First of all, many thanks for taking time to do this interview and giving us the opportunity to ask you questions like this.

After the Beijing Jazz Festival in China,The fans of Fingerstyly guitar in China know a new master:John Sund

 

Q: I’m very glad to interview with you, we have seen your excellent performance on festival of 2007 knights in Beijing, it is very wonderful, how do you feel about performance

A: I’m sure that I can speak on behalf of the other band-members, when I say that it was great to play for the Chinese audience. I feel that with the Chinese audience, you get someone who listens with open minds and hearts and without to many preconceptions, that is in itself a rare quality. I have experienced that on rare occasions in Europe, but that is only when you reach an audience unprepared for the music you represent. But the honest and spontaneous reaction you get from the Chinese audience is amazing; their attention is so wonderful.   

 

Q: We know You cooperate with a lot of different style music artist, Please talk about your feeling at the time of cooperating with the different style music artists.

A: I work and have worked with many different artists and therefore also been involved in many different musical styles, but for me there always have to be some kind of an common factor: I really need to be able to identify with the music – to be able to hear my own voice in it, so to speak – otherwise I wouldn’t go for it. At the moment for instance, I’m working with the Danish Radio Big Band as their guest. It is a great band you know, and the mutual feeling, which is present is so inspiring and in this particular instance, we’re also working with guest musicians from Turkey, so it is a wonderful experience. Otherwise I’ve played with Indian, African, Serbian musicians and all of it has always been very inspiring.     

 

Q: Do you spend a lot of time to practice when you are on tour show?

A: To be quite honest; no I really don’t. I try to keep practice down to a minimum while touring, just to be able to have a fresh mind… I like to have a feeling that anything can happen while improvising… of course we prepare and practice the themes/compositions that we play together, but otherwise I try to let the music speak here and now.

 

Q: In your music, we can hear some things of jazz music, but can hear the thing of world music, is like the integration of the two, how do you define your own music.

A: Yes that is very well put – it is an integration of a lot of things I guess, and actually it is a mix of all the music that has touched me in any significant way, through my whole life. I feel that my music is just music, I don’t consciously integrate or separate styles, it just happens in a natural way. I guess I just love music and anything that touches me, be it jazz, world music, rock, classical… etc. will affect me and therefore also come out through my music. I have always strived to play and create my own personal music, and with that I always aim to give the audience an extraordinary experience (hopefully J).  

 

Q: Let's talk about some music that you listen to recently Please recommend several records that you like.

A: Oh, that’s a problem, because now that you ask me, I just realize that I haven’t been listening to music for a long time…ha, ha. But I can of course easily recommend some records that really has meant something to me over the years – and still does (oh there are so many, SO MANY): Miles Davis: Bitches Brew, Live Evil, Jack Johnson and Filles de Kilimanjaro. Dave Holland Quartet: Extensions. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland and Band of Gypsys. Ralph Towner: Solstice. Weather Report: Tale Spinnin’. Pat Metheny Group: Imaginary Day and Offramp. Paco de Lucia: Zyryab. Barney Kessel: Poll Winners Three and Soaring. Mahavishnu Orchestra: Visions of the Emerald Beyond. Frank Zappa: Hot Rats, Waka/Jawaka, Grand Wazoo and Roxy & Elsewhere. Keith Jarrett: The Köln Concert. Billy Cobham: Total Eclipse and Spectrum. Herbie Hancock: Thrust. Allan Holdsworth: IOU. Debashish Bhattacharya: Calcutta Slide Guitar. John Scofield: Überjam. I must apologize for this extended list, but I can assure you that this only covers a fragment of the music I love and records that have meant something to me – only a tiny fragment.      

 

Q: Can you talk about your equipments? Guitar ,Amp and so on

A: Well I have an amazing hand build acoustic guitar by Kehlet Guitars (a Danish Maestro Luthier) it is equipped with Headway pick-up systems and for that I use a Headway amplifier called Shire King 120, which I believe is the best pick-up/amplifier combination that I have ever heard for acoustic guitars. As a back-up acoustic, I play a K. Yairi GY-1 and a Roland AC 60 monitor (I’m not always able to travel with the hand build guitar). I also play a Guild 12-string (also equipped with headway) and my electric guitar is a Gibson Les Paul Artist. Amps for the electric are: Peavey Classic 30, Peavey Delta Blues and an old Marshall Combo amp. All of these amps are solid tube amps and they sound great. I also have a huge collection of effects, most of them vintage pedals, like Electro Harmonix, Maestro (Ring Modulator and Echoplex) and also a nice little collection of distortion pedals like, MXR+, Big Muff, Mesa V-Twin – tube unit, etc. Also I have modern rack units such as TC-Electronic: G-Force (the famous Danish firm), Rocktron Intellifex and Digitech Whammy pedal.       

 

Q: Please give some advise about guitar practice to Chinese guitar fans

A: Well my advice is of course the basic things: to practice scales, rhythms, techniques, chords, harmonies etc. And another thing that one should bear in mind is; that it is equally important to be a good accompanist, as it is to be a good soloist. But first of all I think it is vital that Chinese guitar fans/musicians, try not to forget their own heritage, like their beautiful folklore. It is important to find you own personal voice, and not to sound like all the others. To imitate others is of course a good and natural way to evolve, when you in the process of learning and sucking in all the things you can get hold of, but it would be amazing to hear a special kind of Jazz or rock (etc.) coming from Chinese musicians and bands, I style you could call your own. But of course all of this is so new to you, and I’m sure that we’ll hear lots of interesting music coming from China in the future to come.

 

Q: Beside music what else do you usually do?

A: Hang out with my friends. Trips outside/nature. Watch films – I’m into the art of films. Go to any interesting happening such as art exhibitions, events etc. Try to keep an ecologic lifestyle and maintain a good and sound spirit – good spiritual matters fascinate me. And in general I also love the nice home life.  

 

Q: Last question. What’s your plan recently?

A: I’m planning to record a duo record, with the percussion player from Acoustic Sense and I’m also working on a very special Project with a lot of guests, which a plan should turn out quite as an epic adventurous musical outburst. Also working towards a new recording with Acoustic Sense.

 

Q: Thanks for spending time for the interview. Hope to see you play in China again

A: Thank you Mel, is has been my pleasure and I can assure that we’ll be back again - I really love playing here.