Graham Reid | | 4 min read
Solos
The debut album by Auckland's Skilaa defies easy description: it swings into jazz, lets some R'n'B and soul into the hip-hop influenced sound and breaks out into scat and . . .
Singer Chelsea Prastiti who studied at the jazz school of Auckland Uni rests easily with the “psychedelic R'n'B” description.
She grew up with flamenco and Greek music, mainstream writers like Paul Simon, a lot of R'n'B and Prince, rap and neo-soul . . .
It all fed into Skilaa's Tiger in the River about which we said “This is clever, feminist, soulful and exquisitely crafted music which steps past easy genre categorisation which is also catchy, inventive and . . . Check it out for yourself. It's something special”.
Time then to put a special questionnaire in front of this remarkable singer/writer and catalyst (and Tiger cover artist).
The first piece of music, jazz or otherwise, which really affected you was . . ?
My first memory of hearing bebop sticks out, esp hearing Ella Fitzgerald soloing, and Charlie Parker’s solo break in Night in Tunisia – I rewound that bit over and over in awe as a 12 year old
When did you first realise this jazz thing was for you?
I think it was when I first started improvising
What one piece of music would you play to a 15-year old into rock music to show them, 'This is jazz, and this is how it works'?
I think I’d show them Wayne Kranz’s playing! [Steely Dan, Carla Bley]
Time travel allows you go back to experience great jazz. You would go to . . ?
Charlie, Ella, Billie, Prez, Anita O’Day, Cannonball, Miles, Bud Powell, Thelonious, Sarah Vaughn, Sun Ra, Mingus, Duke, Basie! Too many to choose from! :3
Which period of Miles Davis' career do you most relate to, and why: the acoustic Fifties; his orchestrated albums with Gil Evans; the acoustic bands, the fusion of the late Sixties; street funk of the Seventies or the Tutu album and beyond in the Eighties . . .
oh I like all of the eras! But I do love the acoustic 50’s – I like his soloing in the bebop era style
Any interesting, valuable or just plain strange musical memorabilia at home?
I have this lovely little illustrated book called ‘Hoffnung’s Acoustics’ by Gerard Hoffnung
The best book on the jazz life you have read is . . .
I loved Kansas City Lightning and Lady Sings The Blues
If you could get on stage with anyone it would be . . . (And you would play?)
Oh man I can’t decide! Maybe Chaka Khan if she’d have me on BV’s?
The three films you'd insist anybody watch because they might understand you better are . . .
Disney’s Alice In Wonderland (1954)
Oh Brother Where Art Thou (Cohen Brothers film)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (Frances Ford Coppola)
The last CD or vinyl album you bought was . . . (And your most recent downloads include . . .)
Most recent downloads include Phoebe Rings, Tiny Ruins, Stephen Steinbrink, Chris Weisman
One jazz standard you wished you had written . . .
Polkadots & Moonbeams!
The poster, album cover or piece of art could you live with on your bedroom forever would be . . .
there’s a beautiful illustrated book called ‘Faeries’ by Brian Froud & Alan Lee, my grandmother gave it to me and my sister as children, very special book to us
Three non-jazz albums for a desert island would be . . ?
Slum Village - Fantastic Vol 2
Queens of the Stone Age (first album self titled)
Paul Simon - Rhythm of the Saints
Your dream band of musicians (living or dead) would be . . ?
The ones I play with now! :3
And finally, is there a track on your most recent album you would love people to hear. And, if so, why that one?
That’s so hard to decide! like all of them! I guess the one I’m really feeling right now would be ‘Solos’, it’s newer in the set and I’ve always liked its energy, so I’m excited to play it more.
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You can hear and buy Tiger in the River at bandcamp here
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