Interview with Carmen Gomes
CARMEN GOMES on early influences, interpretation, writing, Amsterdam, Robert Johnson, Ray Charles and more.
Interview by Aldora UK Records&Review e-zine
- Hello Carmen, how are you? I am excited to be talking with such a fantastic artist from over in Amsterdam. It is amazing how music can bring us together. Let’s start off by travelling back in time. What are some of your earliest musical memories and what was it that first pushed you towards pursuing this passion of yours?
My parents were genuine music enthusiasts with an extensive and eclectic record collection. From a young age, I was given the freedom to operate the record player and choose whichever records I wanted. This allowed me to explore a wide range of music, from jazz and rock to classical. However, the albums that captivated me the most as a child were those featuring Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Ray Charles.
- You are a master of reinterpretation, but I also am really drawn in by your original songwriting and songcraft. How do you approach this part of your creative process? Are you drawn to particular themes or topics? Perhaps coming from a personal, observational, or even fictional perspective?
It's different every time. Sometimes the lyrics comes first, They can be very personal but also completely fictional. Sometimes a bit of both. Other times a small melodic fragment appears and asks to be completed. Once that's done I kind of ask the melody what the lyrics should be about.
- I would love to explore your dive into Robert Johnson’s work, which you released on 2 brilliant albums; Up Jumped The Devil and Stones in My Passway. Thank you for the music! What are your memories from arranging, recording and releasing this set, and how would you say you have grown and evolved since your previous outings?
Those 2 albums are maybe the best we have done. It was a deeply moving and emotional experience and really a group effort.
Peter Bjørnild had rearranged each song but kept the arrangements very sketchy, giving each of us complete freedom in what and how we wanted to play. And once we started to play It all came together as if we had been playing the songs for years.
It was as if they materialized instead of having to be rehearsed.
Same goes for the instrumental compositions which were made on the spot, they took no effort, they played themselves. We wanted the lyrics to be central. Which meant that some songs turned out very different than the original.
I was scared that people would find our reinterpretations too different, but the albums have been extremely well received also by the critics.
If may qoute 2 of them :"Carmen sings the blues straight from the heart, profoundly, 1with authenticity and heartfelt sincerity, eschewing any unnecessary embellishments.This is so well recorded that turning up the volume knob significantly never makes the music too loud, only more intense." from JazzFlits
Or this one from Hifi News&Record: "Her sultry voice has immediacy and intimacy, the instruments captured with real vitality, and the whole recording drips with presence and a sense of performance."
Musicians, me included, always claimed we don't care about the what the critics write but….when they are this good I do care😀!
Robert Johnson is the key to so much of the music we are listening to today. In a sense he was the first singer songwriter. I really believe that without him Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell would not have become what they are. His lyrics are personal stories and the songs are so diverse. We wanted to approach the songs from a different perspective, see what the song itself asked for, just like we do when we interpret a standard or a pop song. So in no way try to imitate Robert, we add something of our own.
Peter got the idea that the albums should be like an imaginary road movie, so we created small interludes connecting all of the songs, in a sense it is a suite. And on the Stones in my Passway carmen, engineer Frans de Rond really showed why he is in such high demand, the almost visual element he contributed to the small vignettes, really helped the concept album idea. I hope people will take the time to listen from the beginning to end of the albums in one go.
- We also have to have a chat about your “Ray!” album. This is another fine, fine tribute to a real icon. It must be such a daunting task to tackle a project like this. How do you reflect on this set as a whole now, and is there anything that you would edit or change looking back with the benefit of hindsight?
I am very happy with that album.
Ray Charles is one of the most important musicians who ever walked this earth! At first I thought I never not dare to make a whole tribute album but we did a tour playing his songs and at first did not plan to record them but when the tour finished we realized that we had made the songs our own, and our fans kept asking for them, so we thought we might as well go ahead and make the album.
The reason the first song is only me singing, and the second song is only me a Peter Bjørnild on bass, is because we were not allowed to be more than 2 people in the studio at same time at the height of the pandemic. When restrictions were lifted we went back in with Folker Tettero and Bert Kamsteeg and finished the album. I try not to think in hindsight, an album is a moment in time, and you can't change time.
- When I listen to your records, I always get the impression that they would really come alive on the live stage. Hopefully I am able to attend one of your shows someday in the not too distant future. What do you aim to bring to the stage as an artist and what can a fan expect from their first Carmen Gomes gig?
Good music, a band that really listen and love what they do and we always try to adhere to Kurt Vonnegut's quote on jazz: “this beautiful never the same way twice music!”
- As you well know, I love the Gomes sound and your approach to making music. Soul, blues, jazz, traditional pop, world music, it is all in there. How would you say this style of yours came about, what goes into it for you and who are some of your biggest influences and inspirations as an artist and performer?
Everyone and everything, all the icons but also the wealth of new talent that comes up. My students often introduce me to new music, which I find invigorating.
Artists like Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Memphis Slim, and Muddy Waters have influenced me with their raw emotional delivery. But the elegance and sophistication of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, the nuanced piano playing of Bill Evans, the melodic phrasing of Miles Davis, and the evocative storytelling of Joni Mitchell, the impeccable laidback timing of Shirley Horn, the E.S.T. Trio's wonderful reimaginations and…..I could go on…..they all play a significant role in shaping my musical sensibilities.
- A broad question to finish. We have been through such a unique time in history over the last few years. Both politically and within society, and that is before you throw in the pandemic. How have the last several years impacted on you personally and as an artist? How do you think this time has changed the music industry, both for the good and the bad? I am curious to hear your insights.
Well the music venues have diminished drastically. I used to make my living solely from performing, now teaching is a big part of my professional life, but I actually quite enjoy it and haven gotten a bit older, 7I don't mind no longer driving 40.000 km a year. And maybe spending less time on the road has given me the opportunity to dig deeper when preparing for a recording.
On the other hand I do miss the very lively scene we had here in Amsterdam, with so many clubs with live music open all night. It was a fantastic time, too bad gentrification took care of that.
On the situation in the world and politics….I just wish everyone would have a bit of compassion, listen instead of shouting, or as a dear friend of mine always say: LOVE, PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING!
Quickfire Round
- Favourite artist? Bill Evans
- Favourite album? John Coltrane ‘Crescent’
- Last album you listened to from start to finish?
TIM LANGEDIJK & PAUL BERNER - DOWN TO THE DOWNTOWN - First gig as an audience member? Rolling Stones live in Rotterdam
- Loudest gig as an audience member? Led Zeppelin
- Style icon? James Bond
- Favourite film? ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’
- Favourite TV show? Fargo
- Favourite up and coming artist?
UNDERCURRENT TRIO & SUZAN VENEMAN