Interview with jazz saxophonist Daniel Guggenheim. An interview by email in writing. 

JazzBluesNews.com: – First, let’s start out with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music. How exactly did your adventure take off? When did you realize that this was a passion you could make a living out of?

Daniel Guggenheim: – I grew up in Switzerland. My father was listening to music all the time. Even it was classical music, the love for music was born. Started to play piano as a kid, tried trumpet and trombone, and finally at the age of 18 saxophone. Never thought of make my living with something different than music seriously.

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Festivals 2023

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

DG: – Since I believe, the sound comes your own imagination, I had to find a sound that talks to my soul. Listening to the great players like Coltrane, Rollins etc. helps to develop your own imagiation of sound. Some tone exercises are part of my daily practice-routine, like overtones, longtones, intervalls. Not so important but helpful, finding reeds and mouthpiece, that helps you getting closer to what your looking for, but I sound pretty much the same with different settings.

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

DG: – Improvise with different „general ideas“ like long tones, long and short pause, fast notes, or specific rhythmic patters. Practice different triads, arpeggios, harmonic structures and find several ways to get from „here to there“

JBN: – Have you changed through the years? Any charges or overall evolution? And if so why?

DG: – Of course there is a constant evolution, but that does’t mean you’re somebody different tomorrow.

There could be talk or advertising about your CD

JBN: – In your opinion, what’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

DG: – In the best moments it’s the soul or spirit that plays. Or in other words the music finds its way through the musician. The intellect helps to be prepared for this.

JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; are you okay with delivering people the emotion they long for?

DG: – Most of the time there is a kind of an energy, that comes from the audience. It’s like I can hear them listening to the music. In a way they become to be a part of the creative process. It’s the attention, being in the moment, that creates this energy. So delivering seams to be the wrong word…

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

DG: – There is and always was a lot of jazz, that is influenced by what happens in the world of music beside jazz. Of course the standard tunes are still an important part, especially to learn the jazz language. A good tune stays a good tune. So it’s more about how somebody plays a standard tune.

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

DG: – I’m always looking for spirituality in music. That’s probably the reason why Coltrane is still my favorite. Hard to talk about, because spirit disappears as soon as you try to catch it.

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Festivals 2023

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

????? you don’t have enough intelligence and thinking or you are too cowardly to answer our question about changes.

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

DG: – Yesterday I was listening Elvin Jones with Steve Grossman, Dave Liebman and Gene Perla.

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

DG: – I never heard Coltrane „live“.

JBN: – So far, it’s been me asking you questions, now may I have a question from yourself…

DG: – Very wall!! What is your goal, by writing about music?

JBN: – Let’s change the situation in quality music like Jazz and Blues to our extent, remove the low-quality ones from the field, about which you don’t even have any idea, because you don’t have enough intelligence and thinking or you are too cowardly to answer our question about changes.

Interview by Simon Sarg

Note: https://jazzbluesnews.com/2023/03/19/useu-jazz-blues-association-festivals/ You can express your consent and join our association, which will give you the opportunity to perform at our Jazz and Blues festivals, naturally receiving an appropriate royalty. We cover all expenses. The objectives of the interview are: How to introduce yourself, your activities, thoughts and intellect, and make new discoveries for our US/EU Jazz & Blues Association, which organizes festivals, concerts and meetings in Boston and various European countries, why not for you too!! You can read more about the association here. https://jazzbluesnews.com/2022/11/19/useujba/