Interview with bassist Gerald Cannon. An interview by email in writing.

Dear readers, get to know more about our US/EU Jazz – Blues Festivals and the activities of our US/EU Jazz – Blues Association in the capitals of Europe, we will soon publish program for 2024, enjoy in the August – Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, Sofia, new addreses this year, also in Amsterdam, Budapest.

Jazz Blues: – 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?

Gerald Cannon: – I grew up in Racine Wisconsin. My father Benjamin was a gospel musician and played guitar and he had a gospel quartet with my uncles. Both my parents listened to jazz blues and gospel music My Father bought my first electric bass when I was ten years old after he caught me playing with one of his guitars, which I wasn’t supposed to touch. He asked if I could play, and I said yes he said ok play something and I did and he took me to the local music store and told me to pick out a bass and that was it.

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

GC: – My sound has gotten more refined over the years as well as looser and more creative. I think that exploring chords and progressions and alternat ways to approach bass lines have really helped in understand my voice on the bass.

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Festivals 2023

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

GC: – Yes, I have changed quite a bit over the years. I feel freer to explore rhythmic and harmonic adventures the older I get. The reason why is because I am comfortable in my musical language.

There could be talk or advertising about your CD

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

GC: – It’s a very thin line, to play this music you must study then you have to let go and trust yourself so you can play with soul.

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

GC: – I mean that’s part of being an artist in my opinion we play this music to for the audience to present our musical experiences to the world. People need to experience and see what we feel in real time as well as see our dedication to this artform.

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

GC: – Keep playing them in our own way.

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

GC: – As a kid I played in different Black Baptist churches around the Midwest with my Dad’s gospel groups and I was fortunate to see the power spiritually of music. The congregation would get moved by the singing and the tambourines the rhythm of my father’s guitar and my basslines and drums. Jazz has the same affect on people when being played with honesty I believe.

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

GC: – Nothing!

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

GC: – Vinyl!

JB: – You don’t name other people in your interview so as not to advertise them, you creature, ha, ha, ha … 🙂

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Association 2023

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

GC: – I am happy right where I am now.

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Interview by  Elléa Beauchêne