Donny McCaslin has been one of the hottest saxophonists in the USA since contributing to David Bowie's album legacy "★". The 52-year-old Berklee graduate gained important experience with jazz trumpeter Dave Douglas and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Since his solo album "Casting For Gravity" McCaslin has developed an independent style that draws on fusion, art rock and electronic dance music. He goes one step further with his latest work "Blow.", on which he also picks up influences from alternative rock.
We reach Donny McCaslin in Salzburg, where he gives two concerts as part of the "Jazz & The City" festival. When asked whether he had already visited the Mozarthaus and Hohensalzburg Fortress, he replied: "I did some sightseeing, but I also tried to calm down and practice In conversation, the speech often comes to David Bowie. McCaslin's former mentor is partly responsible for him going "blow." has fearlessly realized his own artistic visions. Or as he himself says, "Creatively speaking, anything is possible for me now."
eclipsed: What horizons did the Bowie collaboration open up for you?
Donny McCaslin: The whole thing was a profound experience, because David embodied the ideals that I aspire to as an artist. He said to me: "Don't worry how people classify your music, just try to have fun! I then had a few years to process these experiences - for me it was a creeping enlightenment that liberated me creatively. In the case of "Blow." it was unclear to me at first where to go; I was afraid that people would say there was too much alternative rock or too much art rock on this record. Even as the material gradually took shape, I sometimes felt uncomfortable, but I remembered David who once said: If you're uncomfortable as an artist, you've come across something interesting. But if you're comfortable, be careful!
eclipsed: Since your first album "Exile And Discovery", which was still rooted in contemporary jazz, you have developed enormously. When did you realize, for example, that elements from electronic dance music could make a decisive difference to your music?
McCaslin: The EDM window opened during the Perpetual Motion tour. My then producer David Binney and my fellow musicians Tim Lefebvre and Mark Guiliana encouraged me at the time to check out some electronic stuff, and soon this sound universe captivated me. In addition, I was on tour a lot in the last two years and at some point I realized that I wanted to make a record with vocals. "Blow." heralds a new chapter. With Steve Wall, I had a new producer, and the whole writing process was different: there were joint writing sessions, and although I didn't contribute any lyrics, I could see how the lyrics came about. In the case of "Club Kidd" I told Ryan Dahle the background story and how I imagine this character.
eclipsed: Although you yourself were the Club Kidd..
McCaslin: That's right. When I went to college, the focus was on music theory and getting a lot of information across - which was great. But my roommate at the time took me to the dance clubs in Boston, and that helped me to combine the school and the emotional side of music. That was a key moment.
