Interviews

(…)  You are a beast with Muddy Waters’ covers and so much more- truly, how do you play the blues with such depth?

Thank you! That’s what I’ve tried to do. More than any other kind of music, the way you play blues is much more important than notes or patterns. You can’t lie when you play the blues.

To me, somehow, jazz and blues complete and balance one another. Also, sometimes I play guitar as if playing harmonica. Harmonica is naturally a very expressive instrument and difficult to play a “wrong note” when you play in second position, so you can focus on feeling. Like when I play harmonica, when I play guitar I always try to free my mind of notes. (…)

(…) JBN.S: – What do you love most about your new album: <Blue Spell>, how it was formed and what you are working on today. Next year your fans like we can wait for a new album?

TA: – An album is always part of a self-biography. You can be aware or not this fact. Blue Spell is formed by many elements of my path as a musician and/or a person. In Blue Spell I play guitars, harmonica, bass, pan, cookies tin cans, hair brushes, pot with rice, everything. It is a strange and interesting way of being alone and accompanied at the same time. Some tunes were being composed until be recorded. Some like “So Far Away From Nothing” (a kind of folk jazz) are almost completely improvised. In Blue Spell I could explore things I can’t do when I’m on stage. I made it to be an album to be listened mostly at home in a reflexive and introspective mood. For the next year, I’m preparing at least two new projects, both featuring solo instruments. I’ve thought a lot about an album for solo guitar (or using two or 3 guitars) and another one for solo harmonica. Some of my last concerts were solo concerts, which I played guitar and harmonica. I really love solo formats. (…)