Conversation with Charnett Moffett

Franz A. Matzner

Columnist since 2002

Franz Matzner has contributed interviews and coverage from the Kennedy Center since 2002.

Recent articles (178 total)

Published: October 28, 2003

CM: I certainly hope so! You’ve got a lot of wonderful players out there, which I think is so healthy. I know there’s always the thing of wanting to have a style or something that separates you from everyone else, but it’s not meant...to disrespect any of the other players. I think it’s about realizing that we’re all musicians and we’re all trying to speak our voice through our art, and enjoy our lives, and hopefully we should be trying to give people joy through our music no matter who we are... So the only thing I can really tell you is that I’m trying to be honest with the things I hear and the way I hear the music, the way I’ve been taught and raised into this music. I was always taught to be yourself. You have to know your history, but you have to go forward also. That’s one of the great things about working with McCoy. He has such a great lineage throughout the music from his beginning to where he is now. I remember talking to him about themes of this subject matter, and he said, ‘Sometimes you gotta go like the palm tree. You have to be able to flow with things. In a storm, you have to bend to this side, and sway back to the other side.’ [That’s] very evident in his playing. Now it’s bringing out another element of my playing. To be able to be grounded and centered, but also to be able to go with whatever happens with respect to wherever we are in the composition. Because what happens a lot of times is, we’ll be playing a standard or even a blues and we’ll be playing the tune and we’ll improvise off of the form of the changes of the song. Then out of nowhere, McCoy will go on this extended creative run that will have everything to do with the tune in terms of the melodic and harmonic structure, yet free of the form. It keeps me on my toes because I have to accompany him in a way that’s appropriate without being selfish because it’s always about putting the music first so you can make the best choices and the best sound that’s harmonious with the environment. So that’s the wonderful thing about playing music...it really brings people together. It’s a very exciting thing for me to be a part of because it’s creatively inspiring and musically interesting.

FM: I’m curious if you practice any other art forms?

CM: Music is already hard enough!

(Laughter.)

FM: Good answer.

CM: Basically, the more comfortable you are with yourself, the more comfortable you are with others. And sometimes understanding yourself can be the most difficult thing in the world. Because you are constantly changing. Not because you don’t have a focus point, but because you are seeking new ideas and information all the time. So if you’re interested—so if you have that way of wanting to live—then you know that you’re constantly in a search. That was one of the great things about playing that composition—“The Search”—on the Land of Giants. That’s basically why I’m having a great time with McCoy right now. The things I’m interested in developing in my life, not only musically, but personally—they all coincide with each other—basically, he’s already gotten to a point where he understands these things and I’m trying to take the opportunity to learn and grow from him... We talk about all sorts of things. Sports. Whatever is going on, the current events of the day. It’s all a part of what influences you musically. In terms of other art forms that I’m studying presently, I’d have to say no, but I’ve got my hands full trying to understand the art form of music in it’s complete form.

FM: Outside of music, what do you do when you’re bored?

CM: Play. Play some more music. (Laughing.) Because if you’re bored, that means there’s something you should play that you haven’t played yet. You know what I mean? Everybody wants to sound good when they play, but actually the best time to sound bad is when you’re practicing because then you can work on something that you haven’t done yet. Then you can add that to your vocabulary. So...you have more information to express and share with others.

FM: If you could play with any musician, any genre, who would it be?

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