An interview with the prolific Tom Vincent, on music and inspiration
JK: What was your inspiration for the Septet CD?
TV: I first started writing for Septets in 1988 at the Sydney Conservatorium when I was doing the jazz course there. More recently I wrote quite a lot of work for Septet and Octets for ABC TV recordings. Starting ten years ago. I had written the theme music to Collectors which turned out to be a very successful long running TV show for ABC. Then about 3 or 4 years ago I put together my own septet to write for and perform with.
JK: Did you have specific musicians in mind when you were composing?
TV: Definitely, jazz is very personal. Leigh Barker (bass) is great he is completely happy to read dots or chord changes. No worries either way. And he swings hard either way. This is great for what I write because in most charts, I write bass lines that are integral to the harmony etcetera in a great percentage of the arrangements I write. I’m always having fun when I compose and searching for new things and often I’ll stumble upon something with my hands just flowing freely at the piano with contrary motion etcetera and actually I couldn’t write chord charges for some sections because it is just too ambiguous what the chords are in spots ..in passing chords and chunks too.
Plus, the horn section.. Julien Wilson, Phil Noy, Steve Grant [trumpet] and Ben Gillespie. I wrote all the compositions and arrangements with these specific players in mind. This is the horn section in the Tom Vincent Septet.
Track one of the CD was actually the last piece we recorded on the day. It’s a fast F minor blues called Blues F’Yous featuring everyone.
My original intention was to have the first piece I wrote for us to be first track, called How Do You Blew? [yes Blew, not Blue. but, yeah, again – it’s a blues].
Track 2 features Julien Wilson it’s called Jules Thief. And I wrote that specifically for him.
Same with track 3 for Steve Grant ..its called Wish Granted.
The last track is for Phil Noy ..called Noysie Oyster. Noysie is Phil’s nick name.
JK: As a composer and musician, What are the pros and cons of living in Tassie?
TV: It’s quiet here! Good for composing. Living in Hobart is ok. Not far from the airport. It’s only an hour to Melbourne or 2 hours to Sydney. Some people living in Sydney or Melbourne have to drive for that long to get to a gig.
I choose to live here in Hobart. This place is actually a well kept secret. It’s so beautiful here. And clean air. Actually my son lives here and I moved from Amsterdam to Hobart at the end of 2001 to be with him. He’s now 18!
Before Amsterdam I had lived in many different places cities and country side places, Melbourne, New York [grew up in Sydney], Cyrus was actually born up in Byron Bay. We lived in Dunoon. I have lived in Paris a bit and London.
There are not really any good pianos or venues for jazz in Hobart which is a kind of down side. So two years ago I heard Michael Keiren Harvey was selling his piano. I found out from one of my piano tuners and I bought his piano. Then at the start of 2014 my wife and I launched Tom Vincent Pop Up Bebop Jazz Club. We put my new 2nd grand piano in to different venues and play a few concerts. We are doing the fifth series at the end of September.
JK: What’s coming up next for you?
TV: Going to USA to record. I’m flying over with Alf our drummer and my wife Christine is coming too. Leigh our bass player is going over with his wife and baby. The Tom Vincent Trio are going to record with Branford Marsalis in North Carolina for a CD release.
Then we’ll spend some time in New York City. We are staying at a hotel in Gramercy Park. Alf Jackson (drummer) and I are going into Big Orange Sheep studio in Brooklyn to record TRIO with Matt Clohesy.
Matt is actually originally Tasmanian like Alf and I. He’s been living in NYC for about 14 years and is doing really well. Matt was the bass player on my first 2 CDs. It’ll be great to see him again and hang and record. This Tom Vincent Septet CD is my 7th CD and maybe the best album so far.
Looks like we’ll be releasing two more new ones soon!! Maybe I’m crazy. I just hope there are enough old people left. All the kids just download everything. Except Alf, he still buys CDs and vinyls.
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