In "L'Express", an important french newsmagazine,
an article from Paola Genone,
about the recent festival "Minnesota-sur-Seine"
includes a little phone interview of Prince.
It's about jazz! It's about Minneapolis!




Page 46 HQ scan
Page 47 HQ scan
Page 48 HQ scan

The ultimate paragraph:


[Edited 2/14/05 5:29am]

Those French. They have a word for everything!

Could some kind soul translate this or paraphrase it?

The intro to the article says: A jazz festival, in the U.S., in the city of Prince, king of the groove!

The other Prince mentions have to do with a band consisting of some of his former musicians (drummer Michael Bland and bassist Sonny Thompson): “who were for ten years the pillars of Prince’s rhythm section.” “The scene is surrealistic: Michel Portal, a clarinetist of international renown, a star in experimental jazz and contemporary music—- collaborator of Boulez, Berio, Stockhausen—- is directing, in Minneapolis, Prince’s groove machine.” Culture shock! “I wanted to create a union between eclectic and inspired people,” Portal says. Someone then calls Michael Bland, demanding five more tickets; he asks for whom, and the caller says for Prince. “The shadow of The Artist already arrives on the scene.”

I'll try to translate the part around the interview:

Before leaving for Minneapolis, we asked for an interview with "the Messiah." "We'll look around for him. We never know where he is," replied his agent. One night, the telephone in the hotel room: "I will connect you with Mr. Prince. He doesn't want you to record this." Finally achieved, speaking on the phone, that voice ambiguous, androgynous, extending between registers deep and falsetto . "I am in the studio, playing, like every night. The other night? Yes, it's me. I often attend Michael and Sonny's concerts, at club Bunkers, where they're in a trio with Jef Lee Johnson, or other times, with other extraordinary French musicians. Jazz interests me tremendously. Above all, the jazz scene in Minneapolis. This city is the incarnation of a new generation of musicians. They always know how to play and create the greatest scenes , just like in the most infamous cafes . Here, you could find the greatest saxophonist who, the same night, would be a part of three different groups. One would evoke the sounds of Kurt Cobain and rock music; the other, Charlie Mingus and jazz; the third, funk. That capacity to morph from one style to another characterizes the famous sound of Minneapolis. It’s a philosophy of life. I am also in a never-ending quest to find new musicians, those like Miles [Davis]. I go from one jam-session to the other; I have changed my address in Minneapolis 32 times. I am only loyal to music.” Thank you, sir, good night.

calldapplwondery83 said:

I second this motion!



edit: nevermind...thank U!
[Edited 2/13/05 9:40am]

Thank U, DenimLadyC, 4 this good translation!

ur welcome! Thanks for posting the article. I think it's so cool that the French love him too... "the shadow of the Artist"!!