'One musician who really inspired me as far as phrasing
goes was the trumpet player Clifford Brown - I really learnt a lot
from him. To me, the way he played eigthth notes with a jazz feel is
still the model way of playing. It's a difficult thing to do on the
guitar and I think we have a lot of similarities with trumpet players
and brass players - tonguing and picking are very closely related and
I would definitely recommend that people listen to him.
'Ornette Coleman is also very inspiring, not only for what he played
but also for the deep seach for individuality that he went through
and I guess even now he's still evolving his style. [Ornette Coleman
wrote the soundtrack for the film 'The Naked Lunch'.] I really love
the fact that he would only accept original ideas from himself. He
really searched to develop his own vocabulary and never immitated
anyone else. He built his own music from the ground up which I find
more inspiring than anything he actually played although what he
played is pretty impressive to!
'I've always been a big fan of Steve Reich [American so-called
'minimalist' composer] and the day he called me to ask if I would
play on 'Electric Counterpoint' I was so excited, even just to speak
to him! The process of working on that piece was really interesting
'cause I had never really hung out with a composer - most of the
people I've worked with have been tune writers or jazz guys. With
Steve, every single note had to be accounted for - and it's not
always like that, you know!
'Milton Nascimento is one of my favourite musicians of all time. He's
right up there with the Beatles and Stevie Wonder - just one of the
best. His two record set 'Clube da Esquina' [available
on EMI CD] - it means 'corner club' - is to me one of the greatest
albums ever made by anyone in any style.
'And of course, with guitarists I would have to recommend Wes
Montgomery and Jim Hall if someone doesn't already know them - to me
I sound so much like those guys it's almost embarrassing! The
'Question and Answer' record is so much of a Jim Hall kind-of-a-thing
that I almost feel like I should send him royalties!
'With the Wes Montgomery influence, I don't play in octaves and I
don't use my thumb 'cause I think it would be disrespectful to do so
- I don't like people who do blatant imitations. The thing about Wes
for me is that he was one of the few improvisers on the guitar who
could really make it sing. He could play melodies and develop ideas
that last for long periods of time - he didn't just play a bunch of
short phrases. Everything he played really connected together and had
a flow to it. That quality is very inspiring to me and I think you
can hear that in my playing on 'Spring Ain't Here' from 'Letter from
Home'.'
This interview was originally published in 'The Guitar
Magazine', Vol 2 No 5, August 1992.
Copyright Douglas J Noble 1992