SubCulture Take 5/ Gregg Kallor
Another 'SubCulture Take 5' (#scpianofest edition!) with talented pianist Gregg Kallor. We can't wait to hear him again tomorrow, debuting his music video, 'Broken Sentences', after being among the impressive roster of talent we had playing at our grand opening last week. In addition, Gregg will be joined by special guest Laura Metcalf on cello--make sure to get your tickets before they sell out! If it's anything like this video, we're in for a night of Gregg's great musicality and sense of humor.
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SubCulture: Who inspired you to become a musician?
Gregg Kallor: I've always known on some level that I wanted/needed to make music and many people have inspired me along the way, but it was my parents' unwavering encouragement that enabled me to pursue it. SC: Who are your major musical influences?
GK: Martha Argerich, Byron Janis, Brad Mehldau, Fred Hersch - allhuge influences. Too many composers to list. But since we're in Piano Fest, I especially love the short piano pieces by Rachmaninoff and Scriabin - the way they create evocative, exquisite worlds in just a few minutes. And super pianistic. I aspire to that kind of vivid musical soundscape in my writing (and playing).
SC: What is your favorite piano piece ever?
GK: How about favorite piano piece this week? (It's a rotating menu.)
SC: Sure!
GK: Yesterday it was Rachmaninoff’s G# minor prelude (Op 32, No. 12) - slays me every time. The day before it was Scriabin’s "Feuillet d'album" - 90 seconds of perfection. Today it's Fauré's Db nocturne. Stunning. SC: Describe your first live performance. (was it a school talent show?local battle of the bands? open mic at a coffeehouse?)
GK: My first performance was probably at a family gathering - holiday/birthday/whatnot. My brother and our cousins and I staged little productions for the family at these events. Fortunately for everyone involved, these were in the pre-YouTube days. (wheh.) SC: Do you have a pre-show ritual?
GK: I like to talk to people. I sort of hate the isolation of an empty dressing room. A concert, for me, is like an intimate gathering of friends (sometimes very large groups of friends), and I enjoy the social interaction before I perform - it helps keep my focus on sharing the music with people, rather than withdrawing into my head. SC: What is your favorite song to perform?
GK: Strauss's "Morgen!" - perfect. And Wolf's "Auch Kleine Dinge" - also perfect. And pretty much every song Brahms and Schumann ever wrote. I love that German Romantic angsty stuff. Elliott Smith songs are incredible - like the Schumann of the 1990's. "Everything means nothing to me" and "I'd better be quiet now" are two (not exactly uplifting, but really beautiful) favorites. And "Paris is Burning" by Annie Clark (St. Vincent) - fantastic. Mancini, Gershwin, Jobim, and Cole Porter songs all make me happy. I'm crap at favorites - there are too many! SC: If you could perform with one artist (dead or alive) who would it be?
GK: Gil Shaham! Super lyrical, and never an impersonal note. I wrote a piece for violin and piano with him in mind ("Short Stories"), and I would love to perform and record it with him! SC: What's your favorite place to grab a slice of pizza in New York?
GK: Joe's on Bleecker. Done.
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