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Take Five with Bassist / Composer Andrew Vogt
Meet Andrew Vogt
Chicago-based bassist/composer Andrew Vogt has written original pieces and arrangements for the all-female led ATLYS String Quartet, EDM artist Seven Lions, '80s hit machine Tom Kelly and electric jazz ensemble Bonzo Squad. As a sideman, he has worked with jazz legends such as
Randy Brecker
trumpetb.1945
Bob Reynolds
saxophone, tenorb.1977
Ernie Watts
saxophone, tenorb.1945
Donny McCaslin
saxophone, tenorb.1966
Makaya McCraven
drumsb.1983
Instrument:
I primarily play a 2000s-era Paesold upright bass and a Yamaha BB405 5-string electric bass. However, I also have a closet full of standard and specialty basses like the Marcus Miller Signature Fender Jazz Bass, Fender P, Lakland Skyline, Hofner Violin Bass... I swear it's not a problem... I can quit anytime.Teachers and/or influences?
I was very fortunate to grow up in a great school system (District 204 in Aurora, Illinois) where I started playing upright bass when I was about nine years old. At that point, the instrument was so much larger than me that I could hide behind it and had to wheel it home from school every day. It must have been a sight to see, this floating bass just rolling down the sidewalk! Anyways, the teachers at my high school (Joshua Chodoroff, Tom Tait, Will Burck and Mark Liu) got me very inspired to pursue music as a profession and lifestyle. I studied privately with the incredible John Tate while preparing for college and then with Stewart Miller at University of Illinois in Chicago, while also taking lessons in the summer with Chicago first-call house bassists like Dennis Carrol and Kelly Sill. When I study upright bass, I love to check out anything with
Christian McBride
bassb.1972
Ray Brown
bass, acoustic1926 - 2002
Dave Holland
bassb.1946
I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
We first had music class in the 4th grade! I remember being so excited to try out all the instruments, but because of my larger-sized hands the teachers narrowed it down to vibraphone, trombone and upright bass. Our local church pianist told my folks, "if he wants to always be working, have him play bass." Truer words have never hit my ears!Your sound and approach to music.
When playing bass, I always like to approach music as a foundational player. Even in my own music, I try to propel the music forward without getting in the way or filling in too much space. Everyone can have their moment, but the bass in particular needs to choose them wisely! When I write music, I like to make sure everyone gets a chance at the melody or at least a cool accompaniment part. String quartet writing has really taught me a lot about balance, chord voicing and most importantly that every note counts.Your teaching approach
I don't really teach but if I did I would tell whoever the student is to make sure to stay well-balanced in learning music. Study the things that you really love to play and listen to, but also be disciplined to work on the things that seem boring (like scales, metronome, long tones, etc...).Your dream band
Well that would have to be the folks on my record, I'm living the dream! Seriously, I can't get enough of how amazingly deep and incredible the Chicago music scene is. Besides, I'd probably be too star-struck and nervous to play with someone like
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Road story: Your best or worst experience
Getting to hear my string quartet pieces performed at Red Rocks in Denver by the ATLYS String Quartet was a pretty memorable road moment! (cherry on top: my wife plays in the quartet too!) I've also had countless hours of laughs on the road or in a plane with the Bonzo Squad boys. They're all my musical brothers for sure.Worst road experience was when I didn't have enough money to get home from a gig, so I spent 48 hours traveling (without a hotel) from New Zealand to L.A. to Chicago, then a Greyhound bus to Nashville.
Favorite venue
My favorite venue to play in town is The Green Mill in Uptown. It's one of Chicago's oldest bars and it's particularly famous for being one of Al Capone's hideouts, but they also book some of the best jazz acts both locally and nationally. I play there once a month for the Uptown Poetry Slam with Marc Smith and have witnessed many killer performances there. It's one of those places where time stands still and you instantly feel like you've walked into a time machine. The stage is small and the PA system is super outdated, but somehow it still sounds fantastic in there and magic always happens.Favorite venue elsewhere: Village Vangard.
Favorite venue international: The Jazz Bar in Edinburgh, Scotland
Your favorite recording in your discography and why?
This question can be taken a few different ways, so I'll answer them all!My favorite recording that I've been a part of is probably the May Erlewine & Woody Goss Band album Anyway. I get the most compliments on that one and creating that album was so much fun. Everyone in that band is incredibly musically gifted and could easily ebb and flow wherever the music took us. There was so much spontaneous creativity in the room, to recreate those takes would be lightning in a bottle!
My favorite recording that I've made is my current release, Awakening. It took me a very long time to put this one together but it was worth it!
Now my favorite recording in my physical discography (of hundreds of vinyl records) would have to be an original pressing of The Beatles White Album, given to me by my grandfather before he passed. Never selling that one!
What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?
I really feel so lucky that my job is to play music every day with my friends, so I would hope that I am at least contributing positive energy and a strong sense of community to the music world. If people also like the tunes that I write or play, even better.Did you know...
I love dogs and have written at least seven songs about them, all for different albums. At this point I could make a "best of" disc!The first jazz album I bought was:
Before I had enough money to buy a record, I remember going into the band room every Friday after school to "check out" CDs for the weekend. The first three given to me by my high school jazz band directors were
Oscar Peterson
piano1925 - 2007
Jaco Pastorius
bass, electric1951 - 1987
Weather Report
band / ensemble / orchestraMusic you are listening to now:
Ulysses Owens, Jr.
drumsb.1982
Ghost-Note: Mustard n' Onions (Mack Avenue)
Alfa Mist: Antiphon (Sekito)
Dave Holland Quartet: Extensions (ECM)
Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer: But Who's Gonna Play the Melody? (Mack Avenue)
Desert Island picks:
Always impossible! If we are going pure jazz:
Ahmad Jamal
piano1930 - 2023
Chick Corea
piano1941 - 2021
Joshua Redman
saxophoneb.1969
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
Pat Metheny
guitarb.1954
If we are mixing all genres:
D'Angelo: Voodoo (Virgin)
The Beatles: White Album (Argo)
Stevie Wonder
vocalsb.1950
Steely Dan
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1972
Keith Jarrett
pianob.1945
How would you describe the state of jazz today?
It's clearly changing, and I'd like to think most of it for the better. Some of the current technology stuff is a bit frightening (AI, the general state of social media, etc...) but I try to remain optimistic and look at the positive advancements. The fact that you can tune into a place like Smalls or Mezzrow any day of the week and check out their livestream for free is pretty freaking cool. YouTube has made music easily accessible for any age of musician and the younger generations now have so much material to check out! The music itself is also morphing with the way it is being created. The development of at home studios, music notation software and the availability of affordable apps like Logic and Ableton are opening up the doors for gigantic records to be made in your bedroom (cue, a
Jacob Collier
vocalsb.1994
Mark Lettieri
guitar
Zach Brock
violinb.1974
What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?
I think in not only jazz but in life you have to be comfortable with change. Realizing that things are constantly evolving is a hard but necessary step in being apart of any genre's history. You should always admire the past and all of jazz's endless contributors, but you also have to remember that the world is not going to wait for you to listen and transcribe every bootleg
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
What is in the near future?
My newest record comes out July 17th 2024 (my birthday) and I'll be celebrating with an album release show at Fulton Street Collective in Chicago, IL. You can see more info at vogtmusic.com.What song would you like played at your funeral?
How about "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," but that version with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, etc.I know it's more for a mother passing, but I won't be there to care.
What is your favorite song to whistle or sing in the shower?
That changes every day. This morning it was "Biggest Part of Me" by Ambrosia.By Day:
I'm happy and blessed to say that music is all I do, and its been that way for about 15 years now!If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:
Richer man! (Laughs, then cries). Naw, if I chose a different career I'd love to do something like music, where I could travel for work and still be creative. When I was five and you'd fill in the blanks for "when I grow up, I want to be..." I always wrote "an artist or a comedian." Good thing I bailed on comedy, I couldn't even spell it.If I could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why?
If I was looking for a great time, Chris Farley.But if I was going to get inspired for the rest of my life, I would really love to see how Bach lived and worked. Not only was his output insane, but music and life was so much different then, I think I'd need more than a meal to ask him everything on my mind.
If I could go back in time and relive an experience, what would it be?
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
Sonny Rollins
saxophoneb.1930
Kenny Burrell
guitar, electricb.1931
What's the song or piece of music you wish you could hear again for the first time?
The first time I heard
The Beatles
band / ensemble / orchestraWho would you thank at your GRAMMY awards speech?:
Definitely my parents! They always believed in me and let me follow this crazy dream of being a musician, even though no one in our family had a history in music as a career. My wife is also amazing for listening to all my crazy schemes, most of them music-related. And most importantly to anyone that takes a second to check out me and my music...so that's you Mr. Bottom of the Article Reader!Tags
Take Five With...
Andrew Vogt
AAJ Staff
United States
Illinois
Chicago
randy brecker
Bob Reynolds
ernie watts
Donny McCaslin
Makaya McCraven
Christian McBride
Ray Brown
Dave Holland
The Green Mill
Ulysses Owens Jr.
Ahmad Jamal
Chick Corea
Joshua Redman
duke ellington
pat metheny
Stevie Wonder
steely dan
Keith Jarrett
Jacob Collier
Mark Lettieri
Zach Brock
Jazz Record Art Collective
Ornette Coleman
Sonny Rollins
Kenny Burrell
The Beatles
Jaco Pastorius
oscar peterson
Village Vanguard
the jazz bar
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