AN EXCERPT:
“R: What do you, as a composer/performer of music, listen for in other people’s work- what moves you? What tickles your brain?
JM: I love it when I can’t tell how much of a performance (music, theater, etc.) is improvised and how much is scripted. I like to feel that I’m part of a living experience as opposed to a witness to someone’s agenda. If that agenda is the same as mine, though, that’s ok, too. I need to be a little confused, though. Entertainment in a large way is about escapism. I go out to see music to both get inspired, and also to forget about my problems. Sometime the escapism gets too much emphasis, drawing attention to itself. I’m talking about retro, revivalism, which can be very dangerous psychologically even if you know what’s going on. A Big Mac isn’t any less bad for you if you know it’s bad. In fact it’s worse. I think the danger here is that it lowers expectations. It helps people forget that there’s still tons of amazing stuff to be invented.” WE DO THE BIG BAND THING AT ROULETTE, June 8th and 9th 02010.
