Matt Zschokke and Adonis Rose: two takes on the JazzAscona programme

A musical duo is responsible for the festival’s programming: Matt Zschokke in Switzerland, with New Orleans musician Adonis Rose. Let’s get to know them a bit better.
 

Matt started playing music at the age of 9, he graduated in classical guitar at the Conservatory of Lugano and went on to obtain a concert degree from the Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot in Paris, he also attended the Faculty of Musicology at the University of Padua.

Professionally, he has been active as a teacher at the Conservatories of Montreux and Geneva. Since 2009, he takes care of Mx3, a music portal dedicated to Swiss bands and artists of all genres launched and managed by the Swiss Public Broadcasting Corporation, where he also had the opportunity to be regularly involved in the organisation of live music, such as the concert series “8×15.” (a joint initiative of SRF, RTS, RSI and RTR) or the presentation of Swiss bands at the CMJ festival in New York in collaboration with Swiss Live Talents.

Matt has always been interested in different musical genres and the contamination between them and plays in various formations, from rock to classical.

When and how did your relationship with music start?

Matt: From a very young age, as my father is a jazz addict and used to play the clarinet.

But I got definitely hooked when I first heard “Abbey Road” by The Beatles. I remember that night I snuck up, put on headphones and listened to the record three times in a row… my life had changed, I was nine years old.

What are your best musical memories and highlights? 

Matt: Luckily there are many, but I would mention two in particular.

With Noxx, my first “serious” band, we were lucky enough to be invited to perform at the “Feedback” festival, which in the nineties was one of the major musical events in Ticino… and even though we were only a supporting act, there were some 12’000 people, it was an unforgettable experience.

Being admitted to the École Normale de Musique in Paris was also an important moment and one that made me proud, not only because there were very few places nd it was hard to get in, but rather because some of my musical idols, such as Nadia Boulanger, Astor Piazzolla and Pablo Casals, had played and taught in those classrooms.

Ok, and apart from music, what else do you like to do?

Matt: I like cooking very much… followed closely by reading and travelling.

Matt Zschokke ©JazzAscona

The liaison with the New Orleans music scene – which has always been the festival’s focus  – and supporting Matt in his work, we have a drummer, composer, producer, and the artistic director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Adonis Rose, who’s well known to the Ascona audience. Adonis works closely with the festival team in order to bring the best of New Orleans’ musical scene to Ascona, while also creating opportunities for Swiss musicians in New Orleans.

Adonis has played and recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Terence Blanchard, Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Harry Connick, Jr. and Wynton Marsalis, performing on some of the most renowned stages in the world, from Carnegie Hall to Paris’ Olympia, from North Sea Jazz to the Newport Festival and is featured in more than fifty recordings.

In 2009, he won a Grammy Award with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO) for Best Large Ensemble and in 2017, he was named Artistic Director of the Orchestra and led the 18-piece ensemble in its first concert season in October of the same year, featuring world-renowned artists such as Dee Dee Bridgewater.

When and how did your relationship with music start?

Adonis: I am from New Orleans and I come from a musical family. My grandfather was a drummer, my father is a drummer and I have other family members that are musicians also. I started playing the drums when I was 4 years old for all my friends on the front porch of our house. 

What are your best musical memories and highlights?

Adonis: There are so many! Recording my first cd “Song for Donise” as a leader when I was twenty years old was one of the first. Joining the Nicholas Payton Quintet, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and touring with Harry Connick, Jr. were all nightlights of my career. Winning a Grammy Award with the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra in 2009 and becoming the orchestra’s Artistic Director was also a monumental highlight for me. 

Ok, and apart from music, what else do you like to do?

Adonis: I love the arts, traveling and good movies. Paintings by brilliant visual artists, visiting museums and traveling to historical places are things that inspire me. I also love my family and friends. These are the people that make life worth living and are always here for me. I am a New Orleanian so I love a good meal and a good vodka or tequila. Being a musician is a privilege and gift. I love what I do. Bringing joy to audiences around the world is a great honor and one that I am thankful for every time I have the opportunity to perform.

Adonis Rose ©JazzAscona

Let’s get back to music with a playlist in which Matt and Adonis included a few tracks that are particularly meaningful to them.

Tell us a bit about your common playlist…

Matt: It was more difficult than I initially thought, because we didn’t want to make it too long, so with Adonis we said a maximum of 7 tracks each, not more.

Within a few minutes, however, I had at least 30 or so possible tracks running through my head… so I decided to restrict the choice to artists I had seen live and who had particularly impressed me in that context.

Having lived for several years in Lausanne, a privileged location halfway between Montreux and Nyon, I was a regular visitor of both Paléo and Montreux Jazz festivals for many years (especially before my daughters were born…), as well as to historic venues such as the FRI-SON in Fribourg or the Usine in Geneva, where I was lucky enough to see some artists who blew my mind.

By the way, I apologize for the double featuring of the Assad duo, but I have seen them so many times live and all concerts were memorable.

Adonis: The Classic Ellis Marsalis was a recording that I grew up listening to. My uncle played bass with Ellis and I later became a member of his band also. This record has some of the finest New Orleans musicians playing on it including drummer James Black who was and is one of my favorite drummers. Ellis Marsalis was a mentor and influenced many of the modern New Orleans Jazz masters.

Miles Davis My Funny Valentine Live Concert changed my life as a musician. This band was untouchable and musically challenged the status quo. Miles had great bands before this one but to me this was the quintet that pushed jazz forward rhythmically, harmonically and socially.

Speak No Evil is another one of those groundbreaking sessions. Wayne Shorter is undoubtedly one of the most original and prolific jazz musicians that ever lived. This powerful recording features Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Elvin Jones on drums. Wayne and Freddie had great chemistry together and also played together with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Herbie and Ron was part of the Miles Davis Quintet and Elvin Jones was in the John Coltrane Quartet. This rhythm section was special and the compositions are delightful to listen to. This group was dealing with creativity on a spiritual level and it is displayed beautifully on this recording.

Black Codes From the Underground was the record that inspired me and every young musician in my generation. This recording has elements of many of the modern jazz groups from the nineteen sixties and was the group that started the style of burn out. Wynton Marsalis had the baddest young musicians playing at that time and this recording is the documentation of their contribution. I wanted to be a jazz musician after hearing this.

Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison had their quintet around the same time that Wynton Marsalis had his band. Black Pearl is an iconic recording and is compositionally interesting. I love hearing the sound of the vibraphone and this record puts you in the mood for the music. Consistent from beginning to end.

Herbie Hancock has always been my favorite pianist and after hearing Sunlight I understood more about him as a songwriter and producer. Every composition and groove on this recording tells a story. Herbie’s use of the vocoder was also used in a way that no one before him had ever done. This is a timeless gem.

A Love Supreme is a masterpiece and one of the greatest recordings of all time. This recording is a four piece spiritual suite that starts with a chant and ends with a psalm. One of the most powerful performances by a group that I’ve ever heard.

And then, finally, they met each other…