Grammy Award winner and original member of the internationally acclaimed Snarky Puppy, Bill Laurance released his debut album Flint in 2014, and after going straight to No. 1 in the iTunes Jazz Charts, received international critical acclaim. His second album Swift was released on GroundUP Music in Spring 2015. Classically trained, Bill has worked as a professional pianist & keyboard player, composer, producer and arranger. Bill has recorded and or performed with artists including Morcheeba, Salif Keita, Bobby McFerrin, Terence Blanchard Lalah Hathaway, Laura Mvula, Musiq Soul Child, Lionel Loueke or The Metropole Orchestra.

Facts

1: “There’s a way of playing safe. There’s a way of using tricks and there’s a way I like to play, which is dangerously, where you’re going to take a chance on making mistakes in order to create something you haven’t created before.” Dave Brubeck.

2:  Diversity needs to be celebrated now more than ever.

3:  Barak Obama will be sorely missed!

Questions

1.What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
Experience. The more I experience, the more I am inspired to write about it. Travelling is a big one. But also general life experience. A musicians task is to make is to find a way of portraying these experiences that are personal yet relatable.

2.How and when did you get into making music?
My first teacher was a ragtime player who instilled a sense of joy in music from an early age. I was 7. Then I just wanted to have fun making music.

3.What are your 5 favorite albums of all time?

Herbie Hanckock – Sunlight

Marvin Gaye – Whats Goin on

Symphonietta – EJ Moeran

Prince – Come

Ahmad Jamal Trio – At the Pershing

4.What do you associate with Berlin?
The new creative hub of Europe. Berlin feels like Hoxton, in London used to feel. It feels full of creative inspiration and opportunity and I love it.

5.What’s your favorite place in your town?
Home. And Hampstead Heath.

6.If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
Work for a charity and be a better cook.

7. What was the last record/music you bought?
D’Angelo – Black Messiah

8.Who would you most like to collaborate with?
The Metropole Symphony Orkest.

9.What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
My own show performing at London’s Union Chapel in front of a sellout home crowd was pretty special.   I saw Gonzalo Rubalcaba at Ronnie Scotts when I was 16. He and his band changed my life forever.

10.How important is technology to your creative process?
Hugely. It’s a creative ingredient that is continuously evolving in new and exciting ways. I aim to embrace and utilise it in my music as much as possible.

11.Do you have siblings and how do they feel about your career?
I have an older brother and a younger sister. They are both creatives and have always supported and encouraged me. They have also been very helpful in bouncing ideas off. Its great when we all end up inspiring one another.

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