Un dels moments més esperats d'aquesta 14a edició
del Festival Internacional de Dixieland,
un dels seus punts àlgids,
serà el concert que se celebrarà dissabte a la nit
al Teatre Metropol, a càrrec de la Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
una banda que ve directament des del bressol de la música Dixi,
des de Nova Orleans.
Un concert, com dèiem, que potser és el punt àlgid donat a més
que aquest any s'ha volgut lligar dins del concert de Dixieland
el que és la música Dixi a Nova Orleans, la genèrica,
amb música que, per exemple, s'està fent del mateix estil
o amb bastants lligams en els Balcans.
Per parlar sobre aquest concert de la Dirty Dozen Brass Band
i per parlar de Nova Orleans en general,
tenim a l'altre costat del fil telefoni, que és un plaer,
a un dels seus membres, un dels seus artífics, el Roger Lewis.
Roger, good afternoon.
Good afternoon, how are you doing?
Are you playing some concerts here around Spain?
Yes.
So you're here in Spain, not only to come to Tarragona,
but also to play in other places.
I mean, there's a...
Yes, well, it's a European tour.
We started out in UK, England,
and we went from there to Brussels, I think it was.
No, it was Brussels, then the UK, then.
We're moving around so much, it's kind of hard.
We went to Germany.
Okay.
Then we went to Italy.
Then from Italy we came over here to Spain.
Okay.
Li hem preguntat...
I'm translating to the audience at the same time,
so if you don't mind.
Li hem preguntat que com és que estan aquí.
Clar, és un llarg viatge des de Nova Orleans,
des dels Estats Units,
i suposàvem que no havien vingut només per assistir
al concert de Tarragona.
Diuen que no, que estan de gira europea,
que ja han passat per la Gran Bretanya,
per Brussel·les, Alemanya i segurament a Itàlia.
When are you finishing your European tour?
We go back to the States on the fifth.
On the fifth?
So it will be next month?
Yeah.
Diu que acaben simplement...
Em pensava que duraria més i no.
Es veu que el dia 5 d'abril tanquen la gira europea
i se'n tornen cap als Estats Units.
Roger, please tell us something,
but briefly something about the story
of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
the members, and the story.
Well, the band started out in 1976,
I see, 76 or 77.
We started out as a traditional
New Orleans marching band,
which consists of sousaphone, trombone.
We had two trumpets,
tenor saxophone, snare drum player,
and a bass drum player.
And what made the difference
in our band is we used
the baritone saxophone.
So it's not usual?
No, baritone is not usual.
Usually there's clarinet
in the traditional form,
but we used the baritone saxophone.
And it sounds especially different?
They always gave it a different sound.
Of course.
So we started out playing
playing
tícnics,
baseball games,
funerals,
I mean, this is a traditional thing,
funerals,
funerals,
and clubs,
and parades,
second line parades,
called second line parades.
Ok.
Ens explica,
l'hem preguntat que quan va començar
que ens expliqués una mica
la història de la Dirty Dose en Brass Band
i diu que van començar el 1976 o el 77,
no se'n recorda gaire bé.
Van començar com una formació,
doncs, això,
tradicional,
de música tradicional de Nova Orleans,
per tant,
música,
dic si podríem dir,
amb una forta secció de vent,
saxo,
trombó,
trompetes,
i diu,
en fet curiós,
que el que els diferenciava
d'altres formacions
que n'hi ha moltíssimes a Nova Orleans
és que en lloc d'utilitzar un clarinet
utilitzaven un saxo baríton.
Jo, la veritat,
no entenc gaire de música,
però diu que es veu que sí,
que dóna un so,
doncs,
molt especial i molt distintiu,
diferent de tota la resta de música
que s'estava fent allà.
Al principi,
només tocaven amb festivals,
ai, perdoneu,
amb partits de bèisbol,
amb partits de bèisbol,
amb funerals,
com és tradicional,
i, evidentment,
amb alguns clubs.
So, Roger,
it's a long way
from 1976.
I bet you have an evolution.
You have joined
some new members
and your music has changed.
Well, we only have
three original traveling,
three original members
in this band now.
And that's Kevin Harris,
Ephraim Towns,
and myself.
We're the only
original members.
Well, we have another member,
but he don't come out on the road
as much.
His name is Gregory Davis.
Uh-huh.
So it's only really traveling.
There's only three original members
and everybody else in the band.
Our drummer's been with us
like 12 years,
Terrence Higgins.
We don't use the two drummers anymore.
We use one drummer,
one set drummer.
Before, we used
a snare drum player
and a bass drum player.
You know,
but we don't,
you know,
and we added guitar
to our band.
The first band
was more acoustic
than it is now.
and then at one period
we had guitar
and keyboard.
Okay.
It's important.
Yeah,
that was one period.
And the next period
was we just had,
we dropped the piano player
or the keyboard player
and we had a guitar.
and right now
we have guitar.
Okay,
so you have a bit
of everything.
Yeah,
at one period,
you know,
at one period
we had a full,
what they call
a full rhythm section,
guitar,
you know,
bass, drums.
So because of this
change of the musicians,
your music
must have changed also.
Well,
you know,
whenever you add
a different musician
in a band,
they come with
their particular sound
and it adds
to what you already
have established
because we play
a lot of original music,
original music
that's composed
by members
of the band.
So in our band,
you have an opportunity
to bring
your own personal
music
and get it
and have it played
and most bands
you can't do that.
You just have to
go along
with the program.
Of course,
you still have to go along
with the program
that's already been
laid down
but you have an opportunity
to present
your music
to the world too,
you know.
I mean,
we don't lock,
in other words,
we don't close the door
on new members
if they have
some music
that their original music
they want to play
or if they have
some ideas
about what they think
and how the music
should sound.
We don't say,
well, no,
we don't want to hear that.
We, you know,
we sit down at the table
and, you know,
and work it out.
I mean,
we all musicians,
you know.
We don't want to miss out
on anything
that's good.
Of course.
Let me translate.
A veure,
li hem preguntat
que com ha evolucionat
la banda en aquest temps
la formació original
i també, doncs,
la seva música,
la música que fan.
Ens ha parlat
d'un munt de músics,
ens ha dit que,
de fet,
de la formació original
queden només tres components
ell n'és un
i tots els altres
han anat entrant
i sortint.
Fins i tot
han anat entrant
i sortint
no només persones
sinó instruments.
Hi havia una època
en què tenien un teclat,
piano,
doncs,
ara no,
però, vaja,
tenen guitarra,
no?
I a mesura que van canviant
els músics,
clar,
això ha influït
també en la música
que fan.
va canviant una secció
o l'altra
i va evolucionar
en el seu estil
en el seu estil
de música.
Es veu que cada nova
incorporació que hi ha
porta,
doncs,
a part de l'instrument,
porta,
doncs,
novetats,
les seves idees
de composició,
perquè el que té
la Dirty Doze
o un brass band
és que toquen
cançons originals,
peces que han composat
ells mateixos,
no se'n van cap a les vencions
ni cap als estàndards.
Llavors,
cada músic
té l'oportunitat
de posar,
doncs,
en comú
i fer conèixer
a tota la gent,
a tot el món,
les seves composicions.
How do you see
from your experience
in New Orleans?
You come from
the place of birth,
let's say,
that of Dixieland.
How do you see
from there,
from New Orleans,
this interest?
We all refer to it
as Dixie New.
We refer to,
well,
you know,
it's a funny thing,
you know,
different cultures
have a way
of expressing their music,
but because
we belong to
Mason Dixieland,
some people refer to,
some cultures
refer to it as Dixieland,
but most black folks,
black musicians
refer to their
New Orleans music
as New Orleans swing.
Okay,
so you mean that
in New Orleans
there is more
than Dixieland music?
Well,
that's how
the black musicians,
the old black,
the old black musicians
refer to their music,
they never call their music
Dixieland.
Okay,
okay.
You know.
No,
no,
it's...
I mean,
that's the truth,
I mean,
that's what the old
timers used to tell me,
we never,
they never refer to their music
as Dixieland music.
Oh,
yes,
we are.
Dixieland music
in New Orleans swing
is two different,
it's different.
And what do you play,
in fact?
Dixieland,
you play in New Orleans.
Our music,
our,
well,
the music that we play
is a variety
of everything.
See,
the Dirty Dozen
just don't play
traditional
New Orleans music.
We play
avant-garde,
we play
bebop,
we play
rhythm and blues,
we play rock and roll,
we play blues,
we play
radical,
we play it all.
You know,
we got music
for your mind,
body,
and your soul.
So it's a big show
when you go
on stage,
when you come to Tarragona
on stage this Saturday
it will be a big show?
Well,
when we come to your,
when we come to your city
we're going to play
a variety
of everything.
It's not going to be
one kind of music.
Okay.
Okay.
We're like a variety pack.
We're,
we're learning
a lot of things
with you.
Let me ask you,
what do you think
about this interest
in Europe,
about your music?
Well,
you know,
I think the Europeans
are very,
very knowledgeable
when it comes
to New Orleans music.
I remember
some years ago
when I first
came to Europe
back in 1971.
In 1971
I was playing
with the great
Fast Domino.
I don't know
if you all
are familiar
with him.
I've heard about him.
Yeah,
well,
he's a great,
he was one
of the pioneers
in rhythm
and blues
back in the 50s.
He recorded
over,
he had over
22 hits,
22 gold records,
only second
to Elvis Presley
in sales.
And I came over here
with him
and I remember
I was sitting down
in London
in England
having breakfast
and a guy
walked in
with a big book.
In this book
he had
everybody
who ever
recorded
anything
in New Orleans.
I mean,
he could tell you
what year
the song
was recorded
and who was
on the recording
session
and all that.
He did this research.
but he was very,
very knowledgeable
in the history
of New Orleans
music
and documented
all this stuff
and I found
that most of the
European people
are very knowledgeable
when it comes
to New Orleans
music.
Ok, let me translate
ja està aquí.
A veure,
uf, ja no me'n recordo
ben bé
que li hem preguntat, eh?
Ens ha dit,
clar, li he preguntat
sobre la música
d'exiland,
si ells fan
música d'exiland
tradicional i tal.
M'ha dit,
diu que és molt curiós
perquè això
de la paraula
d'exiland
no l'utilitzen
de fet ells allà.
Els europeus,
els d'aquí,
diem que això
és música d'exiland
però ells,
els negres,
a més ens ha dit
Black People,
els negres que fan
música allà
a Nova Orleans
d'aquest estil
diuen que fan
New Orleans Swing
Swing de Nova Orleans
i ja està.
Li hem preguntat,
i bé,
diu que és bastant diferent,
que és com a molt més ampli
que no pas enquadrar-ho
només en el Dixi.
Li hem preguntat
què en pensa
d'aquest interès creixent
o que sempre hi ha hagut
a Europa
per una música
que de fet
físicament,
geogràficament
ens queda molt lluny,
la música que fan
a Nova Orleans.
Diu que,
bé,
que és molt coneguda,
que li agrada
perquè és molt coneguda
aquí a Europa
i apreciada
ja l'any 1971
ell va estar per aquí
a Londres
de gira europea
amb Fast Domino,
ens han anat parlant
meravelles
i en aquell moment
ja va veure
que hi havia,
l'any 71,
que hi havia un interès
per part dels europeus
i un coneixement
fins i tot
de les cançons
que s'havien enregistrat
aquí les havien enregistrat
estava tot guardat
i hi havia com un interès
i això el fa feliç.
Ens ha dit
també una cosa molt important,
en el concert de dissabte
a la net al Metropol
prepareu-vos
perquè tocaran
una varietat
de repertori.
No veurem només
un estil molt concret
sinó una varietat d'estils
perquè de fet sí,
fan música de Nova Orleans
però no només la tradicional
sinó que l'han actualitzat
i en fi ho barregen
amb moltíssimes coses.
I anem tancant l'entrevista
ja amb el Roger Luis
i abans de marxar
li preguntarem
quina és la relació
entre ells,
la Dirty Dose and Brass Band
i l'huracà Katrina
que com recordeu
va ser un fet
malauradament molt important
per la ciutat de Nova Orleans.
Just to finish,
Roger,
we have to ask you
what's your relationship,
the relationship
between the Dirty Dose and Brass Band
and the city of New Orleans
and of course
the Hurricane Katrina.
as far as
you want to
you mean as far as
how we came up
with the concept of
yeah,
I mean that
for example
I know that
your last release
what's going on
all the money
you're going to get
through the sales
you're going to
devote it to
some of the profits
of record sales
go towards helping
the citizens of New Orleans
that need help
for us
reconstructing their homes
and what not
and also in this
in this occasion
in what's going on
you use music
to give a social message
well
what's going on
was recorded
by Marvin Gaye
30 years ago
and he was
he was a guy
that was very socially
conscious of what
was going on
into the world
what's going on
into the world
as you know
during that time
it was the Vietnam War
and it was
I think we was going
from integration
from segregation
to integration
it was a lot of things
that was happening
socially
that was happening
and here we are
30 years
and we still have
the same social problems
with all this war
and terrorism
so he was very
very conscious
politically conscious
and socially conscious
of what was happening
and how the project
came about
was
was through
Shout Records
which was
Sean Amos
and Andy
Andy Mellie
these guys were
they
they had been
talking about
you know
putting this music
together
having it done
and it just so happened
we happened to be
the guys that they
wanted to present
this
to present
Marvin Gaye
music
so
but we have been
talking about
for years
doing Marvin Gaye's
music
because we always
always loved
Marvin Gaye's music
I had an opportunity
myself
to play with
Marvin Gaye
when he
when he did
one of his
first records
and that was
a record called
Hitch Hink
I think that was
one of his
first recordings
back in the
late 50s
early 60s
I think it was
I'm not sure
the exact date
but
so we had been
talking about
doing it
and then what
happened with
Katrina being
a natural disaster
and
how the
governments
how the
all government
systems
failed
you know
it was like
we were back
to this
same social
thing that's
happening
that was
happening 30
years ago
the way things
were handled
and things
were being
handled
handled
during that
particular time
so I mean
everything
kind of
what's going
on is
asking the
question
what is
going on
what is
going on
in the
world
as we
live
in it
today
why do
we have
all this
racism
and
all these
wars
all this
stuff
that's
happening
now
you know
and do
you think
the question
what's
going on
do you
think
that music
is useful
in this
way
if you
listen
to Marvin
Gaye's
music
and you
listen
to his
lyrics
you know
I think
it's one
song
he has
where you
say
there'll
be a
time
when the
world
flowers
won't
be
growing
bells
won't
be
ringing
who
really
care
who's
willing
to try
to save
our world
that is
destined
to die
it's deep
yeah
and a bit
impressive
you know
what I mean
yeah
yeah
yeah
but
let me
I don't
know
I'm not
sure
if I
have
understood
what's
going
on
it's
just
the
name
the
title
of a
Marvin Gaye
song
or
the
whole
release
it's
the
name
of
the
title
of a
Marvin Gaye
song
is the
name
of the
title
of a
Marvin
Gaye's
album
but the
album is
full of
your own
songs
the
Dirty
Dozen
and
and
you have
play
them
remix
ok
ok
I see
I see
now I understood
so I'll translate it
a veure li hem preguntat
evidentment quina és la relació
que tenen la Dirty Doze
amb Brass Band
amb la ciutat de Nova Orleans
amb els fets de l'huracà
Katrina
ens ha dit
bé més que res
perquè sabíem
que aquest treball discogràfic
que han tret un treball que es diu What's Going On
que traduït seria
què està passant
doncs a tot el que
tots els diners que facin
amb la venda d'aquest treball
ara eren destinats
a una fundació
tiptina
que fa esforços
doncs per arreglar encara
aquest desastre
sobre la comunitat musical
de Nova Orleans
no per arreglar una mica
la ciutat
i els que més ho necessiten
aquest treball
el What's Going On
està basat
i està tot
composat
per temes
de Marvin Gaye
que llavors interpreten ells
perquè
bueno deien
és que clar
el Marvin Gaye
ja cantava
tots aquests desastres
possibles
que hi podria haver en el món
el fet que
ens estem quedant
doncs això
ens quedarem sense flors
ens quedarem sense ocells
ens quedarem sense vida
es morirà tot
i ja cantava tot això
fa 30 anys
diu
i és que ara ens trobem
que al cap de 30 anys
val
és un desastre natural
però és que el govern
no ha reaccionat
llavors què està passant
si al cap de 30 anys
estem denunciant
el mateix que
que fa 30 anys
vol dir que no s'ha arreglat res
no s'ha millorat res
i doncs aquí està
aquest compromís
de la Dirky 2
amb Rasban
que sembla que han agafat
ells com a músics
en el paper una mica
de denunciar
d'aquesta reacció
política
o social o econòmica
que hi va haver
quan el desastre dolor
caix
que sembla que no hi ha
manera d'arreglar-ho
ok
Roger Lewis
thank you for your patience
one question
you didn't ask
sorry
one question
you didn't ask
me
how did the band
come up with the name
Dirty Dozen
when it's only
I didn't ask you
about the name
yeah
yeah
because I don't know
what the meaning
what's the meaning
exactly
Dozen is a Dozen
12
Dozen is 12
ah so tell me
tell me
what about the name
Roger
Dirty Dozen
has 12 members
I never met
12 members
you've never been 12
no
never
but you're
you're going to be
you want to be 12
or not
no
no
how we got our name
was
there
there was a group
there was a
social and pleasure club
called a Dirty Dozen
social and pleasure club
that we used to play for
when we first started out
ok
and before we had a chance
to change the name
of the band
the audience
the people that we were
playing for
you know
they'll start calling us
the Dozen
then the Dirty Dozen
but before we had a chance
to change the name
of the band
the name caught on
caught on
and that's how
came up
that's why we got called
the Dirty Dozen
Brands Band
but we never had 12 numbers
ok
that's great
that's great
I'm glad
I'm glad you've told me
yeah
I mean because
probably somebody
want to know
how do those guys
yeah yeah
some people might be
expecting 12 guys
but
ok
very interesting
again Roger
thank you very much
and welcome to Tarragona
this Saturday
we are very glad
that you come here
I'm looking forward to it
ja per acabar
jo ja l'anava a acomiadar
i el Roger
ens ha dit
diu
hi ha una pregunta
que no m'has fet
dic ostres
que m'he oblidat
ja
diu sí sí
no m'has preguntat
d'on ve el nom
com és que ens diem
la Dirty Dozen
Brass Band
jo la veritat
és que n'hi havia caigut
i és veritat
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
vol dir
a veure si ho sé traduir bé
la banda de metalls
o bueno una Brass Band
seria doncs això
una banda que té una secció
de metalls potent
d'una dotzena de persones
bueno deixem-ho així
la curiositat
del nom de la banda
és que es diuen
Dozen
dotzena
no?
allò
una banda de dotze persones
diu
i el curiós del cas
és que no hem sigut mai dotze
si els comptes
jo no m'he aturat
a comptar-los
però és veritat
diu
mira que hem tingut
canvis de membres
incorporacions
i baixes
dins la formació
però mai
hem sigut dotze components
què passa?
doncs
si l'entès bé
perquè se'ns anava
també la cobertura
m'explicava
que és que abans
en el local
on tocaven
hi havia una banda
que es deia
no sé què
amb la paraula dotze
que sí que eren dotze
llavors ells van agafar
el relleu
d'aquesta formació
i bueno
doncs els hi va fer gràcia
mantenir alguna paraula
del nom
gairebé com a estratègia
de màrqueting
perquè l'audiència
del local
els hi demanava
a veure si ara
canviaran la banda
doncs
això van fer
es van quedar encara
amb aquesta paraula
però vaja
que no són ni una dotzena
de persones
ni tenen cap intenció
tampoc
d'haver d'ampliar
la banda
fins a arribar a la dotzena
i mira
és una contradicció
un gag
amb el nom
que ens ha volgut explicar
el Roger Luis
ell mateix
sense que nosaltres
hi haguéssim caigut
a preguntar-li
ja veieu
ja veieu quin bon humor
quins personatges
més sentits
podríem dir més autèntics
que venen de Tarragona
al Festival Internacional
de Dixiland
directament des de Nova Orleans
recordem un cop més
serà dissabte
al Teatre Metropol
i hem estat parlant
amb un dels membres
un dels fundadors
de la Dirty Dozen Brass Band
amb el Roger Luis
de la Dirty Dozen Brass Band