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"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 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 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], (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. came to New York to join ' 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 's band right now. The same with . 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 's big band, 's quintet, '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 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. I use electronics--the one-man band kind of thing with percussion and layers of trombone. People seem to enjoy it. I'd like to make a solo trombone recording.

Kevin Eubanks

When we growing up my brother Kevin and I used to play in bands together, mostly funk bands. Back then there were a lot of horns in those bands. Later I enjoyed playing in his band. He always let me use my electronics. ( did too.) Kevin and I would improvise 90% of the music--sometimes we'd play one song as a set. The record companies don't recognize that as an established format so they'd never record us. 5

Oberlin University

Playing with Mental Images and with Dave's band and teaching are my three main activities right now. I have eight jazz trombone majors at Oberlin [Cleveland]. I also teach advanced improvisation. I'm surprised at how much I enjoy teaching--it's something I wasn't looking to do. They called (J.J. recommended me) to discuss a residency, and I went out for an interview. I've been there three years now. The University's been very flexible with me, allowing me to pursue touring and other aspects of my career so long as I fulfill my teaching requirement. It's working out very well.

Buddhism

Kevin and I were living in the upstairs of 's house in Brooklyn. I would practice with Slide all day--he was my musical hero. I noticed when I would play songs I'd sound like him or like J.J. I thought, "Who am I?" Buddhism became a major part of my philosophy. I've been chanting and practicing it for eighteen years. The words to the song "Get 2 It" are about chanting--they're about taking responsibility for your life. I started to develop an understanding of my life instead of trying to sound like I grew up during post-World War II America, which was bebop. I started bringing in all the music I grew up with: James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Chicago, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, Yes, all these other bands I was into--combine that with 'Trane [John Coltrane], Dizzy, J.J., Thelonious Monk. If I could do that it would represent the music of my life experience. Buddhism allows me to come to a fuller understanding of who I am, how I relate to my environment, and how to express that. No two people are alike, and no two people's karma are the same. I met a few other people with similar ideas--we formed the M-Base Collective in the mid-80's here in New York. Buddhism enabled me to have what some people call a unique voice on the trombone. With the electronics I think it's even more so. 6

Music Business

When you do a record for a record company often times the contract pays you nine-to- ten cents for each record that's sold. Out of that nine or ten cents you've got to pay back the record company the money they've invested--then you start getting paid. Because they have such a monopoly over getting it produced they've been able to do that all these years.

I've been working a lot the last few years with Elvin, Dave, my own band. I've made a decent living and saved up some money. I started my own record label because I got tired of record companies owning my music. The record companies have more control than the musicians do. Technology has developed to a point that musicians are in a much better position to control their music. It's revolutionizing the music industry-- that's for sure. That's why you have these things like Napster--the wave of the future. I can't do everything--I delegate most things to Sala, a management team I trust. I work closely with them. I'm really excited about the whole process (being on the inside), and I encourage other musicians to do the same. It's costly for sure, but in the long run it's a win-win situation even if it takes twenty years to recoup the money. You're ahead of the game, plus you own it forever. If I sell a record for even ten dollars then I'm making ten dollars over ten cents--you do the math. I'm very encouraged by the early responses--people seem to really like the CD.

Web site

I have a thread on Jazz Corner, and I'm building a good rapport with people who are interested in what I'm doing. Those are the ones who are going to spread the word about the recording. I talk to people from all over world every day--I have over 1300 posts on my thread. I've been doing it the last two years. I get responses from people who have heard us perform live. I get posts that mention All About Jazz, and I'm planning to write an on-the-road article for AAJ as well. I'm selling the record through the web site, and people can go into stores like Tower Records and order it. Everything is coming together. http://www.robineubanks.com

The original Article can be found at: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/iviews/reubanks.htm