Interesting Patrick Moraz Interview
diane197
interviews there's a *must read* recent interview with Patrick Moraz floating
around, I mean it. It's on a bilingual website, so if the English version seems
a little quirky in places, cut the editors a break (and don't blame Patrick).
The site uses a navigation bar like yesworld, so first go:
http://www.galeon.com/progvisions/
Click on the teeny Union Jack on the left (or Spanish on the right, if you
want). Choose "Sections" on the nav bar, then "Interviews." Moraz is at the
bottom alphabetized under Yes.
If you find a couple of other interesting names on the trip down the list, don't
say I didn't warn you... but for once Bruford's kind of boring compared to Moraz.
-----
Now I even know who Gennaro Rippo is. ;>
Zabrina
it by navigating that formidable site. Thanks Diane!
Interviews
0
YES
PATRICK MORAZ
Part 1: The written interview
- You have studied classical music and not only piano or
keyboards. What are you preferred classical musics? What
instruments do you play apart from the keyboards ?
During my childhood, I was always around music and musicians,
dancers and artists. My father, when in his twenties, used to
work during many years for the great Polish pianist Paderewski,
when he was in Switzerland and traveling throughout Europe. My
mother had some very good friends in Yehudi Menuhin, Isaac
Stern, Henryk Szering and their respective impresarios. Also, we
lived in the same cities and even houses where some great
classical performers where living as well, such as Clara Haskil,
the great Rumanian pianist, who took me under her wing when I
was a child. We lived in the same house for more than 5 five
years, in Vevey, Swizterland. At that time I also had a few
seminars and meetings with Nadia Boulanger, who was the foremost
authority on Harmony and Counterpoint. At an early age, I also
had the chance to meet some great musicians, like Dinu Lipatti,
Louis Armstrong, Stephan Grappelli, John Lewis and even some
local luminaries who made me understand music and taught me the
secrets of expression and composition on a more esoteric and
spiritual level.
Some of my preferred classical musics, including romantic and
contemporary musics were, and are still, from the following
composers: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Schubert, Vivaldi,
Chopin, Lizst, Scarlatti, Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky,
Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Ravel, Prokoviev, Berg, Schoenberg,
Ligeti, Stockhausen, Harry Partch, John Cage, Boulez, Xenakis.
It is actually on violin that I started to learn how to play an
instrument, at age 3 1/2, then piano, at 5, tuned percussion,
and later, horn, trumpet, trombone, flute saxophones, and then
alpine horn. I have always been interested in instruments of all
kinds, and also in sound making devices, always exploring new
ways to make sounds, also with the voice.
- What was the British musical scene in the pre-Mainhorse
times ? Why did you decide to become a rock musician ?
Lots of progressive Rock, influenced also by Blues and Jazz.
From Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cream, Family,
Hawkwind, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Nice, Renaissance, Yes,
the Moody Blues, Supertramp, (whom we knew personally, with the
other members of Mainhorse). The group, Mainhorse, developed
from my own trio and quartet, which was already playing in its
own idiom, influenced also by the progressive jazz of the time.
What attracted me in the rock music arena, was mostly the
transcultural aspect of the music and the "no-boundaries"
freedom of expression and its permissiveness, as a kind of
antidote to the more strict world of classical music, back then.
I love jazz too, and I have always incorporated it in all the
music I have come up with. I have been very influenced by the
likes of like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Oscar
Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Clifford Brown, etc.
- Mainhorse released an eponymous album in 1972. Did it get a
great success? What about the reviews and critics ?
Although Mainhorse's first and only album was not a commercial
success, it got very good reviews as far as I can remember. The
players were really outstanding, and very young, to be playing
that well, with that much vocabulary and feeling.
Mainhorse was formed in 1969. The drummer, Bryson Graham, 15 at
the time, was himself a freak of Ginger Baker and John Bonham,
and could play like them, with even more strength and speed, and
the guitarist, Peter Lockett, 16 then, could play not only in
his own style, but was able to imitate, almost to perfection all
the great rock guitarists of the time like Hendrix, Clapton,
Santana, Paul Kossoff and even Jeff Beck.
The bass player, my very good friend Prof. Jean Ristori, was
also an extraordinary cellist, with a very deep knowledge and
feel for classical music and jazz, as well as a very strong
technical background for sound engineering. He eventually became
my engineer and technician when I went to Yes, also engineered
and co-produced some of my solo albums later on. He is now
associated with one of the best mastering studios in the world,
located in St-Légier, Switzerland, and has just mastered my new
solo piano CD Resonance.
- In 1973 you formed Refugee with Lee Jackson and Brian Davison
(two ex-The Nice). The musical style of the group was less
bombastic and more classically oriented than The Nice, maybe
less spectacular but with more sensitivity. Do you agree with
this opinion ?
Although the 2/3 of Refugee, its rhythm section, came from The
Nice, we wanted to depart musically from that formula and adopt
a different musical approach, conveying perhaps deeper emotions.
Having never seen The Nice live, I cannot comment on them as
such. However, I understand they were extremely popular. I liked
their music very much, listening to it.
The bass player and lead singer, Lee Jackson always came up with
great ideas about how to arrange and construct the pieces for
the album and the shows. Brian Davison was one brilliant
drummer, probably still is, and one of the best drummers I had
ever played with. Together they formed the "backbone" of Refugee
and were certainly one of Rock's tightest rhythm section.
- In 1974 you joined Yes in order to replace Rick Wakeman. I
guess that this represented a lot of responsibility for you, am
I right ? Did the other members of Yes help you ?
There was a lot of pressure from all angles :
- As a new member of Yes, I had a lot of responsibility.
Everybody was ready to record. There was no "waiting" period.
Not only were we recording a brand new album, but we were due to
go on Tour in the USA a few weeks later. The album had to be
ready as soon as possible. As far as Refugee was concerned,
though we had "technically" already split-up, we still had some
shows to do and were still performing as Refugee, to "SRO"
(standing-room-only/sold-out) audiences.
- There was pressure also from the record companies. Atlantic
Records were anxiously waiting for a new album from Yes, with
the new line-up. Charisma Records had signed me as a solo act
and therefore wanted a new album from me.
- Also lots of pressure from the Press. Always looking for
something new to announce, they wanted lots of interviews and
photos.
I was also scoring two movies at the time, one of them with
Gérard Depardieu, and had to finish them, on location in France
and Switzerland, so I was commuting during week-ends, back and
forth.
I had to get acquainted with the new music, whatever had been
composed and rehearsed at the time, and also come up with my own
parts, compose new stuff and so on. There was also all the
material from the previous albums, especially from the Yes
album, Fragile, Close to the Edge,
Topographic Oceans, and some from Yes and Time and a word. Due
to the fact that nothing was actually written down, I had to
analyze each piece in detail, make my own "notes", isolate the
parts I was going to play, on which instrument. There were so
many overdubs that sometimes it was
hard to differentiate what was what. Also, my rig got extended
from 7 to 14 keyboards in f a very short few weeks!
Everyone was helpful and I prepared and rehearsed different
parts with Jon, Steve, Chris and Alan separately on occasion,
and all together most of the time.
- You declared in an interview done in 1974 "I've been
developing and designing new concepts in sound which will be
heard on the new Yes album". You were speaking about the superb
Relayer and I agree with your words. What were those "new
concepts" ? What was your participation in the composing of
Relayer?
I was talking about different aspects of "new concepts":
a) New concepts in sonic ventures, such the recording
and "sampling" of sounds from many sources such as industrial,
metals, underwater sounds, slinkys on bedframes wired to
distortion and wah-wah pedals, vocal-loops, to be fed back into
the recordings from another tape machine, etc.
b) The invention and design of a huge analog/digital sequencer
which could deal with up to 80.000 notes in eight different
channels. There was also an 8 pad drum synthesizer, which I had
designed at the time and which became the Octapad, that Roland
marketed five years later. There was also a guitar synthesizer,
which I eventually dedicated to Steve later. Quite revolutionary
for the time, these particular instruments and devices didn't
make it for Relayer but were ready in the course of 1975, as
well as another instrument I commissioned, the eight-voice multi-
keyboard Orchestron. I used all these for the recording of my
1st solo album, the Story of I.
c) Orchestral "samples" for the mellotron, made of looped
phrases, which I especially composed, notated and recorded with
large groups of players.
In regards to Relayer, my participation in the composing process
was as much in the philosophical approach and the expression of
the music in terms of its impact on the level of psycho-acoustic
perception, as it was in the domain of bringing the right notes
and the right sounds in the right places, the precision of the
delivery, the emotional vibrations. During some of the numerous
conversations we were having, many ideas which I brought to the
table, stayed. For example, The title for "Gates of Delirium",
(or G.o.D., as we could shorten it into an acronym), came about
after I had a discussion with Jon and showed him a book called
Delirius by a French artist, Philippe Druillet).
Also some of the lyrics might have come from some of those
conversations: On "Soundchaser", Jon sings about "electric
freedom". I had, at one stage, introduced the notion
of "eclectic freeform". This is pure interactive connectivity.
It is all part of the rich tapestry woven by a group where every
participant has something to say and I feel good having been
able to share this extraordinary experience as a member of Yes.
Some songs, themes and parts developed when I joined the group.
Some of the lines I came up with, especially in the 1st part
of "Soundchaser", were recorded directly during my
first "rehearsal" with the group. After a brief explanation of
the chords and structure, mostly by Steve, we gave it a try and
what I played there and then is what stayed. The introduction
to "Soundchaser" was recorded a few days later, in another
studio, and then "pieced" together, just like it was done for
movies.
Nowadays, of course, all that would be taken care of in a
computer-driven program, like Pro-Tools for example. Eddie
Offord, along with his tape operator, Gennaro Rippo, were the
true Masters of the blade. They could virtually "cut-above-the-
rest", if you know what I mean.
On the Moog Synthesizer solo, towards the end of "SoundChaser",
I definitely searched for a very unique sonic identity, as well
as during the whole recording of the "Gates of Delirium", which
probably took the most out of me, in terms of the energy given
to the group.
This whole piece was also recorded in sections, backing tracks
first, then pieced together. Most of the "pieces" however, were
played and performed by the whole group during the sessions,
even if some were overdubbed later. For the live rendition of
the "Gates", I had 2 Moog synthesizers joined together, which I
could play like a double-manual polyphonic keyboard. On "To be
Over", towards the end of the piece I had to write my fugue note-
by-note, on paper. I just had a few hours to write it and it
took me the rest of that night. The next day in the studio, it
took me only one or two takes to record it.
- Please, suppose that you must present Relayer to people who
haven't listened to the album. How do you do the presentation?
There are many paths to Consciousness. Relayer, specifically
through the vehicle of "Gates of Delirium" represents one of
them. It also represents, in its inherent creativity, a state of
dynamic tension between extreme forces in opposition, Good and
Evil, War and Peace, Darkness and Light.
It is also a work which carries and conveys a lot of emotions,
sonically and visually. It creates a sense of hope and longing.
It has at the same time great depth and simplicity, even if some
the of the musical pyrotechnics can be accomplished only by
musicians who could be virtuosos in their own right.
- I have read that the continuous changes in the formation of
Yes is due to the egos of every member of the band. Is Yes a
difficult band for a musician? Why did you leave the band ?
Everything changes. Nothing remains the same, or it becomes
frozen in time. Architecture might be frozen music, but
musicians cannot be frozen architects. No creative force can
function with a frozen ego, or without one! Somewhere along the
Timeline of the Universe, the process of creation, and
recreation, happens constantly. Like the tides, the Sea of
changes.
Here follow a few anecdotes to show how much "empathy" we had
with each other during my time as a member of the band: During
the course of the year 1975, it was decided that we all would do
solo projects. In the very beginning of that year, Chris and
Steve both asked me to take part in their own projects, which I
did. As you probably know, I played on several cuts of Steve's
album, even arranged, orchestrated and conducted the Orchestra
for the title piece, "Beginnings", on which I
also played the harpsichord. It took me several weeks to write
and orchestrate all the parts from Steve's sketched melody. He
had told me:"Do something like Vivaldi" Of course, my
arrangement
sounded nothing like Vivaldi, but it had its own personality and
uniqueness to it. Steve, I remember the moment very well, was
kind of in shock and at the same time very happily surprised
that I came up with the whole thing like that and "bought" it
immediately!
We recorded the whole session with Steve, on acoustic guitar.
With my final harpsichord parts, I conducted the orchestra and
it took just about five minutes over the one full session limit
and the MU (Musician's Union) gave us a break at the very end,
since the bassoonist had had a few problems with his own part,
due to a one note transposition error from the copyist.
On Chris's album, Fish Out of water, things got a little
different. I was asked to participate on several cuts, along
with Bill Bruford. I played Hammond organ, Moog Synthesizer Bass
parts and even Church organ, on one of the pieces which was
featured on the main video of the album. That also took some
time during different periods of 1975 and even early 76 for the
video. However, Chris did help me with his studio when I needed
some more time to track some stuff on my album towards the end
of 1975. He also helped me get the Musician Union to understand
the situation of my video, when we had to find and re-record one
of my tracks with 16 "local" English percussionists. (The
original sessions took place in Rio-de-Janeiro with 16 Brazilian
percussionists).
I invited Jon to visit, in Geneva, Switzerland, when I was
recording the Story of I, in the course of October 75. He had a
great time and stayed with us for several days. During Alan's
video for Ramshackle, I played a cameo part in the Club Scene.
There have been some great times. Also some of extreme tensions,
and more unusual situations than one could ever imagine. Well,
you've done your homework very well and your questions are very
good, so I am giving you answers which complement, I hope, the
nature of your questions.
And also to tell you that, especially after the 1976
Bicentennial Tour, a huge, extremely successful tour for Yes,
and on the verge of recording, in my own country, Switzerland,
what became Going for the One, which we had extensively
developed during the course of 76 (and even before that), there
was no reason, on my part, to want to leave the band.
I personally know what happened, in depth and in detail. I have
had many, many years to think it over and come up with a
definitive scenario. However, at this stage, I do not wish to
get into this.
I don't have the time, nor the desire to dwell into negatives.
But I can tell you it had much more to do with politics, money
and behind-the-scenes management "manoeuvres", than with
musical, personal or even cultural differences!
- You joined The Moody Blues after the releasing of Octave, a
pop-rock album with mainstream sounds that was after some
psychedelic-progressive albums by the band. What were the
reasons for the change of sound? did the band want to get a new
sound ?
My first meeting with them was on July 17th 1978. They asked me
to go on tour with them, as they were reforming the band to
support Octave. Their "new sound" at that time was probably due
to the fact that they recorded the album in Los Angeles, and
they were using different keyboards as well.
- I like very much Long Distance voyager, because it has a more
complex sound and good interventions in the keyboards. How did
you participate in the compositional process ?
I had been already 18 months with the band when thay asked me to
record what was going to become Long Distance Voyager. I had
also recorded numerous new solo albums, especially my third one,
self-titled Patrick Moraz (a wish from my own record company
Charisma Records), which had lots of new sounds and a strong
transcultural influence. Also Future Memories I
which I recorded live on TV, each piece instantly composed,
performed, recorded, filmed and "produced" live. And there was
Coexistence, which I recorded with the great Rumanian Pan-
flautist, Simion Stanciu, a.k.a. Syrinx.
A lot of the sounds and sonic identity I researched and found
for Coexistence served actually as a springboard for Long
Distance Voyager, whose recording sessions started immediately
after I finished mixing Coexistence in February 1980.
I remember having had a lot of influence on the band at that
time, and even previous to the sessions per-se, when I flew to
Los Angeles, in the summer of 1979, to help Ray and Graeme on
their future recordings.
Though there is a lot of my musical personality all over the
album, the impact of my participation was not only in the music,
the themes and arrangements of all the melodies and the sounds,
but also on a very important psychological level as well as the
understanding and application of "going for broke"! This was a
very important album for the Moodies, because it really brought
them back into the mainstream, and also brought them a lot of
new fans. After all, it got to the #1 position across the board,
in the US, and did very well all over the world.
- Let's move into your solo career. The Story of I got the
prizes "best keyboard album" and "Winner best new talent" in
Keyboard Magazine in 1976. That album had a new sound with the
participation of Brazilian percussion. What do you think about
the album ? Why did you decide to release a solo album ?
I really enjoyed making The Story of I. I "needed" to make that
album because I had so much music to compose and get out of my
system. Still have even after all those years! For me it was
quite a big production, since I had musicians and singers flying
in from all over. Also, the discovery of South America and its
varied cultures, its sounds, its emotions was an extraordinary
passage in time, like a "Rite-of-Passage", in some way.
Though I had the synopsis of the Story of I in my head, all the
sessions done in Brazil were totally spontaneous and the musical
and emotional interactivity with the percussionists, other
musicians and people was of very high intensity. In short, it
was pure Magic and highly Spiritual. Also, being able to play
with musicians of the caliber of Jeff Berlin, Ray Gomez, who
incidentally had some very positive influence on the whole
project, Alphonse Mouzon and Andy Newmark, were a blessing. John
McBurnie did a great job co-writing the songs with me and
singing the lead parts. Also to work with Jean Ristori as my
engineer on the project was very good too.
Whenever I do a concert, sometimes I play the material of The
Story of I live, and a lot of musicians know it. In regards to
the Keyboard Magazine awards, that came as a total shock to
me. I didn't even know they had awards then. What a surprise
that was!
- You have been working in the musical scene with a progressive
mentality : Synthesizing styles, musics, ideas and influences of
a lot of different cultures. The results of that have been
albums such as Co-existence, (a.k.a. Libertate). What is
progressive rock for you ? Would you define yourself as a
progressive musician ?
Well, that's a good little bunch of questions. Like I said
earlier, things have to evolve, things have to change, progress.
I once said that "The power of an idea lies in the simplicity of
its delivery, but the power a word lies in the simplicity of its
interpretation".
Now, that little phrase, in essence, is as progressive as it can
be, potentially. We could translate that into music, and
tranpose its vibrations into a waveform.
Use our imagination and create a progressive symphony out of it.
It's as simple and as complex as that. It doesn't take more
energy to be creative, only to be more aware, more conscious,
and at the same time to be able to master our unconscious. I
have always felt that I could take music to further and higher
places. Insofar as being a (progressive) musician, I have always
gone towards a further development of my music.
However, spontaneity, based on free choices, has always been the
initial impulse, the source of all my acts of creativity. As far
as I am concerned, I don't really like to be labeled, or to
categorize music, musicians and even artists. Nevertheless, if I
do understand such a need, in a world which
has to classify everything, it doesn't mean that I necessarily
agree with it. It is a form of control, which in turn has to do
with the "evolution" of technology, supposedly an advancement
for the human race, but which actually creates a process
of "involution", the very reverse of progress,
because it interferes with the cycles and laws of nature, thus
contributing to the slow but inexorable desintegration of its
most sacred ingredient for survival, Freedom.
- Keyboard Magazine said "If Beethoven had gigged with Yes, he
might have wound up sounding like this!" about your solo album
Windows of Time, released in 1994. It is a splenderous comment!
What do you think about the album and the comment ?
I said, in the liner notes of my Windows of Time CD, that simply
put : "Music is music and conversely music is music". I enjoyed
recording Windows of time. It was my very first solo piano
album. Sometimes I play some of those pieces, much better now,
and somewhat differently.
I still find the same kind of enjoyment I had when I recorded
them for the very first time, even if each time is somewhat
different. In that respect the process of re-creation is
happening. Someday, I will arrange and orchestrate the themes
and variations of Windows of Time. I have actually already
started to do that, like I do with most of the music I have
composed.
In regards to the review from Keyboard Magazine, what can I tell
you? I have so much love, respect and feeling for Beethoven's
music that, sometimes, very often actually, I am transported
to parallel universes where his spirit and some of other
composers are in "communion" with me, using me as their
channeling "vehicle". It is during one those moments that I
recorded "Windows of Time", as well as other pieces,
like "Temples of Joy" ("Overture"), "Resonance" ("Vortex of
Life", "Resonance", "Standing in the Light", "the Light", "Birds
on a wire", etc.). As well as most of my concerts. I cannot tell
you more at this stage.
- How was it to work with Bruford in the superb Music for piano
and drums and Flags? What did you want to explore in those
albums ?
In 1982/83 we found ourselves living in the same village in
Surrey, England. A big upcoming tour with the Moodies got
postponed so we decided, Bill and I to record a purely
acoustic album for piano and drums and keep the music at the
same time exploratory and conversational. The first album was
recorded in 2 or 3 days and was largely improvised, in the
studio, apart from a few pieces I had composed previously,
like "Children's Concerto" and "Hazy", which demanded some
rehearsals before the sessions. We then went on tour in North
America, just the 2 of us and a road manager. There was a great
sense of freedom in that tour and we were playing small
theaters, recital halls, churches and clubs, all over the US and
Canada.
A year and a half later, we recorded Flags, in January of 1985.
That took a little bit longer, 11 days in all and was somewhat
more elaborate, with a reprise of some of my compositions
like "Temples of Joy" and "Impromptu too" which gave us a lot of
work. I recorded these two particular pieces to a click track
and the drums were overdubbed at a later stage. It was a very
good experience however and the album got great reviews and did
very well. We then went on tour with it, especially in the US,
Canada, UK and Japan. Our last concert, which was completely
sold-out, took place in 1985, on September 30th at the Town
Hall in New-York City. That year, apart from recording The Other
Side of Life with the Moodies, I released two other solo albums,
TimeCode, a studio album with songs I wrote with John Mc Burnie
and Future Memories II, based on the same principle of instant
compositions as Future Memories I, and which represented
Switzerland at the Golden Rose Television Festival.
- You know personally Annie Haslam, Have you thought of
releasing an album with her? It would be stunning : two of the
best musicians of progressive rock playing together !!!! And I
think that your styles will join perfectly.
I know Annie since quite a long time and I have always admired
her music and her voice. I would love to record a whole album
with her, not just one piece or a few pieces only. We had
already talked about it in the past, and just recently we've
shared some thoughts for a project together. It's really just a
matter of composing the right material, the songs, and finding
the right time and the right place for it. It will happen
somehow !
- Plans for the future : new releases, gigs and so on . I know
you are preparing a new album called Away to Freedom.
There is the release of Resonance, my new solo piano CD in July
2000. Then another solo piano CD entitled E.S.P. (for Etudes,
Sonatas and Preludes) which I have just finished recording and
hope to release in later 2000. And then there is Away to
freedom, probably in the fall or 2001.
In the late summer, I am starting to do some piano concerts, in
England and in Switzerland too. Then back in the States and
Canada for an extended tour in support of Resonance and E.S.P.
All the material for Away to freedom has been recorded, except
some of the vocals. Recording session are starting again in a
few days. It's just a question of finishing all the details,
mixing , finalizing, mastering.
- Some words for ProgVisions readers ?
Freedom, Freedom, Freedom,
A way to freedom,
Integration of forces,
Freedom in all its forms.
Freedom of the Silence,
Silence between the notes
Notes of Freedom
Freedom of choices
Freedom of thoughts
Freedom of creation
Music in all its forms
Music of the Soul
Away to Freedom.
Part 2: The spoken interview
- I would like that you comment this sentence: "Yes also
returned to fine form with Relayer. Two things contributed to
the renewed energy demonstrated here. New keyboardist Patrick
Moraz brought a wealth of ideas and enthusiasm -unlike Rick
Wakeman, who had grown tired of playing with Yes and wanted to
get more into a solo career, Moraz was clearly excited about
playing progressive rock on such a high level" (Bill Martin,
Listening to the future).
I don't know if Rick was tired of Yes. Sincerely, I think that
he wanted to work in his own career and to compose song-
structured themes. I remember that he didn't liked very much
Tales because he couldn't participate so much in the recording,
but I have played live parts of the album and they are
unbelievable. Actually, I joined Yes with enthusiasm and I tried
to give a lot of ideas.
- There are a lot of people who think that Relayer is the most
advanced and experimental album by Yes.
Yes, that's true, and maybe Relayer is the most advanced album
because has things never done before and after the new joining
of Rick in Yes.
- I mean that if you think in Yes' career you can see that it
improves in every album until Relayer, and from that album on,
in spite of Going for the one is a superb album, never was the
same.
Yes, I agree with you. The evolution was going up until Relayer,
that probably is the album that more stretches out the sound of
Yes, so the band took a lot of risk in its recording and
composing. I was also involved in the preparation of Going for
the one until few months before its releasing, giving ideas and
much compromise, but due to several problems I didn't
participate in the recording.
- I have other text prepared, and please tell me what you think
about it: "I have argued that progressive rock, or at least much
of it, was already what has more recently been called 'world
music'. An album that makes this abundantly clear, and that
comes closer to the sound that people more typically associated
with world music in recent years is Patrick Moraz's The story of
i. The album tells the story of a hiearchical society in which
everyone must engage in a pointless struggle to get to the top -
at which point there is nothing left to do but to jump off into
nothingness. Sounds familiar. Moraz has always had some
interesting things to say on the synthesizer -he is an
especially provocative note bender, as he demonstrated on Yes's
Relayer. Here he is backed by a large group of Brazilian
percussionists, as well as the great drumming of Alphonse
Mouzon. This is one of the two or three best albums of 1976"
(Bill Martin, Listening to the future).
I really like very much these sentences because as a musician I
have tried to collect influences from all the world's cultures
and to mix them into my music with a symphonic structure. Things
from Asia, Africa, etc. I don't want to be superb, but it is
possible that I was one of the first musicians in compose ethnic
music, with a lot of influences.
- So you think in progressive rock as a musical limit: to mix
all influences.
Yes, and I think that it must be in this way. Progressive rock
must absorb ideas in order to expand and to push the progression
in rock.
- In this sense, what do you think about Peter Gabriel works
with ethnic music? Do you like So?
I love them, absolutely. After the releasing of The story of i
with Brazilian musicians and a lot of influences, Peter come to
my home after the publishing of his first album, in 1997, and I
was showing him my work mixing ethnic and symphonic sounds. He
wanted that I borrow him my tapes and recordings, but in spite
of this I gave him the contacts with the musicians with whom I
was working. He contacted them and he got great things.
- And Paul Simon's Graceland?
Excellent album, I also like it a lot.
- I have more questions. Have you thought in to create a
supergroup with musicians as Wetton or Eddie Jobson?
The true is that I have thought in to create a band, but not
with the names that you have mentioned. It is a bit early and I
don't want to advance things, but it is possible that I work
with other musicians, with excellent bassists that I have
already worked. My aim is not to create a supergroup because I
am not interested in making gigs, collect a lot of money and
that's all. My aim is the music, that is the only thing that
gives me motivation to keep my work.
- Regarding Wetton, he seems always interested in create
supergrupos: UK, Asia, Qango, …
I am sorry, but I don't know the bands that you mention. Well, I
have heard UK, when they released an album with Eddie Jobson and
Bill Bruford.
- And Allan Holdsworth.
Yes, also with him. It is an unbelievable album that I like a
lot. Eddie Jobson, for example, made an incredible work. Eddie
is an superb musician who could do unbelievable things with the
violin also the keyboards.
- I absolutely agree with you, but I also think that he is the
musician who has worst luck in the world.
Maybe, but… and I? If you think that I have milions in the banks
and that I live as a star you are not right. The truth is that
music is very complicated world.
- I read some time ago that you used to play private concerts.
Yes, that's true, I have played some private only piano concerts
in castles or good places for a select audience. I like very
much to do it.
- The article also mentioned that, in that concerts, the first
theme that you play is "Soon", in order to have the piano tuned
at its best and to play the song right.
In some places you have a not so much quality piano and that
song must be played with the better tuned piano. It is a
wonderful piece, almost celestial. I like to play live because
when I improvise I enjoy a lot.
- Ah!, do you improvise?
Of course.
- I told you that that because I always thought that you were a
musician who liked to compose with care and to play the pieces
as they were written.
Yes, that is also true, but you must think that to improvise is
to compose in a real time and it is related with the process of
creation.
- So you will agree with Robert Fripp, who says that the music
who can't improvise is only a craft.
I am absolutely agree with that! Personally, I would say that
the difference between to compose and to play is like to think
in "the poetry of creation and the prose of fabrication".
- This sentence is unbelievable!
Well, Jaume, I must leave you because I have a meeting. It has
been a truly pleasure to answer your questions.
- My pleasure, of course.
Jaume Pujol - June 2000
-----------------------------------------------------------
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Robert Edridge-Waks
guy. Wish he would really spill the beans about GFTO, but oh well. Moraz
mentions some "videos" when he talks about all the Yes solo albums. What
is he talking about? Promo stuff? Has anyone actually seen these? Are
they available?
-Robert
remove 2nd 2 for email
Lee
[They can also go directly:]
http://www.galeon.com/progvisions/ent/yes_.htm
--
http://yesmuseum.org/
http://people.we.mediaone.net/yesman/
Lee
Patrick Moraz said:
"On Chris's album, Fish Out of water, ... video of the album. ...early
76 for the video. However, Chris did help me... He also helped me get
the Musician Union to understand the situation of my video,... "
"... During Alan's video for Ramshackle, I played a cameo part in the
Club Scene. "
Steven Sullivan
: Wow, what a great interview. Actual substance, fine stuff from a great
: guy. Wish he would really spill the beans about GFTO, but oh well. Moraz
: mentions some "videos" when he talks about all the Yes solo albums. What
: is he talking about? Promo stuff? Has anyone actually seen these?
Yes. They were broadcast in the States on the old Dn Kirschner's Rock
Concert show. In the pre-VCR era , alas.
: Are
: they available?
Only from bootleggers.
--
-S.
Trubba not.
Stephen & Lori Bruun
> mentions some "videos" when he talks about all the Yes solo albums. What
> is he talking about? Promo stuff?
If you watch the YESYEARS documentary, you see little fragments of Squire's
"Hold Out Your Hand" and Howe's "Beginnings," both showing Patrick playing.
Howe's "HOMEBREW 2" CD features the recording of "Beginnings" used in the
film (which differs from the original album version). For the time being,
it's better than nothing. I want to know how much of the "Fish out of
Water" material exists on video.
Norvamap
>Wow, what a great interview. Actual substance, fine stuff from a great
>guy. Wish he would really spill the beans about GFTO, but oh well
I think the beans have been spilled enough to figure out the rest. I think Yes
would have been even more amazing if they kept Moraz back then, at least for
one more album...
ArtNJ
Yesdad60
>Yes
>would have been even more amazing if they kept Moraz back then, at least for
>one more album...
>
>ArtNJ
But his one-album only appearance is part of the Yes mystique, not only a one
time shot, but arguably the best Yes album of all-time, even without Wakeman.
Truly innovative keys from Pat at the time, shortly afterward, he saved the
Moody Blues, by modernizing their sound!
Yesdad
NP Selling England by the Pound