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Take Five With Simone Gubbiotti

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Meet Simone Gubbiotti:
Played and recorded with Joe La Barbera, Darek Oles, Marco Panascia, Sid Jacobs, Tim Welvaars. Coming up next album with Peter Erskine on drums and Oles on bass.

Instrument(s):
Guitar.

Teachers and/or influences?
Joe Diorio, Sid Jacobs, Wes Montgomery, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter... and many, many others...

I knew I wanted to be a musician when. . .
I knew that when I went to listen Ornette Coleman, which was my first concert of jazz. I was 24 at the time, playing guitar for just two weeks, and I didn't understand a single note in the night—I didn't even know what happened—so I told to myself to go deep into that to try to figure it out. And then I fell in love with jazz.

Your sound and approach to music:
My approach to music is simple, I try to do my best every day, I try to learn something every day and being late, due to my path to it, I practice as hard as I can. I put all my emotion into it because I think that energy and a great heart are very important. Concerning the sound, my research is to find my own voice; if someone can recognize me, the I've succeeded.

Your teaching approach:
I don't have a standard philosophy, I think that every student is different and my goal is to let him/her express the inner voice. A student has to find his/her own original approach on the instrument. Obviously I have my suggestions, especially concerning the harmonic approach on the guitar to take advantage in the best way. Too often a guitarist is similar to a saxophone so I think we have to develop a strong harmonic sense.

Your dream band:
Hard to say. I had the fortune to record with some of my heroes, and I will do again soon in November with Peter Erskine. I have some artist that I love involved in my projects, I see regularly some of them, I can mention Joe LaBarbera. But if I really have to make a choice I will say Wayne Shorter.

Road story: Your best or worst experience:
I can't say anything about this, I'm too new in the business to have a lot of stories, I consider a great experience everything coming to me. I would love anyway, sometimes, more respect for the artists by the audience, especially in the clubs, sometimes it's too noisy.

Favorite venue:
Holland tour, in general, last year.

Your favorite recording in your discography and why?
There are many. Speak no Evil (Shorter)-because it contains the first song I ever played in a jazz gig, "Witch Hunt." Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis; John Coltrane's Soultrane, Joe Diorio's albums.

The first Jazz album I bought was:
Question and Answer by Pat Metheny.

What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?
I think I bring my personal vision of jazz writing a lot of original music and putting into it my life experience. I'm truth to it any time and I show my feelings in any songs. If you're not scared to show who you are, that's jazz for me.

Did you know. . .
That I was a professional soccer player (football for Europeans).

CDs you are listening to now:
Joe Diorio, Tribute to Jobim (RAM Records); Simone Gubbiotti,Sinergy (ART); Keith Jarrett, all records; Tomo; Pat Metheny, Day Trip (Nonesuch).

Desert Island picks:
Simone Gubbiotti, Tracce di Eoni (Comar 23); Simone Gubbiotti, Essenza (Sonikrecords); Simone Gubbiotti, Sinergy (ART)—these are albums I made, the tracks I leave to the world.

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Columbia); Wayne Shorter, Speak no Evil (Blue Note).

How would you describe the state of jazz today?
Hard to say, I think that there is a lack of interest for the new projects and too space given to big names only because they are famous and they sell. There is a lot of business and less interest in the artistic side, in the creative process and fear I add to invest in the new generations.

What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?
Believe in it!

What is in the near future?
I just finished writing my new album, dedicated to my best friend, who died two years ago, and I just made the booking to record it In Los Angeles with Peter Erskine and Darek Oles. It's a very emotional project. I'm working also to the next Italian tour with my Hammond combo with Walter Calloni on drums and Alberto Marsico on organ, and I plan to sign a contract with a European management agency at the end of the summer.

If I weren't a jazz musician, I would be a:
No idea honestly but, knowing myself, I think I would created my own company.

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