"Questions, Questions..."

A series of interviews with the members of The Latin Jazz Discussion List. All the questions were submitted by other members of the group, their peers. Each artist was given a number of questions with the option of answering as many as they wished. Further discussion with the artist in this forum is invited...

Today's Subject:

Kevin Moore
Santa Cruz CA,
www.picadillo.com/gitano/links,
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/177/orquesta_gitano.html

-Played violin with Francisco Aguabella in 1986 or so
-Produced "Salsa Gitana" for Orquesta Gitano in 1998
-Went to Cuba, lost mind, and became timba-freak from 1999 to present

Q: "Tell us a little about your childhood - where were you born and raised?"

In Los Angeles, CA... went through phases studying rock (Beatles, Steely Dan, etc.), then jazz (Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Miles, etc.) then classical music, then timba... have spent most of my life following one musical obsession or the other... play violin and enough keyboard to do arrangements.

Q: "Who was the most influential person in your life that affected you, and your decision to become an artist?"

A music teacher named Merv Kennedy, who made me realize I could write original material.

Q: "When did you first fall in love with Latin music, or when did you first choose Latin music as a career path? Can you remember which band or artist turned you on?"

I placed an ad: "Electric violinist looking for fusion or blues band" in 1984. The only guy who called me had a salsa band and ask me to transcribe a chart for the Fania All-Stars' Ublabadu. By the time I was able to write out the piano and bass tumbaos I was hooked. I wanted to add more harmonic and songwriting content, which led to Salsa Gitana, and then when I heard Charanga, Manolín, Issac, Paulito, Los Van Van etc., something snapped for me and I can think of little else at this particular moment in time.

Q: "What piece or pieces of music made the most impact on you and why?"

The Beatles late work, the early Yellowjackets, early Lester Young, early Charlie Parker; Miles Davis of the early 60's and late 80's, late Mozart, late Beethoven, late Schubert, Bartok, Brahms, Earth Wind & Fire,
Elvis Costello. In Latin, Fania's "Ublabadu", Ruben's "Todos Vuelven", and Libre's "Malanga" had the most impact until timba. Don't get me started on timba! "Soy Todo", "La Vida Sin Esperanza", "No Me Mires a Los Ojos", "Y San Toma Qué", "Yo No Quiero Que Mi Novia Sea Santera"... no... don't get me started.

Q: "Who's an artist you think more people should be aware of..."

Iván "Melón" González and Alain Pérez...piano, bass and arrangements for the classic Issac Delgado group of 1997.

Q: "At what hour of the day are you most productive and why?"

Early morning at late night

Q: "Are you a song writer?"

Yes.

Q: "What kind of things do you do to inspire your writing?"

I lay the parts into the computer one at a time and listen to them slowly while dragging notes around by ear.

Q: "What things do you practice day to day?"

I'm currently trying to learn timba montunos on piano and marchas and bloques on traps...both in slow motion for arranging purposes. I also try to play the tumbao in the left hand against the montuno in the right.

Q: "What music do you listen to when you are relaxing?"

At this point, timba and Earth, Wind and Fire. Ironically, I was submerged in Charlie Parker and Lester Young when EWF came out and it was the timba guys who hipped me to them.

Q: "If you have children what kind of musical education have you given them or do you intend to give them?"

If I had kids I'd make sure they learned English, Spanish, piano and some drum patterns before the age of 6...fortunately for them, I'm not planning on having any.

Q: "What does the music you play do for you, emotionally, spiritually, socially, whichever-other-ly?"

Music gives me a reason to live.

Q: "What changes or landmarks in your life can you attribute to the music you play?"

First trip to Cuba in 1999.

Q: "What one CD of those you have recorded would you keep if the others were forever lost??!!"

Well, of the two, I'd keep Salsa Gitana.

Q: "What one CD of someone else's would you keep if all others were lost??!!"

"Exclusivamente Para Cuba" by Issac Delgado, with Melón on piano and Alain Pérez on bass...released in the US as "Rarities" on the RMM Forbidden Cuba series.

Q: "Name an all-star band of your favorite musicians (and arrangers)."

TIMBA:
piano: Melón, Tirso Duarte, Rolando Luna, Sergio Noroña
bass: Alain Pérez, Joel Domínguez, Pedro Pablo, Rafael Monzón
batería: Joel Paez, Roicel Riverón, Reinier (of Manolín)
conga: Tomás Cruz
bongó: Carlos Caro
timbales: José Miguel
trumpet: Alexander Abreu
saxophone: Juan Ceruto
teclado: Yusef Díaz
vocalists: Issac, Mayito, Roberto Guayacán, Sixto "El Indio" Llorentes
arrangers: Ceruto, Joaquín Betancourt, Alain Pérez, Melón, Juan Carlos
González, Piloto
songwriters: Juan Formell, Cesar Pedroso, El Tosco, Paulito/Ceruto,
Manolín/Luis Bú, Issac Delgado, Antonio Pérez Fonseca.

LATIN JAZZ:
piano: Rolando Luna
bass: Carlos del Puerto
conga: Anga
batería: I'd really like to hear Joel Paez play Latin jazz

Q:"What musicians would you most like to play with, now living on earth or elsewhere?"

All of the above.

Q:"What band or musicians would you have wanted to play with from the past and why?"

The Miles Davis group of the late 80's because of their dynamic range (ability to play very quietly with full intensity).

Q:"Are critics important?"

They can be very helpful in helping the public cut through the sea of available music, but they have to be taken with a grain of salt!

Q: "If you had to choose a short segment (a few bars) from your work to represent you, which would it be?"

On "Salsa Gitana", track 10, Poeta, from the end of the guitar solo on into track 11.

Q: "One piece of advice for musicians".

Keep grinning.

Q: "One piece of advice for listeners (or dancers)".

75% of your musical experience is in your own head and has nothing to do with what you're listening to...keep that carefully in mind when choosing the other 25%.

Credits:
Allan Johnston - format questions
Eliseo Cardona - translations

Lea esta entrevista en Español visite www.anapapaya.com