Interview with Alexis Valet: I’m just trying to be chill: Video

Jazz interview with as if vibraphonist Alexis Valet. An interview by email in writing. The interview turned out to be very short, because we are dealing with a person who lacks intelligence.

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

Alexis Valet: – I grew up in a small city “Saintes” close to Bordeaux in south ouest of France. I started music at 4 (percussions & drums) and my both parents were listening a lot of music at home.

JBN: – How has your sound evolved over time? What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound?

AV: – I developped my sound transcribing different instruments. I transcribed Coltrane, Bird, Herbie, Chick, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner etc… learning their solos by heart, trying to sound the same even if my instrument is different. That’s the way you develop your own sound.

JBN: – What routine practices or exercises have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical proficiency, in terms of both rhythm and harmony?

AV: – I listen to a lot of music everyday, I learn new standards everyday, playing on my  vibes or my piano everyday, a lot of sessions with other musicians, transcribing everyday etc…

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

AV: – I don’t have special preparation or something, but I’m just trying to be chill.

There could be talk or advertising about your CD

SS: – There were also some intellectual questions here, which the fool deleted and did not answer, he probably did not understand.

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

AV: – Thats senseless, its not about the tune we play, its about the way we play it.  Go to La Gare in Paris, you will see a lot of young people in the audience everyday.

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

AV: – Musicians earning money for what they do.

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

AV: – I’m listening to Myron Walden two first albums, and I digged the whole discography of Jackie McLean this week too.

Interview by Simon Sargsyan