Jazz interview with jazz Amsterdam Big Band bandleider en arrangeur Simon Lutz. An interview by email in writing. He is my namesake, but a musician who rarely speaks or is uninteresting.
JazzBluesNews.Space: – First let’s start with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music?
Simon Lutz: – Switzerland, my parents, mother sang in a choir father played violin.
JBN.S: – How did your sound evolve over time? What did you do to find and develop your sound?
SL: – We started out playing traditiona Big Band arrangemenets, Count Basie the lot, then I got interested in Dutch music.
JBN.S: – What practice routine or exercise have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical ability especially pertaining to rhythm?
SL: – I don’t have a routine.
JBN.S: – How to prevent disparate influences from coloring what you’re doing?
SL: – Difficult, I’ve got a busy life teaching, writing music and the hobbys demand their time as well.
JBN.S: – What’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?
SL: – A good song has to apply to both, It has to touch you in your heart and mind.
JBN.S: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; you’re okay with giving the people what they want?
SL: – Not always, I think as an artist you follow a certain path and you’ll find the audience that follows the same path.
JBN.S: – Please any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?
SL: – Oh too many to write down, One of our dearest band members (Bart Lust) died last year, we dedicated the album to him as well.
JBN.S: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?
SL: – Write new ones!
JBN.S: – John Coltrane said that music was his spirit. How do you understand the spirit and the meaning of life?
SL: – Music gets into you on a subconscios level, if I’m happy I sing while walking down the street.
JBN.S: – If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?
SL: – Break the power of the big firms.
JBN.S: – Who do you find yourself listening to these days?
SL: – Lot’s of Dutch music.
JBN.S: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really wanna go?
SL: – I’d like to go back 10 years and start on the project.
JBN.S: – I have been asking you so far, now may I have a question from yourself…
SL: – Would you as a parent think that music is more important than sport for your child?
JBN.S: – So – so …
JBN.S: – So putting that all together, how are you able to harness that now?
SL: – With difficulty, it would be nice to have some help…
Interview by Simon Sargsyan
