Interview conducted by Tomas Peña, October 2010
“If you really want to find a new and exciting saxophonist Figueras is a young musician ready to be discovered.” Doug Simpson, Audiophile Edition (October, 2010)
Introduction: Not long ago I received a promotional copy of the Black Butterflies debut recording in the mail. Intrigued by the striking cover-art, I downloaded the music onto my iPod and listened to the music on the way to and from work. Though I had never heard of the band, nor was I familiar with the artists, the music swept over me like a breath of fresh air. Shortly thereafter I contacted Mercedes Figueras via email and paid her my respects, which led to an exchange of emails and a meeting at a local “Starbuck’s” in Manhattan.
When Mercedes and I met in person the first thought that crossed my mind was, “How is such a small person capable of producing such a LARGE sound?” During the course of my conversation with Mercedes I received the answer to that and many other questions about her life and music. As a music journalist, it gives me great pleasure to lend my support to exceptional new artists who are “under the radar.” Meet Mercedes Figueras and the Black Butterflies, a fresh crop of artists who (I predict) you are going to be hearing a lot from in the years to come.
MF: Yes.
TP: Are there any musicians in your family?
MF: No, my family is not musical, however, my brother and sister liked to sing. My sister took singing lessons.
TP: What prompted you to become a musician, more specifically a saxophonist?
MF: When I was about twelve I taught myself to play the guitar by ear. In the building where I lived there was a guy who played the piano and the saxophone. My sister used to go with his mother to take singing lessons. He didn’t know how to play the guitar, but he offered to teach me the piano or the saxophone. When I saw his saxophone I thought to myself, “Wow! That’s what I want to play!” He played the tenor, but he decided that I should play the alto because I was small and thin. When I asked my parents to buy me a saxophone my father predicted that I would give up in a month. Thankfully, my mother convinced him otherwise. After that I became very serious about learning the saxophone and I enrolled at the Berklee School of Music (Argentina).
TP: At the time how old were you?
MF: I was thirteen or fourteen years old. That’s where I met my mentor, Carlos Lastra, who asked me, “What do you want to learn?” I told him I wanted to improvise!
TP: Like a jazz artist, though I am assuming that you had little to no knowledge of jazz at the time.
MF: To me jazz was Frank Sinatra! Then Carlos gave me a copy of ‘The Very Best of John Coltrane’ and said, “Listen to this.” I listened to that recording so much that I can still sing (and remember) Coltrane’s solos, note for note.
TP: What attracted you to Coltrane’s music?
MF: Mainly his sound.
TP: One of the things that attracted me to the Black Butterflies is your sound. How did you develop such a distinctive sound?
MF: Carlos always told me that sound was the most important thing and I built my sound around that idea. When I perform, record or am in any kind of musical situation I just play myself. I play who I am, I don’t try to impress, I play my heart. In answer to your question, I don’t really know how my sound developed. Perhaps it is because I felt that I could not compete with the great musicians of the past, or even with many of the musicians of today, so the best way to go was for me to be myself. It is my art, my thing and some will like it more than others, but the fact is I am being true to myself.
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TP: Getting back to your early years at the Berklee School of Music …
MF: When I started at the Berklee School of Music I listened to and analyzed a lot of jazz standards, however, I did not have a point of reference. I remember buying a Charlie Parker album and thinking to myself, “What do people see in this guy? He’s crazy!”
TP: Byrd was crazy. Crazy like a fox! Who else did you listen to?
MF: Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Jackie Mc Lean, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Parker and Charles Mingus among others, but Coltrane is my main influence.
TP: After you graduated from Berklee you enrolled at El Conservatorio Nacional (Buenos Aires) where you studied classical music for four years. Subsequently you made your way to New York.
MF: In 2007 I visited New York. That’s where I was lucky enough to meet and perform with Wynton Marsalis at a party in the Hamptons. It was a great experience. The same year I produced and recorded my first album, Elefante (Elephant) with drummer, Martin Visconti.
TP: Tell me about “Elefante.”
MF: The recording consists of eleven free improvisations, all recorded in one take. The arrangements depart from a particular rhythm or melodic line. Martin and I developed our sound by rehearsing three to four days per week for a couple of years and I decided to document what we were doing at that moment. Thankfully, we had a lot of help with the recording, mastering, CD design and website.
TP: How was the recording received?
MF: Pretty good, but free jazz is not the kind of music that everyone understands. You really have to be into that kind of music to appreciate it.
TP: Tell me about the creation of the Black Butterflies.
MF: The process was organic. I met drummer, Kenny Wollesen, through saxophonist, David Binney. Kenny and I lived in the same apartment building on the West Side of Manhattan. When Kenny learned that I was a musician we became friendly. I gave him a copy of “Elefante” and he invited me to perform with the marching band, the Himalayas.
TP: I read that the band is made up of some of New York’s finest musicians.
MF: Yes, it’s a very cool band and their songbook is filled with compositions by some of New York’s most brilliant musicians: Frisell, Zorn, Bernstein Apfelbaum, Wilson, Mottel, Wieselman, etc.
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TP: You also performed with The Dramatics.
MF: Yes. Their music is Afrobeat (but not Fela). I performed with them for about a year and a half.
TP: There is a cool video of you performing with the Dramatics in the subway (see You Tube, Keyword: Mercedes Figueras). Where exactly did you perform?
MF: 42nd Street, Penn Station, Union Square … all over.
TP: Welcome to the “real” New York!
MF: I met saxophonist, Tony Larokko while playing with Martin (Visconti) in the subway. He saw us playing and he offered me a gig.
TP: Tell me about Tony.
MF: He has been everywhere. He teaches high school and has worked with (drummer, educator, acupuncturist, martial artist and shaman) Milford Graves.
TP: And the other band members?
MF: There is percussionists Fred Berryhill and Bopa “King” Carre; Nick Gianni, upright bass, he is a great musician, multi-instrumentalist (he plays saxes flute, piano); drummer Kenny Wollesen and keyboardist Levi Barcourt (keyboardist, Dan Tepfer appears on the recording).
TP: I am quoting directly from your press-release: “The Black Butterflies are individuals who come together from different cultural, ethnical and geological backgrounds, brought together by spirit to elevate the listener to a higher plain.”
MF: In the past music was communal. It was a healing source and it brought people together. Today it seems that the importance of music and culture has lost its value in our society. So that is also part of our message. When we perform we try to create a communal feeling, generate good vibes and get people together.
Complete on: http://www.latinjazznet.com/2010/11/07/interviews/in-conversation-with-mercedes-figueras/
From: Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677 E-Mail: jazzpromo@earthlink.net
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