Three Questions for Gary Husband
Gary Husband is one of the most creative and accomplished multi-instrumentalists and composers on the jazz fusion scene today. In numerous stints with Allan Holdsworth, Billy Cobham, Jack Bruce,  Mike Stern and John McLaughlin the drummer-keyboardist has shown a deft touch that is full of resourcefulness and clarity. His own projects have also exposed a great individual talent. His solo piano interpretations of the music of Allan Holdsworth (The Things I See) and John McLaughlin (A Meeting of Spirits) have been tour de forces that have left critics panting. The wonderful DVD of his band Force Majeure featured his compositions written for an impressive ensemble that included Jerry Goodman, Jim Beard, Randy Brecker, Matt Garrison and others paying tribute to three quite disparate artists, Burt Bacharach, John McLaughlin and Bjork. His current album is Gary Husband’s Drive. Gary’s mind is all about electric fusion these days. He is working on a couple of new solo fusion projects – one of which would be the fulfillment of a very special recording ambition he has harbored for a very long time.
PULSAR SOUND: You know how everyone asks what music someone would bring if they were to be stranded on a deserted island? Never mind that. If you could listen to your favorite music the rest of your life and were limited to one specific island on which to listen to it on- which island would it be?
Gary Husband:I would go to the tropical caribbean island of St Lucia, since it was there I enjoyed the first actual holiday I'd taken in many years. My partner, she convinced me it was to be! I'd taken the Joe Zawinul biography In A Silent Way and finished the whole book there. Beautiful beautiful place. My second choice would be Jersey of the Channel Islands in the U.K. since my father loved it so.
PULSAR SOUND: Burt Bacharach is to John McLaughlin as Bjork is to ________?
Gary Husband: I'll leave the blank to act as a reference back to my Force Majeure project of a few years ago (featuring Randy Brecker, violinist Jerry Goodman among others). I'd composed three pieces that were to evoke Burt Bacharach, John and Bjork, respectively. The basic parallel was that the three of them, in their own way, broke the rules - broke the mould and produced truly innovative work that shines, and that will continue to shine for many years to come.
PULSAR SOUND: Now here is that deserted island question anyway. You are a drummer and a keyboardist. If you were placed on a deserted island to spend the rest of your life and were given a choice to bring either a tambourine or a melodica - which would you bring?
Gary Husband: I'm going to choose the melodica ... but maybe one that has a tambourine sample on it.
These Three Questions were posed by Walter Kolosky.
Photograph by Anant Sundaram |
