{"id":3729,"date":"2015-11-10T15:34:48","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T15:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/?p=3729"},"modified":"2017-10-18T15:10:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-18T15:10:54","slug":"www-mwe3-com-about-firm-fragile-fun-robert-steven-silverstein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/www-mwe3-com-about-firm-fragile-fun-robert-steven-silverstein\/","title":{"rendered":"mwe3.com (about \u2018Firm, fragile, fun\u2019 – 2015) \u2013 Robert Steven Silverstein"},"content":{"rendered":"

“I believe the main identity of music is made by the musicians who are playing it.”<\/em>
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\nmwe3<\/b>: Tell us about\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun\u00a0<\/i>and what were your musical goals this time? Where and when was the album written and recorded?\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>:\u00a0Firm, Fragile, Fun<\/i>\u00a0is the second album of the Marnix Busstra Band, with the same musicians as on our debut album\u00a0Sync Dreams<\/i>\u00a0– Rembrandt Frerichs \u2013 piano, Arnold Dooyeweerd \u2013 bass and Pieter Bast \u2013 drums. After the release of that album we played a lot of concerts with the band, and I came to realize that these musicians are not \u2018just\u2019 jazz-musicians \u2013 they are capable of playing a lot of different styles, without losing their unique personalities. So with\u00a0Firm, Fragile, Fun<\/i>\u00a0I wanted the repertoire to be as varied as possible, to use all the possibilities of these fine musicians.<\/p>\n

I wrote the music for this album in the first half of 2014, we recorded in October\/November 2014, in Sandlane Studio in Rijen in The Netherlands. It\u2019s a great studio for this kind of recordings, with very good natural acoustics, especially for the drum sound.<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: You actually have another recently released album as well called\u00a0Best Of Both Worlds?\u00a0<\/i>Tell us about that album and some of the things your did with other Dutch artists on the album.<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: This year \u2013 on the 30th of August 2015, I had my 50th birthday. The album\u00a0Best Of Both Worlds<\/i>\u00a0was released on that date, with an overview of my work as a guitarist and composer from the last 20 years (1995-2015). It\u2019s a double-album, with the first CD featuring instrumental jazz of the different bands I played in and wrote music for. The second CD is filled with vocal music I wrote, mainly for my wife Karin Bloemen, who is a very well-known singer in The Netherlands \u2013 we work a lot together. There\u2019s also one song,\u00a0Tale Of Two Angels<\/i>, with singer Dianne Reeves, which I\u2019m very proud of; it\u2019s definitely a good composition and she sings it absolutely beautifully!<\/p>\n

This album is only released in The Netherlands, because most of the vocal compositions are in the Dutch language.<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: Some of the tracks on\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun<\/i>\u00a0are very jazzy and then some have neoclassical and even progressive rock ideas in the mix. Is that how you would describe the sound of\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun?\u00a0<\/i>Progressive bop jazz?<\/p>\n

\"\"Marnix Busstra<\/b>: To be honest, I don\u2019t really care what anyone wants to call it. I believe the main identity of music is made by the musicians who are playing it. But you could call it \u2018free rock, moody bop jazz with a hint of ethnic flavors\u2019, or \u2018funky neoclassical world jazz\u2019 or whatever. I think jazz always absorbed all kind of influences, and nowadays a good jazz musician can deal with and improvise in all kind of styles, without losing his own identity. That gives a lot of freedom and possibilities!<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: The cover art and CD booklet has some interesting twists of word play on the\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun<\/i>\u00a0title like\u00a0Moody Fragile Gone?\u00a0<\/i>What does the title signify and how does it apply to the album cover art as it appears?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: I\u2019m very happy with the artwork of this album. I worked for years now with the same designer, Rob Becker, but this is one of his finest work! The idea of the \u2018one word titles\u2019 came up because the different tracks all have a very strong identity, in composition and in the way the band plays it. For example the first one, \u201cStress\u201d,<\/i>\u00a0is indeed a very stressful song, and the second one, \u201cFun\u201d, indeed has got a very funny mood in it. So I chose to underline this by giving the songs these one word titles.<\/p>\n

I chose\u00a0Firm, Fragile, Fun<\/i>\u00a0to be the album title, because these three words captures pretty much the \u2018all around mood\u2019 of the album. And what I like about the cover art is that you see in the background all other characters floating around. Overall, it gives the impression as if the chosen words are floating on a sea of words, as if these chosen \u2018moods\u2019 are indeed part of life itself.
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\nmwe3<\/b>: What\u2019s the reaction like to\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun\u00a0<\/i>album in Holland and in the neighboring countries?\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun\u00a0<\/i>has a kind of Euro-centric sound to it even though you have said it has that American jazz effect too. It\u2019s a unique jazz mixture with the Dutch vibe, and I might add a Ackerman-esque guitar sound?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: Nice to bring up Jan Akkerman, a great Dutch guitarist musician of course! His sound was definitely an inspiration for me when I was young, so maybe you can still hear echoes of that influence in my sound and music.<\/p>\n

In Holland I got some very positive reviews, especially because they like the diversity and intractability of the music. Problem for me is, that I started as a fusion-guitarist when I was young, and sometimes they still see me as \u2018that fusion-guitarist\u2019. And fusion has never been very popular in Holland, so that haunted me through the years\u2026<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: What is your working relationship like with Norbert Sollewijn Gelpke and how did it influence the sound of\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun?<\/i>\u00a0Compare the new album and working with Norbert on the\u00a0Sync Dreams<\/i>\u00a0CD from 2013. Is there a secret to getting a great studio sound?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: I know Norbert now for 45 years! We met in kindergarten and have been close friends since. So we are like brothers to each other\u2026 he knows exactly what I\u2019m looking for in music. He is a great electric bass player. We just started a new band, The Old School Band and we will record in January. And he\u2019s a fantastic engineer too. He has his own mixing-studio, with all kinds of great analog equipment. He is a master of capturing the music in a great, warm, analog sound, so he is definitely very important in the whole process.<\/p>\n

So in the end, the \u2018secret\u2019 of a great studio sound that you\u2019re asking for, is not a specific \u2018trick\u2019 he uses in the studio, or something like that, but it\u2019s the whole process, from recording with the right mics to the final mastering. And he\u2019s a perfectionist\u2026 you can hear that for sure!<\/p>\n

The sound of\u00a0Sync dreams<\/i>\u00a0is a little different from\u00a0Firm, fragile, fun<\/i>, I agree. Main difference is that we used analog tape as a mastering-tool for Sync dreams – we didn\u2019t do that this time, because we liked the sound already without using that final step.<\/p>\n

\"\"mwe3<\/b>: Have there been any recent developments in your gear and guitars? Did you use the Howard Roberts jazz guitar solely on\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun\u00a0<\/i>and were any other guitars used? What else can you tell us about that custom electric sitar you play from the builder Gunter Eyb? Is that the electric sitar on \u201cDeep\u201d? What a cool track, of spacey bop jazz played on sitar! When did you get the idea to use the electric sitar? You don\u2019t hear that sound a lot on jazz albums these days.<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: Yes, I used the Howard Roberts for almost all the tracks. I used an Irish bouzouki in \u201cJoy\u201d and indeed the G\u00fcnter Eyb electric sitar in \u201cDeep\u201d. I played the melody in octaves, and that\u2019s what gives it the special, spacey atmosphere. But on all the other tracks I used the Howard Roberts. I just love that guitar!<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t have any important developments in my gear these last years. I still use the same guitars, amps and pedals. I\u2019m just happy with it.<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: Are you still using the same guitar effects from\u00a0Sync Dreams\u00a0<\/i>on the new album or and what effects and amps did you record the\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun<\/i>\u00a0album with and what amps and other essentials do you use in live shows?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: I indeed use the same effects: Ibanez Hand Wired Tube Screamer, a T-Rex Replica delay, a TC-electronic chorus, to make it stereo and two T-Rex Room Mate reverbs. And the amps I use are two Bogner Duende 112.<\/p>\n

If possible, I use the Bogner Duende\u2019s live also, but when it\u2019s not possible to bring them I just use what\u2019s on stage. But the combination of my guitar and effects is enough to keep my own personal sound, even with other amps.<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: Are you still defining your guitar and compositional sound? How do you improve as a guitarist and a composer? How about practicing and staying in shape as a player?<\/p>\n

\"\"Marnix Busstra<\/b>: I think that\u2019s an ongoing process, with periods of development altered by periods of consolidation. And you can\u2019t force that\u2026 it\u2019s just what it is, every period having its own value. For example, in composing, some periods I\u2019m very inspired, then I write a lot of pieces in a short period of time. Other periods I don\u2019t write at all. And I know I can force myself to still write in a period like that\u2026 sometimes that\u2019s necessary but I very much like it when the process is as natural as possible.<\/p>\n

So for me the main thing is that you listen to yourself and feel where the inspiration is on that particular moment in time. Sometimes it\u2019s studying, sometimes it\u2019s composing, sometimes it\u2019s watching TV and doing nothing at all. Those periods can be frightening, because you might think; \u2018It\u2019s over for me, I can\u2019t do it anymore!\u2019 But until now, those periods always appeared to be just necessary to restart the engine.<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: The internet hasn\u2019t really been exploited very well by the artists so far or has it? Are there live concerts on line yet? Have you done any live broadcasts over the internet via cams or something? What do you make of the internet? Is the internet still too fascinating to make some serious statement with it?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Marnix Busstra<\/b>: Indeed, the internet is not my best friend. To be honest, I kind of hate Facebook and those kind of platforms, it\u2019s just not my cup of tea. But we did a multi-camera recording of a live show recently, it will be online in a few months. And on my website you can find some live-recordings as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: What are your live shows like? What\u2019s the chemistry like with your band? Do you like doing live shows or recording and producing music in the studio more?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: Playing live and recording\/producing in the studio are two totally different things, but I both like them equally! On the other hand, I do think jazz, more than non-improvised music, is meant to be live. So when I make a jazz-record, I like it to be as \u2018live\u2019 as possible, with a lot of freedom for the players to interact and be spontaneous in their playing.<\/p>\n

When we play live, it\u2019s a big adventure. Especially our pianist Rembrandt and our bass player Arnold can be very unpredictable in their playing, so we all have to be very concentrated and loose at the same time, to make it happen. I love that state of mind\u2026 it\u2019s very addictive in a way\u2026<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: What else is new in Holland musically? How about socially? How do you compare Holland with the rest of Europe socially or in the EU scheme of things?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: In Holland there are a lot of young jazz musicians, because we have a lot of conservatories here, much more then for example in Germany. So there are, besides loads of Dutch kids, also a lot of foreign students in Holland all trying to find their way. So the situation is not easy for them when they graduate. A lot of them, also Dutch players, leave the country after their music studies.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think there is a very specific Dutch way of playing jazz or a Dutch musical identity. For example a country like Norway does have that identity, and they use that as an \u2018export product\u2019. So it\u2019s easier for a new Norwegian band to be invited abroad, because of that positive identity of their music, which is great of course.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>In the past, the identity of Dutch jazz was mainly based on musicians like Misha Mengelberg and Willem Breuker, who played a kind of theatrical free jazz. But that way of playing is not very common anymore here.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s interesting to think about these things; sometimes it\u2019s difficult to see certain developments when you\u2019re in the middle of it. Maybe it\u2019s easier for someone abroad to define what\u2019s happening here in Holland\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: Have you come much closer towards your dream of playing a concert in the US and even Canada? Your sound is too good to not come to North America! But the U.S. including Canada too is such a huge country, so you\u2019d probably just want to play a few choice places! What\u2019s your dream show to put on here? Where would you like to play?<\/p>\n

Marnix Busstra<\/b>: Thanks for the compliment! And I\u2019d love to come to the US or Canada, also because I do believe they\u2019d like our music and way of playing a lot. But it\u2019s very difficult nowadays to arrange that \u2013 maybe this interview is just the thing I needed to accomplish that! (lol)<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t have a specific \u2018dream\u2019 of playing the Blue Note in NY or something like that. Just to play somewhere and reach people with my music, that\u2019s the only dream I have.<\/p>\n

mwe3<\/b>: What are you looking forward to musically? Is it too soon to think about new music composing and even another album in the works?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Marnix Busstra<\/b>: As I mentioned before, I\u2019m going to record a first album with this new band, The Old School Band. I wrote all new material for that group, which has a totally different musical identity compared to the Marnix Busstra Band, much more funky and groovy. I\u2019m looking forward to that to recording, it\u2019s going to be a lot of fun, that\u2019s for sure! After that I\u2019m going to write music for a new theatre-show for my wife, singer Karin Bloemen. And after that I will watch TV for a while and think about new plans\u2026
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“I believe the main identity of music is made by the musicians who are playing it.” mwe3: Tell us about\u00a0Firm Fragile Fun\u00a0and what were your musical goals this time? Where and when was the album written and recorded? Marnix Busstra:\u00a0Firm, Fragile, Fun\u00a0is the second album of the Marnix Busstra Band, with the same musicians as on our debut album\u00a0Sync Dreams\u00a0–… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3729"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3978,"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3729\/revisions\/3978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marnixbusstra.nl\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}