The JUNO Award-winning oud player and guitarist discusses the joy of partaking in a musical melting pot, the avant-garde scene in Vancouver, and his many projects, including recent albums with his ensemble The Marrow and drummer Christian Lillinger.
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The Spotlight shines On JUNO Award-winning oud player and guitarist Gordon Grdina.
Gordon’s work defies limitations, be they geographical, distance, time, or genre. He incorporates avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, indie rock, and Arabic tradition into his music.
So much music, so many collaborators, and so much ground to cover in our talk. We made the most of our time together, exploring projects, processes, the fusion of musical traditions, appropriation, authenticity, and more.
If you are open to the idea that music can be a tool for communication and understanding between people and peoples, Gordon Grdina will give you plenty to consider.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Gordon Grdina’s The Marrow with Fathieh Honari and the Grdina/Lillinger album Duo Work)
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00:00 Introduction to Gordon Grdina
01:23 Discussing recent albums and recording processes
03:32 Collaboration and in-person recording preferences
05:13 MIDI guitar setup and sonic exploration
09:16 Origins of collaboration with Christian Lillinger
11:11 The Vancouver music scene and global connections
16:29 Oud playing and fusion with other musical traditions
20:43 Navigating cultural authenticity in music
23:25 Blending oud and guitar techniques
27:28 Insights from working with Gary Peacock
30:22 Reflections on Simon Shaheen's music
33:57 The Marrow project and collaborations
37:35 Working with the Honari family
41:19 Challenges of microtonal music
44:20 Running a record label and visual aesthetics
48:10 Recommended oud players to explore
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Visit Gordon Grdina at https://gordongrdinamusic.com
Purchase Grdina/Lillinger's album Duo Work from Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/duo-work-gordon-grdina/n22epaq39xfvc
or Bandcamp → https://gordongrdina.bandcamp.com/album/duo-work
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://song.link/i/1725997712
Purchase Gordon Grdina's The Marrow with Fathieh Honari from Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/with-fathieh-honari-gordon-grdinas-the-marrow/m893i5smyp9oc
or Bandcamp → https://gordongrdina.bandcamp.com/album/with-fathieh-honari
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1726618561
Follow Gordon Grdina on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/ggrdina
and Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/gordongrdina
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