The Evolution of Alex Bugnon

THEPage 12 May 19, 2016 The Evolution of Alex Bugnon by Kim WardAlex Bugnon was years working as aborn into the world session musician,of jazz. backing urban andHe grew up in jazz performers suchMontreux, Switzer- as Patti Austin, Fred-land, home of the die Jackson, Jamesgreat Montreux Jazz Ingram and KeithFestival. He is the Sweat.nephew of the late Bugnon releasedjazz trumpeter Don- his debut album,ald Byrd. Jazz leg- “Love Season,”ends such as Milton in 1989. That al-Jackson and Clark bum reached theTerry would come by pop charts and thehis house to hang out Top 40 of the R&Bwith his parents. charts, as did its fol-“I was in the world lowup, 1990’s “Headof jazz, and the ab- Over Heels.” Sub-solute top jazz musi- sequent releases,cians came out once “107 Degrees in thea year to Montreux, Alex Bugnon performs during the sold out Friday Night Jazz & Wine Shade” (1991), “Thislike Miles Davis and concert at Fort Sam Houston Theatre. Time Around” (1993)Donald Byrd,” he and “Tales From thesaid, adding with a laugh, “half of my family is mu- Bright Side” (1995) all placed in the R&B charts.sical — my father’s side…and my mother’s side is After five years away from recording under his owntone deaf. It was a good balance, and a good place name, Bugnon signed to the jazz division of theto grow up.” now-defunct Narada Records, which marketed himAt 5, he lived with Byrd for a month and observed as a jazz artist. While his name is now synonymous with Smooththe life of a musician: the rehearsals, the practicing,the time spent analyzing music and the composer’s Jazz, Bugnon refuses to color within the lines. “(My music) evolves because for each album, Istyles. This was the beginning of Bugnon’s musical have been trying to push the envelope a little bitevolution.“I fell in love quickly and never turned back,” he more while still retaining accessibility to a wider audience,” he said. “I always try to stick more tradi-confessed.Bugnon is one of the musicians slated to perform tional music in there. (I) try to keep where the mu- sic came from in mind and try to put it in my music.at the July 9 Lighthouse Jazz Festival.When asked why he decided to play piano, Bu- That is basically what I try to do.”gnon said, “I had no choice Art+Times “Not the Flavorbut to play the piano. Mu- where art and culture intersect of the Day”sic education in Europe istoward the piano. Pianopractice was like homework, you had no choice, and With changes to Smooth Jazz over the past de-no one played any other instrument. If they did, I cade, many artists have come and gone. Bugnon,didn’t know them. however, remains relevant in the industry.“My beast is piano. I can express myself, and my “I always did what I wanted to do,” he says. “Ifeelings come out best on acoustic piano. I don’t en- don’t believe in the flavor of the day. I believe injoy synthesizers, except when played by a select few. mega trends, but not the flavor of the day. SmoothTo me, there is nothing better in the world than to Jazz is watered down now, and people have lost in-play the acoustic piano. The Fender Rhodes (piano) terest. There aren’t a lot of musicians who can write— I love the sound, and it blends well with the band. a tune that is unforgettable like Herbie Hancock,It’s organic and can take the role of the synthesizer.” Grover Washington Jr., Duke Ellington or CountThe pianist attended the Paris Conservatory of Basie. With technology, anybody can come out andMusic for two years before moving to the United be on the radio. There is no amount of legitimacy.”States. While attending Berklee School of Music, Inspired by the likes of McCoy Tyner, Joe Sample,he performed as an accompanist for several gospel Wynton Kelly, Hancock and Patrice Rushen, Bu-groups. After moving to New York, he spent four gnon took what he learned from each and formed

THEMay 19, 2016 Page 13his own style of playing the keys. rather do it that way because theWhat separates him from the return is so much greater. Princerest? has done that, and he went to war“I have an addictive personality with the giants (Warner Brothers).like many musicians. I have wide Back then, that was unheard of.hands, and I am left handed, which That took a lot of courage.”helps when playing the piano,” hesays with a chuckle. Why Does Although he has recorded pro- Live Music Matter?fessionally for more than 20 years,he says assuredly, “My skills are Maintaining a healthy tourbetter today than yesterday.” A schedule keeps Bugnon connectedturning point arrived when his to his fans.mother became ill and passed “Live music is everything to me.away, along with the breakup of You cannot lie with live music, un-a long-term relationship. Those less you are a little puff act withevents brought him to a place of everything prerecorded, includingquiet reflection. your own voice,” he jokes. “Then, you go on stage and dance around “Right now, today, I love whereI am musically. What I play and Alex Bugnon grew up in Montreux, Switzerland, and act like you are singing. That’show I play, that has never hap- home of the Montreux Jazz Festival. different.pened,” he confided. “Being with “A live performance is what sep-my mother in her last days put me in such a peacemusically. Even now, I play my earlier compositions arates somebody with a career. I see so many guys that are trading the No. 1 song (on the charts), es-in a new, fresh and exciting way, which is importantwhen you have to play them night after night.” pecially Smooth Jazz. I don’t understand why they don’t spend more time trying to get something live Keeping pace with today’s fickle music fans is not happening instead of trading that No. 1 song spotan easy task. on radio. “I try to stay current, but I don’t stray away from “We hardly make any money from the radio air-the core of my music. I write what I write and that’s play like we used to,” he continued. “You can’t makeit. I don’t worry about whether people like it. I don’ttry to bow to the audience. The audience that knows a career by just being on the radio. You have to be out. That is where you earn your legitimacy, by put-me will enjoy it. I know it. I am confident of that,”he said. “So I just keep writing what I write. I’m not ting on a good show and building your core audiencegoing to produce something with an ’80s sound like that is going to come see you time after time, year after year.”I did on my first album that came out in ’89. I can’teven listen to that record. People still love it, but I In his upcoming performance at Michigan City’s Lighthouse Jazz Festival, Bugnon promises fanscan’t listen it. The production, to me, is so far from will hear many of his “greatest hits,” along withwhat I would be doing today. In that sense — theproduction and sound that I get on a recording… some new songs from his upcoming album. “My fans know what kind of show I put on,” hethat might evolve with time, but the core of whatI do is the same. It’s my music. It comes from me.” said. “I leave everything on stage. I always try to play by the motto of Thelonious Monk. He said, ‘Al- A Call to Action ways play like it’s the last time’ and that’s what I do. I’ve been playing like that for years.” The recent death of the music legend Prince was (More artists slated to perform in the Lighthousea call-to-action for many musicians, but a reminder Jazz Festival will be featured in upcoming install-to Bugnon that to be successful in the music indus- ments of Art+Times. Visit www.lighthousejazzfesti-try, artists have to take control, be more indepen- val.com for more information.)dent and own their music.“I’ve owned my own publishing company sincethe first song I had recorded,” he said. “I have never RGVAAIISLRIRTDOETANHDEhad anybody else besides my publishing company.Now, as far as record companies, when they used togive us a huge budget, it made sense to be signedwith a record company. 13988 Range Line Road, Niles, Michigan “But now…I’d rather do it myself and reap all (269) 695-6491 • www.fernwoodbotanical.orgthe benefits. Even if I have to spend some moneyfor promotions, for the radio for marketing… I’d 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday • 12 noon to 6 p.m. Sunday (MI Time)