenny Garrett. What a night. Same thing happened with Wynton Marsalis a couple months later. Munich at that time had a Summer Jazz Festival called Piano Summer and many musicians came after their gigs to the old “Unterfahrt” at Haidenauplatz.

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

JS: – That is a reason by itself.

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

JS: – A few years ago I got into Ashtanga Yoga and that led m to a meditational practice on a daily basis. That helps.

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

JS: – The great Sergiu Celibidache once said: “You can not make music, music happens.”

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

JS: – No one in particular, I recently discovered a singer named Irene Kral.

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

JS: – I guess a couple years ago I would have said in the 1950’s but taking a trip with a time machine would be disappointing so better stay here.

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

JS: – No questions from my end, thanks for your interest and this interview.

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

JS: – All the best to you. Jason

Interview by Simon Sargsyan