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Vail Jazz welcomes 23-year-old Spanish trumpeter Andrea Motis for three performances, Aug. 1-2

Andrea Motis has performed and recorded with the likes of Wycliffe Gordon, Jesse Davis, Bobby Gordon and Dick Oatts, to name just a few. She will co-star in a trio of Vail Jazz performances, Wednesday, Aug. 1, and Thursday, Aug. 2.
Special to the Daily

See Andrea Motis and Joel Frahm

Andrea Motis and Joel Frahm perform a pair of intimate lounge performances at The Sonnenalp’s Ludwig’s Terrace on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the first seating and 7:30 p.m. for the second, with performances starting a half-hour later. Tickets at $40. Full dinner service is available, not included in ticket cost, and a $30 per person food or beverage minimum applies.

The pair takes their talent to the big stage in the Jazz Tent at Lionshead’s Vail Square at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2. Tickets are $25 for general admission, $40 for preferred seating and $50 for premium seats. Beer, wine and cocktails are available for purchase.

For tickets or more information, visit vailjazz.org or call 970-479-4146.

VAIL — Making her Vail Jazz debut this week, 23-year-old Spanish-born musician Andrea Motis joins one of New York City’s most lauded tenor sax players, Vail Jazz favorite Joel Frahm, for a trio of Vail Jazz performances. Catching up with Motis last week, we picked her brain about her inspirations and goals.

VAIL JAZZ: What was the initial allure of the trumpet, and why you were drawn to it at such a young age?

ANDREA MOTIS: It was a causality, as I, at age 7, only knew some instruments such as violins or pianos. In my neighborhood’s municipal school of music, there were no more places for students of these instruments, only more “rare” instruments.



So my father had a trumpet from when he was playing it at about 15 years old. He told me to at least get into the school with his instrument and, after that in one year or so, changing if I wanted. But I had a really good teacher and person — Toni Gallart — and I never left.

VJ: What was your initial impression of Joel Frahm, and why did you choose him for your album and collaborative projects?

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AM: I first knew about Joel Frahm through the recording, “Live at Smalls,” by singer Cyrille Aimee. I love that recording and all the musicians playing on it. It is such fresh music and standards that I love (played) so naturally and well. For me, his sound on this CD was some kind of “perfect,” and I thought I would love having him on the CD.

On stage, there isn’t any mystery. It is so easy to work with such a great musician such as Joel who knows about all the standards. We just pick the ones we know better, and he can perfectly play whatever new music we give him. We’ve also played originals. In fact, he’s playing on my originals on the CD, “Emotional Dance.”

VJ: What would you say are the most important elements necessary for a musician to successfully play by ear?

AM:

1. Listening to music (jazz)

2. Learning by heart lots of melodies

3. Transcribing some solos

4. Playing as much as you can

VJ: What are your ultimate goals as a musician?

AM: To be able to play every (type of) music I love, being able to improvise musically as I feel it without technical or theoretical troubles and to work more for playing it easily. Also composing and arranging more in the future and feeling free to do whatever appears in my mind.

VJ: Who are other artists with whom you’d like to collaborate in the future and why?

AM: Cecile Mc Lorin Salvant. I admire her so much. Ingrid Jensen … I feel I like can play by her side. Many others that are just great people, friends and musicians. That’s so important. Also people I’ve already played with and I’ve discovered how well could we work together, such as Pasquale Grasso and Federico Dannemann on guitars.


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