Beating the biscuit tins ends with a date at Sage
Aug 26 2010 by David Whetstone, The Journal
HE has come a long way from banging biscuit tins. DAVID WHETSTONE talks to celebrated drummer Asaf Sirkis ahead of a North East gig
But he’s not really so easy to pigeonhole, reflecting that when he was growing up he didn’t really get much guidance about what he should be listening to if he wanted to become a professional player.
“Instinctively I was drawn to the more creative improvisational music which was around when I was growing up.
“I also listened a lot to The Beatles and The Police and also slightly more sophisticated progressive rock – bands like Yes and Genesis.
“Shortly after that I got into jazz rock. I was massively into Weather Report (the American jazz band of the 1970s and early 80s).
“I had all the albums and even went to see a concert they did in Israel in 1984. I listened to a lot of electric jazz and that became my step into jazz rock.”
Asaf left Israel in 1999 for Holland on the advice of a fellow musician who lived there.
He stayed three months before moving on to Paris. It took him only two months to realise he didn’t feel comfortable in the French capital.
“I visited London and made a lot of friends within a few days. It was quite amazing. I went to a few gigs and felt really welcome.
“I felt there was a lot of potential there - and I’m still there. It is a good place to be.
“There is such a good level of young musicians coming out of music schools and I find them very inspiring.”
It was with a group called Inner Noise that Asaf became known in this country, although he agrees that a line-up including church organ, guitar and drums didn’t bring a flood of bookings.
“It was so difficult to get gigs. Obviously people hadn’t heard anything like this before.”
For now, though, he is concentrating on his Asaf Sirkis Trio, which also features Tassos Piliotopoulos on guitar and Yaron Stavi on electric bass.
Their new album, Letting Go, is to be launched in September with a tour that will bring them to The Sage Gateshead on October 30 to perform on a double bill with the John Law Trio, Asaf to perform on drums in both.
This will be Asaf’s sixth album since 1997 and the second for the Asaf Sirkis Trio, which he set up in 2006.
“I think the second album has a stronger voice,” he suggests.
And the title? “It’s letting go in the sense of not worrying about anything when you play. Our music comes out of letting go. It’s not something that comes forcefully, it’s about being more real.”
When the Asaf Sirkis Trio plays live, he explains, there are parameters which allow for a degree of improvisation and for the music to really catch fire. If that happens at the Sage, it should be a hot gig indeed.
Tickets are on sale at The Sage Gateshead. Tel. 0191 443 4661. Letting Go is out next month. Check www.asafsirkis.co.uk
