What’s it like being based in the Paris music scene, as opposed to New York, London, or Los Angeles?
Paris is a transitory place. Many musicians from abroad come here before going to the U.S. I love that, because every week I feel and hear fresh music and new sounds from a different part of the world. Many different musicians are hungry to play, so it keeps on moving; it’s very colorful. I love Paris because of that, but it’s also like the center of the universe for me: 12 hours to Japan, 12 hours to Los Angeles.
How do you think being from Mauritius has affected your musicianship?
So many people play and enjoy music there. I learned music on the street with my older brother Richard Marthe and my friends when I was seven years old. We improvised on every kind of music, because there were not that many CDs available and we had to look for ideas from wherever we could. Today, I don’t practice unless I need to learn songs. I have a lot of images in my mind that help me see my instrument differently, and they keep motivating me to find new sounds or ideas or silly stuff. I always feel like I can’t wait to go adventuring even further tomorrow.
Where did you get that old beat-up Fender you’re playing?
I started playing it when I was 14, working in the Mauritius Club Med. It wasn’t mine, but a lot of tourists would come and ask me to sell it to them! So I decided to call the guy who was renting it to me and asked him to sell it to me. I don’t know much about it, not even why all the bass players on holiday wanted it so much. I was 16 when I bought it, and it was quite clean. It wasn’t destroyed yet.
Tell us about your experience in Joe Zawinul’s band. How does it affect your playing today?
My playing was always energetic, and when I was in Joe’s band I was really happy—and he was as well—because we were going in the same direction musically: going forward, taking risks, and keeping up the intensity. Playing in Joe’s band was the best gift I have ever had in my life. My motivation to progress musically has grown more and more since then.
What are the differences in working with Gino Vanelli and Pee Wee Ellis?
Gino is a genius. He knows so many things about music, and the way he hears the band and wants it to sound is amazing. In just one day he can make us sound like we’ve been playing for years together! Pee Wee Ellis is great as well, because he knows what he wants. There’s less freedom in the playing, but of course, the music is grooving.
What is in your mind during improvisation?
I don’t have much in my mind except the direction of the music. When it’s time to improvise, I just try to follow the trace of where the stormy groove stops, and start creating an ambience to look for ideas. I use everything like a question-and-answer, and try to do the best I can to stay in the same direction, developing and building, until I reach the mood where we were before. I love adventuring, going everywhere, and being surprising.
CAN BE HEARD ON
Joe Zawinul & the Zawinul Syndicate, Vienna Nights [2005, BHM Productions]; Stephane Huchard, Tribal Traquenard [1999, Blue Note France]
CURRENTLY SPINNING
Vince Mendoza, Instructions Inside [1991, Capitol]; Bendik Hofseth, Amuse Yourself [1993, Sony/Columbia]; Karim Ziad, Ifrikya [2001, www.intuition-music.com]
GEAR
Bass ’70s Fender Jazz Bass strung with Galli Rockstars
Rig MarkBass SA450 Head, MarkBass Standard 104HF 4x10 cab
Effects Morley Power Wah Volume pedal, Boss OC-3 Octave, Boss CE-2 Chorus
“People ask me if I’m also using also a distortion pedal. Never in my life, man! I have saturated some speakers sometimes with invisible effects.”