Lew Tabackin is part Zen master, part flute player, and part tenor saxophonist. He combines all three into this interesting interview on a wide variety of topics. His reverence for jazz history provides important lessons as does his having played with some of the greatest musicians of this music.
2:00 What musical skill comes most naturally for you?
4:40 What are you doing to practice your sound?
7:30 Tonal virtuosity
8:30 What musical skill comes most unnaturally to you?
14:00 Zen and an audience’s reaction
19:00 Lew’s reaction to on time hearing Trane
19:30 The breathing lesson from a broken strap
23:00 The benefit of pushing yourself by playing long solos
31:30 Finding your own musical voice
39:00 On his friend Joe Farrell
44:20 On Zoot Sims
48:15 Playing with his first all-star band in Nice, France
51:15 His thoughts on his flute playing
57:15 Are you better at flute or tenor?
1:01:15 How to be better at flute doubling
1:14:00 Rethinking his reaction to being called Zelig in an article
1:15:15 Thinking versus improvisation
1:17:00 The book he likes called The Book of Five Rings
1:19:45 On practicing
1:21:00 Thoughts on his album, Pyrimid
1:22:00 Lew’s thoughts on Toshiko
1:34:00 On Lew’s ultimate musical goal
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