The ArtistPlatform feature poses standard questions to its interviewees, hoping their responses will foster greater appreciation and understanding of the important role they serve in the music - for you, the listener, player, producer, broadcaster, journalist.

The String Trio of New York's guitarist, James Emery, and I spent some time exchanging emails to construct this brief interview. Working for the German label that's been documenting Emery's most recent works, between the lines, I know this guy is very busy year in and year out. So I'm grateful that he spent this time with me. We didn't dig too deeply into anything specific, but I think you'll get a sense of the sheer joy Mr. Emery gets out of his work and the high degree of professionalism he maintains. I hope you come away with a refreshed attitude about music just as I have.

[For a sample of James Emery's work with the String Trio Of New York, listen to this clip of "Jump Start," from the album Faze Phour. It's in Real Audio format, so you need a Real Player to listen. If you don't have one, you can get one for free at www.real.com. - Ed.]

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Glenn: Can you recall the first time you were attracted to music?

James: The first attraction that I recall came from playing a small portable organ that appeared on Christmas day when I was 6. I started to play and immediately fell in love with it. A few days later I clearly remember, to this day, thinking to myself "I will be a musician." The joy I felt in playing was far greater than anything else I had experienced. I wanted to play any kind of music, various styles or idioms were not a concern. I remember too as a child being infatuated with Grieg, Ray Charles and Tchaikovsky. I remember studying the instruments of the orchestra and the big band (my Dad was and is a big band lover) in the encyclopedias we had in the house and then trying to hear those sounds on the records.

Glenn: What convinced you to become a performing artist?

James: As I mentioned before, the ecstasy that came from playing was the deciding factor. After a lot of studying, practicing and performing as a child and teenager, the event that set me on my current path was hearing the music of Charlie Parker. That was a revelatory experience. Since then, I have had many such events, including experiences of Coltrane, Bud Powell, Monk, Bartok, Berg, the Pygmies of the Ituri Forest, Joao Gilberto, Wayne Shorter, the AACM people, Lutoslawski, Sam Rivers, Miles, Tony Williams, Dave Holland, Herbie Hancock...the list goes on and on.

Glenn: What eventually led you to the guitar?

James: The guitar was kind of a default position for me. After playing the organ for some time, I started to become very interested in wind instruments and I remember asking my parents at various times for a clarinet, oboe or alto sax. They turned me down every time. I remember also thinking it would be nice to play bassoon but I never asked for one, probably they would say "no" to that too. So finally when I asked for a guitar, they said yes. I have listened to a lot of great guitarists over the years and Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery continue to inspire. So, looking back, it wasn't always the instrument that I got into as much as it was the pure music that was being played regardless of instrument - that's what excited me.

Glenn: What would you say are the key components in your approach to composing and performing music?

James: It's hard for me to look at what I do objectively and come up with a coherent answer. I know that I place a lot of emphasis on sounding original, both in tone quality and in the musical content. I have always sought to have my own sound - to speak with my own voice - and it's always a great complement to hear that I don't sound like anyone else. So I try to let my own touch, ideas and energy come through at all times. In fact, I really can't do anything but that. In terms of musical content, I draw on a wide range of materials without trying to limit or restrict what I'm using. Harmonic concepts and devices, melodic configurations, rhythmic ideas...ways to juxtapose forms...sound colors and textures...there's no end of possibilities in each of these areas. In terms of writing, I've been trying for at least ten years now to include a substantial amount of written music - through-composed material - in order to sustain a balance with the improvised material.

Glenn: What is your most memorable musical moment to date?

James: You must allow me several moments. I'll start with the most recent first: the last concert by the String Trio of New York, Dec. 15, 2001. We started at a very high level and went higher with each successive piece. By the end of the night, we were way up there...over and out. It was our best concert, in my opinion, in 24 years. So it's always good to know that your best work is not behind you. Next, my two experiences with orchestras. The last was in Vienna in Sept. 2001. The orchestra is, in the opinion of some, the most highly developed example of technology available to humans. Whether or not that is true, it is an awesome entity, staggering in its power, grace, complexity and subtlety. I wrote a 45-minute work for Klangforum Wien, a truly gifted ensemble, with Franz Koglmann, Tony Coe and me as improvising soloists. It came off very well. The whole experience of writing and orchestrating for the orchestra is a complete and total experience in every sense of the word. My first piece for orchestra, Cobalt Blue, was for the String Trio and the Air Force Symphony. When I walked off the stage after that gig, my body was tingling all over. Other memories...playing with Sam Rivers! Wow! Playing with Joe Lovano! Wow!...Henry Threadgill, Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton, Marty Ehrlich, Oliver Lake, Leroy Jenkins, Lester Bowie!...so many others.

Glenn: Let's go back to that Klangforum Wien project. Tell us the difference between working with a group such as Klangforum Wien and the Air Force Symphony. I can't wait.

James: There are several differences, the most fundamental being the range of expression of each group. Klangforum is a chamber orchestra devoted to the performance of challenging 20th and 21st century works while the Air Force Symphony performs with everyone from the great percussion group Nexus to Chaka Khan to Randy Travis. Both groups have absolutely outstanding players on every instrument. Both groups have great conductors who made sure every aspect of my score was played. With Klangforum, it was Emilio Pomarico and with the AFS, it was Lowell Graham. Other than the size of the group - the project with Klangforum involved 25 players, and the ASF project had at least 60 - there were fewer differences than one might expect. Both groups perform at the highest levels.

Glenn: What is your most memorable non-musical moment to date?

James: My most memorable non-musical moments are invariably family ones. Meeting and marrying my lovely wife Colleen, the birth of our beautiful daughter Hannah...often being the "primary care-giver"..going into her school to help out...the fun we all have together. All the myriad occasions and occurrences that happen to a family (in the largest sense of the word) in the course of being alive on this planet, all these events large and small are most memorable to me. Also very memorable are some of the places I have performed throughout the world. The Pyramids and Sphinx on summer solstice, a 2 week trip through India, playing "A Night in Tunisia" at night, in Tunisia. Visiting unspoiled wilderness areas is an awesome experience. The remote sections of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Vancouver Island in BC, the Sonora National Forest near Tuscon...I would love to visit more of these places where the presence of man is very restricted.

Glenn: I noticed you composed a tune entitled "Hannah." Would you say your family life has, in some way, contributed to your music life?

James: Well, you know, all humanity is one big family. One day we'll all realize and embrace that fact and all humanity will progress. My own family, and my experiences in and with the world-at-large (the big family) always contribute to my music. I feel that if what one is doing is really original, then everything that happens to that person, all his/her experiences come out in the expression of that originality.

Glenn: Excellent. I couldn't agree more. OK, let's take a sharp left turn here. What's your favorite food? And can you give some recommendations for fine eating establishments when on the road? This is a standard question I ask musicians who travel a lot. It might help a lot of the "newbie" touring musicians out there.

James: I have so many favorites...my favorite types are Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Turkish, various Chinese cuisines, French, Italian, Thai...I'm sure I'm forgetting some. As for recommendations...well, you had to throw that word "fine" in there, didn't you? That leaves out a whole lot of perfectly nutritious and respectable eateries that we musicians go to simply because they're there. Often we don't have a choice and have to take whatever is available. Anyway...in Chicago for breakfast (24 hour, my favorite kind), it has to be Valois in Hyde Park. In NYC, I love Pasha, Nobu, Maryann's and Mamouns. In Vienna, a regular-style place near the usual hotel called Smutny. At the main fish market in Tokyo there is an incredible sushi and sashimi restaurant where the workers go for lunch. Next door to Ronnie Scott's in London is a great Indian restaurant. Best of all, Fini in Modena. Most of time, though, I can't tell you the name of the restaurant the next day.

Glenn: Any final thoughts or special announcements?

James: I look forward very much to the release of my next CD, on between the lines. It's titled Transformations, subtitled Music for Three Improvisers and Chamber Orchestra. It's the recording of the event I talked about earlier. I'm still on cloud 9 over the sound of the orchestra, the playing of the improvisers, the sheer musicality of the whole thing. I'm also totally in love with the CD I did with Joe Lovano, Judi Silvano and Drew Gress. It's titled Fourth World and is also on between the lines. I recommend it without reservation. I'm very happy with the way things are working out in my career. I like the idea of doing different projects with different ensembles and configurations and pouring everything I have into each one. I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to write, perform and record my sextet project, the septet project, orchestras, different quartets, the String Trio, etc...and I'm grateful that life continues to unfold in very interesting ways and that I continue to grow and learn. I think it's absolutely true that the best is always yet to come...one thing is for sure - I'm never bored.

(C) 2002 - Glenn Ito