Interview with Pablo Martín, contrabass player:

"Flamenco is the genre that is most enriching
the Spanish musical panorama"

Silvia Calado Olivo. Marbella, December 2002
Photos: Daniel Muñoz
Translation: Joseph Kopec

There is a road winding between Vienna and Jerez laid out with the thick strings of a contrabass. Pablo Martín is one of those polyglot musicians who, without being a bailaor or guitarist or cantaor, speaks flamenco fluently. By means of experience, the Basque contrabass player is making a place for himself among 'the others', that jumble in which broad aims and miscellaneous heterodoxies meet. Joining groups such as the Chano Domínguez Sextet and the Gerardo Núñez Trio, he has already contributed to the development of albums like 'Oye cómo viene' and 'Un ramito de locura' by Carmen Linares, respectively. With the perspective both his education and his experience afford him, he reflects on flamenco (and wanderings), a genre he considers to be genuinely revulsive in current Spanish musical creation.

Pablo Martín plays for Israel Galván

How does a classical contrabass player educated in Vienna come to a flamenco jazz group?

I finished my classical contrabass studies in Vienna. And I even used to play with mariachis there to make a living. I used to play with all kinds of bands. And in one of them I met a German guitarist who played flamenco and that's who I started to learn the styles from. When I finished my studies, I came back to Spain and I settled in Madrid where, through Guillermo McGuill, I started to play with Martirio. And as a result of that, with Chano Domínguez. That's when I really had to get down to work, since with the pianist I joined the Jazzpaña II Tour, where I met Gerardo Núñez. Then I started to play with Gerardo's trio and with Chano's sextet... That's how I got here.

As a musician, what is your appreciation of flamenco?

Recently, I commented with Arcángel that in my view flamenco is one of the types of music that, artistically and commercially, has the most potential worldwide. Though flamenco artists are said to be a little uncommunicative, I think it's the most open music I know. And they're right to be following that line of openness. For example, Arcángel is now going with a chorus of lyrical voices and that is a clear influence of classical music or classical instrumentation in flamenco. And many previous projects have already been done with a symphony orchestra such as those by Carmen Linares, Manolo Sanlúcar... But the thing is that, besides, it's being mixed with contemporary music, with contemporary ballet... There's fusion everywhere. And in Spain I think it's the genre that is most enriching the musical panorama. Besides that, all we have is (the Spanish TV singer contest) 'Operación Triunfo', which has wiped out everything. I myself absolutely condemn those irresponsible people!

What do you think is the key for those possibilities of communication between flamenco and other genres to arise?

I think it's coming about naturally. And it's simply because people like Arcángel listen to many other things at home; or because people like Gerardo make records with musicians like John Patitucci or Michael Brecker; because they're people who are continually expanding... which is also due to a question of survival. In my view, the most interesting projects at the general artistic level are coming from flamenco and the fusions it's generating. You have to kneel down before monsters such as Israel Galván.

How does flamenco enrich the music of someone educated in classical music?

For example, I'm now preparing my first solo album and I'm thinking a lot... Let's say I've directed myself towards flamenco through jazz, by playing the contrabass in jam sessions, but I've studied classical music and I absolutely worship and admire Bach, Strauss, Maler and Renaissance music. I have influences from everywhere and because of that I'm thinking about whether to do something which is jazz or classical... The thing is that when you're going to do something or you have to defend it you have to shape it and that's something that doesn't quite sink it with me. You have to be a such-and-such quartet or play flamenco or jazz or such. Me, I simply do what comes to me; but yes, highly influenced rhythmically by flamenco. In fact, Cepillo does nearly all the album's percussion structures, but different jazz drummers play such as McGuill, musician friends like Antonio Serrano and other people. I'm lucky to have Enric Palomar, who's a monster, to do the arrangements, and so it's also going to take on a certain symphonic texture. I want to record with a chorus too... It's what's in the planning stage to be done. Now I have the infrastructure to do it. And Gerardo will play as a special guest... or I hope so because if not (and he says, joking), I'll leave the trio.

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