LIKE “JUMBO SHRIMP” AND “ARMY INTELLIGENCE”, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR OXYMORONS HAS TO BE “POPULAR JAZZ HIT.” WELL, THE BAND SNARKY PUPPY IS DEFYING THE ODDS BY HITTING THE AIRWAVES WITH MUSIC THAT IS BOTH POPULAR, SWINGING AND IMPROVISED. WHAT A CONCEPT.
ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS IS KEYBOARDIST BILL LAURANCE. HE RECENTLY FORMED A LITTER FROM PUPPY, CREATING A QUARTET WITH MICHAEL LEAGUE, ROBERT SEARIGHT AND FELIX HIGGENBOTTOM THAT PUT TOGETHER A RHYTHMIC DELIGHT IN THE ALBUM AFTERSUN .INCLUDING A NUMBER OF SONGS THAT ARE MAKING A THE AIRWAVES, THE ALBUM RETURNS JAZZ TO THE DAYS WHEN IT WAS SOMETHING TO ENJOY, AND NOT JUST DISSECT.
HE RECENTLY HAD A GIG WITH HIS BAND AT THE JAZZ BAKERY’S “MOVEABLE FEAST.” THE CROWD WAS BOBBING THEIR COLLECTIVE HEADS TO THE IRRESISTABLE GROOVES DEVELOPED BY THE BAND. EQUALLY INTERESTING WERE THE MELODIC AND IMPROVISATION MIXTURES THAT PLEASED BOTH THE HEART AND FEET.
WE HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH THE KEYBOARDIST AT THE CONCERT, AND HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND ON THE PAPERS OF SNARKY PUPPY.
WHAT WAS YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND THAT GOT YOU INTO JAZZ?
It’s interesting; actually the first big thing for me was Michael Jackson. That was what really got me into music right off the bat. From there, Herbie Hancock was the first person I really discovered on my own. I was 14 and got this album Sunlight. It was a real game changer for me; it was a real epiphany. I heard a sound on it that I had been looking for, for so many years. He was fusing improvised instrumental music with a Vocoder with disco grooves behind it. It seemed like the best kind of meshing of all these kinds of genres I had come to love.
There was a symphony orchestra with it as well. It was an incredible album.
Herbie was a big influence; so was Donny Hathaway. I always have come to jazz from a vocal point. Nina Simone with her classical background, as I’m classically trained as well. Then the obviously influences were Oscar Peterson and Thelonious Monk; guys I’ve loved for years. But Herbie is probably my Number One.
DID YOU INITIALLY SEE YOURSELF IN A SOLO SETTING, OR DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE PART OF A BIGGER BAND?
Both, actually. Tonight’s show is a quartet setting, but I’m actually working on a solo piano album where I’m going to filter everything down to the source. I’ll throw some contemporary stuff in there too as well. I’ll fuse in some synths and some electronics, but essentially it will be just the solo piano.
WAS BEING IN SNARKY PUPPY A LOGICAL EXTENSION, OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT YOU BY SURPRISE?
No, it was an amazing opportunity that came at just the right time. I had been living in Leeds; I had just finished studying there and was wanting to spread my wings. I met Mike League in the UK before Snarky Puppy existed. He flew me out for the first album, The Only Constant, about 12 years ago.
I then just kept going back and forth, and as they say, the rest is history. He was looking for a new keyboard player , so it was the right time at the right place. We’ve really hit it off; it’s a quite amazing chemistry from the beginning.
Snarky’s success has been a big inspiration to me, and an incredible thing to witness; it leads me into my own direction. Now I’m trying to focus more on my own music.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM BEING IN SNARKY PUPPY?
The power of listening. The significance in trust; in yourself and in your fellow musicians. That allows for the magic to happen.
Also, being open to spontaneity. A lot of the time we can get stuck in needing to say a certain thing, or expect something to be a certain way, and I think that the more you can let go of that and just let the music speak for itself…the more organic and spontaneous you can keep the music, the better.
IS THIS THEREFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF YOUR TIME WITH SNARKY PUPPY?
No, I’m in all the way; I’ll always be a Snarky Puppy as long as they’ll have me. I’m a founding member I suppose and it’s one big family.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED TO MAKE SNARKY PUPPY SUDDENLY SO POPULAR?
I think that we’ve re-introduced the joy in improvisation. I think it lost its way a little bit. This sort of institutionalization of jazz has encouraged a sense of critique that doesn’t encourage or manifest a fertile environment for sharing music.
I CALL IT A “CEREBRATION” INSTEAD OF “CELEBRATION”
That’s it! We’re taking reference to that, and we’re trying to show that the joy is what it should all be about.
WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR YOU NEW SOLO ALBUM?
I wanted to get back the roots of my instincts as an instrumentalist, which is actually as a percussionist. I’ve always come to the piano as a member of the percussion family. My previous two albums were more classical in their conceptions. I had strings and orchestras with a big sort of fanfare. This album is just drums , percussion, bass and keyboards. Lots of different keyboards!
I’m trying to focus on the rhythm and the groove side of things more than the classical arrangement.
That was the original concept. I actually went into the studio with having only written about 60% of the album. I was going to cancel the session because I thought I wasn’t prepared enough. Then, I watched a documentary on the making of (Miles Davis’) Kind of Blue, and how that whole album is entirely founded upon emphasizing the spontaneity of music. Every single track on that record is the very first take.
So, I called everybody back and said, “Let’s do it, and embrace the lack of preparation.” A lot of the material was improvised there and then in the session.
It’s like getting back to what I was saying about Snarky Puppy: embracing the spontaneity and not being too caught up in needing to realize a specific arrangement. Being willing to wear a blindfold and go for a walk and “see” where you get to.
WHAT PRESENTLY ENCOURAGES YOU OR INSPIRES YOU FOR YOUR MUSIC?
Never getting comfortable; always pushing yourself. As soon as you’re comfortable you’re not growing. There has to be some degree of discomfort; that’s the push. That’s golden ratio.
YOU DON’T FEEL THAT YOU’VE ARRIVED YET.
Oh,no! I feel like I’m only scratching the surface.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU SPIRITUALLY?
That’s a great question. I do a lot of walking. I’ve hiked in the Pyrenees, Himalayas, Sierra Nevadas and the Scottish Highlands. I’m like a big mountains guy. I often find that if I feel that I’m getting stressed or nervous on stage, I’ll often just take off for a couple of days. I go off in the Himalayas and I just get cleared out. It’s the purest form of spiritual cleansing.
WHAT ARE YOUR HIKING GOALS?
I want to go back to the Himalayas. We did half of the Snow Leopard trail there. I want to go back and finish it.
YOUR MUSICAL GOALS?
I’d love to write material for a symphony orchestra, and perform it. I want to do a vocal album with various singers. There’s a World Album that I’ve got on the pipeline with an amazing nylon string guitarist who specializes in Indian Classical music.
I want to make as much interesting music as possible. Travelling does that!
WHAT DO PEOPLE NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?
That patience and persistence are key for me. If I could boil it down to one thing, as long as you are patient and persistent, you will get where you want to go.
DURING THIS ERA WHEN MUSIC SEEMS TO BE MORE TECHNICAL THAN ENJOYABLE, IT’S A RARE TREAT TO FIND AN ARTIST LIKE BILL LAURANCE WHO WANTS TO RETURN JAZZ TO IT’S FIRST LOVE. LIKE THE THE BEST OF HIKERS, LAURANCE TAKES YOU ON TRAILS THAT ARE BOTH FAMILIAR AND THEN LEADS YOU TO UNCHARTED PATHS FOR WONDEFUL MUSICAL PANORAMAS. TAKE A WALK WITH LAURANCE AND ENJOY THE VIEW!