A breath Canadian in Favor of Brazilian Music

The saxophonist Jean-Pierre Zanella proof that the cultural exchange between countries contributes to the expansion of the market for Brazilian instrumental music and its dissemination abroad. In Canada, their country of origin, he presented himself in several Brazilian cities in the months of July and August to launch the CD "Zanella Live in Brazil" (Gravatás Records, also producing the series "Indaiá LoJazztics" in Rio, which had Zanella as one of the attractions). The CD was recorded in August 2002 in Sesc Paulista, with the participation of Brazilian musicians and is the fourth saxophonist's career (after the awards Mystic infancy, and Mother Tree Puzzle City).
For its commitment to the Brazilian music show in Canada, Zanella is already considered our ambassador. Altay Veloso, Marcos Valle and Victor Biglione are some of the artists who have already had with him there. Zanella said the ejazz as "discovered" Brazil and how this relationship marked his music.

Ejazz - Do you speak Portuguese and is releasing a live CD recorded in Brazil by a Brazilian stamp. As this relationship began with the country and that reflected in his music?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - It all started when I fell in love with the Mima, my wife, with whom I am married for 16 years. So I immersed in Brazilian culture, because she brought me here in 1988, when I empolguei with the country and the people.
It also found that musicians have become friends since that time. The Brazilian composer Altay Veloso was one of them. From there I started here to interest me more for culture and especially by Brazilian music, although I already knew a little. For example, I knew who was Antonio Carlos Jobim. They also had discovered the Milton Nascimento, but nothing in terms of musical structure or even the Brazilian rhythms.
That I know, playing with musicians from here and wondering. I am very curious and when I hear something that interests me to know what is. And that relationship continues today. Discovering things every day, every one of my meetings: musicians brought new or new.

Ejazz - The band accompanying him in Montreal is with you for some time. And why here? Who are the musicians who accompany this Brazilian tour?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - The band that accompanies me in Montreal is composed of friends a long time. We met some twenty years and are playing together, as they say in English "on and off, that is, from time to time.Play various kinds of gigs - good, great, more or less. It is a pretty cool guys, besides being great musicians.
In Brazil assemble two bands, one in Rio and one in Sao Paulo. The band is made up of the Rio Dario Galante at the piano and piano in Nimirichter Matador, Augusto Mattoso in low and Rafael Barata on drums. The band consists of Sao Paulo Thiago Costa in piano, Ivo Pedro Alcantara Maguinho in low and the battery. He did, however, who set up the band in Sao Paulo.

Ejazz - Montreal tem uma tradição jazzy. Ejazz - Montreal has a tradition jazzy. Um dos motivos é o famoso festival de jazz anual. Como é a cena musical na cidade? One reason is the famous annual festival of jazz. How is the music scene in town? Há novos talentos sendo revelados? There is new talent being revealed? Há muitos lugares para se apresentar? There are many places to make?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - But Montreal has a very strong musical tradition. That comes from the 40s. At that time had many places to play and the city was part of the circuit of jazz. It was like New York. Today, I would say that there are so many places, but we have a festival of jazz that put the city in the first place among those who hold the major festivals in the world. In part, due to the fact that the festival offers more than 350 free concerts on the street. They exited the blocks and assemble several stages.
The sound is rolling without stopping from 12 hours until midnight. This is really the highlight, apart from the great names in jazz are invited every year. We have also high-level musicians: saxophonists, trumpeters, drummers, etc. This is something that nurtures and motivates me to continue studying and improving me as a musician.

Ejazz - You studied at the Eastman in New York. How was the experience there?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - The experience was very nice and offered me the chance to put things in perspective, it would also dispel the myth that I had at that time, that all Americans were a John Coltrane or Michael Brecker's life, with all due respect I have for the United States system.
I made friends with people fairly. And it was through one of them that I just entering the band's Paul Anka.

Ejazz - In their presentations you usually play "What is this Thing Called Life," with which you won the prize for best Socan the composition of jazz in 1998?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - I usually play, yes, because it is technically speaking a good challenge and also the harmony is legal, is wide open. The music is based on the structure of the standard "What is this Thing Called Love". How do I ask a lot of things about life and the meaning of things, arrived at that name there.

Ejazz - How were the recordings of the CD "Live in Brazil? What is your expectation of the launch in the Brazilian market?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - The recording, in fact, it was not planned, because at the beginning we take a dat tape just to have a record of our show in Sao Paulo. After listening to the recording, the staff was very encouraged by the quality of the tape and the band's performance.
Came the idea of making a CD with that. The repertoire is composed of all my songs, compositions that recorded in previous CDs. It has, for example, "Check Jean," "Jelly Fish", among others. As for expectations, we will see. The Gravatás Art and Culture, a company in Rio, became involved with the manufacture and distribution of the disk. Everyone is confident and positive with the product. We believe that there is a market and an audience for instrumental music.
Now let's work and keep the faith in this project, and as they say, 'Who live, you see. "

Ejazz - You did a reading of the works of Villa-Lobos this year in a spectacle on the Amazon Forest, in Montreal. How was that experience?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - I just learn a lot studying the music of Villa-Lobos. For example, learned that he has a certain harmonic pattern which today is in the MPB. The work is beautiful and it really is the merger of Brazilian culture and Europe. My work was based on the book he wrote, "Forest of the Amazon". I made the arrangements for a quintet of jazz and was very nice. Spoiling, my wife, in inviting thought and Satranga Altay Veloso, a Brazilian who lives in Paris for years to come sing the vocal snippets.
I want to shake this project and, who knows, one day bring him here in Brazil. Because besides being a show with songs, instrumental music has a sound and jazz. It is a beautiful blend.

Ejazz - What is being done for the distribution of its three albums in Brazil?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - Unfortunately none is available here. Until then I'll shake and see the possibilities of my record in Canada with some distributors.

Ejazz - Did you keep track of the great names of jazz and pop, like Michel Legrand, Bobby McFerrin and Dione Warwick, among others.What was most striking of these works?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - I believe that any type of work you do becomes a significant thing in your life. The balance will always be positive. I can not think of a particular work, which became so evident, that changed my life. But I learned a lot playing with the big, such as Bob Brookmeyer and Chuck Israels. It was pretty cool, turned into a kind of teacher. Anyway, these unexpected encounters make things significant in the life of each one of us.

Ejazz - You also become a sort of "ambassador of Brazilian music in Canada". How do you evaluate the possibility of these exchanges is intensifying, with more Brazilian musicians are presenting Canadians here and there?
Jean-Pierre Zanella - I became, without wanting to, the ambassador, but what is giving me so much pleasure is to disseminate the Brazilian instrumental music in Canada. This work gives me only good things, such as the possibility of finding out super talented musicians and high level of power and divide that pleasure of playing. I want, that is, we want to continue, as Mima is also involved with this project to disseminate the instrumental music here and strengthen the exchange. I have the good fortune to meet the staff of the Montreal Jazz Festival, and each time I have to PPORTUNITIES to mention or show a group, do not miss the opportunity. The only way to augment this bridge is trying to convey more of the groups here and there in order to disseminate and educate an audience on both sides of the hemisphere.
Credit > Mona Gadelha, ejazz