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Legrand - And the art of creativity
Identifier
005953
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Michel Legrand & Phil Woods Quartet
July 1, 2001
22. Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Spectrum of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
Michel Legrand - piano, vocals
Phil Woods - alto sax
Eric Lagace - bass
Ray Brinker - drums
“The way to make progress, is to be the only one who can create things that no one has ever thought of before. It’s also a way of finding out more about oneself. I want to be more aware of what I can do, even if it means going too far. If I want my ship to continue sailing the waves, I must try out new sails and see where they take me. Having said that, I am highly organized mentally, because of my classical education. I often work on several projects simultaneously. I spend three hours composing for a film, I play the piano for two hours, I finish a song. In fact, every job is a version of the previous one. Even so, music is still a never-ending set of equations that have to be solved. Sometimes, you think of an idea, you can picture it, you can already hear it. You rush over to the score to write it down, thinking a priori that it’ll be simple and easy. Wrong! Umpteen obstacles suddenly appear: form, content, small details. This is because, if you want to be original, every bar poses a problem.”
“I hate the idea of goals, results, limits. I’m an artist, not a politician. I’m motivated by life and by the richness and diversity of all kinds of music. Without forgetting that what’s really important is to remain a beginner. One of the most stimulating periods of your life is the time when you’re discovering things, when you’re learning. When you become too skilful, your spontaneity disappears, you’re no longer afraid of anything. I hope I never become someone whom people coolly describe as “very professional”. Throughout my life, I’ve always wanted to vary my musical pleasures, and to remain an eternal beginner, without ever rationalizing things in terms of a “career”. Stravinsky once said: “We insomniacs are always trying to find a cool spot on the pillow.” I’ve been searching endlessly for that spot for years!”