About Jazz: 15 Fragen (may 2016)

Nederlands Jazz ArchiefEnglish:Saxophonist Susanne Alt hails from Germany but has long been a part of our jazz scene. Royalty For Real has the aura of a prestigious product. It is also a tribute to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Hargrove was fond of participating in the after-hours sessions at North Sea Jazz; Alt occasionally played alongside him there – hence Bel Air Bop, one of the seven tracks. The saxophonist/flutist wrote five of the tracks herself, in addition to The Nearness of You and Roy Allan by Hargrove. The album was recorded in February 2022 in New York with pianist James Hurt, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Willie Jones III. - Thanks for your interest, dear Sven Sorgenfrey of aboutjazz.de! Here's the link to the original article: 15 Fragen an Susanne AltEnglish:15 questions for Susanne AltHere the saxophonist-extraordinare speaks about dreaming of Snoop Dogg, her longing for a 32-hour-day and a dress blooper on stage.About what did you dream last night?I dreamt that I was on a jazz congress and succeded in persuading Snoop Dogg to do a collab.Which concert/which record brought you to Jazz?A tv broadcast of Joshua Redman with Pat Metheny, Christian McBride and Billy Higgins. Concert: A concert of th Nat Adderly Quintet with Antonio Hart in Omnibus, Würzburg, 1992/93.If you could time travel, which period would you go to?I like a lot of music from 1978-1982. Very funky fusion. I think this would be fun.Who is your favourite composer?In jazz: Maybe Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis because they wrote very different music all their lives. Others amongst my favourite creative artists are sometimes not perceived as composers but in fact they are: James Brown, Fred Wesley, George Clinton, Dam Funk, Junie Morrison, Sly+Robbie, Tania Maria, D’Angelo..What makes you angy?InjusticeWho is your musical hero?My influences are from everywhere, most are from jazz/soul/funk/house so I cannot really stick to one person.As who/what would you like to be reborn?As immortal miracle person who has 32 hours in a day and can create even more.What is jazz?Imrpovisation in the broadest sense. I think jazz is if you make connections which weren’t there before. Jazz always has to be spontaneous or spontaneous parts.Where do you get weak?Socalled comedies which make you cry all the time. Tearjerkers work very well on me. What’s more important to you in jazz: passion or control?Both. I believe good music emerges when passion and control are in balance.Death is…hopefully very far away.Which is your favourite instrument you don’t play?GuitarPractising is like…Practising. It has to be. Without practising it just doesn’t work. Later you have to see practising broader, I think. When practising, you practise not only muscle activity but also concentration and finding your own taste. When you listen to music intensively as a musician, it’s also practising because you analyze music all the time.When I hear chart pop in the radio..I keep listening for a while, in the end of the day this is the reality. I always analye music around me and try not to judge. When pop music is on radio, appearently it has its right and is suitable for the mass. As a jazz musician you only can learn from it.What is the most awkward slip which happened on stage?I think really awkward things fon’t exist because the whole life is awkward, depending on one’s view. But funny things happened, like discovering only after one set that I was wearing my dress the wrong way around (back-front) because I was in a hurry. Challenging for improvisation is also (1x in 2 years) when I forget my saxophone cord. The cord is essential for the saxophone player. But you can substitute with gaffer tape, lanyards, belts, bike locks.. Oh yes, and one more biennial blooper: “I think my saxophone is broken” - “Why don’t you have a look inside your saxophone if there’s a wiper inside the bell” - “Indeed”. And that after 26 years of saxophone playing…