Q&A: John Goldsby

By Mat Herron

LEO: How has living in Germany affected the way you look at jazz as an art form? Do you find any classic German compositions or techniques creeping into the music you play?
John Goldsby: Living in Germany has given me the opportunity to explore my music in a very artistic, non-commercial way. I played a lot of great music when I was in New York, but there was always a pressure to make ends meet—take every job, and basically be "on call" 24 hours a day. Europeans have a very balanced approach to life—and the art is a reflection of the lifestyle. I've grown to appreciate this attitude, and I think it has played a large part in my growth as a musician in the last 13 years.
In Germany, most audiences think of jazz as concert music. Most musicians here are well-schooled in classical music first, and then learn jazz. Since living here, I have studied some with classical bass players, and I have to say that their standard of playing is very, very high. It's inspiring to me, and I try to filter this energy from the great classical tradition through my own perspective as a jazz player.

LEO: On your site, you talk about how WDR has a broader scope than PBS in the United States. Can you elaborate?
JG: In Germany, each of the regions has its own radio and TV station. These "public" TV stations are funded by a mandatory tax -- the radio and TV tax, which every resident has to pay if they have any kind of radio, television set, or even an internet-accessible computer. After World War II, it was written in the German Constitution that these public radio and TV stations were legally obliged to provide news and cultural programming for the citizens. This is why most of the stations started and still maintain their own musical ensembles—at the WDR (the Westdeutscher Rundfunk), there is a full-time jazz big band, choir, symphony orchestra and radio orchestra—about 220 musicians on staff full-time. The mission of the public radio and TV stations is to to provide unbiased access to news and culture, producing many of the programs and concerts in-house, and outsourcing many of the productions to freelance groups. These musical ensembles play hundreds of concerts every year—mostly in the broadcast region, but also outside of this region or outside of Germany. There are about 18 million people in the North-Rhein Westphalia (NRW) area of Germany that is serviced by the WDR Radio and TV.
The PBS stations in the U.S. are funded by donations from private individuals as well as larger donations from corporations and charitable trusts—plus a tiny bit of government money. The German system might be a little more fair in the long run—everyone has to pay ... but the news is de-centralized and non-commercial, the culture is produced locally, and with a high standard. There is so much funding for the arts, dance, music, theater—which gives artists a chance to really stretch out and be creative without having to worry about something selling a lot commercially. There is a friendly competition between the different regions to produce the best programming and concerts.


LEO: In last October's Bass Player Magazine, you wrote, upon seeing Christian McBride, Ray Brown and John Clayton in Germany, that they reinforced everything you believe about the "the jazz tradition and progression of techniques and information from generation to generation." What are your beliefs with respect to those two aspects?
JG: I wrote that article actually after Christian, Ray and John performed with the WDR Big Band several years ago (mid-'90s). I had the great honor of performing alongside them—a true highlight for me.
Here is a video clip of the WDR Big Band (I'm playing bass on the ensemble sections) with Ray Brown, John Clayton and Christian McBride (Superbass!) out front: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1r5ib_superbass-blue-monk_music
In my eyes, Ray Brown was a real connection to the founding fathers of jazz bass playing, like Jimmy Blanton (Duke Ellington Band, 1939-41) and Oscar Pettiford (the legendary bebop bassist w/ Charlie Parker, Bud Powell and many others). John Clayton is several years older than me and was a student of Ray Brown's. Christian McBride is a young, 30-something virtuoso bassist whose idols are Ray Brown and James Brown, among others. Seeing these three guys working together was an affirmation of everything I believe about learning and mastering jazz, which I think was summed up in three words by trumpet great Clarke Terry: imitate, assimilate, innovate. Ray inspired John, and Christian, who listened to Ray, who was in turned inspired by the youngsters, who … well, you get the picture. I always tell my students: When you hear someone you like, do not copy them—copy the players that they listened to . . .

LEO: On your website, you namecheck Mark Twain and George Orwell. What sort of effect(s) have those writers had on you and why?
JG: Well, the Mark Twain quote applies to jazz musicians, and how we have to practice and practice to get to the point that we can be spontaneous:
“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
The Orwell quote pertains to our current situation, where I keep hearing declarations of victory and progress:
“The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.”

LEO: Who, in your opinion, are the most progressive jazz players working today?
JG: There are so many — One reason I am coming to Louisville is to record with two brilliant local players, Jason Tiemann and Jacob Duncan at the Nachbar in Germantown on Feb. 27. I think these guys are fantastic, and I’m really looking forward to making some groovy, yet cutting-edge music with them.
On the American scene at the moment, I also like Jonathan Kreisberg, the guitarist. Chris Potter keeps making great CDs; Dafnis Pietro, the drummer is pretty amazing … I think I could go on forever taking about the cats I like. On the European scene, I had the pleasure of performing recently with Francesco Cafiso, who is an 18-year-old alto player from Sicily. He's absolutely amazing.

John Goldsby will perform next week as part of the University of Louisville's Jazz Fest. For more information, check out www.louisville.edu