Today’s spotlight is on John Schröder
It’s kind of fun to try and remember when first you might have heard a musician. Once you’re my age. It must have been the late 1980s, John Schröder on guitar with Dieter Ilg? On SWF, the German radio station that gave you the guy that taught Buddy Bolden how to play the trumpet, Joachim Ernst Behrendt? His disciples there did a world of good for my budding ears. Of course this is only a memory, and not one that I actually remember, just a vague feeling that there must have been a day when I actually processed what I was talking about, but Schröder’s name stuck with me as somebody who carried the load of tradition of jazz guitar history and wanted his own angular way within that given framework. If I do not yet sound downright enthusiastic: I’m frankly not into the hollowbody thing. I mean as long as everyone tinkered on questionable equipment (39 to 49, it seems), folks all sounded great. Christian, Moore, Reinhardt, Kessel, Palmieri, you name it, they all sound spectacular until one unfortunate day in 49 you suddenly have what? a concert harp with the oomph built out? (It also must have been the exact day that Coleman Hawkins became fallible. I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about, but bear with me, this is serious :-)
Then I saw John Schröder the drummer, and I was blown away. Sorry, the guy is that good. I’ll explain in a moment.
Because listen to this. http://www.pirouetrecords.com/home/album_d.php?release=PIT3033. John also is a jazz pianist. And he has the whole history of being that on his shoulders. Make that: at his fingertips. (Nicer than the history of jazz guitar, if you ask me, but still.) These are just snippets, and they are all I know, so I won’t try to discuss the music, and it’s not even meant as a compliment, but I find it amazing that the approach differs so widely to embrace the history of the given instrument.
Luckily, John doesn’t drum like a drummer. Watching him on stage is like watching Thelonious Monk’s right foot (now that was actually a compliment, but I guess I’d better explain). If you watch Monk’s right foot, you suddenly can hear him think. There’s hesitation, then action, then suddenly there’s plan b. Or it shuffles with the punches. John drums in decidedly Monkish fashion. You can see what he thinks, and you even inwardly hear the cymbal he decides at last moment not to crash, which creates a sort of two-layer listening experience with the complete subjunctive alive and kicking. Actually I have no idea if he’s really deciding at last moment or if it’s a gestural way of working. He might make that up as sort of a storyline on being a drummer on stage contemplating hitting, you know, something.
It sure pays off to watch him, not just hear the sounds. (Plus, he always scratches his head simultaneously while playing, I can relate to that. Plus, he always looks mildly distracted, I envy that. By the way, I’ve been to a previous LOFT festival maybe five years ago, so here’s a bonus, a never before published interview I did with John then, after first having heard him play the drums at rehearsals. Enjoy!)
Lutz: Do you approach the guitar like you approach the drums?
John: Kind of.
That’s it, folks.
Lutz
