Take Five With Will Goble

Meet Will Goble:
Without fanfare, Will Goble is steadily carving out a unique space for himself as a bassist and bandleader. Driven by a genuine love for group interaction and a positive exchange with audiences, he leads his own bands and supports other musicians with equal energy and enthusiasm. His first album as a leader Some Stories Tells No Lies, features his own trio joined by trumpeter Marcus Printup, who performs alongside fellow trumpeter Wynton Marsalis in the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and saxophonist Chad Eby, for several originals from Will, drummer Dave Potter and pianist Austin Johnson, as well as compositions by Thelonious Monk and bassist Robert Hurst, among others.

Some Stories offers a diverse selection of music performed with infectious rhythms and communication, all in a live studio setting that communicates the music directly to the listener as it was originally performed, without any edits.

Will has also performed as a sideman with Grammy Award-winning pianist Marcus Roberts and numerous other notable artists, including Vincent Gardner, Jason Marsalis, Marcus Printup, Wess "Warmdaddy" Anderson, Eric Reed, Marcus Belgrave, Kevin Bales, Scotty Barnhart, Martin Bejerano, Philip Harper, Fred Wesley and Stephen Riley, among others. He currently tours frequently with his own trio/quartet, as well as the Jason Marsalis' Vibes Quartet.

Will appears on Marsalis' most recent release, Music Update (Elm), which was released nationally in August, 2009 and received 4.5 stars from Downbeat Magazine. Jason's second Vibes release will also features Will on bass and is due out in the fall of 2012.

In June, 2008, Will received his masters degree from Florida State University, where he worked as a graduate teaching assistant in the jazz studies program assisting Marcus Roberts in developing educational curricula for new college students interested in studying jazz. Shortly thereafter, Will relocated to Atlanta where he maintains a busy performing schedule.

Instrument(s):
Bass.

Teachers and/or influences?
Rodney Jordan, Marcus Roberts, Kevin Bales, Jason Marsalis, Andrew Sioberg.

I knew I wanted to be a musician when...
...all my friends were doing it.

The first Jazz album I bought was:
The Quintet (Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach), Live At Massey Hall (Debut, 1963).

CDs you are listening to now:
Mary Lou Williams, A Grand Night For Swinging (HighNote); Branford Marsalis, Four MFs Playin' Tunes (Marsalis Music); Johnny Griffin and Wilbur Ware, The Chicago Sound (Fresh Sound); Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk, Mulligan Meets Monk (Riverside Records).

Desert Island picks:
John Coltrane, Crescent (Impulse!); Ben Webster, See You At the Fair (Impulse!); Branford Marsalis, Bloomington (Columbia); Thelonious Monk, Criss Cross (Columbia); Duke Ellington, The Ellington Suites (Pablo).

How would you describe the state of jazz today?
Young musicians need mentorship. There are talented people who are, at times, finding new and interesting influences and, at other times, ignoring important roots—a mixed, confusing bag of exciting promise with an unfortunate lack of connection to everyday people.

What are some of the essential requirements to keep jazz alive and growing?
We can benefit from thoughtfulness, honesty, and not taking ourselves too seriously (without sacrificing high standards). It's important to think about where our music fits in the world, and how we can connect creatively. As more disparate influences are utilized, it's also important not to lose key folk elements that help connect jazz to all people.

What is in the near future?
Jason Marsalis' In A World Of Mallets will be released on Basin Street Records in the winter of 2013.

Photo Credit

Courtesy of Will Goble

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