Exclusive Interview with Swiss Jazz Musician: Grégoire Maret
The DC. Jazz Festival is back in town, presenting a series of internationally world-renowned artists in celebration of Jazz. This year, they welcomed Grégoire Maret, a Swiss harmonica player and jazz musician, to the stage. We had the pleasure of interviewing Grégoire Maret and learning all about his journey to jazz...
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Gregoire Maret. I’m a jazz musician from Geneva, Switzerland. I was born and raised there and moved to New York when I was 19 when I started college. Got a B.F.A. degree and decided to stay. I’ve been in New York ever since. I have had the chance to play with a lot of great musicians here in the U.S. and especially in New York. I’ve worked with Marcus Miller, Sting, Youssou N’Dour, Me’ Shell Ndegeocello, Pete Seeger, David Sanborn, George Benson, Cassandra Wilson and many, many more.
What made you want to become a jazz musician?
One of the reasons why I was so drawn to jazz was because jazz was really present in my house when I was growing up in Geneva. My father is a jazz musician, my brother is a jazz musician in Geneva and eventually the virus got me, too, and I had to play music as well.
What’s your very first memory of jazz?
Since birth I have been around this music all the time. The first memories I have are the bands that my father was touring with in Europe. And my brother, my sister and I were always hanging out with them. They were great memories. Eventually I started listening to records and paying more attention to that.
At what point did you consider yourself a jazz musician?
I don’t even know if I consider myself a jazz musician now. No, I do. I have always been passionate about music, but I don’t necessarily look at myself as just a jazz musician. I do believe I’m a musician and I happen to play jazz, but not only. I’ve played African music, pop . . . I play a bit of everything. And all those moments bring joy. I don’t really put one above the other.
So your chosen instrument is the harmonica. How come?
I first started playing the harmonica because as a teenager I heard a blues band play in Geneva and they had a special guest with them who was playing the harmonica. And that blew me away. This guy was able to do so much with just a tiny instrument and I thought, ‘Wow, this sounds really good.’ So I started playing blues a little bit and eventually one of the teachers in high school told me to check out jazz. The progression was very slow; it didn’t happen overnight. Eventually I did start playing jazz and the harmonica in particular.
You are familiar with the jazz scenes in America and in Switzerland. What’s the main difference?
Everything comes from the U.S. in terms of jazz. The roots of jazz are here in the U.S. So in that sense you just can’t ignore that. You have to take that into account. Eventually, some people from different places in the world, Europe, Africa, started playing their form of jazz, which was a mix between traditional music and jazz. I think that really brought something rich to the plate. But the roots are completely American. It’s an American form of music. So that is the reason why I decided to come here, because I felt that I needed to learn about the roots and the music itself. I just couldn’t ignore that and play jazz without knowing where this music came from. And then you realize that the sense of rhythm in this country, in terms of jazz, is really advanced and impressive in comparison with Europe. And that is what I believe is the biggest difference from Europe. In Europe, people take less of an interest in rhythm, while people here are very much drawn to the rhythm culturally. So the result is that the music is completely different.
What do you think of the D.C. jazz music scene?
It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I don’t know exactly what is going on. But I love being in D.C. I’ve performed at the Swiss Embassy before, a few years ago, also with the D.C. Jazz Festival. I’ve also performed at various clubs in D.C. I always enjoy being here. It’s also refreshing to get away from New York and see something else and perform for a different audience.
What’s the best place to listen to live jazz music?
There are many places. First of all, in the summer there are many festivals. Obviously there’s the Montreux Jazz Festival, which is a very dear place. I’ve performed there a few times with different artists; with Marcus Miller, George Benson, and Cassandra Wilson, and with my band as well.
What do you think of Swiss audiences versus American ones?
In terms of audiences, in the rest of the world, people tend to pay more respect to the music. They are more passionate about the jazz music. When you go into a jazz club in Europe, there’s a lot more focus and respect from the audience.
Are you happy with where jazz is in the world today?
No. Well I’m happy because I’ve had a good career and it keeps on going and that’s a great thing. But in terms of where jazz is, I feel it could get more respect and it should be exposed to a wider audience. I really believe so. I don’t think jazz is very complex. I think not many people are exposed to it and they should be pushed toward that direction. Like now the way they do with pop music and you see the younger generation being attracted to that kind of music. And I think that is really important.
Why should jazz get more respect?
Because it’s a form of music that basically influenced every single other form of music coming from the U.S. and other places. It’s so vibrant and rich. We should never underestimate that. It comes with such a great value to humanity; because it’s a form of music that is welcoming of other cultures and not just American, but also others like Brazilian. It’s so rich and it really should be treasured.
Do you have a special goal to achieve with jazz music?
I would love to, one person at a time, make them forget about the boundaries that many think exist with jazz. Many believe jazz is too complex and hard to listen to. I want them to forget that and open up to the music that is presented to them. And hopefully they will like it. And if I can do that and bring that sense of openness, that would be a huge accomplishment.
What artist is your biggest inspiration?
If I look at jazz, I would say Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. If I look at music in general, I would have to include many more like Dhafer Youssef, Youssou N’Dour and many, many other people. It’s so rich and that’s what keeps me excited, the fact that I do all kinds of music, different styles. And I never stay in one particular category. I just venture into all kinds of different worlds.
You grew up in Switzerland and go back very often. Are you planning on moving back to Switzerland?
Not right now, but maybe in the future.
What do you miss the most about Switzerland?
The chocolate. I miss the quality of life. I miss my friends and family. But also the way people enjoy a meal. It’s a different thing and you don’t get quite the same here. I also miss the beautiful landscape. But I get to see it again. It’s so beautiful each time I go and visit Switzerland. I’m always taken by the beauty of the landscape and how it makes you feel. And then I realize that it has a huge influence on me and my music, the way I write and perform.
What’s next?
I have a lot of different things. Right now I’m doing a duo with Romain Collins, a French pianist whom I will be performing with at the D.C. Jazz Festival. I also do a mix between jazz and gospel music that I introduced at the Montreux Jazz Festival two years ago; and many appearances and recordings. I have a lot going on right now. I travel a little bit, so please come see me whenever I am in your city.
