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Figlio d’arte Vinny Vella has followed in his father Maestro Vinny Vella Snr’s footsteps and both made a name for themselves as Jazz musicians. Both formed their own bands and while for Snr the clarinet was his darling, Vinny took to the piano from a very young age. Vinny is well-travelled but has also been putting up performances in Malta. Next month his band will be presenting ‘A Groovy Kind of Pop’ at St James Cavalier.
Your father is also an accomplished musician - what do you owe to him?
I owe a lot to my father in musical terms. He encouraged me to take up piano lessons when still very young – six - and also introduced me to his band at the age of 16. I thus gained valuable experience. Those were the days when keyboards did not play on their own, and you had to read music to be able to play in a band.
Over the years there are ups and downs in any musicians life, which were the high points?
The high points must surely be any performance that is appreciated by the audience, and I’m happy to say there have been many. Last year’s jazzy project ‘The Beatles Works’ was also a high. Performing abroad - and I am proud to say I have had numerous occasions – has also proved to include many very high points.
I have had the plaeasure of performing three times in Vienna, twice with George ‘il-Puse’ Curmi, which was very well received, and once with the versatile Mario Abela. On this occasion also, we had a good time. But it was somewhat funny. Mario is a natural musician and plays Bass, but he also tries to play many other instruments. This time in Vienna he was playing the clarinet. It was funny because he had never played the clarinet with me before, yet we did a very good job together and people made a lot of nice enquiries about us. It was embarrassing in a way trying to convince the people we had never played together and also that we did not have time to rehearse for this occasion. I have also played in London on three occasions with my father’s band. In Greece and in Tripoli Libya recently at the Corinthia Bab Africa with my trio as resident band for the Malta week.
I am currently in contact with foreign clients about the possibility of taking ‘The Beatles Works’ on the road. Now that would be something.
And the lows?
Sadly, there will be low times too in anybody's life. When you are a musician you have to perform whatever the emotion you are in. I am a very emotional person, and if something is bothering me in my heart, this might well reflect the mood of my playing. But whatever happens in a musician's life, the show must go on. Sometimes I have had to perform when not in the right frame of mind, this can be hard, but the audience will not know what I am going through and expect me to be at my best anyway. I remember my father saying he had to perform soon after my mother died. Can you imagine that? Music can make you happy, but can make an emotional person sad too. Melodies can remind you of people you love or have loved, or lost. Another low in a musician’s life is when the effort put in is not appreciated by the audience. This unfortunately happens often here in Malta.
There are many myths that follow musicians including that of the starving artist, sex-god and the extrovert. In what ways do these apply to you?
I guess I’m happy to say that none of these apply to me. Its true being an artist might attract the attention of the opposite sex, and it does happen, but definitely I am no sex-god. I am not an extrovert, but a very outgoing yet passionate person with a great sense of humor and a heart, who tries to live the short time that we have on this planet to the full, and pursue what makes me happy. Something we should all be doing. I also like to think that I’m an honest and decent person.
Being a full time musician can have its rewards but, can also have its disadvantages. In the low winter season, when tourism is not at its strongest, work can sometimes be hard to come by.
What sort of music do you prefer to play?
I enjoy a lot of styles, but surely Jazz must rank as my number one. You know other styles of music are a ‘Take Away’ Jazz is the a-la-carte.
And listen to?
Jazz, namely Keith Jarrett, who I had the pleasure of seeing ‘live’ in Umbria last year. But I also enjoy The Beatles, Stevie Wonder and Sting.
Have you recorded music and if so what can you tell me about those recordings?
We have recorded ‘The Beatles Works’ and am proud to have worked with very good musicians on it. The album consists of Beatles songs which I arranged to a jazz form. It features Noel Grech on drums, Walter Vella, saxaphones and flute, Mario ‘Cocker’ Aquilina on bass and Nadine Axisa, vocals. It was recorded at Philip Vella studios. I have sent this album abroad and have recently received very good reviews about it.
You have an upcoming event - what can the audience expect?
The audience can expect a fun time. We want them to join along in songs that they will surely have heard before. This coming event is ‘A Groovy Kind Of Pop’ which is an interpretation with a twist, of some well-known tunes of the last 30 years. The band is made up of Philip Vella on guitar and vocals, Joe Micallef on drums, Joe Vella on bass and Nadine Axisa on vocals. It will be held at St James Cavalier on the 6 and 7 May.
What are your future plans?
I hope to be happy in my personal life and raise my son to the best of my ability. I encourage him to have a mind all of his own and make his own decisions once he is an adult. I hope to keep on travelling, which is another of my passions. I also pray that I remain somewhat successful in my career. I am also planning three other completely different concerts, for later this year and the next. I am quite keen to start working on them.
If you could change three things in Malta what would they be?
Bigotry (I would not change this, but eliminate it completely); hate (believe me it is around us and we hardly notice. In a perfect world I would also try to eliminate this); live music appreciation. I would make sure people appreciate the importance of live music more, wherever it is performed. A world without music is a dull place, and a world without performers is a sad one indeed.
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