Art of Slowdown x Marco Cafolla
For a long time now I’ve been trying to surround myself with the best human beings I can. When I say ‘best’, I just mean the kindest and good energy ones. Whatever Walk of Life they come from, if it’s directly linked to music or not, it’s inconsequential (although by proxy, there’s usually a link to music).
That’s the epiphany! Art is life and life is art. I owe A LOT to music, outside of it enhancing my life as an art form and what I receive from it as a Composer, Musician & Producer.
99.9999% of all my relationships and opportunities have come from it. As a father I am figuring out a way to negotiate it into my children’s lives, to express themselves ‘better’ will be made easy with Music / Art in their lives like it has mines. Of course they already have it, even though they don’t play an instrument (yet, and may never) but music is with them now. They react to (specifically) music right now - since she could stand on her own two feet, Maya (7 years and 11 months old) has almost involuntarily danced wherever we’d be, when she heard some music from a supermarket speaker, to the car system or eventually at a dance class or of course a gig. Leonardo sings more than he speaks hands down (he’s 2 years and 5 months old), and there’s that romantic part of me that wants him to keep those percentages going.
They have watched me sit at the piano since birth and listened to me play and write. They both saunter to the piano with their combined 20 little fingers (& some times toes) and performed their own music. Slapping (mostly) or playing every so gently the keys with a song in their heads to accompany. I always wish I could hear that symphony they hear at that moment in their beautiful little minds and hopefully some day they’ll finish it and perform it outwardly.
In the meantime I’m more than happy it’s with them, like it is me, and those said people I want to be around. It has brought good friends to becoming brothers & sisters, acquaintances to ‘besties’ such is the power and emotion of Art.
The Art of Slowdown x House of Spoils listening session with Marco.
When you know, you know!
I met Andy Oattes 10 years ago with the release of my second studio album ‘Inamorata’ from my Funk outfit ‘Federation of the Disco Pimp’. My muse for all that Herbie Hancock, Zappa, Funkadelic, The Meters & James Brown influences I’ve been ingesting since I myself was a boy. I took my 7 piece band to Brooklyn, NYC to cut the whole thing with Grammy nominated producer Joel Hamilton at his Studio G, we got some amazing guest musicians on it and was mastered by Grammy winning legend Brian ‘Big Bass’ Gardner. I had to showcase this record in the best way possible so myself & Ross Saunders (my bassist, brother, ‘bestie’ for over 20 years now) marched into Loud & Clear in our hometown of Glasgow demanding they help with this. That’s where we met Andy (& Andrew Pirie) who said yes even before we could give our list of demands. Their collective passion for music comes in from a different side than ours and that beautifully compliments it, ultimately we share the same goal - to present it in the best way possible.
Cut to 10 years later and I’m sitting with Andy Oates back in Glasgow, catching up in person for the first time since - although we’ve kept in contact online throughout, with himself being an avid supporter and brother to my music - and he tells me all about his concept ‘The Art of Slowdown’ which I won’t paraphrase here as I’m sure I wouldn’t do it the justice it deserves. As with myself though, when you hear the ethos of what it is, you’ll be as hooked as I am!
Andy has brought the ‘best’ people together already, launching my latest record ‘The Summoned’ by my Spiritual Jazz/Soul ensemble ‘Mama Terra’ at a London listening party in House of Spoils art gallery on Chiltern St, with MacIntosh Labs, Fine Sounds & my label Acid Jazz Records. It came together so organically and quickly that something I thought would take months of planning / organising was pulled off in a matter of weeks because there was a collective of collaborators who live music & art and the experience that it brings us all. It was joyous, it was great and I’ll talk more that night soon.
If it was left at that for another 10 years I would’ve considered that whole experience a very lucky and blessed one, but we now plan for more, and how to expand on what we’ve started. My part continues with sharing some thoughts and curated playlists to you here, but more will come in in-person experiences.
I can’t wait to meet you all in person and make some new ‘besties’. When you know, you know!
‘The Summoned’ by Marco’s ensemble Mama Terra’ is out now on Acid Jazz Records here