- What (why) do you like about jazz music ?

While I consider myself a jazz musician I also love so much other music. What I really like about jazz is it's ability to adapt many different musical/cultural elements into one coherent music. From its very beginnings this has always been the case. These days in the era of internet and globalisation this is happening so much faster with extremely interesting and diverse blends being made. So what I embrace in this music is that my many musical passions (indian music, the many facets of rock, african music, balkanic music and more ...) can come together in a very open context. Some people have a more closed idea about what jazz should be, but at the end of the day it's all music !

- What is the most beautiful thing in your job ? The most difficult ?

I think the most beautiful thing in my job is the moment in certain performances or even rehearsals/jam sessions when I lose myself and become at one with the music (and hopefully with the audience too) and the world in some sense. It's almost a spiritual feeling and hard to describe, a very zen thing. And it doesn't happen all the time for me but when it does it's beautiful. When I go to see performances sometimes I feel the same thing, often accompanied by goosebumps. The last concert that marked me deeply like that was an Arcade Fire concert on their release tour for the album "The Suburbs" around 2009 I think. The best thing of course too for me is when our audience members feel something at our concerts.

I think the most difficult part for me in being a musician is having to have business consciousness. It's not my natural state but we make do with what we've got !

Pupils' Answers

“Thank you very much for your answer. I think your job is beautiful! In fact, I myself play the guitar and have been playing it for 5 years. I might become a professional player like you one day!”

François

“As for me, I don’t like playing music because I am very bad at it! But I love listening to different styles of music, I feel free. You are very lucky to have such a job”

Louis

“Thank you for responding to our questions, we learnt a lot about your life and which instruments you play. We understood that Jazz was not only for old people, but for teenagers and young people too. We know your job better now, and we come to realise the good and bad moments you have been through. Thank you very much”
Glenn and Antonin

“Thank you for answering our questions. We like Jazz too because we like the mix of different musical styles and cultural elements. I like playing the guitar and the piano. When I play music, I feel free”

Quentin

“I like listening to music, but I don’t play any instruments, unfortunately”.

Hugo

“Dear Alex,

Thanks you very much for this interview.

With your answers, we learnt many things about Jazz. I agree with you, there are many musical passions in Jazz and it is quite interesting. I understand how you feel when you play music; I think I feel the same when I practise sports”

Juliette

“Thank you so much for your answers. They are very interesting.

We don’t listen to Jazz music, we prefer pop music. We listen to music every day, because it makes us feel good. When we listen to music, we forget our problems and we are very happy and free. It is a real pleasure. We don’t play any instruments, but we would like to play one as it seems to be great!”

Angéline and Thomas

"See you quite soon for the Saveurs Jazz festival, in Segré!"

Some of the pupils from the European section class