• See also:
|
Excerpt from Interview with Sam Butera |
R/S: Do you have any advice for musicians? SAM BUTERA: To find work today is difficult. If they want to get work, they better know how to sight-read, and itÕs not easy. I would say, if a young cat is coming up, if he gets an opportunity, ÒBe ready!Ó And donÕt say, ÒOh, gee.Ó No, say, ÒPut it out there and IÕll read it.Ó R/S: What about with contracts? SB: All you gotta do is read it! DonÕt sign nuthinÕ without reading it — thatÕs all I can tell you. If you donÕt understand it, take it to somebody who can explain it. Pay a few dollars. Then you wonÕt get in trouble. Be ready and be prepared! Somebody gives you a job, man, just walk in there and donÕt be afraid. R/S: When you were young, you engaged in Òcutting contestsÓ with other players— SB: Oh yeah. IÕd go look for jam sessions and musicians to challenge. ÒYou got another saxophone player — IÕm gonna cut him a new ass, man!Ó And I was prepared; IÕd go look for them muthas. That helped me develop as a player — absolutely it gave me confidence in myself and my playing. R/S: Maybe cutting contests will come back— SB: [doubtfully] I donÕt know. R/S: You pioneered a genre which combined Rhythm & Blues, rock ÕnÕroll, Dixieland, and also personality—on-stage— SB: And it all comes together and thatÕs what people enjoy. ItÕs a broad scope of music. People donÕt wanna be pushed with the same bullshit. R/S: Your music appeals to all ages, from little kids to senior citizens. Whereas if you played music like Charlie Parker, only a few would understand— SB: Yes. An isolated group of people like Charlie Parker; mostly musicians. The average layman didnÕt understand what he was playing, because he never played the melody. There you go. Even today you got cats coming out with stuff that my wife or the average layman doesnÕt understand, even though heÕs playinÕ fantastic. R/S: You emerged at a time when a number of saxophone players were coming out with a very thick, almost distorted tone— SB: I enjoyed the playing of cats like Illinois Jacquet; heÕs one of the guys I learned a few things from. Coleman Hawkins — I loved the way he played. I listened to Charlie Parker a lot, I listened to Lester Young and Wardell Gray. I listened to so many guys, man, itÕs hard to say, ÒI like this guy better.Ó Because each guy plays different; they got their own style. You canÕt say, ÒHe plays better than him,Ó because thatÕs the way he plays. I play the way I play. And thatÕs it. R/S: But that wonderful, thick tone— SB: Well, you see . . . [chuckles] Let me tell ya something about that sound. When I was a kid and went to this music store for a mouthpiece, the salesman said, ÒThis just came in from England.Ó I said, ÒLet me try it.Ó I went ÒToot!Ó and said, ÒThatÕs it!Ó IÕve played it ever since. ThatÕs the sound I wanted to hear. That completely changed my tone, and thatÕs the truth. R/S: What sax do you play? SB: A Selmer Mark V or Mark VI — I canÕt remember. But it ainÕt the sax — the mouthpiece is the thing. R/S: There are people who play a million notes in one minute like Charlie Parker, whereas your sax solos sound more like the human voice— SB: My approach to jazz is to create something that people can understand. I can play far out, but I donÕt because I know they want to hear something they can relate to. I play a lot of melodic things. ThatÕs what I feel in my heart, so thatÕs what I play. I canÕt explain how I create these things; it just comes out. When youÕre playing jazz you canÕt go, ÒWell, IÕm going to play this; IÕm going to play that.Ó No — itÕs gotta happen. You canÕt plan. And thatÕs it. R/S: Do you almost go into a trance state? SB: Oh yeah. Yessir. But you gotta be playing with good musicians —
thatÕs Number One. If you donÕt have good players, then forget about it!
|
|
Other excerpts from Swing! The New Retro Renaissance:
|
|
|