Meet Robin Eubanks Interviewed by Craig Jolley
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1 "I play a regular acoustic trombone, but I clip a mike on the end of the bell and run it to a bank of processors I've programmed-- straight trombone going in, processed sound coming out." Meet Robin Eubanks Interviewed by Craig Jolley Introduction to trombone When I was eight years old (fourth grade) a couple of kids came in to play Christmas carols. One played trombone, and one played trumpet. My mother's a piano teacher so I was familiar with musical instruments. All the other instruments you could see how they were played, fingered, or struck. With the trombone I couldn't figure out by looking at it-- why was he moving his arm back and forth? I was a curious kid, and I was fascinated by it. The last day of school they asked us to pick an instrument for the school band next year. We were supposed to learn to play over the summer. I picked trombone. My arm couldn't reach seventh position so I was missing a couple of notes. Electric trombone I play a regular acoustic trombone, but I clip a mike on the end of the bell and run it to a bank of processors I've programmed--straight trombone going in, processed sound coming out. Mutes can work with the processor, but I don't use them--maybe a little plunger, but other than that I prefer the open sound of the trombone. I've gone through several incarnations of electronics. Lately I don't use a wa-wa pedal, but there's a wa-wa pedal board that automatically opens and closes, depending on how hard you attack the note. I have a machine that samples what I play live--I trigger that with a pedal. The only other pedal I use is a volume pedal. 2 Get 2 It (new CD) I try to have a wide variety of music represented on my recordings. That's true of all my CD's but two: the one that was a tribute to J.J. [Johnson], Slide [Hampton], Curtis [Fuller], and Al [Grey], and Wake-Up Call were both designed to be straightahead jazz records. All my earlier records--Mental Images, Karma, Different Perspectives, Dedication--they had lots of variety. I play in so many kinds of bands and music. I don't like to be pigeonholed as playing straightahead music--when someone mentions jazz and trombone that's what most people think of. I love funk, classical music, Brazilian, African music, Indian, rock, all kinds of stuff. I've been playing this way for several years, but I never had the perfect situation to record some of these pieces before Get 2 It. I was able to take the time that I needed in the studio. Most jazz records you get two days to record- -some are one day. To me that makes this recording the best one I've ever done. It was a labor of love (and money). Composition I was analyzing a lot of the changes in music, say from swing to bebop. Bird [Charlie Parker] and Dizzy and Monk could and did express themselves incredibly over swing tunes, but the bebop style they were developing didn't lend itself to the style of music that was happening at that time. They created a musical environment (compositions and arrangements) that made it easier for them to express themselves when playing in a bop style. The same with freer styles--Ornette [Coleman], Sun Ra (who I also played with), and those guys. Instead of swing tunes or bebop they created another musical environment. It's the same with me--I feel I play best when I create the vibe compositionally. I use a computer to put things together. Something may hit me while I'm walking down the street. Sometimes I carry a tape recorder with me, and I hum fragments of musical ideas that come into my head. If not I have a shorthand notation where I put musical ideas on paper and later enter them into the computer. I may give myself notes: bring in the horns here, do the 'A' section again here. It's a whole day process. When I'm in writing MODE I compose when I'm riding the subway-- watching people and I'm totally consumed by it. Once I get all these different fragments into the computer, I piece them together. I may find something I write tomorrow connects favorably with a fragment I wrote last year--then I have a big fragment which may connect with another big fragment or inspire me to compose something to go along with it. They kind of mushroom into a completed composition. 3 Sometimes I hear a song all the way through. I love writing--it's therapeutic, and it allows me to get a lot of emotions out. It's a very gratifying feeling when you're finished with a composition, and you really like it. Usually the first thing I hear is the bass, then the beat--maybe straightahead or funk or it may be an odd meter. (I may not even notice it's odd meter.) I just sing it into the tape recorder. I build on top of that. I like to use different styles with one song, within one chorus even. I may start out with a funk beat for a few measures then go into swing, then into Latin. A piece may be in many different time signatures. I try to develop a different structure to solo over. My rhythm section has played together in this style enough that we're able to meld it into a cohesive sound. Going through all these changes in tempo and meter is something I'm really happy we're able to achieve. Mental Images I love talking about the band. It was formed a long time ago, but we'd go major gaps of time without playing. We did a few tours in Europe and Japan. I laid low with it for a while because I was working with so many different groups. I'm really picking it up again because of the record and because it's time for me to present my music. Gene Jackson's been a very good friend for many years. He played with Herbie Hancock for over five years. He's also worked with Kevin's band. He plays all the odd meter stuff, and he's open to go in any direction. Lonnie Plaxico came to New York to join Wynton Marsalis' band. I met him his first day in town, and we became friends. He's good on acoustic and electric music, different meters, a wide variety of things. He's also a strong composer. He's working with Cassandra Wilson's band right now. The same with George Colligan. I forget how I met George, but I remember he had some ideas of how to play my music. I was surprised and impressed he'd know it. He's adept at many musical styles, and he's becoming very much in demand around town. He's also a good composer and fits in with our rhythm section. My brother Duane plays trumpet. He's developing quickly, and he sounds great on the recording. He also plays in Dave Holland's big band, Mulgrew Miller's quintet, Oliver Lake's big band, Jason Lindner's band. I'm very happy when I go out and hear people say, "Oh I heard something with your brother." I say, "Where'd you see Kevin?" and they say, "Oh no, I mean Duane." More people know him in New York than me now. Dave Holland bands The quintet is the main band--a recording will be coming out in August. We just got back from touring Europe with his octet. We recorded a big band record that will be coming out later. Dave wrote all the arrangements for the big band--he writes very well. He also wrote most of the music for the octet, but Chris Potter, Kenny Wheeler, and I each wrote a piece. The octet was not recorded for distribution, but some of the 4 music was taped. Dave's bands remain a priority with me because of the strong musical identity we're creating. Elvin Jones quintet It was a dream come true when I played with Elvin for a year and a half. I used to hear him when I first came to New York and before that obviously on John Coltrane's records. I relate strongly to his sense of rhythm and time base. I got called to sub for [trumpeter] Eddie Henderson in Boston in February, '98. I did the gig, and Elvin asked me to join the band that night. Elvin really likes the sound of a trombone. We developed a close relationship musically and personally. I miss playing with him now. Art Blakey I've been fortunate to play with my favorite drummers--Art, Philly Joe Jones, and Elvin. Art was very instrumental in my development. He took me around the world and showed me the ropes. I learned to pace my solos and to play unaccompanied. He would rotate around the band and feature each person on a ballad--that was his break. You'd have to keep playing until he came back--it taught you to play by yourself in front of an audience for a long time. Playing solo is one of my favorite ways to play, and I do some solo concerts.