Interview with Claus Waidtløw: Jazz is a lifestyle: Video

Jazz interview with jazz saxophonist Claus Waidtløw. An interview by email in writing. 

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

Claus Waidtløw: – I grew up in a small town in Denmark, just outside Copenhagen. I started playing Clarinet         in the music school. My first jazz record was Night Train with the Oscar Peterson trio. That record really hit me and I guess that´s where my interest in jazz really started.

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

CW: – Sound is maybe the most important thing on an instrument. Working on my sound is an ongoing process for me. One thing that’s really helped me in the progress of finding my own sound, was spending a lot of time listening to the saxophone players that I liked.

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

CW: – Rhythm is extremely important. To develop my rhythmic ability, I have been working a lot with a metronome. And again, I have spend hours and hours by listening to my favorite players. I would play along with their 1/8 note lines and try to copy their frasing, articulation and feeling.

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

CW: – Over time I think you will devolop your own playing out of everything you have been inspired by. Maybe, if you listen to only one specific player, it could be an issue. If you listen to all kind of different players and styles I am sure you will find your own path and sound.

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

I trying to be as relaxed and focused as possible before going on the stage.

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JBN: – And how did you select the musicians who play on the album?

CW: – It was a longtime dream to do an album with these four gifted musicians. All among the finest and most individual voices on the Danish Jazzscene.

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

CW: – I like when there is some challenge in the music of some kind. But it must never be so challenged or complicated that you loose the feeling and the soul – these factors are the most important in music.

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

CW: – I like to think that if you are honest to yourself and the music, the audience will feel that.

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

CW: – Jazz of today is as present as jazz 50 years ago – many great jazz musicians are mixing jazz with all kinds of music now. They have references to rock and pop in their music and I think that’s one way to get younger people interested in jazz.

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

CW: – For me Jazz is a lifestyle. All I am doing is in a way connected to music and the spirit of Jazz. I could not live my life without it.

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

CW: – That´s a hard question – I don´t know.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan