JazzMo
Article by Marc van de Walle
“I don’t live in fear but am truly concerned”
High Tide Low Tide is a new release with which Undercurrent Trio delivers a statement.
With a cover text that hits bullseye, Iman Spaargaren puts his latest CD High Tide Low Tide in a socio-political context: terrorism, climate change, insecurities of these modern times. How do you transform these subjects to music, we asked ourselves. We talked about telling stories, Naomi Klein and even Erdogan.
‘You could climb the barricades in different ways: by using politics, joining Greenpeace, but also with speaking up through music. Not only by contributing your composition to climate change, but more by converting it into a theatrical performance that makes people think about it in order to change their behaviour’. Says reed player Iman Spaargaren who is leading his own Undercurrent Trio.
How does a social-political album like this come into life?
Iman Spaargaren - All compositions have been created under different circumstances. Some pieces come from a music & dance performance, some others were created on the spot, and even others I used to play in different projects. We tried to bring all these compositions together by creating a overall sound and intention. High Tide Low Tide points out to the changing balance of tension and release. Energetically high or low, parallel to these present times.
I’m not scared, but I am concerned about the general direction the world today seems to take. Where do we go if someone like Trump who denies climate change, is in charge? By unlimited capitalistic economical growth humans destroy everything: the world is heated up, the Amazone is disappearing, polar ice is melting … and we as Europe, we retreat within our own community. Nationalistic and populistic spokesmen controle the political arena. While climate change should have the full attention of everyone. Where are the world leaders as it comes to preventing a catastrophe on a planetary level?
Did you have important sources of inspiration?
Iman - Yes, coming from many different directions: the music and dance performance, my project with storytellers (‘My Father Held A Gun’, MvdW), literature like Naomi Klein’s ‘No Time’, other music styles and musicians/composers like John Scofield for ‘Get a Life’, Bach for ‘Prelude’ and also experiences I had during my travels, f.ex to Istanbul. I played there at jazzclub Nardis a short while after the terror attacks at Taksim square. At Nardis everybody can enjoy live jazz music in a relaxed setting, one of the few places in Turkey. A large part of Istanbul is an open, tolerant city focussed on the liberal culture of the West. The actions of Erdogan are looked at with huge concern. To criticise openly is dangerous. ‘Evocation’ served as a minimal support for the open-minded Turks in Istanbul that night.
And did you find the right musicians for that?
Iman - As well as with Guillermo Celano (guitar) as Marcos Baggiani (drums) I have been playing with for a while. With Guillermo I played in Thelonious4 f.ex, a band that was dedicated to the works of Monk. We also played together in the performance ‘My Father Held A Gun’.
I felt a tremendous urge to record these compositions with Guillermo and Marcos because they are great musicians when it comes to interpretation, musicianship and creativity. So together we worked on compositions who had been laying about and waiting patiently and who came into existence through other projects. By the way we are in the process of creating a interdisciplinary performance about climate change with live music, virtual reality and a story teller.
Is the name of the band a hint to this undercurrent?
Iman - Yes, both musically and thematically. Undercurrent gives a suggestion of something that is under the surface. It is not easily observable, but it is present and it is getting clearer and more obvious if you take a good look or listen. Undercurrent gives me also a hint of going against the stream, underground, punk, avant-garde, revolution.
Compared to the previous album you limit your line up to a trio without bass. Did you do that on purpose?
Iman - It is a challenge to come up with a creative solution for the lack of bass notes. A bass makes it easier to play music: rhythm and harmony in one. Without a bass you are pushed to think about the compositions, the arrangements, the functions of the different instruments, changing functions, interplay, supporting each other in a musical way. It also offers the opportunity to create space compositions and this openness appeals to me.
You did that with the support of a great guitarist. On your previous album he already played a vital role…
Iman - Yes, for some reason I have been working a lot with guitar players. Guillermo is the perfect solist and sideman to me. He comes up with brilliant contributions, never plays too much, uses nice colours, listens good, thinks of the bigger picture. Using guitar brings a open sound, chords sound differently compared to a piano. A guitar can function as a reed instrument or a voice, as a bass or as a chord instrument. By using effects, loopers for example, so much is possible.
Finally: did the theme of the album influence the process of composing?
Iman - Some compositions I created mainly by thinking energy-wise: intense versus relaxed. I didn’t want to play standards, I wanted to experiment with different forms, tempo’s, melodies. A repeating, odd meter line of the clarinet in ‘Stone’ or on the contrary an alienating clarinet and guitar dissonance in ‘Presque Tout Le Temps’. Use of intervals, meditative chords progressions, shifting chords over a pedal note, contrast between lyrical saxophone lines and drums, sweet melodies and glockenspiel… This Trio offers lots of possibilities!
www.imanspaargaren.nl / www.jazzandmo.be
