David Gilmore: Getting To The Point

Phil wishes he was a musician (well, he is one, but he wishes he were a good one) but he's not frustrated by it. He's frustrated with a lot of other aspects of the so-called biz. Therefore, he's excited by independently released jazz.

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Published: January 6, 2007

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DG: Well, the reviews made note of that one as well.

AAJ: Just running through your discography would take pages. So who are your influences as a guitarist?

DG: George Benson is real high on the list. Number one. I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to hang out with him and play at his house a few times. He's been real encouraging. At the North Sea Jazz Festival, when I was on the road with Wayne, George was at the bar and Russell Malone introduced me. Then when I played, I knew George was listening and was a bit nervous.

AAJ: I love it when you bust out those long bop lines.

DG: It's not so much that I play that style, but just his approach to playing is very rhythmic. It's like, well, I'd say Coleman plays more like Bird than these so-called post- bop players. It's not his note choice, obviously. It's more his approach and his feel..it's more between the notes stuff. In that way I feel like I'm close to Benson. Pat Martino and Wes too. For guitar players, those are the guys. I loved listening to McLaughlin and DiMeola early on, but that was stuff I enjoyed listening to rather than emulating. Regarding young players, I think Adam Rogers is one of the baddest guitar players that ever lived in my opinion, hands down! He can play the hell out of rock or bop or whatever you want. But I'm more influenced by non-guitar players like Miles, Coltrane and Herbie.

AAJ: Update us on your most recent activities.

DG: Well I've done a few gigs recently with my band. Gene subbed for Rodney in New York. In Boston I brought Reggie Washington on electric bass and Adam Klipple (www.adamklipple.com) on keyboards. I've gigged with Brad Jones' band and with Kindread Spirits. I've got some Uri Caine things, the Schumann thing and..I gotta buy a banjo for this "Tin Pan Alley thing we're doing. Uri calls it "The Sidewalks of New York . I'm not on the "Tin Pan Alley record. It's turn of the century type stuff. He doesn't change that stuff up like he does with Mahler! He plays the "Tin Pan Alley stuff pretty straight. I dig that "Philadelphia Experiment Project he did with Christian, too.

I also have another project I'd like to get focused on that is more like an African- Brazilian type thing, kind of like Hermeto Pascoal type stuff. I want to get that going in the right direction as well.

I'm supposed to go back out with Cindy Blackman again soon ?" her rock/jazz project.

AAJ: I've heard some of that stuff. Now, are those all her tunes or is it a band writing project.

DG:They are all her tunes.

AAJ: What are rehearsals like with these different projects you do?

DG:Well Lost Tribe and Trilok are the bands I've rehearsed the most with. Believe it or not, Steve's rehearsals are real loose. Trilok likes to have it polished. He's incessant. Personally, I don't always like it so tight and worked out. I mean, I like to have the parts played right and the arrangements mapped out, but I like to have the elements of surprise and some looseness in the music too.

AAJ: Tell us about Aka Moon.

DG:That's a cool project because it's me, Pierre Van Dormael and Prasanna (www.guitarprasanna.com) on there playing basically their music. It's somewhat reminiscent of Five Elements type stuff. They're from Belgium. It's Fabrizio Cassol on alto, Michel Hatzigeorgiou on bass, and Stephane Galland on drums. They borrow heavily from African and Indian concepts.

AAJ: And in fact they travel there to play with them right?

DG:Yes. They're named after a band of pygmies they lived with in central Africa.. They go to India regularly they really study the music. Stephane especially is ridiculous, like a European Marvin Smitty Smith.

AAJ: Do you teach?

DG: I was thinking about possibly doing a bit more of it. I'm a bit at odds with academia and how it relates to music, with the whole concept. It seems to me, like, why do you need a degree in music, and now even Masters and a Doctorate, in order to teach? Let's be real. The best teachers are the ones who've gotten their masters on the road. That's what I like about the New School. They have a roster of working jazz musicians. I teach there and at City College too. Also, Ralph Alessi and Peter Epstein started a thing called The School for Improvisational Music (ww.schoolforimprovisationalmusic.org)

AAJ: So even though you're at odds with academia you're going to work there?

DG: Well, see now, that's the thing. This is run by, basically, and features classes and workshops by, performing artists and educators- Steve Coleman Don Byron, Uri, Jim Black, Billy Hart, tons of people. Last year, classes were held at the Knitting Factory- a series of workshops basically. I had trumpet students and bass students that wanted to study. I like teaching what I'm passionate about.

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