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Here is an interview I did while on tour in Germany for the Weser-Kurier newspaper.......
Blues musician Adam Franklin in Vegesack "This music must not be lost" Christian Pfeiff 08.06.2018 This Saturday, June 9th, Adam Franklin will be in the Gewölelbe in Vegesack. Previously, he talks about music traditions and his extensive blues collection. He not only plays blues, but also collects it: Adam Franklin owns "about 6000 CDs, 8000 LPs and many singles and shellac records". Can you still remember your first encounter with the traditional roots blues? My father was a jazz musician, so when we were children, we heard a lot of big band jazz when we were in the family car. This was probably the first time that I came into contact with music from the 1930s. When I was a teenager I got into David Bowie, who in 1973 released an album "Pin Ups" that included covers of many sixties bands such as "Pretty Things." Through this album, I came across the originals and discovered, among other things, the "Yardbirds", whose adaptions and covers eventually took me further back to the fifties and eventually even into the twenties. So, when I was a teenager, I first came into contact with the blues of the 20's and 30's. |
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So, instead of following the spirit of the times, have you gone back in time?
I still do that. I like to do research in the past. Of course, I also listen to modern music, but for my own doing, I prefer the old style and the ways of playing, so that they are not lost - otherwise people would eventually forget these artists and this music.
Do you consider your concerts and CDs as musical museums?
No. I clearly move in the here and now and arrange the songs differently than they were played 80 or 90 years ago. Of course, when I teach, I'll stick to the templates exactly - but no, my concerts are not museum exhibitions. Looking back on old music today, it seems that there is a widespread opinion that this music should be rediscovered and performed exactly as it was then - just like a classical concert. But I do not think so: I want to keep this music fresh and exciting, it should be fun to play and hear it.
What is your fascination with the roots blues, which in your case has been going on for decades?
My parents, especially my dad, listened to a lot of music, which obviously influenced me a lot as a child, even subconsciously. As a teenager, of course, I've rebelled and played in rock bands, but when I heard blues music, it obviously addressed something that was in my mind all the time anyway. This music with soul and swing always felt very natural to me.
How do you discover the songs and artists that you include in your repertoire?
There are two ways in which I discover songs that I would like to perform myself: the first is, of course, listening to music. I have a large collection of about 6000 CDs, 8000 long-playing records as well as many singles and also shellac records. I collect everything about blues and jazz, what I get and what I can afford - in the meantime, this has become a very expensive hobby. Another way to discover music has also proved to be very fruitful for me: I teach guitar, mandolin and ukulele and often come in contact with students through songs that I did not know before. Most of my repertoire comes from my own music collection.
How did it happen that as an Englishman you can now regularly hear them in Germany?
Over the course of my career, I've found that everything happens by accident, so too. In search of a new slide, I came across Jan Simon of daddyslide.com, whose slides are hand-made for the respective player from special materials. I immediately ordered a few slides and sent him some of my CDs, whereupon Jan introduced me to Thomas Schleiken. Hereby it came about that I have been playing regularly in Germany since 2014, which always gives me a lot of fun.
On Schleiken's blues label "Blind Lemon Records" in 2015, they released the "Outside Man" CD recorded live in Bookholzberg. Are your previous albums also available in Germany?
Before "Outside Man" already six album releases have been created. These albums, however, are only available through me: I take care of both the pressing and the distribution. So they are available at my concerts and on my web-site.
What can concert goers expect from you on Saturday?
A good time, a fun show, many songs from the past, but also many own compositions with many slide inserts and hot finger picking. I play predominantly as a soloist, but Regina Mudrich, who hosts the concert, is a fantastic violinist and we've played together more often in the past - and this could happen this time.
The interview was conducted by Christian Pfeiff.
Adam Franklin was born the son of a jazz musician in Middlesex. When he does not pay homage to the roots-heavy acoustic blues on concert stages, both with his own compositions and interpretations of his role models, he is mainly active as a lecturer and workshop leader. On Saturday, June 9, Franklin concludes this year's Germany tour with a concert in the Vegesacker vault. Start is at 20 clock, the entrance fee at the box office 20 euros.
I still do that. I like to do research in the past. Of course, I also listen to modern music, but for my own doing, I prefer the old style and the ways of playing, so that they are not lost - otherwise people would eventually forget these artists and this music.
Do you consider your concerts and CDs as musical museums?
No. I clearly move in the here and now and arrange the songs differently than they were played 80 or 90 years ago. Of course, when I teach, I'll stick to the templates exactly - but no, my concerts are not museum exhibitions. Looking back on old music today, it seems that there is a widespread opinion that this music should be rediscovered and performed exactly as it was then - just like a classical concert. But I do not think so: I want to keep this music fresh and exciting, it should be fun to play and hear it.
What is your fascination with the roots blues, which in your case has been going on for decades?
My parents, especially my dad, listened to a lot of music, which obviously influenced me a lot as a child, even subconsciously. As a teenager, of course, I've rebelled and played in rock bands, but when I heard blues music, it obviously addressed something that was in my mind all the time anyway. This music with soul and swing always felt very natural to me.
How do you discover the songs and artists that you include in your repertoire?
There are two ways in which I discover songs that I would like to perform myself: the first is, of course, listening to music. I have a large collection of about 6000 CDs, 8000 long-playing records as well as many singles and also shellac records. I collect everything about blues and jazz, what I get and what I can afford - in the meantime, this has become a very expensive hobby. Another way to discover music has also proved to be very fruitful for me: I teach guitar, mandolin and ukulele and often come in contact with students through songs that I did not know before. Most of my repertoire comes from my own music collection.
How did it happen that as an Englishman you can now regularly hear them in Germany?
Over the course of my career, I've found that everything happens by accident, so too. In search of a new slide, I came across Jan Simon of daddyslide.com, whose slides are hand-made for the respective player from special materials. I immediately ordered a few slides and sent him some of my CDs, whereupon Jan introduced me to Thomas Schleiken. Hereby it came about that I have been playing regularly in Germany since 2014, which always gives me a lot of fun.
On Schleiken's blues label "Blind Lemon Records" in 2015, they released the "Outside Man" CD recorded live in Bookholzberg. Are your previous albums also available in Germany?
Before "Outside Man" already six album releases have been created. These albums, however, are only available through me: I take care of both the pressing and the distribution. So they are available at my concerts and on my web-site.
What can concert goers expect from you on Saturday?
A good time, a fun show, many songs from the past, but also many own compositions with many slide inserts and hot finger picking. I play predominantly as a soloist, but Regina Mudrich, who hosts the concert, is a fantastic violinist and we've played together more often in the past - and this could happen this time.
The interview was conducted by Christian Pfeiff.
Adam Franklin was born the son of a jazz musician in Middlesex. When he does not pay homage to the roots-heavy acoustic blues on concert stages, both with his own compositions and interpretations of his role models, he is mainly active as a lecturer and workshop leader. On Saturday, June 9, Franklin concludes this year's Germany tour with a concert in the Vegesacker vault. Start is at 20 clock, the entrance fee at the box office 20 euros.
2018 June-Germany Tour
June 1 Hof von Bothmer, Bad Zwischenahn (Blues am Meer)
June 2 Musikschule Bookholzberg, Ganderkesee-Bookholzberg
Guitar workshop
June 2 Cafe Huntewasser, Hude (Hörbar am Deich)
June 3 Musikschule Bookholzberg, Ganderkesee-Bookholzberg
Ukulele workshop
June 3 The Druide-Bremen
June 4 Schwarzes Ross, Ganderkesee-Bookholzberg (Blue Monday)
June 5 Cafe Weser Yachtclub, Lemwerder (Deep River Blues)
June 7 Vinyl-Reservat-Instore performance
June 8 Zum Stern-Hannover
June 9 Gewoelbe-Vegesack
June 1 Hof von Bothmer, Bad Zwischenahn (Blues am Meer)
June 2 Musikschule Bookholzberg, Ganderkesee-Bookholzberg
Guitar workshop
June 2 Cafe Huntewasser, Hude (Hörbar am Deich)
June 3 Musikschule Bookholzberg, Ganderkesee-Bookholzberg
Ukulele workshop
June 3 The Druide-Bremen
June 4 Schwarzes Ross, Ganderkesee-Bookholzberg (Blue Monday)
June 5 Cafe Weser Yachtclub, Lemwerder (Deep River Blues)
June 7 Vinyl-Reservat-Instore performance
June 8 Zum Stern-Hannover
June 9 Gewoelbe-Vegesack