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Take Five With Simon Spang-Hanssen
First concerts in 1976 with
John Tchicai
saxophone1936 - 2012
Alex Riel
drumsb.1940
In Paris, from 1985-98: Orchestra National de Jazz, Denis Badault,
Andy Emler
composer / conductor
Nguyen Le
guitar, electricb.1959
Since 1998, mainly leader of my own ensembles with, amongst others, Kristian Joergensen, Bob Rockwell,
Marilyn Mazur
percussionb.1955
Michael Gregory Jackson
guitarb.1953
Chris Stover
tromboneInstrument(s):
Soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, flute.
Teachers and/or influences?
Mostly self-taught. Strongly influenced by John Tchicai, with whom I started out and also by
Dexter Gordon
saxophone, tenor1923 - 1990
Sonny Rollins
saxophoneb.1930
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
Wayne Shorter
saxophone1933 - 2023
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
Eric Dolphy
woodwinds1928 - 1964
Joe Henderson
saxophone1937 - 2001
Paul Gonsalves
saxophone, tenor1920 - 1974
John Gilmore
saxophone, tenor1931 - 1995
Steve Lacy
saxophone, soprano1934 - 2004
Johnny Griffin
saxophone, tenor1928 - 2008
Booker Little
trumpet1938 - 1961
As a composer/arranger I would also mention
Hermeto Pascoal
fluteb.1936
Antonio Carlos Jobim
piano1927 - 1994
Duke Ellington
piano1899 - 1974
Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
Charles Mingus
bass, acoustic1922 - 1979
Gil Evans
composer / conductor1912 - 1988
George Russell
composer / conductor1923 - 2009
Maria Schneider
composer / conductor
Joe Zawinul
keyboards1932 - 2007
Fela Kuti
saxophone1938 - 1997
Chucho Valdes
pianob.1941
Sun Ra
piano1914 - 1993
In a more general way I have also been listening a lot to traditional and classical music from India, Turkey, Indonesia and Japan; African, Cuban and Brazilian Music (
Elis Regina
vocalsb.1945
Milton Nascimento
guitar and vocalsb.1942
Art Ensemble Of Chicago
band / ensemble / orchestra
Archie Shepp
saxophone, tenorb.1937
Albert Ayler
saxophone, tenor1936 - 1970
Cecil Taylor
piano1929 - 2018
Don Cherry
trumpet1936 - 1995
I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
At 14 I heard Duke Ellington's Money Jungle and was completely captivated (at that time I listened mostly to
Jimi Hendrix
guitar, electric1942 - 1970
Muddy Waters
guitar1915 - 1983
Johnny Hodges
saxophone, alto1907 - 1970
Charlie Parker
saxophone, alto1920 - 1955
Your sound and approach to music:
It was always my idea to work on having a recognizable sound and develop my own ideas. On both soprano and tenor I like to explore the lower register. Generally my approach to music is quite intuitive.
Your teaching approach:
Each student is different, I try to find the best way to give them a taste for both creativity and regular work on the craft.
In ensemble teaching (which I do most), the focus is very much on the internal and external communication, sense of the musical whole, responsibility, energy, consciousness of form, duration, contrast. I usually use my own material; often we work out the forms and details of the arrangements together.
Your dream band:
I already have several ideal bands, some of them could play more often.
It would nice to play with
Billy Hart
drumsb.1940
Road story: Your best or worst experience:
A couple of highlights:
A jam with Dexter Gordon at the La Fontaine, Copenhagen around 1982;
A festival-tour in France with Nenê's Band and Hermeto Pascoal e Grupo; the concerts usually ended in the street;
Rainbow Spirit at the Jahazi Festival, Zanzibar in 2012; lots of music, all-night jams in great surroundings.
The first Jazz album I bought was:
Charlie Christian
guitar, electric1916 - 1942
What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?
A personal mix of things that I like, creating little surprises. In my compositions I would for instance use a straight-ahead 32-bar A-A-B-A form, but with not very bebop-ish scales and melodic turn; just an example.
These mixes are not done on purpose but pop up as the writing/playing goes along.
Having more or less started out with free jazz and later moved to modern jazz/bebop and experiences with Brazilian, Turkish, West African music etc., the possibilities of crossings are numerous. At the same time I try to keep the writing coherent and clear.
Did you know...
I am also a painter, mainly oil and gouache, and have had quite a few exhibitions during the last 12 years. Some main-influences: Klee, Miró, Picasso, COBRA, African and Oceanic art.
CDs you are listening to now:
Mario Canonge, Mitan (Kann};
Banda Urbana, Banda Urbana (Kalamata};
Nico Gori, Shadows (EmArcy};
Thelonious Monk, Genius of Modern Music vol.1 (Blue Note};
Chris Stover, Circle by Night (More Zero).
Desert Island picks:
Duke Ellinton, Far East Suite (Columbia};
Grupo Irakere, Live at Newport ( Columbia};
Wayne Shorter, Native Dancer (Columbia};
John Coltrane, African Brass (Impulse! };
Hermeto Pascoal, Zabumba (Bum-a).
How would you describe the state of jazz today?
very creative and becoming more worldwide; great musicians appearing everywhere and a continuous experimentation of mixing jazz with other musical cultures.
What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?
International exchange , quality performances and conditions, new types of venues and media, curiosity, efficient communication...
What is in the near future?
Concerts in France with my new Trio ( Sébastien Boisseau, bass; Christophe Lavergne, drums), the CD, Luna Moon, was released recently.
Tour in Denmark with my Brazilian Project.
Return to Zanzibar with "Rainbow Spirit" (Dawda Jobarteh, kora; Thomas Fonnesbech, bass; Niclas Campagnol, drums).
Octet "Alisio Ensemble" at Copenhagen Jazz Festival. New album, recording beginning of 2014.
Quartet concerts at Jazzhus Montmartre, fall, 2013
Mix and release of a quartet recording with Michael Gregory Jackson, guitar, voice; Niels Praestholm, bass; Matias Wolf, drums.
Concert November 23, 2013 with Art Ensemble Syd and the Soenderborg Symphony Orchestra (Denmark).
If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:
painter.
Photo Credit
Courtesy of
Simon Cato Spang-Hanssen
saxophoneb.1955
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Simon Spang-Hanssen
Take Five With...
Denmark
Copenhagen
John Tchicai
Alex Riel
Andy Emler
nguyen le
Edouard Ferlet
Marilyn Mazur
Michael Gregory Jackson
Chris Stover
Dexter Gordon
Sonny Rollins
John Coltrane
Wayne Shorter
Charlie Parker
Ornette Coleman
Eric Dolphy
Joe Henderson
Paul Gonsalves
John Gilmore
Steve Lacy
Johnny Griffin
Booker Little
Hermeto Pascoal
Antonio Carlos Jobim
duke ellington
Thelonious Monk
Charles Mingus
Gil Evans
George Russell
Maria Schneider
Joe Zawinul
Fela Kuti
Chucho Valdes
Sun Ra
Elis Regina
Milton Nascimento
Art Ensemble of Chicago
archie shepp
Albert Ayler
Cecil Taylor
Don Cherry
Jimi Hendrix
Muddy Waters
Johnny Hodges
Billy Hart
Charlie Christian
Comments
About Simon Cato Spang-Hanssen
Instrument: Saxophone
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