Interview with jazz guitarist Simone Gubbiotti. 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?

Simone Gubbiotti: – I grew up in Perugia, Italy which is a relatively small city between Rome and Florence. I didm’t have any interest in music until the age of 25 when I found out to have a classical guitar that was totally forgotten.

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It happened during a deep depression and basically it saved my life working as a therapy so I can’t say music was really a choice. Then I simply followed the passion without thinking about making a living or seeing it as a job. It simply happened going on in a natural way.

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

SG: – I always tried to be myself on the instrument. I am a self-taught so it was a long and hard process to resolve a series of issues but now I feel I did a good job. I trust my feelings especially with the tone of the instrument without listening to much to the suggestions around me. Sound and tone are pretty personal. But again, I just try to be truth to myself.

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

SG: – Concerning the rhythm I developed a method to improve the creativity expanding the rhythmic vocabulary through the use of different accents. It’s inspired by drums. For the rest I don’t have a specific routine but sometimes I spend more time on specific arguments.

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

SG: – Oh yes, a lot! At the beginning I couldn’t play fast tempo so I developed a great sense of melody and during the years I had to fix a lot of things with my articulation. To make a long story short I would say that my evolution took me to be a more contemporary guitarist than mainstream.

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

SG: – I think it’s putting our experience into the music with all the aspects. We practice and play with a dose of intellect (at least I guess) and we have to be able to mix our emotions into the process. Pain, happiness, nostalgia or whatever without being scared.

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

SG: – I do that all the times.

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

SG: – I don’t think the problem is the age of the tunes but the music those kids listen today. It’s even difficult to attract them playing an instrument today. I don’t have an answer but maybe it’s about culture or curiosity.

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

SG: – The meaning I try to perceive is being a better human being through the music despite my limits and defects. Music is basically a collateral effect and I truly believe, as a musician, I have to give more than a show or notes.

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

SG: – I would chance a certain dose of prejudice when we have to discover a new artist. There is too much attention to the marketing side which often doesn’t match the quality of an artist. It would be giving a chance and being more open.

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

SG: – Many artists. Jonathan Kreisberg is definitely an influence but I still stay a lot with Bill Evans and Jim Hall. As a journalist I listen to many new records and proposal from every corner of the world and it would be a really long list.

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

SG: – Oh … probably at my 15 when I didn’t want to go to play football with Perugia, the club of my city. It was a huge mistake. And I could start playing close to the normal moment for a musician.

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/