Sunday, September 29, 2024

Michael Griener - Sunday Interview

Photo by Cristina Marx/Photomusix
 

1. What is your greatest joy in improvised music?

It's only when I improvise on my drums that I completely feel like myself. Playing and improvising is a necessity for me to stay sane. It is my most natural form of expression. What's more, improvising together, you get to know your fellow musicians in a way that would otherwise require a very intense and intimate exchange. The core of your being is revealed without the need for words.

2. What quality do you most admire in the musicians you perform with?

When the musicians have their own unique voice and that these voices are distinctive and not interchangeable. I am interested in virtuosity, but even more in integrity. And I enjoy playing with musicians who enjoy playing (with me). I don't play primarily for the result, but for the joy of playing. There may be other ways to produce good music, like writing scores or putting sounds together on a computer, but that's not what interests me most. Of course, I'm happy if the result of the playing is good music, but playing as such is best when it has no other purpose than playing. As Shelly Manne said: We never play the same thing once.

3. Which historical musician/composer do you admire the most?

That would probably be Duke Ellington. Or maybe Sun Ra? Lester Young? Bach? Ravel? But really anyone who has spent their life making beautiful music. It's not the easiest thing to do.

4. If you could resurrect a musician to perform with, who would it be?

As Jo Jones, one of my favorite drummers, said: "We played who we were at the time. You can't re-create that. You can't copy that. It could only happen once."

I'm quite happy with the musicians I get to play with. And I'm also sure that there are enough living musicians out there that I can have a lot of fun playing with.

So let the dead musicians rest in peace. Besides, meeting your heroes in person isn't always the smartest idea.

5. What would you still like to achieve musically in your life?

To be honest, with my family background, it was highly unlikely that I would ever become a musician, let alone make a living at it. So I'm happy that I got this far. And my biggest wish is that I can continue to play until the end and enjoy it as much as I do now. And maybe one day I will dare to record a solo album to find out what kind of music is left when no one is playing with me.

6. Are you interested in popular music and - if yes - what music/artist do you particularly like

If by popular music you mean what the majority listens to, I'm not particularly familiar with the current state of it. Occasionally, I'll hear something that piques my curiosity, but that's regardless of genre. However, a lot of the music I listen to has been popular at one time or another. One of the things I need in music to enjoy it is a certain rhythmic elasticity. You can call it swing or whatever you want. For me, this rhythmic feeling is not limited to jazz, but is something deeply human. If the rhythm is too rigid, I usually lose interest very quickly.

7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I'm at ease where I am right now. It hasn't been easy to get there, but I feel I’m in a good place now. I have a certain social awkwardness that I sometimes would like to overcome, especially when I see other people fitting in so easily. On the other hand, it means I get to go to bed earlier. That counts for something.

8. Which of your albums are you most proud of?

The first CD I was really responsible for, was a sextet called Proust (with Rudi Mahall and others), which we recorded in 1993 before we moved to Berlin. When Michael Thieke heard it a few years later, he told me that for him it was like the missing link to understand where this Berlin jazz sound was suddenly coming from in the nineties. Another recording from 1992, Pastete Souzeraine was a trio with saxophone and piano, Griener Schweitzer Sudmann. It was the first time I felt like I was making a truly original statement and not just processing material from Max Roach or Paul Lovens. Both recordings still put a smile on my face.

Of my current projects, the four releases of Oùat with Simon Sieger and Joel Grip are very close to my heart. Over the past five years we've built a level of trust that has allowed us to grow beyond what we thought was possible.

9. Once an album of yours is released, do you still listen to it? And how often?

I try not to put out music that I wouldn't want to listen to myself. But since I've usually listened to my music a lot by the time it's released, it can take a while before I want to listen to it again. There is so much beautiful music out there and there are only 24 hours in a day. But sometimes it's nice to put on one of the old recordings to see if you're still in tune with your younger self.


10. Which album (from any musician) have you listened to the most in your life?

The first time I was seriously drawn to music was when I heard Gene Krupa playing "Sing Sing Sing" on the radio at the age of 12. The very next day I went out and bought a Benny Goodman cassette with my allowance. Soon, with the help of the public library, I was listening to Monk, Mingus and Ornette Coleman. So I'd have to say Benny Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, Monk's Music, Blues & Roots and The Shape of Jazz to Come. At that time there was also an Italian vinyl series I Grandi Del Jazz, which you could get for very little money. These were (probably illegal) reissues of great jazz albums from King Oliver to Anthony Braxton. I had dozens of them and they were very helpful. I also listened A LOT to the Boulez edition of Webern's complete works (although I now like other recordings of them much better).

11. What are you listening to at the moment?

At this very moment, Sidney Bechet’s recordings from 1940.


12. What artist outside music inspires you?

Someone like Kurt Schwitters was an early inspiration. On the one hand, in his refusal to limit himself to a single form of expression. On the other, in his (perhaps involuntary) independence from artist groups and cliques. And in his unwavering determination to keep going, regardless of the circumstances. Marcel Duchamp also gave me a lot to think about, even though Beuys thought that Duchamp's silence was overrated. But in general, I am still easily inspired, and not just by artists. 

 

Michael Griener on the Free Jazz Blog:

 

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