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In 1959, I was three
and a half years old and I wanted to play the saxophone. My
dad played saxophone and this was the coolest thing I could
think of doing.
In 1969 - 61 we watched the tele, "Studio Jazz", a
musician with a tenor saxophone raise and plays a solo. (It
was probably Nils Lindberg's Group). I became deeply impressed
of what I saw and heard. I asked dad if it wasn't difficult
to learn so much by heart.
He answered the musician on TV just made up what to play. "Yes
but, he is playing correct", I said. I couldn't believe
it. To be able to make up music like that on the spot. And it
sounds so good - on a saxophone in front of an orchestra as
a soloist. This must be the ultimo dream for human being.
I made up my mind that I should become a jazz musician.
It took almost five years before dad aloud me to start to play
saxophone. He didn't want me to start before I was really interested.
So, when I became 10 years, I obviously was enough starved of
playing the instrument and I was sent to the public musical
school in Nynäshamn.
I started to play in a big band when I was 16 years old.
At this time I had one idol. The only time I have had an idol
and that was Paul Desmond. His ability to research the tonal
world made a big impact on me.
A couple of years later I couldn't resist it. Against everybody's
advice, I didn't follow the written solo in the big band arrangement.
I made it up myself and since that evening I have continue to
do the same.
In 1974 I heard Sonny Rollins on record for the first time.
He played his Sonnymoon For Two. I liked his soft and rich tenor
sound and I went to the liberty to listen to more. They put
on the record "East Broadway Run Down". After one
and a half minute I was very disappointed. He roared like a
beginner. For my ears, it sounded terrible. An ill treatment
of the most beautiful instrument in the world. But, I couldn't
stop listening. I became sitting and listening the whole afternoon.
After playing the record 8 times, I borrowed it. I played it
over and over again week after week. Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Garyson
and Elvin Jones had opened the door to a new world. Naked and
without any other frills.
In 1976 I got a job in Stockholm and moved. I met many musicians
and everybody spoke about Charlie Parker. I had heard Bird on
record some years before but only when playing very high tempo
and I didn't like "circus music". There were a lot
of arguments with my friends who liked Charlie Parker and his,
as I thought, "competition music".
At the end I gave up and bought a record with Charlie Parker.
The first title was the first take of Embraceable You. After
four bars the shock was too big. I cried like a baby. The saxophonist
who I thought was a clown, tired my heart out of my body with
only some phrases. I spent the next weeks to find my friends
and apologize for my words about Parker.
In 1979, I thought about starting a group. One night at Club
Fasching in Stockholm when Bernt Rosengren played with his band,
we were sitting and talking about potential bass players and
drummers to the group. At that moment, a black man dressed with
long white African cloths enters the stage. He exchanges some
words with the bassist, Torbjörn Hultqrantz, and Torbjörn
hands over the bass to the man.
The band starts playing again and now things start happen. It
swings like a dream. I said "That's the man I must have
on bass!"
A couple of days later, I met the black bassist, Johnny Dyani,
when he loaded his bass in his car. "I'm starting a group
and I would like you to play the bass" I said and expected
some thousands of excuses. "Great fun!" answered Johnny.
"Do you have a drummer?" he continued and as I didn't,
Johnny said: "I have a friend - Gilbert Matthews".
Suddenly I had a band.
For some weeks I tried to get another reed because I had been
thinking about a quartet but nobody wanted to play with me so
it became a trio.
Anders Gahnold
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