Byron Wallen on musical influences and his upcoming NQ Jazz gigs
Photo by Urszula Tarasiewicz
Trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Byron Wallen is a seminal figure in world jazz. He has worked with such greats as George Benson, Ingrid Laubrock, Hugh Masekela, and Mulatu Astatke, during a career that spans thirty years. In 2003, he won the BBC's ‘Innovation In Jazz’ award for his third album, Indigo, and more recently, he has secured a MOBO award for ‘Best Jazz Act’ and received an award from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. His new album, Portrait: Reflections On Belonging, has met with critical acclaim from UK Vibe, Jazz Journal, London Jazz and many others. We spoke to Byron earlier this year to ask how he felt about the return of live music, if his perspective of the industry had changed during lockdown, and what music he had been enjoying recently.
Q. What are you most looking forward to about the return of live music?
It's really about experiencing a shared sound vibration in the same space. From a performance perspective, music has a different level of intimacy and depth when an audience is present.
Q. What can audiences expect from your NQ Jazz performances?
We will be playing a mixture of music from our latest album Portrait, some of my favourite tunes from years ago and some new pieces I have written over the last year.
Q. What has kept you busy during the last 12 months?
I have been focusing on getting fit with some boxing training, cooking/eating good food, resting and improving my quality of life as a human and musician. I have been developing my Mask project with workshops in primary schools and Conservatoires. The film industry has kept on throughout this time and I have been in a few blockbuster films which have been great.
Q. Has your musical perspective or perception of the industry changed over the past year?
It has been hard to remain positive with the restrictions on our industry with Brexit and Covid enforced by the government. Music will always find a way so you really need to go deeper into the source and your purpose. This provides the perspective and inspiration to move forward.
Q. Who has had a significant influence on your music?
Musicians that have had a lasting influence on me are Thelonious Monk, Andrew Hill, Igor Stravinsky, Bach, Lester Young, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong for starters. I am also influenced by film directors like Satyajit Ray and Akira Kurosawa and the Indigenous art and culture of the World.
Q. What music are you listening to at the moment?
Recently I have been studying and listening to Art Farmer, George Russell, Henry Threadgill , Clare Fischer and an ancient form of Gamelan music called Selonding.