The Flagpole Radio Café continues its sixth season with brilliant and innovative
jazz guitarist Michael Coppola. Tickets are now on sale at www.flagpoleproductions.org. The show begins at 7pm at the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, CT. Ticket prices are $30 for adults,
$25 for students and senior citizens. If further information is needed, please contact info@flagpoleproductions.org .
Producer Martin Blanco remarked, "Michael Coppola's playing is evocative of the technical brilliance of Stanley Jordan.
While his technical abilities are impressive, you need only to listen in order to appreciate the joy of his music.
He creates music of profound depth and beauty. The lush sounds just wash over you and if you couldn't see him, you would think there was a trio of guitars playing. His appearance will be a treat for guitar enthusiasts of all ages. We're very excited that he will be joining us."
Michael Coppola was listed as a main entry in acclaimed jazz critic Scott Yanow's 2013 book The Great Jazz Guitarists (The Ultimate Guide) alongside guitar legends such as Django Reinhardt and Wes Montgomery and for good reason. Mr. Coppola has become one of a handful of guitarists who have pushed the boundaries of the instrument. Playing in a trio with master pianist John Mehegan inspired Mr. Coppola to overstep the technical boundaries of the guitar. In an attempt to achieve the same tightly-voiced chords and pedaled legato phrases used by contemporary jazz keyboardists, he created the concept of the 8 String Guitar. This original design, which Coppola commissioned from Luthier James DeCava, requires inner, rather than extra bass or treble side strings.
In 2000, Michael Coppola expanded his own idea to incorporate a 9th sting. This guitar, also built by
Luthier James DeCava, is known in jazz guitar circles as "The Hydra." This became his instrument for life. Michael has recorded several albums with this instrument and in the canon of reviews; one will find superlatives such as "unique,
different, mind-boggling, magical," and "inventive."
Martin Blanco, had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Coppola in anticipation of his appearance on the November 9 presentation.
Q:Good morning Michael. When did you first start playing the guitar?
MC:
I was 11 when I started. In those days, kids my age wanted to be one of The Beatles.
Q:
Of course. At age six I informed my parents that I wanted to be a "hippie" like John Lennon. When did you know this was something that you wanted to make your life's work?
MC: I became more serious about the guitar at 15. I met a kid who was much better than me and he said "anyone can be really good, you just have to practice a lot." A half hour a day became 2 hours then 3, 5, 8
whatever I could fit in. At 16 or 17, I knew there was nothing but music for me.
Q: What drew you to the nine string guitar?
MC: I created the 9 string guitar concept back in 1986; actually 8 string at the time, but the same layout. I was after the kind of closely voiced dissonant chords that modern jazz piano players used. I tried retuning the guitar in
closer intervals, which worked for the chords, but messed up my map of the fingerboard, so decided to add more strings which I might avoid or use as I chose. During the performance in November, I'll speak about the tuning method I devised. It's very interesting and readily understandable when I can demonstrate
it for an audience.
Q: Isn't there something special about the nine-string guitar you play?
MC: The tuning and the technique Ihave developed for it over the last 27 years is quite unique. There are a few,
and I mean a rare few others in the world who play 9 string guitars. The ones
I've seen have extra bass strings, not inner high end strings like my creation.
I developed these guitars with James DeCava. He is a nationally recognized Master Luthier
and he lives in Bridgeport. He's made
many instruments for me over the years.
word for a maker or repairman of lutes?
MC: In modern America it can refer to
a maker of any string instruments but to use the title implies an enormous
level of achievement in craftsmanship.
James DeCava is one of the best.
We have a name for nine string guitar I developed with him. It's called "The Hydra," after the nine
headed beast of Greek Mythology. When I
first started playing the nine string guitar, it was a lot like tackling The
Hydra.
Q:
Sounds dangerous. When you put
the 'Hydra" down and want to listen to music, what music do you turn to for
pleasure.
MC:
Depends on my mood. Jazz is definitely
#1, but sometimes only classical will do:
Prokofiev, Bartok, Stravinsky, sometimes Mozart. Then it might be Bonnie Raitt, Marvin Gaye,
or Frank Sinatra or K.D. Lang, at other times. I like a lot of different types
of music and play different styles too.
Q: What musicians do you like to
hear play?
MC:
Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Kevin Mahogany, Chet Atkins, so many. Of
course my daughter Michaela is a brilliant young jazz player. I love to hear
the daily leaps in her playing.
Q: Yes, I understand your daughter
is quite the musician too.
MC:
Michaela is the joy of my life. How does a jazz guitarist who has
dedicated his life to music end up with a brilliant jazz guitarist with perfect
pitch and musical memory that doesn't quit?
I finally use the word "blessed!"
She goes to Shelton High and the Educational Center for the Arts in New
Haven. She was named the Connecticut
Regional Guitarist in her freshman year which is kind of unheard of. She was Regional and Allstate in her sophmore
year. Again, wow! Now she is the guitarist in the National
Honor Jazz Ensemble which is pretty much acknowledging her as the #1 high
school jazz guitarist in the country. We
are leaving for Nashville in a couple of days for her concert at the
Presidential Ballroom of the Grand Ole Opry Hotel. She is my daughter, musical
partner and friend all in one. My wife Diana and I are so proud of her.
Q: Do you have a special performance
memory?
MC:
I went to sit in at a club where a pretty well known guitarist was
playing. He was pretty much blowing away guitarist after guitarist. I got up
and played "What's New" and took a solo entirely in harmonics (bell sounding
tones one can execute on a guitar...think the beginning of "Roundabout" for the
sound). The place went wild and the
guitarist, who was known to be condescending to other players gave me a nod of
approval.
Another
story comes to mind: I was playing at a
cancer center. A woman who was looking
very sad came up to me and asked me to play "something beautiful." I played "Imagine"
by John Lennon. She started crying, hugged me and said, "you just made my day
better."
Q: What are your aspirations for
the next decade?
MC: Keep my hands healthy...and the
rest of me. Continue to play as much as possible. Tour more with my daughter.
Q: Anything else you'd like to
share with us?
MC: I love playing at great clubs
like the Blue Note or festivals like the Montreal Jazz Fest, but anytime I
play, I put my whole heart into it, whether Café Nine, a guitar show or
hospice.
Q: Thank you Michael.
MC: Thank you. I'm looking forward to the upcoming Flagpole Radio Café show.
Michael
will be performing at The Flagpole Radio
Café show on November 9. You can get
tickets and information at www.flagpoleproductions.org .