Short interviewsIn april 2002 I had the oportunity to have some interviews during the Internationale Boogiewoogie Festival in Manno (Switzerland) with the boogie woogie-pianists, who were performing this festival.It was for me a great honour to talk a little with these famous boogie woogie pianists. Unfortunately there was not very much time to have comprehensive interviews. I also realised, that I was nog be able to interview the organisator of this festival. But Silvan Zingg will visit Holland more than one time, so who knows..? During the conversation with Ricky Nye it appaered that the tape of my recorder did not function well, but I have noticed some interesting statements of him. And then I started, a little bit nervous, but it worked, in French, English or German. It worked out. They were all very kindly and they had any time for you to explain everything. Those were moments I will never forget. A CD and a cassettetape I received from Jean Paul Amouroux and I kept them as collector items. Thanks Jean Paul! Interview Jean Paul Amouroux (French) Interview Stefano Franco (Italy) Interview Axel Zwingenberger (German) Interview Ricky Nye (USA) Interview Martijn Schok (Netherlands) Interview Jean Paul Amouroux (French) A not yet old man, calm and quiet he ate his breakfast and he looked at me. A bit reserved, but after the conversation began he was very open and friendly. 
To play boogie woogie is that difficult...?No, it is not difficult. You love that music, you very often listen to that music and before you know, you play it. It is a sort of love relation you have with that music. Of course you have to pay attention of the structure. Are there today many changes in relation to the style and or technic in comparison to the earlier years? Changes… Oh, you mean if that music has evoluated? Yes, in a way, but the earlier line will continue. Of course the pianists of the earlier years don't play like they do today. The boogie woogie is still evoluating, but the spirit, the soul, is the same like before! (At that moment Stefan Franco is coming in and he is very lively....!!) With a 'Hi Maestro' Stefano was greeting the French Maestro. But has the style or technic changed? No not at all. The pianists gave their own paint or color to the music, their own idea. If there are changes, than those changes are creating by their own way of playing, their own idea of playing the boogie woogie. It is the same language we speak and that language is just international, universal. What is your favourite boogie woogie? I have so many favourite boogie woogies, but there is one I like often to play, it is "Desk Rag Boogie" of Pete Johnson. People told me, that the boogie woogie arise from the 'RAG' music. The pianists of that time became very corpulent and then the left hand could not play any more 'stride bass' so it was easier to hold the left hand at one place. I hope you understand me what I mean...? U yes, I understand what you mean. I think it was described in that book 'A left hand like God'. But with all respect for the authors, but I think it has been an anecdote. Not any more. The history shows us that the boogie woogie just has a pure African impact, etnic African. It is origin from the south of the United States, a way of playing the blues. Perhaps you will not allow me to ask, but yet I want to do it: 'What is your age at this moment? You can ask me that, but I lost my age a long time ago, so I really don't know it any more. (Webmaster: probably a sort of vanity?) Where is your favourite place to play boogie woogie, I mean you are still living in Paris? Yes I do live in Paris, but I don't have any favourite place to play the boogie woogie. Everywhere people want to have me, I will play boogie woogie and I like it everywhere! Have you ever been on stage in the USA? Yes some years ago I have had a performance in the USA. But it is very funny that the boogie woogie pianists from the states come to Europe to play here and the pianists from Europe go to the USA. Have you ever been in the Netherlands?? Yes, some years ago I have played in Rotterdam. Is this the first International Boogie Woogie festival in Europe where you are performing? No, there are several international festivals in Europa where I have played. In French there have been some also in Germany and Belgium. There are some in Europe! What do you think of an independent Boogie Woogie website like 'www.boogiewoogie.info? I very welcome that. It is very useful for all the contacts all over the world. Also of course to promote the boogie woogie more and more. That is very good! Do you have a website of your own? So people can contgact you? No, I don't have any website or something like that, but I can name you a site where you can find a lot of information (Look at: www.best.boogie.cd) May I thank you very much for this interview? Pas de problème. Interview Stefano Franco (Italy) Still drinking his coffee he kept laughing. He always has a laughing face. When the conversation became seriously, you see that his eyes became serious too! He is quite serious when he talked about boogies en yet with a joke he let laugh everybod. Also on stage he shows his Italian temper.! 
Yesterday you said you are living in a Camper?Most of the time. Ofcourse not permanently. I have my own home in Triest (Italy). At what age you started to play boogie woogie? When I was fourteen or fifteen years old. Did you teach it yourself? Yes, it was forbidden to play boogie woogie. For classis musician, like I actually was, it was strictly forbidden to play this music. Why actuallt boogie woogie? For the same reason as why we like limborock. No, that's joke, I don't know... Is it a feeling? Yes, it comes form inside. One of the technics what really have striked me is your walking bass. How have you learned this? How can you learn this? It is just a technic. There are difficult technics and there are easy technics. I also work a lot with my hearing. But you can learn it yourself very good. Are there changes in boogie woogie in reference to style and technic in relation to the thirty years? No, actually not, is the same with the dance, the music is close related to the dance. Neen eigenlijk niet; het is net zoals met de dans; de muziek is nauw verwant But in reference to technic or style, for example in relatin to the left hand?. Are the left hand technics now different than the earlier years? No not at all. It is still the same technic they use. The boogie woogie has still the same basis. 
But perhaps you can yet create new technics?No that is not possible, really not. You have to uses the technics, which belongs to the boogie woogie. You have to make the difference between honky tonk Je moet ook een onderscheid maken tussen honky tonk and boogie woogie. It are a lot of differences. Now he made some 'sound samples'with his mouth and hands to show what he really means. Boogie Woogie is ….(he let me hear the walking bass) en Honky Tonk (the same with his mouth) You can do the bass with one finger or you can do the bass with a full octave. In the old classis music (Mozart) we find a bass line, which is sometimes equal to the boogie woogie. The real fact now in our century is, we use it. We use the same piano. Improvisation in this music is really in that music. Improvisation is the same as talking with each other, We talk together a little bit English, but it is not necessary that we say something interesting. We do know the grammar, but we have to say still something interesting. A lot of people know the language but not everybody say something interesting. That is the language. If the Maestro (J.P. Amouroux) improvise something then he uses the language to expresses himself, it is true a language with rules. Like 'soul' ? It is completely filled with soul. What is your favourite boogie woogie to play? There is not any specials to play. Boogie woogie is just a way to play. You can play every song in a boogie woogie style. But do you have not any preference, for example the 'pinetop' boogie? Yes I love every style. I have not any special number. I like the way of playing. If Martijn or the Maestro has a favourite number, then I also like that number. Do you think that the Boogie Woogie become more and more popular? That depends of the culture of the audience. It depends of the knowledge of the audience, if they have enough information of and about the music. If they have a lot of information of and about the music, than they will appreciate. But after all they enjoy it!! Yesterday night I saw a lot of elder people in the audience, but also yet a lot of younger. Yes, it is quite clear that those younger people do know the music. Boogie Woogie is a piece of classisal music of the twentieth century, it is a part of the twentieth century. The characteristic is the ritme, the way of playing the bassline with the left hand. Have you ever been in Holland? O yes, I have been a few times in Holland. Oh I do love Holland! Have you ever been on stage in Holland? Yes in Tilburg, and in Amsterdam. What do you think of this festival?? It is the first time, that I don't feel lonely heer. I mean, there are also other pianist who do the same like me. Really I used to be the only one who makes this sort of music on stage. When do you come to the Netherlands? O, I don't know that. Soon I will going home and then I sit near the telephone and than the bookings will come for the next month. In the summer I 'll go to Perugia to perform on a Jazz festival. Maestro Jean Paul: classis jazz or modern jazz? You can hear over there everything of classic jazz, of modern jazz. You can hear Herbie Hancok, but I am going to play there boogie woogie. And the audience love it, because nobody else do it. Interview Axel Zingenberger (Germany) To have an interview in the early morning immediately after breakfast, I can imagine that it would be difficult sometimes, but I succeeded to talk with this famous pianist. Full of enthusiasm he explained me his vision and I have te admit, he is very nice. Of course he is an experienced artist, who has played with a lot of legendary boogie woogie pianist togethher. Also these moments will stay in my memory. Good morning Mr. Zwingenbergen, it is Mr. Zwingenbergen? No, it is Zwingenberger. Mr. Zwingenberger, what is difficult to play boogie woogie? The difficult of playing boogie woogie is to have the right rithme, you must have realised the rithmic relation between the left hand and the right hand in such a way that the sound is complete. That's principal the base difficulty. Beside that you have to have a good talent for improvisation. For the right hand? Yes but for the left hand you have to have also a good answer. Those are the basis conditions. It sounds simple, easy, but boogie woogie exists of ritmic tensions. I have to be true when I say to you: you had a wonderful intro yesterday night! Yes, did I? Yes, the whole audience was suddenly perfectly silent; did you noticed? By that intro, was it a known blues? It was an improvised blues, yes. I like to do that, it is in a certain way a quiet coming on. Are there many changes in boogie woogie style or technic in relation with the thirty years? 
Well it is so that every boogie woogie pianist has his own handwriting, his own play, the way he wants to play.
I myself have my own compositions, even in several compositions I have introduced some certain hamonies, which are not usually in boogie woogie style.
Yesterday night I have played for instance an own intro, which I often use. Of course you do that to develop your own handwriting
and also to develop the playing, but it will be always a traditional way, which has had actually a relative short time of development.
that perhaps has endured from end 1900 until 30/40 years and that has become the base of other sorts of music like rock and roll.If I now assert, that today much more technics are for the left hand then ever before…? Yes of course, that is still developing. As I said before, everybody tries to play his own play, his own groove to make the music animated, so they will never be pieces of a museum. What is your favourite boogie woogie number you like to play? I have not any favourite number. Well, I mean in a way like for example the 'honky tonk train blues' or 'the pinetop boogie'? O yes, but the 'honky tonk train blues' is not a boogie woogie. The 'honky tonk' or 'the pinetop boogie' they are actually numbers who are unsurpassed, but yet in the whole scale of boogie woogie numbers they are the best. But I have no special favourite boogie woogie. If I suppose now, that a good boogie woogie pianist is a pianist who can play all the boogiestandards. Is that correct? No, certainly not! Jimmy Yancey for instance is a perfect boogie woogie pianist and he has not played all the boogie standards. A good boogie woogie pianist knows the tradition of the music and realised that. He provides that the blues is in it and that the rithm rolls. 
Do you think the boogie woogie will have now more interest from the audience? Usually I see more elder people, but now I saw
yesterday night also many younger people.I used to play actually already for thirty years. When I started I was seventeen years old and than there were also younger people in the audience. Of course the boogie woogie is now far away from the popmusic nowadays, but at the other hand the boogie woogie has now more a wide base and there also now more younger boogie woogie pianist, who bring along with them also a younger audience. Do you teach also younger people? I do not teach, but if people asked me something I like to show them something. For example yesterday I have anwered by internet some questions of a sixteen old boogie woogie player. But I haven't yet heard him. If you hear such a young pianist, can you tell immediately if he has talent or not? I often can do that, yes. Have you been ever in Holland? Yes I have been in Holland with Lionel Hampton for example and I have also played with Andre Falkering in Alkmaar and I believe also with Rob Hoeke. I have also seen a video on which you played with American boogie woogie pianist. It is a video of two English researchers. O, yes it is the video "a left hand like God". Do you think it is a good view of the boogie woogie history? Yes sure, the video is still showed in the USA. What do you think of this festival? These are good initiatives. It is good and nice that this here happens for the first time. Actually a good PR to the outside world. It is a new concept made by the initiator Silvan Zingg. I have also observed that during your performance there was no recording of any video. Yes, I have an agreement with a production company already for 25 years and this is also part of it. What do you think of these boogie woogie website? It is fantastic. It is good that the boogie woogie will get more and more publicity than it has until now. Of course it is nice and a good matter also for the not well known pianists. Interview Ricky Nye (Usa) What do you think of this festival? It is fantastic here, spectacular, really! Is this the first time you are in Europe? No, I have been here already several times .tapeunit quit. You mentioned yesterday a number, you have played a number "Blues for Eric…" Is that also a boogie woogie pianist? O yes, Since I met you baby'… No that is not a pianist, that is someone I have met here in Europe.…  What do you think of the boogie woogie seen all over the whole period from beginning until now, concerning style, technic ..? You know, the boogie woogie is not a specific reason for me to play. I have not growned up with boogie woogie. Actually I just play only a couple of years boogie woogie. I have started to play on the accordeon and from one to another I started to play country, blues, after that hammond organ, jazz hammond organ. 
After that there were situations in which some oppurtunities came in, namely playing in a big band (Big Ed's Band) with blues guitarist
Big Ed Thompson. What actually happened is that twenty years ago country music was the music for me and so on and on my own show
has started.
What is your favourite boogie woogie number to play…? That does not matter, I like averything to play; for example what I yesterday sang and played. ( 'Since I met you baby') is actually no boogie woogie, but it is very nice to play that in a certain way. Silvan Zingg arrived and asked if he comes along. Are we going to Lugano? You have to go… No we will leave in a few minutes. Go on..... Do you have your own boogie woogie website? Yes, but I don't do it all myself. It is ofcourse fantastic that trough the internet so much information can be published. You have to visit my website soon; I have very musch more information on it. Sorry I have to go.…… Onfortunately the interview has not realised in a good way on the tape.....but you can also visit his website. Interview Martijn Schok (Netherlands) At what age have you started to play boogie woogie? I think it was about when I was fourteen years old. Why did you started to play boogie woogie? Actually I started to play classic music and than I have heard on a Jazzfestival boogie woogie for the first time and at that moment I was very impressed by that. In the beginning I had to look for books in which are simple boogie woogienumbers as sheetmusic. Are there changes in style or technic in relation to the early boogie woogiemusic? Yes both. Some pieces of the early time were played by pianists who have had no any music education, by which means you hear some riffs with completely own sounds. They developed a way of playing in such a way you don't know how they played that. Sometimes you find out by listening and than it is very different than you have expected it. 
But do you think the boogie woogie will develop itself?Yes, in a certain way, but the old style will remain always. Like for example Jean Paul Amourous is doing it and also what Axel Zwingenberger is playing, that is authentic. It will become more commercial, but I don't want to join it. The most beautiful is when it is simple. In a boogie woogie they use sometimes now different left hand technics together, like Jean Paul Amouroux is doing? But Albert Amons sometimes also played that way, but then at the end of a number to let it be heavier. What is your favourite number to play? Boogiewoogie stomp… There is something of a certain melody of the Pinetop Boogiewoogie? Pinetop Smith had made that number, and what I understand is that Albert Amons has made 'Boogiewoogie Stomp' as a sort of tribute to Pinetop Smith. And if you hear it, you will noticed that some passages are the same. What do you think of the thesis, that a good boogie woogie pianist have to play all the standards? No, that is not true. There are many boogie woogie pianist, who can not play those standards. What is your opinion about a boogie woogie info website? It is always good if there is much information about boogie woogie, no matter in what way. And therefore the Internet is a very good medium. Do you think that the interest for boogie woogie is increasing also for the younger people? Yes, now already… also in Lugano there were many young people. In the Netherlands there come also elder people, but also many younger people. Where is your favourite place to play boogie woogie?. Well, that doesn't matter very much, actually I lik to play everywhere, although in Epe used to be very pleasant. Also there will come many young people and there is a real piano, real nice!! What do think of this festival? It is a very good festival. There are only a few good festivals and this is one with a very good quality! ©webmaster www.boogiewoogie.info-2002/www.wfweb.nl
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