Interview with Roscoe Beck

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jarkko
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Interview with Roscoe Beck

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I really don’t think about what my contribution has been. I feel fortunate to be able to support the work of somebody I think is a great artist and the greatest writer that I have ever had the pleasure to be around. I am just happy to be here, and I am happy that I met him 33 years ago. It was a moment that changed the course of my life and I think the collaboration has hopefully been beneficial for both of us, but I love the man, I love his work and I’m just so happy to be involved to whatever degree.
Francis Mus interviewed Roscoe Beck, the Musical Director of Leonard's band since 1979, in Ghent last August.

Roscoe speaks about the tours from 1979 to 2012, about the albums and the songs, about the lyrics and the melodies, about the instruments and the musicians.
Read the complete interview from The Leonard Cohen Files, http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/francismus.pdf

Photo by Eija, Helsinki 2008
1988, 1993: Helsinki||2008: Manchester|Oslo|London O2|Berlin|Helsinki|London RAH|| 2009: New York Beacon|Berlin|Venice|Barcelona|Las Vegas|San José||2010: Salzburg|Helsinki|Gent|Bratislava|Las Vegas|| 2012: Gent|Helsinki|Verona|| 2013: New York|Pula|Oslo|||
holydove
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by holydove »

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Jarkko. Very interesting interview! It's always so wonderful to hear what the great Roscoe Beck has to say. And how generous of him to give this interview in the middle of the first week of the 2012 tour.

Thank you, Roscoe, for your beautiful enlightening words, for your love of the music & the poetry, for your brilliant musicianship, for your love & devotion to the man & his work, & for always being there for Leonard & for us.
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lizzytysh
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by lizzytysh »

Beautifully expressed, holydove.
Now to go read the interview.
Roscoe is always such a personable one.
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Hartmut
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by Hartmut »

Thanks!
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by musicmania »

I really enjoyed this, great questions by Francis Mus and great answers from Roscoe.
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by MaryB »

You said it before I did Gwen - Francis Mus asked intelligent, insightful questions and wonderful Roscoe did a fantastic job on the answers! Thank you Jarkko for this link. Eija - great photo of Roscoe.
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hazey
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by hazey »

Interesting interview. Enjoyed reading it.
Thanks!
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Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by Jeremy »

Good stuff, and I found the points about the Dino vs Violin thing especially interesting.

I'm firmly in the "Bring Back the Violin" camp myself, and very much hoping that when the other UK dates are given, I'll have an opportunity to go and hear that fiddle sound for real.....
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mirka
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by mirka »


A touching interview.
I find interesting a link between LC music and Russian music which his mother liked. Since his parents were Jews of East European origin I often wonder if this was the reason he had such enormous following in Poland at the times he was forgotten in US -- is it possible his music resonated on subconscious level ?
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kokenpere
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by kokenpere »

Great interview . I appreciate Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes and Recent Songs much more. Thanks Marie

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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by bettyvercauteren »

great interview ! Roscoe always taks with such a devotion .....! Thanks for posting jarkko !!
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by B4real »

Thanks Jarkko ..... I've finally got around to reading this excellent interview :D I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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dari
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Re: Interview with Roscoe Beck

Post by dari »

Great interview! Thank you for posting It. At the beginning of the interview the term "world music" is mentioned. That is what initially drew me to Leonard's music, other than the beautiful lyrics, the international mix of musicians, especially the use of the oud. To me this was magical.
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