Thursday, July 26, 2012

A SHORT CHAT WITH CO DE KLOET


Music producer Co de Kloet will be back at Zappanale. A fine opportunity to ask him some questions.

UniMuta :  Hello Co, I was glad to hear that you will be returning to Zappanale. Last year, you did an impressive multimedia event with your taped interview with Don Van Vliet, showing Don's paintings, accompanied by live music by Gary Lucas. Will you be doing something similar this year?

Co de Kloet : Somewhat similar: in 1990 I made a 4 hour radio special with FZ at the occasion of his 50th birthday. This was for NOS radio (now NTR) and was called SUPPLEMENT. Based on that and with FZ's approval I issued a limited edirton of a cassette called The Supplement Tape. Now, I will do a 90 minute stage presentation called THE SUPPLEMENT TAPE LIVE. I will present an overview of the many taped conversations I had with FZ , from 1977 up to 1990 . There will be quite some segments that were never used for broadcast so never heard before by an audience. Also there will be some audio surprises, room for comments by the audience and I invited three special guests, George Duke, Scott Thunes and Gary Lucas. They all were happy to join me.

UniMuta : That sounds great. Are you surprised by a festival such as Zappanale? I mean, it has been 20 years since Frank's passing. At that time, did you think that FZ's music would survive and that musicians from different musical backgrounds would be keeping his music alive?

Co de Kloet : Yes, of course. His music is even to people who study it every day still a rich well of musical and other discoveries and inspiration.

UniMuta : The last couple of years, you have done some exceptional projects in which the Metropole Orkest was a prominent participant. I was one of those lucky peope to see Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio and Mike Keneally in concert with the Metropole Orkest. Unfortunately, the dutch governement has cut the grants for many cultural companies, including the Metropole Orkest.
How bad is it?

Co de Kloet : It is bad. I do not know what the future will bring for the institute as we know it. Our political situation is very hostile to adventurous and cultural programming. We will have elections in September so there might be some hope.
I have been working with them since 1983. As a matter of fact, my presentation will include the version of Uncle Remus they did in a fabulous arrangement by my friend Tom Trapp, a performance with, now watch this: George Duke and Napoleon Murphy Brock. So for the musicians it is a dark period: on the other hand, good music and good musicians are like water and will always find a way....

UniMuta : Co, you've been a music producer, music director and a radio host for Dutch national radio for as long as I can remember. Since a couple of years, you're one of the people behind Radio 6, an internet radio station. Is the future of music to be found in the digital world? I still like to browse through a booklet while a play a CD, or search for details on a album sleeve while the vinyl takes a spin. Am I an exception?

Co de Kloet : No you are not an exception! I think Vinyl will outlive CD for example. By the way, Radio 6 is NOT an internet station. We are on internet, cable, digital (DAB) and other platforms. The only thing we do not have is FM...but in the near future that will all change anyway..... Radio 6 is growing and presents a broad and intelligent mixture of Soul, Jazz and a lot of crossover areas..... August 12 we will world premiere the new Steve Vai Album in my show (www.colive.radio6.nl and mail me at colive@radio6.nl) , september 2 we have a live concert with the Metropole and Gary Lucas in a programme on the music he did with Jeff Buckley, November 11 we do another show with Todd Rundgren, and so on and so forth....

UniMuta : And do you think that this digitalisation a good or a bad thing for music?

Co de Kloet : The more ways to distribute music the better. as long as we realize that the composers and musicians involved present high quality work and should be paid accordingly. Music Is Not for Free, even in a digital world where copying no longer means loss of quality.

UniMuta :  Wise words. Thank you & see you soon.


Co de Kloet : That's what she said!   (see you at zappanale)


Co de Kloet will be presenting The Supplement Tape Live on Thursday, August 2, 2012, at 13:00 h, at Zappanale.



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