Peter Wockner's Q&A with Carl Riseley 2 April 2009

Historical article recovered from a Wayback capture dated 2018-02-24.

Peter Wockner:

You played trumpet on the Gold Coast growing up. Not widely known for it’s live jazz scene, especially for youngsters; what sorts of music were you exposed to as a youngster? What did your father enjoy listening to?

Carl Riseley:

It’s true, the Gold Coast isn’t the most kickn’ jazz town around, but if you want it - you’ll find it! Most of my friends were older cause we played in the same bands, they introduced me to all the sites and places to see live music. My dad listened to a lot of bands that had horn sections, like - Blood,Sweat and Tears; Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago and the list goes on!

PW

Who are you influences on the trumpet and what have you learnt from them?

CR:

My influences consist of a broad range of players such as:

Dizzy Gillespy, Maynard Ferguson, Louis Armstrong, Doc Sevrinson, Chet Baker.

Just listening to these kinds of players will give you everything you need to ‘hear’ about playing.

PW:

Vince Jones became almost a household name in Australia proving that it’s possible to successfully sell jazz commercially in this country. Obviously he had his own sound and his own style. Can you define the Carl Riseley sound or style?

CR:

Well, ‘smooth popular jazz with a mix of folk’ howz zat! Or you can grab a copy of my album and decide for yourself.

PW:

Is Carl Riseley first and foremost a vocalist now rather than a trumpeter? Or what occupation do you put on your credit card application?

CR:

Musicians applying for credit…ha! …goodluck!

I am a singer who can please the crowd with a beautiful trumpet solo, if he so wishes. No, I’m definitely still a trumpet player aswell, I still think like one, and always will.

PW:

You played for Australian troops in Iraq during a stint in the Royal Australian Navy band. Emotionally that must have been very moving for you. Can you tell us what that was like and indeed without sounding overly patriotic, did you find yourself playing with a greater sense of pride and passion during these particular performances?

CR:

The whole experience was an unbelievable opportunity for us and our troops.

The sole purpose of our visit was to entertain and provide morale support for our troops over a difficult period. It’s hard being away from loved ones in any respect over Xmas and New Year, let alone fighting for your country and just trying to live through each day. We played till we could play no more, seeing the smiles on their faces was all the thanks we needed.

PW:

When I saw the title of your second album ‘The Stillest Hour’, the first thing that sprang to mind was the tune ‘In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”. Can you describe the direction you are aiming for with this release and what were the key ingredients you used for the mood you’ve achieved?

CR:

Ahh, so your idea of “The Stillest Hour” is in the very early morning. That’s what I love about the title, everyone has a different idea about when ‘the hour’ is.

I guess the biggest change from the first album was scaling down the sound. Once that happened it was pretty simple really, take 4 of the best rhythm section players in the country, record great songs, sing with soul and bake for 50 min!