IRISH NEWS - 20-6-09

Robert Mitchell Interview (Trevor Hodgett)

' Robert Mitchell, a sublime and inventive pianist , recently became the latest in an ever-lengthening line of great British and American jazz musicians who have come to Ireland keen to work with fast-rising local drummer David Lyttle.
"David's tremendously talented," he enthuses. " And he's a go-getter. At this point in time, with everything thats going on, that's a requisite. There're tons of talented musicians around but not necessarily all with the same outlook of being able to make things happen."
Surprisingly, Mitchell himself actually studied classical rather than jazz music at college. " I did audition for a jazz college and i didn't get in, " he admits. "So i studied jointly at City University and the Guildhall , and although there wasn't jazz on the course, the Head of Music was very open-minded. Then i got a scholarship to do an extra year and basially i just spent that year having piano lessons."
" That kind of experience really makes you never forget how hard you have to work and also that there are always more things to learn. Whenever i have a challenge i always remember those days. The memories and the approach and the experience i had with those teachers are always there with me."
Mitchell learnt his jazz skills in a completely different way. "In terms of jazz and improvising, that's been about experiences in bands so there have been two very different halves to my musical life," he explains.
Mitchell is impatient with those non-afficianados who dismiss jazz for being too challenging. "Why is being challenging seen as a bad thing? " he argues. " Someone's put a lot of work into the music so why not give it ten more minutes of your time, to take you out of your comfort zone. I think with any decent art form eventually the light comes on. It can change lives, can be very inspirational, people can be moved by it, and i think that anything with that depth is important."
" You have amazing human problems that we have to address and these art forms go a long way to doing that. In fact i'd go so far as to say that bands are models for society. In bands very diverse people come together with a superb level of problem solving so that's a model for what the human race can acheive."
Mitchell's current album THE GREATER GOOD , which won Gilles Peterson's Radio 1 Jazz Album of the Year award, surprisingly includes an interpretation of TEARDROP by trip-hop legends Massive Attack. " There are lots of versions of the song out there from vocal and guitar to string quartets," he notes, "but there wasn't a piano trio version and i had it in the back of my head for ages. When a tune can work in different formats it's proof that you've got something good on your hands and Teardrop is a great tune."
This version of Teardrop - Mitchell beleives, exemplifies his trio's fluid style: " The bass has a starring role in terms of melody and improvising with the bow but there could be tunes we do where the drums take the melody. It's very open in terms of what can happen rather than automatically going , 'Yes, this is going to be a piano-led tune with all the solos in the same order.'
" We're not worried about sounding like a piano trio is supposed to sound."
Another contemporary non-jazz band to catch Mitchell's attention is Radiohead whose - Everything in Its Right Place he sometimes plays live. " I didn't get them for quite a while," he admits. "Some of the earlier stuff didn't do it for me but that Kid A album turned my ears."
" They're clearly not happy to stay in one place all the time, they have that enquiring nature and that's no different from Miles Davis or anybody who decides you have to expand and take on things that are around in the air at the time. It's great they embrace change as the thing that stays constant in their music as opposed to saying, 'We've had success with that record so we can carry on doing the same record.' They're not about that"
Both live and on record Mitchell's improvisational skills are exceptional. " With improvising you're trying to get in touch with something that takes you on a ride," he reflects. " I've worked with people over long periods and when you come to play there are still things happening which can't be explained, that haven't happened before, with people surprising each other. That's the great thing about jazz : you're doing it there and then in front of an audience."

3io Photos from Algiers ....

More 3io photos from Algeria are up :....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38681307@N05/


Many thanks to Louiza SID AMMI

Enjoy!

Robert Mitchell 3io In Algiers May 2009

Robert Mitchell 3io - in Algiers - 18-21 May2009

Mon - Firstly after two flights in to Algiers (Paris connect) we were met by
Sid Ali - who drove us around for the duration. Straight to the hotel (always
great when you are met at the airport!). Little time to look around before we
rushed out to dinner with John Mitchell (British Council) and his wife. All
the details of the trip were discussed - and we returned to the hotel to rest.

Tues - straight to Radio El Bahdja for a morning 3io interview (around 9am).
Remembering to use brief answers so the great people from the BC (Samia and
Lamia ) could translate speedily. This was a good plug for the gig .
Apparently a million listeners plus - i think they played Teardrop and Greater
Good ... It is a weird experience to understand more French , than your
ability to converse will allow..!! The interview was done in about 15minutes.
On the stairs on the way out - i was approached by someone from another
station to do a quick plug ... dictation machine thrust towards me - but all
good... Straight to the Music Training Institute of Algiers (IRFM D'Alger) for a
workshop . About 25-30 teenagers came - some from the Institut national
supérieur de musique (INSM) as well .... Great room with the piano,bass and
drums all there ready to go.. We start with Crystal Eyes (a tune of mine) -
which uses a groove we could
get stuck into (actually a 6 against 5 rhythm). Some nice photos of this are
up ...- but we eventually got most of the room on their feet - and clapping
this groove. Samia and Assia took turns in translating for us - whilst the
sound engineers altered the set up a few times for us...
Then using Galt Macdermot's 'Space' - much more ice was
broken. This great tune became the sampled basis of Buster Rhymes - Woo hah
(got you all in check)..cue the playback of excerpts of both versions. Then
after much coaxing from us - two great volunteers stepped up to mc with us!
The first student was so nervous but did great .'What am i going to do ?' she
cried.... The second - who i think had a big reputation with his crew (!) - finally
made it and also enabled a nice bunch from the crowd - bassist ,pianist and
drummer - to come up and learn the parts quickly - and take over from us.
Richard then used the 'who-hah' chant - and with Tom - got a really good
chanting of this going from everyone else. I think the spirit of that tune had
done its job ...they loved it. Had a break - met the head of music -
Mr Mohamed Boulifa (an amazing Oud
player and composer). He was very happy with what we had been doing.....
Mint tea blew all our heads off ... (used to have this stuff in Brussels , and
Rabat years ago....memories..).After the break we get back to present another
tune of mine - Cumulus.Several of the group then proceeded to show us
a few Algerian tunes -which we then begun to interpret - ...
a really nice exchange going on !
The Chaabi rhythm really caught Richard's ear - and a great idea started to
brew (incorporating that very rhythm into Cumulus... for the show).
The head of music then proceeded to request a couple more of his tunes to be
performed by the students. Then we had to answer some questions from the
students..(like ' Do u know any Algerian musicians' .. my answer 'Khaled'
getting a cheer - the man is a giant !!) ..and the workshop was done.
Check the photos of the workshop... (links below)
A quick lunch follows - before we were taken to the Casbah:

http://www.globalheritagefund.org/news/conservation_news/save_the_casbah_jul_07.asp
A world heritage site of amazing historical significance. We had a great guide
( i dont think he paused for breath once in two and a half hours!).We also had
two guards accompanying us. Streets, alleys, ancient timber house construction
(that moves and accomodates the earthquakes that have been a regular
occurance) , artist shops, and the evidence of many struggles were there. I
hope the repairs desparately needed for the area can go ahead.
Made our way back to the hotel and ..zzzzzzz

Wed - out straight away to appear on the breakfast tv show ' Bonjour
d'Algerie' !!! 9am and on the air......Only to an audience of 2odd million !
Very good interviewer - made all very relaxed. Samia (from the BC) translated
brilliantly - and they played Teardrop, Crystal Eyes, and Greater Good. Some
very nice photos were posed for afterwards and then it was onwards to see the
venue at last.
Ibn Zeydoun is a lovely , spread out theatre - seating 500 with ease. While
waiting for the complete drum kit to appear - i had a longish conversation
with the piano tuner ! Great small grand piano - once i started to get into
it. Once gear and mics and monitors were in place it became apparent very
quickly that our sound engineer - Rachid - was- er - incredible. There was
atmosphere ,clarity , and his attentiveness was putting some other recent
experiences badly in the shade. He really cared , which made us really care
more , and this cycle just kept us grinning all day. Lunch was at the not as
inspiring Shakespeare Bar (sorry guys but waiting 25mins for the bread basket
was not cool!). I have never heard so many different blues tunes in one
stretch while waiting for lunch.....
Made sure i asked Samia to translate the few lines of French i will need to
present the gig ! Though i should make the effort - Anyhow - amazing apricot
trees in the forecourt - they gots to feature in some of the dishes surely?
Lunch done - we emerged into scorching heat - i physically couldnt sit in the car
seat during the drive back to the hotel (41degrees according to the readout
)........It was like a hot plate!!!
A rest , and many emails later - we were in the lobby ready to go and
play (6.30pm odd). I came out of the lift to meet Tom, Rich , Sid Ali and ..
three security guards!! These guys came with us in the car to the gig !
Really great to be met by people queueing outside the gig -
so it looked like the tv and radio stuff had
spread the word . Once the checks were all done - we had yet another little
soundcheck , and they checked the video they were going to show ( a Uk
promo thing which did acually look great ! . We then met the Brit Ambassador
- Mr Henderson and his wife (no pressure then) - and we awaited the call as
the venue soon filled up . ! think this is our largest audience yet as a trio
- very cool. Then it was made official - they were turning people away!
A serious chickn,chip egg, sandwich follows,and a set list discussion (!) and we
countdown to play.... I then have another look at my limited notes in French (!)
and we hit...
The set was - Cycles (Bheki Msleku tune - think the sound during the
last mini check meant this tune was a late entry to the gig!), Teardrop ( this
tune is turnng into a bit of a calling card - its very well known and/or
really well constructed - such a nice reaction here too) , 3rd Stream ( ditto
- looking forward to the album this will appear on .... 4heros label ... watch
this space) , Dance Cadaverous ( Wayne Shorter masterpiece) , Space ( Galt
Macdermot - genius) , and then onto Cumulus. This really short simple tune of
mine was given some Algerian flavour - courtesy of some seriously fast work
from Tom and Richard. Man - you guys are sick... It was the least we could do
after such a great workshop. The crowd jumped onto this feeling nearly
immediately - and the clapping started without us prompting..... great stuff.
Then we played the Blessing ( enhanced by such an amazing sound tonight -
bathed in this) ,and the Greater Good to finish. I had to give in and return
to some English for the thank yous but it all seemed to go down well. Proud to
say we got an ovation ...fantastic audience. Wished the show were longer.. It
was all recorded - so some of these tunes will be appearing online soon ...
Another two interviews were then requested - tv and radio. Was a pleasure to
sign many cds - and get so much feedback instantly. More photos all round and
then a present from the BC - CDS! Algerian music - excellent.

We then said goodbye to Samia and Lamia - the whole BC team had been
outstanding. More goodbyes and then back to the hotel before another meal with
John M at Le Carthage ( such great service - amazing wine...). Very tired but
a lot was squeezed in. ...........

Thurs .. really hot again so had to bail on the proposed look around town.
Wouldnt have been able to think straight let alone walk about. Ready for the
flights we reach the airport at 1pm and say bye to the legendary sid Ali .
Only for Air Fr.... to suddenly declare Richard's cymbals a problem for taking
on board (er ... we came here with you guys and it was all ok ... ). Several
stressed conversations later - we board just in time and take our seats....
Only to see another guy with a LARGE drum (as far as boarding a plane goes) .
He looked as if he had had no probs getting on board - ah well..
Touchdown early at Heathrow - what a trip. (Dont forget the cymbals - Rich!!)
London always looks a little different after a trip like this ...

It really is a privilege to work with Richard Spaven and Tom Mason - and the
3io has had a blessed existance since the album has come out. Long may it
continue -

Many thanks to John Mitchell , Samia , Lamia and all at the British Council.

For great work , all those photos (John) , Cds (Samia) and hostpitality.
Hope we can do it again. Many Many thanks to Lee Paterson for organising.

LINKS:

Photos of the trip:

Part One:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38681307@N05/sets/72157619070551134/

Part Two:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=33151015&albumId=2856100

Video links ( from the trip - short tho - look at the page bottom...7 most recent vid clips) :
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=robert+mitchell+3io

Website - http://www.robertmitchellmusic.com/

Robert Mitchell 3io - group page .........:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=35851906862

Robert Mitchell's Panacea - grp page..:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=737171497100

Twitter:www.twitter.com/robertmitchellm

News on the 4Hero tribute album, live ustreams/tunes coming online , trio interview and
two new RM interviews coming soon..........