Interview with Blues guitarist INGVAY – Ingo Schmidt. 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?

INGVAY – Ingo Schmidt: – I grew up in Hannover and Frankfurt, started classically with the cello, and eventually picked up the guitar as a self-taught musician. My uncle is also a guitarist and showed me my first blues licks. Bonfires, beach vacations, school bands, and eventually, you naturally want to become a rockstar ;-)… which doesn’t really happen – but the music naturally continued, and eventually became so important that I knew: this is what I want to do.

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

INGVAY: – From singer-songwriter vibes, I’ve moved more towards blues, Americana, and roots rock. I eventually threw away the pick because it brought me closer to the instrument, and then just kept on writing songs. Less conceptual thinking – more often than not, it comes from jams.

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

INGVAY: – The most significant change for me as an artist is a constant maturing process and growing self-confidence, whether it’s in songwriting or as a performer, in musical collaborations, or even in business matters.

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

INGVAY: – During concert-free periods, I usually play freely, and before performances, I focus heavily on the upcoming set during rehearsals. One reason is to achieve a certain naturalness, and the other is to discover new aspects of meaning and expression while deepening the old ones.

JBN: – What do you love most about your new album 2024: INGVAY – One Magic Mile, how it was formed and what you are working on today.

INGVAY: – “One Magic Mile” is a special album. It was recorded in one evening with about 30 fans and friends sitting with us in the recording studio at Magic Mile Music in Hannover – a live-recorded album in studio quality – something I’ve always wanted to do. Currently, I’m getting back into booking and hopefully some great concerts in 2024.

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

INGVAY: – The fellow musicians in our band are not only very skilled and experienced players but above all long-time friends and companions. We’ve all known each other for over 20 years and have experienced a lot together. I’m very grateful for these connections and the trust that comes with musical collaboration.

JBN: – What sort of feedback did you receive after it was released from musicians or your friends and family?

INGVAY: – They all thought it was pretty good 😉

JBN: – Can you share any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions over the years?

INGVAY: – Given the current situation, I’d like to tell you how the aforementioned good collaboration can look specifically with us: I wrote the song “Here we go” shortly before the recording, and we put all the parts together as a band in an “instant arranging” process the day before the recording. Even though my music isn’t really jazz, I love jams and this kind of “freer” collaboration.

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

INGVAY: – It depends on the type of music and the nature of the personality making or listening to the music. Everything is allowed, from purely intellectual to deeply soulful to entirely physical – with as many shades in between as there are people.

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

INGVAY: – I think that ideally happens naturally when the artist and the audience that suits them find each other.

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

INGVAY: – Make good new songs.

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

INGVAY: – Spirit is always, everywhere, and in everything. In an ant as well as in a symphony concert and in each of us. If I can tune into it, I perceive meaning and significance.

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

INGVAY: – I would significantly reduce the ubiquitous, ever-growing need for marketing at all levels.

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

INGVAY: – Little Feat, Bruce Hornsby ….

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

INGVAY: – The classical era around 1800 and again to the 70s.

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

INGVAY: – I want to encourage every person to find and do their thing, no matter what others say.

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

INGVAY: – Yes, very good questions – thank you! Why do you do what you do, what do you want to achieve?

Blues and Jazz are our team life! What the chairman of our board Simon Sarg wanted, he has already achieved, that is to hold jazz festivals in the capitals of Europe and to be surrounded by very good musicians at any time, and about the next step, next time, you will follow the work of the website and you will be informed.

JBN: – Have you ever given a free concert during your entire concert career? At the bottom line, what are your expectations from our interview?

INGVAY: – Yes, I have – for people in need. Regarding our interview, I try to have as few expectations as possible and then I’m all the more pleased with beautiful results 🙂

JBN: – Is there anything that we didn’t talk about that you’d like to discuss?

INGVAY: – Maybe next time – thank you very much!

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Interview by Elléa Beauchêne