Grammy Winner Sugar Blue Returns to Blue Note BJ This Weekend

This coming weekend, on Apr 12 and 13, US blues harmonica player Sugar Blue and Italian American bassist Ilaria Lantieri Blue will be hitting Blue Note for a special performance. This remarkable husband and wife duo are an inseparable pair, both in life and music. Sugar Blue was awarded a Grammy in 1985 for Best Traditional Blues Album; he also has an impressive list of collaborations and friends in the industry. And yet, Sugar Blue is no haughty star. He won me over immediately as a friendly and approachable guy, speaking in simple but passionate terms about his calling in life.  

Lantieri Blue, an adept bass player onstage, could also conquer multitudes with her warmth and apparent savoir-faire in her additional role as manager and troubleshooter extraordinaire. At Blue Note, they will be performing Journey to the Roots, a unique show featuring a medley of musicians, instruments, and genres that have accrued over the course of a fascinating quest. I advise you to snag a ticket, with an urgency inspired by my beautiful conversation with these two rad humans on music, the things that are universal to humankind and so much more. It's not every day that you meet people like this.

Hello to both of you, and welcome back to Beijing! I had assumed you were visiting from abroad, but you actually moved to China in 2018, right? What motivated that decision?
SB: That's right, we've been based in Shanghai ever since, though we were stranded for a couple of years as a result of the pandemic. The seed was planted when we first came to China in 2017 and I realized that it was the perfect setting to explore more about the origins of the harmonica, which can be traced to around 1,100 BC in the shape of the hulu sheng (葫芦笙, gourd mouth organ), a Chinese instrument hailing from the rural areas of Yunnan and featuring a bundle of bamboo tubes attached to a curving pipe.

And that's just what we did, except we fell in love with the country in the course of our initial research. Shanghai particularly felt like a place we could call home, a city where we have been so lucky to connect with so many kindred souls and wonderful people from different backgrounds. This diversity is also at the core of our lineup for Journey to the Roots in both shows, Shanghai and Beijing. Ilaria at the bass and myself with the harmonica will shoulder the vocals with our drummer Ezra Thomas, and then you can look forward to James Cowan on piano and keyboard, guitarist Sergio Montaleni, Ling Bo with his sheng and Solo Diabate bringing that West African influence with his vocals and a trio of regional instruments: the balafon, djembe and kamale'ngoni.

ILB: We often joke that our band stands as the United Nations of music. In terms of our mother tongues, we face barriers. But they melt in the face of our common language, which we all speak fluently, which is none other than music. 

I can hardly wait to see you all onstage. Tell us a bit more about Journey to the Roots, which is, in fact, a multifaceted project that is still ongoing. Along with the performances, there is a developing research process, which will then culminate in an EP album and documentary…
SB: Yes, this project is meant to be much more than just the concert series. Journey to the Roots explores the deep connections between blues, jazz, and world music. There's also this research element I mentioned above, and to this end, we are collaborating with Yunnan ethnic musicians to find out more about the hulu sheng, which stands as the first free swinging reed instrument ever and a true predecessor for the saxophone, the oboe, or even the accordion. For the concert series, we will have a modern iteration of this instrument known as just sheng (笙) in the expert hands of Ling Bo, a wonderful musician from Beijing with whom I already had the pleasure of collaborating for the track "Shanghai Sunset" in our last album.

In due time, the resulting EP will hopefully capture the essence of our travels, collaborations and musical discoveries – China has some incredible musical heritage. My wish is that the project will showcase my evolution as an artist, blending my signature blues sound with the global influences that I have been privileged enough to embrace on this journey.

ILB: With this spirit in mind, the documentary will be an additional dimension to this quest. Again, we really are so lucky to work alongside incredible people; we couldn't just record this thing on the go from our phones! We are cooperating with a company in Yunnan to shoot, and otherwise waiting for the next steps to unfold logistically. In Shanghai, we also have support from another wonderful company, One Music. Don't get me wrong, this is obviously business in the end, but it truly starts on the foundations of a friendship forged on account of common interests, shared among many people on the road. By the way, if anyone from CCTV happens to read this interview – contact us! We would love to add your support to the list of credits!

Truly an incredible journey, as well as a remarkable task. In Shanghai, on Xinnan Lu, you recently opened the Sugar Blue Music Club, an American cocktail bar and live house with a warm, homey woody interior housing some very special memories… 
ILB: Come visit us anytime! With this venue, we wanted to narrate the history of blues through Sugar Blue's rich career and experience. The pictures on the walls speak to his memorable times with so many legendary musicians and personalities: Spike Lee, Willie Dixon, Peter Fonda, Mick Jagger... Everything has become wonderfully intertwined throughout the years. We kept hush-hush about this particular aspect of the décor before Sugar Blue walked into the club on the inaugural night, and it's such a funny yet heartwarming memory for me. There he is, making his entrance like a shy boy at the candy shop, looking at the pictures in awe. As though it wasn't him in there, with all these folks that he gets to regard as his friends and peers.  

SB: Well, I was in awe because I just can't stop feeling so much gratitude for the people I've met throughout my life, you know? I've worked with the best, which is such wonderful luck. So it only makes sense that with Sugar Blue Music Club we wanted to shine a light on the lives of so many remarkable musicians that may not be so known here in China. Think Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz aka Mr. Bossanova, and so many more. And then, we also have a sheng framed there, for our Chinese customers to hopefully connect the dots and tie everything back into their own history. I value this wealth of influences and talents so much.

Beautiful, what a landmark. Speaking of Shanghai, how would you compare it to Beijing in terms of the energy for each city? 
ILB: They're both amazing metropolitan cities. Shanghai is for sure the place where everything aligned for us to build a home away from home, but we have been to Beijing several times and it is a fascinating city. We will actually stay put for a couple of days after the concert because it's too good of a chance to enjoy the city and possibly make new connections; there's this sheng musician here that we are hoping to invite onto the stage. Beijing's got some incredible energy, which echoes the spirit that we've found in our journey across China, where we've generally lucked upon such open-minded, welcoming individuals. That's something really beautiful for us. 

SB: It's a dichotomy similar to the one between New York, where I was born, and Chicago, where my career was shaped in significant ways. Two different loves that we carry with us all the same. 

I can totally see what you mean, and I agree with this perceived spirit in China. This is your third time at Blue Note Beijing, a very remarkable venue. Is there anything you'd like to say about your sustained collaboration with the venue?
ILB: Blue Note is indeed a historical venue, carrying the weight and significance of their imprint across the world. It's got an inimitable vibe, for sure.

SB: Yeah, man, I mean, John Coltrane played at Blue Note, you know? It's an honor to work with this venue, to play on this stage and get to know the audience. Here, you find part of what stands as the whole tradition of music, where you meet, play and share with others. Without a venue, where would that tradition go? Venues become part of the music, in a way.  

So true. The audience will get to witness what you've described as a "night of passion, history and powerful sound." I suppose I want to know – how can we best prepare for such an experience? Rather than just being consumers of music, how do we engage with it in a way that reflects awareness of the cultural background behind each piece? 
ILB: Oh, just follow your heart, see what transpires. An ancient Chinese instrument interacts with an international band of musicians; what could come out of that experience? Come with your ears and your heart wide open. 

SB: Exactly. Open your mind, get ready to tap your feet, and you'll be ready!

Not that I want to be nosey, but you guys have such good chemistry and energy. How did you meet? 
SB: I'd been playing for some two decades in Chicago, which is where we first met. She brought her bass to where I was playing and…

ILB: Allow me to butt in. Sugar Blue had the most amazing bass players, so I was there for learning purposes, okay? (laughs) I was there because I longed to learn from them. 

SB: ...so, eventually, Ilaria returned to Italy, and I kept doing my thing. But then I moved to Switzerland, where she also happened to be at that point playing with a band. Lo and behold, her band decided to send her to pick me up at the station. I saw her there and said, "Wait! I know you!"

ILB: We became friends for some two years, a long time. 

SB: Then one day she kissed me.

ILB: Ohhh, not true! (laughs) Yeah, we were friends and remained as much throughout every next chapter in life. On the road – in parenthood as well. Our son is 11 years old now, and he's been on the road since he was five weeks old. When people warned us that having a kid would rock our world, we smiled and nodded, and then we just went on with our lives, incorporating him at every step. That includes our artistic practice, and we've certainly tried to nurture his own interests in that regard, though we've also been strict onstage. You don't get to just hop on there with us, we tell him, though he actually has in the past. But we want to make it clear that we expect hard work from him and his own contribution. He plays the trumpet, though recently he's focused more on other performing arts.  

Family done right, for sure! Since we're on the topic of contributions, what does music contribute to you, and to the world?
SB: Music is universal. Music is the sound, the soul and the feeling for me. Blues is all about sheer human emotion. It reflects your feelings towards life, whichever they may be at any given point. My mentor Willie Dixon put it this way: Blues are the blues and the rest are the fruits. This goes to say that for genres like jazz, country, soul, hip-hop, R&B, reggae, funk, fusion and many more, well – none could be without the blues, because the roots lie in this simple form that is based on just three chords to generate so many more styles. 

Interesting. On the concept of "world music," one could argue that it feels redundant because isn't all music made in our one world? Does this resonate with you? What does the concept of world music mean to Sugar Blue?
SB: I really don't care what your genre of choice to play is, because music truly is universal for me. Again, I will quote my mentor: There are only two types of music – good music and bad music, and you don't want to listen to the latter.

ILB: I would add that I don't know that there really are such strict borders separating genres. People like to put things in boxes...

SB: …and it all boils down to pure marketing hype in the end. A strategy to sell more records, that's what it is. Music is ethereal. Music comes to my heart, to my mind. Music floats in the air and can't be categorized. 

ILB: Who are we to define music? If anything, we can only say that music is a language to express your feelings, and every musician who comes on board with us brings their own soulful ways. Sugar Blue has always prioritized that his musicians get to enjoy unbridled freedom onstage, to play as they feel, to express themselves. 

SB: It's the only way for their spirit to flow into the music and make our collaboration truly wonderful. Music is a universal truth. That's what we want to reflect with Journey to the Roots; this is the one idea that we want to take to the next level with this project. Just before Beijing, we will be playing at Time Beacon, a big live house in Ningbo, with an audience primarily made up of young people. The concept will be newer to us, in a way, and we are looking forward to seeing how that particular audience reacts to what we do. It'll be fun. 

I've noticed that Ilaria serves in an additional capacity as manager…
SB: Yes, she does. She can take two plus two and make it six, if you know what I mean.

ILB: Right now, as we speak, I am checking to see whether some of our musicians' connecting flights will make it in time. If they do, lovely. If they don't, welp, we're in trouble. (laughs)

Crossing my fingers! How have you handled the curveballs on the road?
ILB: There's always something that goes south, or simply develops in unexpected ways. Accessing these musicians in remote areas of Yunnan has been a challenge, for sure. But there are always ways to circumvent whatever trouble. At the foot of this pagoda, for instance, we ended up finding this bunch of senior locals that became our improvised audience, which was so cool. There are so many wonderful corners of China, tucked in areas that you would seldom discover as a regular tourist. 

SB: You know, a while ago I wrote a song that really encapsulates this whole thing on the road: "The road's been my home now / for many sweet and bitter years, / and the people I've met there / have been the cause for my joy and tears." And it really is like that. Sometimes, life on the road is fun and easy. But sometimes it's not. Ups and downs. It's bound to be like that. That's how life rolls. 

How has your collaboration with Chinese musicians been so far? What are the unique ways in which music can bridge cultural gaps?
SB: Well, the work that I did together with Ling Bo really set a fire under me. It lit me up something fierce; it motivated me to seek and do more. It was my signal to work more with Chinese musicians, with their instruments and heritage. This trip to Yunnan has so far been a very informative and heartwarming experience for me. Very emotional, so many possibilities to explore. There is an instrument, kind of like a violin with a single string... I can't remember the name for the life of me, but it has such a beautiful and melodic sound, and I would love to eventually incorporate it into my project. 

I really wish I could keep you chatting for hours on end, my goodness. Sugar Blue, you have cultivated a long, fruitful career that has taken you from one spot to the next on the world map. You've earned much deserved recognition for your work, and have stayed always active and vibrant in the music world. The local scene in Beijing is populated by several bands, whether local, international, or a mix of both. I personally know many great young musicians that aspire to thrive with music that feels honest, vibrant, refreshing and so much damn fun. As a seasoned musician, what would your advice be for budding musicians? 
SB: So as we've been saying, you know, music comes straight from your heart and the knowledge of your instrument. You've got this feeling inside of you, to share your life with others through music, to forge this truly transformative experience. Seize that feeling with your whole being, and pursue whatever ensues. 

Sugar Blue: Roots will be at Blue Note Beijing on Apr 12 and 13, starting at 8pm. Side tickets are RMB 260, while central seats run for RMB 320. Tickets can be purchased by scanning the QR code on the bottom right in the poster above.

Blue Note
23 Qianmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng District
东城区前门东大街23号

READ: Three Things for the Week Ahead in Beijing (Apr 7-13)

Images: courtesy of Sugar Blue