When did you start playing guitar and why? For example, was there a ‘moment’ when it came to you as a calling or vocation?
I started playing classical guitar when I was about 7; it was fun but I didn’t love it. When I was twelve my dad took me to an ACDC concert and that was it, it had to be electric guitar from then on. When I was 16 my teacher played me some Joe Pass which got me right into jazz, but it was when I heard James Muller a couple of years later that I really got inspired to play music.
Which musicians (jazz or otherwise) have been your greatest influences? What about them stood or stands out for you?
To start with it was Angus Young, Eric Claptan, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and whatever was in my parents record collection really. Then I got into Joe Pass(the solo stuff in particular), Jim Hall, John Scofield, James Muller, Carl Dewhurst, Bill Frissell, Miles of course; there’s heaps of them.
I don’t know what it is about them that stands out to me they’re just sounds that I love.
When composing or arranging, where do you get your inspiration? For example, do you ever find that other art forms (painting, writing etc.) feed into your own creative process?
I really don’t know, somtimes the music comes out and somtimes it doesn’t.
What’s your favourite place to play or practice?
Anywhere quiet
What does the Wangaratta festival of jazz represent for you?
The best weekend of music and partying of the year.
What are you listening to now?
Jim Hall ‘Live’, Johnny Cash ‘Get Rhythm’, the radio, King Curly ‘Doomsday Piano’, The Bulgarians Women’s Choir, Kurt Rosenwinkel.
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