
Fred Thomas. Photo credit: Jean-Paul Dumas-Grillet
LJN: And do you think that is something that comes from “nature” or “nurture”, or where does it come from?
FT: It’s absolutely a combination of both. João had a crazy talent, particularly for dividing his brain in two and separating his voice and guitar. Even if you really analyse it, the independence he pulled off is kind of hard to explain. But just imagine the amount of amazing music he must have come into contact with growing up in Bahia in the 1930s and 40s. One of my favourite albums of all time is a compilation called Bresil – Le Chant Du Nordeste 1928-1950. And, possibly most important of all, he practised his ass off obsessively, probably his whole life.
LJN: You describe and analyse complex processes. Are we wrong to think of what João Gilberto does as instinctive, unforced, natural?
FT: He was definitely instinctive, but then all musicians are. Listening to his music I don’t get the feeling that he gave instinct any special status – it all seems very considered to me. Did he prioritise instinct above, say, research, practise or meticulousness? I doubt it. His sense of taste probably was very instinctive, but he combined that with heavy listening to other artists and hours of refinement. As to ‘unforced’ and ’natural’, I think you’ve hit on something by combining those two words. In fact, the magic of João is that he makes very forced things seem natural. For example, he forces melodies out of their original placement or phrasing, often to the point where they no longer synchronise logically with the chords. But he does so in such a gracious way that it appears natural. That trick is extremely rare.
LJN: You have not actually used the word genius in the essay – surely he was one?
FT: That wasn’t deliberate, but I don’t find that word particularly helpful when you’re trying to understand something. It might be hard, but I do think his music is, in principle, understandable. If we accept the word in its earthbound sense of ‘insanely talented’, then of course he was. His particular genius lay in knowing how to delineate and limit his artistic boundaries to then seek total freedom of phrasing within them. Alongside Bach, Lester Young, Orlando Gibbons, Lee Konitz, Schubert and a couple more, João is right up there in my fantastical pantheon of imaginary music Gods.
(*) Fred Thomas is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer with a wide-ranging career. He recently made his ECM debut on the album “Lost Ships” with Elina Duni, Rob Luft and Mathieu Michel. Full biography HERE
LINK: The full essay on Fred Thomas’ website
Categories: Features/Interviews
Lovely piece about a lovely man.
Very nice piece, and that clip of Besame Mucho is a joy