Guitarist Alex Machacek Interviewed at AAJ...And More!

Be careful what you wish for, for you may get it--so the saying goes. When Alex Machacek asked drummer Marco Minnemann if he had a drum solo he could pass his way to compose around, he could never have expected a drum improvisation lasting 51 minutes. Before he could say, “Hey, 13/16 is a really odd meter," he found himself committed to composing, or recomposing as he puts it, around the entire piece.

24 Tales (Abstract Logix, 2010) is a true masterpiece, and one of the most stunning compositional projects of this year...or any year, for that matter. Machacek has already proven himself a masterful in-the-moment, collaborative improviser on albums like the aptly titled Improvision (Abstract Logix, 2007), a trio date with uber-bassist Matthew Garrison and under-valued drummer Jeff Sipe. 24 Tales weighs more heavily to Machacek's compositional side, significantly expanding on [sic] (Abstract Logix, 2006), where he similarly composed around shorter drum improvisations by a past collaborator, Terry Bozzio.

AAJ Contributor Ian Patterson spoke with the Austrian-born guitarist, about the not-insignificant challenges of composing coherent, focused music around a Minnemann's 51-minute drum solo, and striking a balance between improvised and structured settings. All this and more in Ian's in-depth interview, Alex Machacek: A Very Tall Tale published today at AAJ.

You can also check out what both Ian and AAJ Managing Editor John Kelman have to say about 24 Tales in CD Reviews published when the CD was released, on June 7, 2010 and May 14 respectively.

AAJ is committed to bringing you the most extensive coverage anywhere, so be sure to check out all the buzz surrounding Alex Machacek and 24 Tales at AAJ today!