GR. I'm pleased that the members have been enjoying it. Recording and putting out my own CD was one of the most stressful things I've ever done but I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I do have more supplies, they're available to buy from my website www.garethtrombone.co.uk and I will be bringing some to the gig with me. I only need to sell a few more now and I might be able to fit something else under my bed apart from loads of boxes of CDs!
GR. I'm glad you enjoyed that track - it always goes down particularly well live so we will definitely be playing it at BMJ.. We’ll also be playing most of the other tunes from the album as well as a few arrangements of some of my favourite standards. I didn't put any of these on the CD because there's a lot less paperwork involved if you record just your own tunes.
BMJ. Gareth tell us briefly about yourself and your background.
GR. I was brought up near Aberystwyth and was fortunate to have a very good brass teacher when I was young. Most of my early musical experiences came playing euphonium in brass bands. Then one of my friends turned me on to jazz - after my attempts to popularise the jazz euphonium failed I learned to play the trombone, which seemed to have a bit more appeal in the jazz world. After leaving school I went to Nottingham University to study Civil Engineering and then returned to Aberystwyth to take a PGCE course in Maths. I moved to Cardiff in 1998 and worked full time as a maths teacher for 5 years - until a lack of sleep caused by too many late night gigs persuaded me take a post-graduate Diploma in Jazz at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.
At the moment, as well as working professionally as a trombone player I teach music part-time in Ysgol Glantaf in Cardiff and am employed by The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as part of an outreach team that runs music workshops for pupils of all ages in local schools.
GR. Compositionally, my main influence has always been the music of Charles Mingus. The balance he manages to get between arrangement and improvisation is perfect and is something I’ve always strived for in my own writing. I’ve also been influenced by some of the great composers from the Blue Note era like Horace Silver, who I believe was one of the greatest ever small-group arrangers. Recently, I’ve been interested in some of the modern rhythmic composition devices used by, amongst others, Dave Holland.
As a trombone player I would have to say that my main influences have been Jimmy Knepper and Gary Valente. For me, they play the trombone as it is meant to be played - they play to its strengths. It was after hearing a trombone solo by Gary Valente on the Andy Sheppard recording Soft on the Inside that I decided to switch from playing euphonium in the first place.
BMJ. I see you have a great rhythm section; our members know the guys from previous gigs but tell us in your own words why you like working with them.
GR. Mark, Chris and Paul work together as a rhythm section in the way that only players who’ve built up a great understanding of each other’s playing over many years can. I’ve been playing with them for a long time now and they do everything that a good rhythm section should. They’re reliable but also great to interact with, they respond to what I play but also feed me ideas. A tune never seems to be the same twice, which definitely keeps me and Gethin on our toes!
BMJ. For the folks who don’t know him tell us a little about Gethin.
GR. I’m sure most of your regulars will have come across Gethin in one band or another at some point, he’s quite hard to miss! Gethin’s been very much in demand as a trumpet player on the South Wales Jazz scene for many years now and is equally comfortable playing all varieties of jazz - from early swing to more contemporary styles. As well as teaching trumpet in the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Bath Spa University, he plays regularly with many different bands. He leads his own group and has performed with The Pasadena Roof Orchestra, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Back2Basie, The Rat Pack, The Steve Waterman Jazz Orchestra, The Wales Jazz Composers Orchestra, Keith Tippett’s Tapestry and many others. He is also a very nice bloke, knows a lot of jokes and will enjoy the curry very much.
BMJ. Well Gareth, thanks for taking the time to talk with me, I’m looking forward to June 3rd.
GR. Thanks. So am I. I enjoyed it up there when came to play with the Heavy Quartet and I’m looking forward to another good night (and not just because of the free curry!)
Pete