Interview with Marcus Strickland


Q: Please tell me something about yourself, your musical development and who has influenced you.

Marcus Strickland: I am currently at a moment in my life that is teaching me a valuable lesson about decisions. My sound, my style & approach, my goals as an artist are all much more clear now - meaning it has become easier for me to make decisions. Like my decision to start my own record label Strick Muzik, with which I will release my next recording "Twi-Life". I have realized that in the midst of an ever-evolving music industry it is up to the artist to ensure that their own path is clear. This is a quality that I find in all of those who inspire me: Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Branford Marsalis, Steve Coleman and the list goes on. Their influence on me is inclusive of, yet far more vast than, music. I have learned from them that the transition from musician to artist is based on life experience and decisions - most of which are not the easy way out.

Q: You play both the tenor and soprano saxophone. Which of these two is you favourite?

Marcus Strickland: The tenor and soprano saxophones are BOTH my absolute favorite instruments, ...with drums next on the list. I choose between the tenor and soprano based on the range, but most importantly the overall mood of the song. Sometimes the song will call for a dark smooth sound, which is the sound I get from soprano. When I want to hear the melody played with a more musclar robust sound I choose the tenor.

Q: I really like that (pianist) Robert Glasper switches to electric piano on a few songs on Brotherhood. What was the motivation behind this?

Marcus Strickland: I wanted some of the songs on Brotherhood to have a spiritual and dreamlike quality to it. The Fender Rhodes has the right timbre to acheive that affect.

Q: The music on Brotherhood was recorded by the Marcus Strickland Quartet, yet only your name appears on the cover. Is there a reason why?

Marcus Strickland: Unlike my first recording "At Last", "Brotherhood" comprises of songs that are performed by a quintet - due to the guest appearance of trumpeter Jeremy Pelt on two tracks. So the word quartet wouldn't be entirely accurate for the title of this recording.

Q: Please tell me how you've met the other musicians of your quartet and what musical visons do you share.

Marcus Strickland: We met in New York when attending New School's Mannes jazz program. There was instant chemistry between us, on and off stage. From then on, that is the feeling I look for whenever I choose the musicians for my band. My new "Twi-Life" Group - Lage Lund (guitar), Brad Jones (electric bass), and EJ Strickland (drums) - evokes the same feeling in me.

Q: You've said in another interview "I really think it's a phenomenon what our particular group gets with one another. It takes years to get as cohesive as we have in such a short time." Could've been the fact that your twin brother is part of the band helpful to get so cohesive?

Marcus Strickland: Yes perhaps, ...but I have observed that EJ's musicianship has contributed to the cohesiveness of many other bands, such as RaviColtrane's or Russell Malone's. So my perception is that it takes an extremely high amount of musicianship, in addition to having the opportunity to play with a band that "gets" each other.

Q: Brotherhood was released in 2003. What does the Marcus Strickland Quartet of 2006 sound like? Where do you see the musical progression?

Marcus Strickland: Those three years have been extremely productive in terms of experience and composition. I now have a book of compositions big enough to produce several records from, which is one of the reasons the next release in May "Twi-Life" is a double CD recording. The other reason is that the first disc will feature my quartet and the second will feature my new "Twi-Life" Group. The two groups have an extremely distinct sound from each other. Now when I compose I hear the "Twi-Life" Group playinging certain songs and the quartet playing others. I feel that both of my bands are a good reflection of the current times we live in, and that my music always progresses without clinging too tightly to the past.

Q: When will you release a new album? Do you already have some plans what it will sound like?

Marcus Strickland: May 2006 is the scheduled release of my new double CD "Twi-Life". The music on the new recording evokes the feeling of an epic story. This recording is evidence that jazz is a sponge, absorbing influences from a world that continues to grow smaller each day. Whoever listens to this recording will hear suddle influences from Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, and Jungle music as well as from places like the Carribean, Africa and Europe.

Q: You live in NYC. What do you like about the city and is it easier to get some attention as musician there as it would be for example in Florida where grew up?

Marcus Strickland: I wouldn't say it is necessarily easier to get attention in NYC - it is a bigger pond with a larger quantity and size of fish. But, if a musician can stand out there they can stand out anywhere.

Q: Speaking about getting people's attention...you've already released two albums and sell them via cdbaby for example. How content are you with the reactions and feedback you get? And how easy or difficult is it to reach people via the internet?

Marcus Strickland: I feel that I should have sold "At Last" and "Brotherhood" via cdbaby from the time of their release. It would have helped distribute the CD in addition to Fresh Sound New Talent Record's distribution. Now that I know, my record label Strick Muzik will distribute through CDBaby, MusicStem, Amazon, etc.
Digital distribution is the future of the music industry. Actually, the future has already arrived - iPods/ other MP3 players, iTunes, and digital download stores have all made it easy to distribute music via the internet.

For more infos visit marcusstrickland.com, cdbaby.com and read my review of Brotherhood.