Released last April in Mexico, Gravity is the latest offering from Maltese bass player Simon Sammut together with Mexican bassist Omar Vazquez. In the wake of a number of glowing reviews from several international critics, Michael Bugeja catches up with Sammut to find out what brought the two musicians together

How did you and Omar Vazquez first get acquainted, and what eventually led to the two of you working together?

The connection with Omar began in November 2017 after I had come across a video of his on Instagram. He was playing an instrument that sounded like a gimbri but looked different. At the time, I was researching African instruments and their use in western modern music. Through Omar I discovered that what he was playing was a leona, a traditional Mexican instrument which had been made especially for him with a skin-covered top and a fretless fingerboard. Apart from the leona, we got talking about music in general and bass-specific topics, eventually realising we had many common interests, so we decided to work together.

Your first work together was the track Mar, which was released on the internet in 2017. What was it about this track that prompted the two of you to develop it into a full-length album?

The feedback on the track and the video was very positive, highlighting its calming and soothing qualities. Apart from the excellent melody that Omar had composed, I think the use of the two basses provided a warm, mellow, pacifying sound, which is not so common. The feedback Mar received was encouraging, and it proved that we could work very well together. I must admit that at first, I was hesitant to work on a full-length album because, as you know, I had just launched my album Crossing at the time, and working on another album so soon was not something I had planned. However, I realised this was an excellent opportunity to work with Omar and other musicians from Mexico together with my friends and colleagues here in Malta.

The best feeling in the whole process is when you hear for the first time how a musician has interpreted your work

Given both you and Omar play bass, how did you approach the obvious challenge of not stepping into each other’s spaces? 

Firstly, the eight tracks were composed specifically for the project, so when composing, we had in mind that the two basses would have to play different roles. We also made use of various basses with different tunings and sonorities. Five-string and six-string basses provide you with extended ranges, both in the low end and the high register of the instrument. Both Omar and I are able to play chords on the bass and so all these possibilities provide you with a larger palette to work with. Although it is traditionally considered as a rhythmic instrument that can play only single notes, the bass is a polyphonic instrument and is increasingly being used to also play the harmonic and melodic parts in music. At the recording and mixing stages we were also careful to avoid having frequencies clashing and cancelling each other out.

The Gravity CD cover

What were the primary influences behind Gravity and what does it represent?

The influences were simply our experiences in music and life in general and the different cultures we represent. If I may quote from Marc Phillips’ review of the album for The Vinyl Anachronist, “Gravity succeeds for the reasons you would guess, because the exotic combination of Maltese and Mexican sensibilities creates a wonderful sound that deftly jumps between world music, jazz and fusion.” I think this sentence is a very true description of the album. Gravity, or gravitation, is a natural law by which all things with mass or energy are attracted towards one another. In this project, musicians and ideas from two different continents and cultures have gravitated towards each other with a common goal – to make music.

The songs were written and recorded in two continents by different band formations. How challenging was this arrangement?

Challenging yes, but not impossible. We both wrote four tracks each. The process begins with a sketch of the track, usually including our respective bass lines, melodies or a harmonic progression and some other midi instruments. Then we discuss what arrangement and musicians best suit the track. When you are composing a track you often already have in mind which musicians should play on it and how they can give their own flavour and life to the track. This is achieved by writing the most essential parts of the song, namely the structure, chords, melody and any specific parts like riffs and so on, but allowing the musician the freedom to express himself. The best feeling in the whole process is when you hear for the first time how a musician has interpreted your work. Most of the time it’s very close to what you had imagined or even better.

Gravity was officially launched in Mexico last April, where you and drummer Melchior Busuttil flew over to perform the album with Omar and his band. Though not your first experience performing abroad, was this perhaps more special?

As musicians and performers we train to perform in front of an audience, regardless of size or where the people are from. It is part of a performer’s psychological skills to enhance the performance and minimise the effects of nervousness. So technically my answer should be that it wasn’t more special, but in reality, it was an amazing experience. Having worked on the album for almost a year-and-a-half, and then flying 11,000 kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean to play your music for the first time together with musicians you have just got to know, and in front of an unfamiliar audience, does bring out some special emotions. The launch went very well and the audience was very welcoming. Mexicans are very warm people and very appreciative of music and the arts. As an artist what you realise more and more is that, as nations, we might have our differences, but when it comes to the arts, music especially, any differences tend to disappear and emotions towards music are expressed in the same manner.

Are there any plans for the album to be performed again in the future?

All I can say at this stage is that there are plans to perform either the entire album or selected tracks together with other original compositions, in Europe, including Malta, in the near future. There may also be some other new projects being born as a result of the connections made during the visit to Mexico. Right now we’re very pleased with the excellent feedback and the positive reviews the album is receiving, having also made it to the RMR Top 50 chart and the NACC Top 30 chart.

Gravity is available from Music Link (Birkirkara), Amazon Music, iTunes, CD Baby or directly from www.simonsammut.com.