Malcolm Braff explains his rhythmic approach and particularly his application of this approach for improvisation and composition.
When Malcolm was born in 1970, his father was a missionary in Rio de Janeiro. He and his family lived on the road (Brazil, Cape Verde Islands, Senegal). For Malcolm, however tight his entourage tried to lock the doors, the drums seeped in through every crack of the house. Since then, Malcolm has always created contrasting musical images opposing serenity, sensuality and the sweet smell of calm to the volcanos of African music as managed by Abdullah Ibrahim’s piano. With his violent love of jazz as a guiding light, Malcolm hammers his keyboard searching for notes within the notes, carefully picking the white keys and the black keys, improvising non-stop music in a style that is instantly recognizable… But he can also spend weeks writing a homage to a composer of contemporary classical music or a partition for a chamber orchestra! Ever since he started, Malcolm is open to collaboration with all sort of musicians, being the most insignificant beginner or the greatest jazz giant. But he is especially keen to play with his more-than-brother djembe player Yaya Ouattara or trumpeter Erik Truffaz.
The Art of Malcolm Braff
Interview with Malcolm Braff produced for the Jazzcampus in Basel, Switzerland