The International Scene: Henrik Engqvist
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Henrik Engqvist (drummer) is a Danish musician with worldwide acclaim. Not only is he a professional drummer, he is an educator and master clinician as well. He is one of the musicians featured on Episode #34 of Studio Jams. Here are a few thoughts from him on making music – from an International perspective – in a brief Q&A session.
Henrik, how would you describe the original music scene in Denmark? What about the jazz scene in particular?
The original music scene in Denmark is growing big time. All artists are doing a great job creating new music. Fortunately, we have a great support system through our music organizations like The Danish Musicians Union (www.dmf.dk) and the songwriter organization DJBFA (www.djbfa.dk), just to name a couple. Artists can apply for financial support through these organizations. The jazz scene is pretty much like the rest of the world I think. Awesome musicians and great bands, but very hard to get the necessary gigs for daily bread. A whole lot of younger players pretty much “pay to play” these days through the financial crisis. I’m optimistic though…it will all turn around to better times soon I think.
From your own experience, how do European jazz audiences compare to U.S. audiences?
My experience is that U.S. audiences seem to be a bit more focused on the music they actually paid to see and hear. I love the U.S. culture of going out and having dinner while listening to your favourite jazz gig. I miss that here in Europe. It’s getting there though, as more and more jazz clubs are trying that concept with success…especially in Sweden, France and Italy. Also a few places in Copenhagen, Denmark! Let me highlight Nefertiti (www.nefertiti.se) and Club Fasching (www.fashing.se) in Sweden. Great jazz clubs…great music, food and great audiences.
Do you plan to visit the U.S. anytime soon? If so, when, where and with whom?
Actually, yes…. I’ll be in LA this coming spring for a recording session with pianist Poul Reimann, for his new CD. I’ll also perform and record with my killer trio “TransPhat Trio” featuring Chris Clermont, a former guitarist with both Barry White and the Brian Auger band. Also, hopefully Poul and I will visit Hawaii with Jeff Richman and perform with bassist Dean Taba.
What is your association with MAD (Music Academy Denmark)? What type of programs do they offer?
I’m co-founder and owner of MAD, with my drummer friend Søren Kepler. Basically, we discovered Denmark needed another more flexible teaching program than other music schools in the country provide. We offer 3-month programs with great teachers on all instruments for our students, including clinics and workshops with great musicians touring through Denmark. We have had Keith Carlock, Jimmy Haslip, Russell Ferrante, Jeff Richman, Janek Gwidala and many others, to name but a few. Søren Frost (Danish Radio Big-band drummer) and I actually just did a workshop a couple of weeks ago. Students love it. Actually MAD is a product of the American music school system which inspired me, because I took the Musicians Institute program in LA back in 1986. MAD Students can extend the 3-month and stay in the school as long as they need. Sometimes we have students for 1-2 years.
What would you say are some of the keys to being a successful and effective studio musician? Any tips on how to best gain studio experience?
As a drummer, time is essential to be a great studio drummer. The best way to improve time is practicing with a metronome and play along with great classic records like Steely Dan, or any of your favourite recordings for that matter. Also, touch and sound is very important. I often think like a saxophone player…like, “how do I get the best sound out of my instrument!” And recording yourself during live gigs and listening back, is a good tool too.
Who are some of the folks you have enjoyed working with in the studio over the years?
Well, lots of great guys…Jimmy Haslip, Jeff Richman, Frank Gambale, Russell Ferrante, Alex Acuna, Ellis Hall, Justin Reinhard, Chris Clermont, Fabrizio Mandolini…and recording live with Robben Ford (which can be found on my debut CD “Optimism”) was a lot of fun. I’ve also had the pleasure to record live with David Garfield. Also, recording with my international band FunkThis is always a pleasure.
Can you share details on one of your more memorable studio experiences?
Recording FunkThis 2nd album in different continents of the world: Stockholm, Sweden; Copenhagen, Denmark; Roma, Italy; Bremen, Germany; Aalborg, Denmark; Hollywood, U.S. and Las Vegas, U.S….it came out pretty cool in the end with a lot of great experiences.
As the drummer, what is typically your role in a recording session?
To please the artist. I always listen to the song before recording and ask the artist what he or she wants.
How do you approach an upcoming session as a “hired gun” by say, an independent singer/songwriter who wants to record some of his original songs?
I prefer to get a demo before the actual session. If that’s not possible, I look for older recordings of the songwriter and try to get an idea of the sound, style and what kind of drum set up the artist might prefer. When the actual session starts, I try to please the songwriter as much as possible…always listening.
What recording approach do you prefer when recording your snare drum in the studio (type and placement of microphones, etc.)?
The Classic Sennheiser MD421 II on top, and a Shure SM 57 on the bottom. This way the engineer can get the crispy snare sound I like. Sometimes using 2 overheads is enough, if the microphones are on top of the pop.
How would you best describe your experience with Studio Jams?
My Studio Jams recording session is actually one of the coolest and more memorable sessions I’ve ever had. The producer, Tom Emmi, made us all comfortable by saying…”Don’t even think of us, just pretend we are not here.” The camera crew were total professionals, and all had so much respect for each other. Very cool. That’s what it’s all about. It made all the musicians comfortable, so we could simply make music…and I guess we did!
How can people best follow you online?
Simply go to my website: www.henrikengqvist.com. It’s all there!
