Rick Holland, JR247:: Sandro, welcome to Jazz Radio 247, we’re very happy you have decided to spend some time with us and our listeners. Tell us what is was like for you musically when you were young? I understand you learned and had a love affair with music that began on the streets of Porto Alegre, Brazil?

Sandro Albert:  It was incredible. I started playing guitar when I was about 13 years old influenced by Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and pretty girls. There was no much a Jazz scene in Porto Alegre but I got exposure thru my father to the MPB popular music of Brazil very early in life, styles such as Bossa Nova, Samba and Choro. I fell in love when the disco music came around with all those horn sections and grooves. At the age of 15 a friend played me a Wes Montgomery record and some Miles Davis that changed my goals in music and life. I was fascinated with the idea of one day to be able to play Jazz in a more professional way. That was a great turn on to get me to practice more.

JR247: Sandro, you possess a rare quality of being able to translate not only jazz but many musical styles of Brazil. Can you elaborate how one may have affected the other?

SA: I think it has to do with my 15 years of experience as a sideman prior to my move to United States. In Brazil, to be able to survive as a musician, you have to understand and play different styles. If you want to make your living as a musician, you can't have the luxury to become a specialist in only one area. One day it had to be more samba, the next more blues or bossa. When came the time for me to write my original stuff, I could not deny all this experience being blended together. How one style affects the other?  When I play just jazz, I can't deny my brazilian accent. When I play brazilian music I can't hide all the jazz information absorbed from here in the past 10 years.

JR247:I love your sound, it has innate beauty. Tell me how you perceived sound over the years?

SA: I tried everything before I end up using just a guitar and amp. Specially here in the US where you have a lot of options available for sound and effects, it is very easy to get carried away. In my case, I love to plug the guitar in the amp with a little reverb and be ready to go make music. I realized over the years that this was the best way to interpret my writing.

JR247:There’s a fluency to your music. Do you believe this ultimately matured from the way you conceived sound on the guitar?

SA: Yes, I think when you play clean you are leaving a lot more room to the exposure of the instrument and the writing. It's a more intimate relationship between you and the guitar when there is nothing in between.

JR247:How important is  Antonio Jobim and Milton Nascimento’s  music to the younger generation of musicians in Brazil? To you?

SA: Very important. Specially Milton Nascimento, who still is my main influence. I think he was one of the first guys out there to show us in Brazil that the mix between jazz and brazilian music was totally possible. Not just that, but I believe he holds the flag of world music in a such beautiful way. And Jobim would be for our music what Gershwin was for the american music, a beautiful mix of classical and popular. I couldn't even imagine my musical life as a writer without these two incredible brazilian artists.

JR247: I’m listening to Soulful People as I write this interview, I’m digging the linear lines and compositions. Very modern harmonic influences. Was Chick Corea an influence on your music? How do you believe this linear concept developed in your music?

SA: When I was writing Soulful People I wanted to make sure that all my main influences were going to be brought to the table. Consciously was there: Piazzola, Milton Nascimento, Jobim, Ellington, Keith Jarret, Beattles, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, among others. Unconsciously, I lot of other great players that I heard thru my life.

JR247:Sandro, how and when did you hook up with Mark Isham? I noticed Bob Shepard, the very fine sax man from LA is also present on Soulful People. Mark, is already becoming a legendary musical producer. How was it to work these and some of the others on this last recording?

SA: It was great.  Mark Isham and Bob Shepard were both calls from my producer, Tim Yalda, who knew them. These guys together with Antonio Sanchez, Kenny Garret, Peter Erskine, Jimmy Haslip, Luis Conte and Edsel Gomez contributed so much for the project.

JR247: Are you living in LA? Is this a good climate for many of your musical goals? Or, are you looking for the best spot tto centralize your musical goals?

SA: I've been living in LA for the past 9 years, and I am felling that I am ready to move on. I planing to move to NY by the end of the year. This is an experience that I am really looking forward to. I think NY is a great city for music, specially jazz. You can get your ass kicked every day and go back home inspired to practice, grow more and work out of your comfortable zone.

JR247:Frank Morroco’s accordion is so hip on both The Color of Things and Soulful People, I mean you just do not hear the instrument played like this everyday. At least in the part of North America I’m from. It’s a great sound. Is this a common sound found in Brazil? It works nicely in the Jazz idiom.

SA: Yes, the accordion is a very popular instrument on the south part of Brazil where I come from. The only musician I had in the family was an uncle that was a great accordion player, so I got the sound stuck in my ears from a very young age. I like the color it brings to the melodies and the combination with the guitar. Frank Marroco has been part of three of my records, for me it is a honor to play with him. He brings so much experience to the table

JR247:I’ve always been a big fan of Russell Ferrante, how did you guys meet? You both have nice chemistry on The Color of Things.

SA: I met Russell thru Jimmy Haslip, who I met during the recordings of Soulful People. We've been doing many live gigs together.
In 2002 I went to play at the North Sea Jazz in Holland and Russel was part of the band. A year later I started to work on The Color of Things and invited him to be part of it. He's incredible, a very gifted musician and composer.

JR247:Can you talk about the equipment you play? Maybe, educate some of us why choices between electric and acoustic guitar? For our listeners, maybe some of the advantages of playing 12-string guitar? And what this instrument brings to the conception of your music?

SA: I use a Yamaha guitar made specially for me. I used to play with a D'Angelico NYL2 and Yamaha, which I was endorsing only the acoustic guitars up to that point, offered to develop a guitar with similar features as my D'Angelico, but with some custom upgrades. I said I would be down to give it a try and a beautiful archtop instrument came out of it.  I have two of those and I couldn't be happier with it.

I use an Acoustic Image amp "Clarus", which has a built in reverb with a Raezer's Edge Stealth 12ER cabinet,La Bella Strings and a Line 6 delay pedal.
I always liked to play acoustic guitar, this was my first instrument. I also like to use different colors in the records and that's where the 12 strings comes in. Right now I am working on an acoustic project where the 12 strings has been a great element along with the quartet of strings to form a very warm background for the melodies.

JR247:I also like the B-3 Matt Rhode brought to The Color of Things, and the invitation of Robben Ford on electric guitar. Can you elaborate on their presence and how you got the idea of incorporating  the B-3. It’s a great sound I hope we do not loose?

SA: I think both were a great combination. Robben is one of my favorite blues player. When I heard the track after laying out the guitars, the B3 idea came up. This addition gave two distinctive and contrasting mood to our solos: you can hear during my solo that kind of Jimmy Smith vibe that the B3 brings behind; when it goes to Robben's solo, it builds up more like a bluesy vibe.

JR247: What are some of your goals in the next couple of years?

SA: As I said before, I am planing to move to NY at the end of the year. I have two projects cooking: the first one is an all acoustic record involving more than 30 musicians and the other one is a quintet record produced by Jimmy Haslip. Both are almost done.
In the next couple of months I'll be deciding my future regarding management and label here in the US.

JR247: Sandro, thanks for joining us. We wish you continued success in your career. For more information about Sandro Albert and his music, please visit:SandroAlbert.com