While you may not have heard Jeff Curry’s name before, he has contributed to a number of projects and games that you may be familiar with. With recent projects including The Outer Rim, the Etrian Odyssey II SUPER ARRANGE album (both of which we’re quite fond of), the Metal Gear Solid franchise and some of Norihiko Hibino’s personal projects, Jeff Curry has been around. OSV was able to catch up with Curry who is currently in Japan living it up as a talented jazz musician.
I recommend heading over to Curry’s personal website right away to view photos of this bald gaijin who is showing Japan that American musicians can be nearly as talented as Japanese musicians. Oh yeah, there’s some music samples there too.
Check out the interview after the jump!
OSV: Jeff, it’s great to get the opportunity to speak with you. Tell us how an American musician who specializes in the American tradition of jazz ends up in Japan of all places. Based on your work with Norihiko Hibino and others, it sounds like there’s an active jazz scene over there.
Jeff: Great to speak with you too! Basically, Japan has always interested me. It seemed like the only place I can go and never figure it out. Thats the truth right there! I guess it’s good for my creative juices. I’ve heard stories from WW2 vets, musicians that have toured here, and people who are doing business here. They always say the same thing: “I love Japan but it’s hard to explain”! For me, I just need to be in a place that is always moving and changing. It’s challenging and rewarding.
Yes, Japan, especially Tokyo, has an active jazz scene. There are thousands of clubs, hotels and restaurants to play in. Also, Tokyo is the hub of production for most of the media coming out of Japan. So, there is a lot of opportunities to record and produce music. The down side is that it’s a real challenge to live here. Some material to cover in a later interview perhaps…?
OSV: It appears as though your work in the gaming industry has commonly been tied to Norihiko Hibino. Tell us about how you two came to meet as well as your experience collaborating with him on these various projects over the years.
Jeff: It was funny. When I met Nori, I didn’t even know he was a major player in the game music industry. I went to see a gig on which he was a side man and was just talking to him on the break. I was just impressed with his great playing. He could really play a melody without having to do all these sax tricks. I could tell he was playing the tune and not trying to impress all the musicians in the room with what he practiced that day. From a composers stand point that meant a lot to me. He was a real natural musician. I guess he feels the same way about me. Here we are almost five years later and we are still making music together!
OSV: We really dug your latest release, The Outer Rim, and are already looking forward to more. Being the band leader, tell us about the group, how it was formed, and how the self-titled debut album ended up with a No More Heroes tie-in. Are you a fan of Suda-51’s work at Grasshopper Manufacture?
Jeff: Glad you like it! The Outer Rim is like nothing you have ever heard before. We can make you dance, cry, and reflect the meaning of life in one song! [laughs] I started the band because I was always looking to doing something that had jazz soul but could fill my addiction with rock and free music. I met Nobuaki Fujii, on the Metal Gear Solid 3 recording session. He blew me away. His funkiness and sound with the ability to play styles other than jazz was all it took to decide that I had to be in a band with him. The pianist Hakuei Kim came to Tokyo about the same time I did. We met at a gig on which I lent the bass player my double bass. He knew all the guys in the band so naturally we started talking. Turned out that we had a lot in common. He was also a guy looking to do something different than the standard jazz thing. As for the No More Heroes tie-in, that is all Hibino. He is the biz dude in the band! I wish I could say I am a fan of mister Suda but have not played any games since college. I am just a musician now!
OSV: Can we expect to hear more from the group in the future? Given that you’re all jazz musicians, I get the sense that the band does a lot of improvisation at local venues like Hibino’s Vanilla Mood. What is the band’s philosophy on music and performance?
Jeff: Oh yes! We play together all the time. Always writing new tunes and jamming! We hit Vanilla Mood every couple of months as well as other Tokyo joints. The bands philosophy is quite simple. Write songs that are different from the mainstream, make people feel something, and keep em guessing! Also, hopefully you can shake your booty too.
OSV: Speaking of Vanilla Mood, I saw YouTube videos of the band performing there on the band’s Myspace. Tell us about the venue. Is Hibino’s past statement that “cool cats” hang out there really true? If so, are you one of these “cool cats?”
Jeff:Yeah, Vanilla Mood is cool. There are so many pretentious places in Tokyo that can make you feel really awkward. So far, Vanilla Mood has been a place you can walk in off the street and chill. Me? A cool cat? Not for me to decide!
OSV: We’ve noticed that everyone in The Outer Rim has a pretty distinctive hair style. Is this a part of the jazz artist philosophy that promotes uniqueness among artists?
Jeff: Actually I am very envious of the other guys hairstyles! I’m sure their uniqueness is being expressed fully. I am just dealing the hand that nature gave me!
OSV: I know a lot of classically trained (if I can say that?) jazz musicians who are very much against contemporary jazz, or what is frequently called “smooth jazz.” What are your feelings about this?
Jeff: Music is music. If it moves you it moves you. I don’t really have time to think what the trad guys think of my music. I love everything from Jelly Roll Morton to Meshugga. If it speaks it speaks. If it’s weak it won’t.
OSV: Another release we enjoyed recently was the Sekaiju no MeiQ² *shoou no seihai* Super Arrange Version (that’s a mouthful) which featured some of your arrangements in a rock style. Tell us about this project. As a jazz artist, don’t you feel that rock is a barbaric and uncivilized form of musical expression?
Jeff: This project was great for me. I have been trying to do metal since I came to Japan. Hibino knew my love for the style so he gave me this job. It was a lot of fun. I got to work with my old friend and first band mate ever Fen Ikener. He is a super talented musician/singer living in Arizona. I hire him to play drums on a lot of my projects. It was also my first time in the producers chair. A real learning experience. And yes, I do feel that rock is barbaric and uncivilized. As well as beautiful and expressive. Just like jazz is. Music is the most simple and complex language ever known. It depends on your vantage point. Ask a jazz musician to play metal for real. They can’t.
OSV: The Metal Gear Solid franchise is one of the biggest in gaming, and you had the opportunity to work on it in the past. Describe your experience on this project and others in the gaming industry.
Jeff: Working on Metal Gear Solid 3 and other games has been a blast. From a professional standpoint, the gear and organization was top notch. I also ran into challenges that I never had to face before. Like, playing to a video screen and trying to time everything according to the image. It was and still is a learning experience for me. Games are insanely popular now It can be like playing on a hit record. (good for the ego only the pay is not as good!) I hope to see more collaboration between record companies and game makers in the future. Everyone loves music. Everyone loves games. We can all benefit!
OSV: Do you find the time in your busy performance schedule to play games? If so, what are some of your favorites?
Jeff: When Metal Gear Solid 3 came out I got a copy from Konami. I played it almost everyday! I beat it! Since then, I have not played any games at all. Just too busy to do it.
OSV: Now, I’ve become pretty formidable at Rock Band, and I must say that the bass is the least interesting instrument of the bunch. Tell all us Rock Band pros why bass players deserve more respect.
Jeff: Well, if you have to ask you will never know! [laughs] Bass players have to walk a fine line between rhythm and harmony. You really have to know how to mix the two to make a song sound it’s best and still shine on your own. Too much of one ingredient can destroy the dish. It takes a certain kind of genius to pull this off. A good bass player is slick as hell. Slick is cool!
OSV: We’ve talked a lot about your gaming projects, but tell us a little bit about your other works. Is there something specifically that you think stands out and would be particularly interesting to our readers?
Jeff: Yes. I am now writing for a new metal project that starts rehearsals in October. After being in Tokyo for a while, I have finally found the right members to get this off the ground. Lets just say if you check my website periodically you will see the monster come to life.
OSV: Do you make it back to the United States often? Is there any chance we’d get to see you perform over here any time soon?
Jeff: Unfortunately no. Too many irons in the fire over here to make it to the states any time soon. I am recording with a couple of American artist via the internet though. I really hope I can take The Outer Rim to the states sometime.
OSV: Thanks for your time. Good luck with your upcoming projects!
Jeff: Thank you! Let’s do this again!
