Interview with Daniel Delorenzo: Currently music is greatly influenced by the technology: Video

Jazz interview with jazz guitarist Daniel Delorenzo. An interview by email in writing. 

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

Daniel Delorenzo: – I grew up in central North Carolina, in a house that was always full of music. I think most of my interest in music developed from it always being played in our home growing up.

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

DD: – I think “my sound” is a constant evolution that grows with my practice and experience. My voice with the instrument is both the same as it ever was, and constantly changing.  I imagine it’s a process that never really ends but it will grow with me. As long as I’m playing authentically and being true to my musical sensibilities I think my voice will grow  with each project or record I’m working on. For now I’m very interested in having complex musical expression come from very simple situations.

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

DD: – Rhythm and “feel” are the most important part of any performance to me. It’s really challenging to make a song feel great even if you play all the right notes. Rhythm is where the life and nuance is. Just being aware of that in my practice helps me focus attention on it. Arranging and improvising solo guitar performance has been a huge help in developing that “feel” and rhythm.

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

DD: – Finding balance in making a living and also having creative output can be challenging.  Making sure that I’m steadily moving on to new creative projects is the most helpful thing I can do to make sure I’m growing my craft.

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

DD: – I don’t really like comparing music to spirituality. I love to play and improvise music, the more hours in a week I spend tapping into that creative process the more freely it flows for a performance.

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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?

DD: – I feel my sound is constantly evolving. I want any record, performance, or creative endeavor I undertake to have it’s own voice. I think if I’m being true to the moment it tends to force evolution.

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

DD: – These are things I don’t really think about. I think sincerity is the most important quality of music. If you love it and believe in it that’s the only balance you need to strike.

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

DD: – My music only bends to one person and that’s me. I think if I were to make decisions from a creative standpoint of what I think an audience would want it would be a failure of integrity on my part.

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

No memories?

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

DD: – I think the best thing we can do is feed the art form. Support jazz, support up and coming players, support new music releases, encourage live performance and practice. Make new music, encourage others to do the same!

I think the reason 50’s era jazz is considered the “golden age” is partly due to the balance of performers and recording technology. The recording technology sounded great, but did not have as much of an influence on the method of performance. Currently music is greatly influenced by the technology we use to create it. That’s a tough environment for music that is based on a live performance. I think fostering appreciation for the performance aspect, in addition to the production aspect of music helps form appreciation for performed music like jazz.

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

DD: – Be sincere, have integrity, and be true to yourself. If you express yourself through music uphold those same sensibilities in what you create.

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

DD: – More equitable distribution of the money made from musicians output.

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

DD: – I’ve been listening to a lot of Bola Sete, and Baden Powell!

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

DD: – I thought this was pretty neat! Check it out!

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

No answer?

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

DD: – In today’s music distribution environment, how do we have our voice heard?

JBN: – Collaborate with Media you have no experience with and you do not understand its usefulness!!! Sample, please see here: http://jazzbluesnews.com/2021/04/28/andreashertel/

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

DD: – I’m excited for future output, I’ve got a lot of coals in the fire and I’m ready to start the next project!

Interview by Simon Sargsyan