John Hughes - Sunday Interview

Photo by Cristina Marx/Photomusix

1.  What is your greatest joy in improvised music?
   
   Joy is subjective. I hope to experience joy in life, on a daily basis. The idea of feeling any emotion in the present tense is contradictory to what I hope to share and experience in a free improvised musical setting. If I were to name one attribute of music-making which I find particularly rewarding, it would be the shared experience. That hopefully transcends any singular perception of joy, any emotion, or triggered reaction. It is that myriad of thought and feeling balling together and unraveling, not from any singular person or source, but from everyone present who is engaged in the moment, (audience members included!) which seems to be most palpable in free improvised concerts and events.
   
   
2. What quality do you most admire in the musicians you perform with?
   
   There is no single quality or characteristic which every musician I work with shares. I'm extremely grateful to have met very distinct individuals, each of whom seems to be saying something in a unique voice. All of the musicians, who I make a concerted effort to continue working with, are extremely dedicated to what they are doing.
   
   
3. Which historical musician/composer do you admire the most?
   
   Sun Ra
   
   
4. If you could resurrect a musician to perform with, who would it be?
   
   Rolf Pifnitzka. Rolf was one of the first musicians I met after moving to Hamburg, and we played together - sometimes on a regular basis, other times sporadically - over many years. Rolf was unpredictable, full of energy, and could be extremely provocative - in the truest sense of the word. Our last band together was Piho Hupo, with Jörg Hochapfel and Chad Popple. I would love to play one last, very long, concert together with Piho Hupo.
   
   
5. What would you still like to achieve musically in your life?
   
   Thankfully, I don't feel the need to get "better" at being myself. I'm fortunate enough to work with so many musicians that I don't ever feel like I stop learning. I'd like to be able to pay my bills, debts, still have the liberty of having a day off now and then, and even be able to take the odd trip back home every other year. I'm grateful for time to practice the double bass, so that's definitely a benefit of not having too many "gigs". The downside is the precariousness of my financial situation, which can be a bit taxing.
   
   
6. Are you interested in popular music and - if yes - what music/artist do you particularly like?
   
   For some reason, most popular music I gravitate to is either from another time or another place. I have a few students who keep me engaged in the search; sometimes they need to learn some song, and I'd prefer to give them something I don't know yet, so we can share the learning experience. I had the great pleasure of working in Hamburg with musicians from Brazil and Syria, also playing popular music. I have been enjoying internet radio from around the world, but I don't search for any particular artist, more for different countries or regions. The radio in the kitchen here is on in the morning, but nine times out of ten, I couldn't tell you who is singing.
   
   
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
   
   I'd like to own a German driver's license. A driver’s license costs more than 3000 Euros here. Truly, a privilege reserved for the wealthy. I got my NY driver's license in... I think 1988, for 30$.
   
   
8. Which of your albums are you most proud of?
   
   I'm happy the new Gravelshard CD has been released. It was a lot of work and a huge collective investment on the part of my bandmates! I still like the duo with Alberto Braida on Broken Research, which is quite old in terms of free music (2004). There have been more releases in the last few years that I'm also grateful to have been a part of, and I even started a Bandcamp page in hopes of reaching more listeners.
   
   
9. Once an album of yours is released, do you still listen to it? And how often?
   
   If it's an album I've released myself, I've probably heard it many, many times in order to get the sound right. I'm grateful to work with an excellent and opened-minded engineer here. Once an album is finally released, I back away from it for some time, maybe even years. If a friend is staying the night here, I may play them something current; or maybe we'll just trade CDs and I'll add theirs to my stockpile.
   
   
10. Which album (from any musician) have you listened to the most in your life?
    
    There are a few albums, tapes, and CDs which have had a hypnotizing effect on me. "Reign in Blood" by Slayer; "Double Nickels on the Dime" by the Minutemen, "The Complete Genius of Modern Music" the Blue Note 4 CD box set of Thelonious Monk. I once spent an entire summer listening to "The Trance of Seven Colors" (Maleem Mahmoud Ghania & Pharoah Sanders) every day, after work, on my balcony in Baltimore. It's hard to say which album I've heard most, but I'd guess the double album release of "Angels and Demons at Play / The Nubians of Plutonia" by Sun Ra & His Myth Science Arkestra. It was one of those rereleases that came out on Evidence in the early 90's featuring two of the original Saturn LPs on a single CD format. That was the first one I found and I was mesmerized by what I heard.
    
    
11. What are you listening to at the moment?
    
    The birds in our garden. Last night, I just listened to Mars Williams and Vasco Trilla's excellent duo CD "Critical Mass". One from the stockpile. It's always tragic to find out about a crucial artist after they've left this plane of existence. Such is it with Mars! His playing on Critical Mass is intense, and he's moving from instrument to instrument in a completely natural manner. The level of communication and flow with Vasco is transcendent.
    
    
12. What artist outside music inspires you?
    
    Any artist who continues to make art, despite the hardships of life, and isn't hateful or hurtful is inspirational. Nature is inspiration. The wind. The sea. Trees. Unfortunately, I haven't been to a museum in a while, but have spent time recently visiting my friend Rüdiger Tillmann's exhibitions; whose illustrations of forests inspired the cover art of the Gravelshard release. Rüdiger's meticulous attention to detail is remarkable.
    
    

 John Hughes on the Free Jazz Blog:

• Frank Paul Schubert, Olaf Rupp, Lothar Ohlmeier - Entropy Hug (Not Applicable, 2024)
• Lina Allemano - Canons (Lumo Records, 2023)
• Ove Volquartz, Gianni Mimmo, Peer Schlechta & John Hughes - Cadenza Del Crepuscolo (Amirani, 2023)
• Andrew Raffo Dewar, John Hughes, and Chad Popple - Reflejos IV-VII (Waveform Alphabet, 2023)
• Two new releases by guitarist Olaf Rupp
• Piho Hupo - Foump (Indigo, 2014) ****