memory and improvisation

[Matthias Grob <matthias@grob.org>]

My loop is my memory!

During my stay in Switzerland, I happened to turn on TV and see an 
olderly man playing piano amazing quickly, just short phrases of all 
kinds, explaining and demonstrating all kinds of principles for 
improvisation in 15 minutes. Then compositions with his big band and 
longer heavily complicated or totally simple piano pieces, also with 
the voice of his daughter... know who?
Martial Solal, a french/algerian guy, I had never heard of before. I 
could not find a oficial page of his, but 
http://www.getmusic.com/AMG?artist=7581 shows an overview.
One of those genius like Hermeto Pasqual that dont seem to understand 
why people would prefer one kind of music over another. For them, 
Music is on all the time and all is easy and fascinating. To compose 
is like a time stretched improvisation with a pen.
Well, he did not quite say that, but it was my impression.

But here is what he said that helped me a lot (I hope I remember all 
correctly ;-) :
"Real improvising musicians dont remember what they play. Many can 
play amazing combinations of phrases they remember, but its just a 
collage of clichees. It really starts where we play what we dont know 
ourselves. ... Improvisation takes a lot of very quick thinking!"

When I started recording the gigs of the bands I played with, I 
learned that I never had the right impression after leaving the 
stage, because I just remembered the errors and felt that all was 
wrong, while the most beautiful passages on the recording I did not 
remember at all. Through the years I more and more trusted in 
improvisation until I decided around 1983 not to play anything out of 
memory any more. I had the impression that each time my mind went 
into its memory, I did cut some fresh channel.
I dont like smoked fish...
I always envied the musicians that are able to play hundreds of songs 
from the top of their heads, but always went on my way, still curious 
where it leads to, and full of doubts whether it was any serious what 
I was doing.
And that night it was as if master Martial Solalis would tell me: 
"you are a real improvising musician!". Ok sir, I will go on...

There is a big gap though, between "anything is ok" and "this just came 
out"
-- 


          ---> http://Matthias.Grob.org