Nele Vernaillen
Alver

Nele Vernaillen is advertised on posters as Alver. Together with her band, she performs atmospheric jazz with the flute as the lead instrument. She performed on the Garden Stage at Gent Jazz and during Au Bain MIRY. This interview took place just after her graduation concert at De Centrale.

Claire Stragier

How do you look back on the graduation concert?

Nele Vernaillen

I liked it because you expect an exam and you do feel the exam stress. But it felt like a concert. The atmosphere on stage was good, as was the response from the audience. It was definitely more fun than taking your final test in a small classroom.

CS
Was the preparation different from a regular concert that is not an exam? What did you do differently?

NV

Yes and no. My teacher Bart (ed. Defoort) said: “It's just a concert, you're just playing a concert.” You no longer have to prove your technical abilities, you're can do your own thing. So in that respect it's no different, but your feelings about it are different, or at least my feelings are. Because somewhere in the back of your mind you're thinking about graduating from the conservatory. Whereas with a regular concert, you think: “It's going to be great.” So the preparation isn't necessarily different, but my feelings in the run-up to the concert are.

CS

You play the flute, which is not a commonly chosen lead instrument in jazz. Many flutists are actually saxophonists. How about you?

NV

I'm trying the opposite. The transverse flute is really my instrument, and now I'm trying to learn the saxophone as well, because I want to be able to play that too. Most people start with the saxophone and then learn the flute. There are some very good flutists among them, but there are few who only play the flute.

CS

That gives you a unique position. I think it works really well in your music, the flute as a soloist or in the role of the singer. How do you start a song? Are there fixed structures or is there a lot of improvisation?

NV

There is a lot of improvisation. The themes are fixed, and so is the structure, in a way. We start with a certain theme, and then there are parts of improvisation. Beforehand, you do determine exactly where. How long it lasts or what you play remains open in the moment.

CS

Are you graded on how you lead the group?

NV

Yes, I did get some feedback on that. How do you lead a band? It went really smoothly because they are such good musicians. I really enjoyed playing together. I play with the bassist, Cedric (Haeck), and Oya (Bakiroglu) on darbuka in Ikaro. With Anke (Verslype) and Willem (Heylen), I hadn’t played before, but it was immediately enjoyable. We got a good feel for each other pretty quickly and it just happened naturally.

CS

How do you describe the concept to them?

NV
I wanted to write really beautiful jazz, including percussion. In Ikaro, the music is more danceable. Now I wanted to do something softer, but still incorporate those same sounds. I think playing with timbres is really cool anyway. For example, you can work with a pedal or with an unusual combination of instruments, such as the flute and the darbuka. I enjoy seeing how that can work in a jazz context.

I see a kind of image or hear in my head how that song should sound to me. But I can't always put my finger on exactly what it is. It could be a color or a feeling behind it. I have one song that had to sound like the moment when you wake up in the morning and the sun comes in through your window. You want to stay in bed a little longer, but you have to get up.

CS

Is that the song ‘Nog Heel Even’ that's on the Masterworks album?

NV

Yes, and it was very clear to me that that was the feeling it should be, but try explaining that.

CS

Is recording that song different from playing it live?

NV

Definitely. Every concert is different. Sometimes it lasts a little longer and sometimes a little shorter, but on the Masterworks album, we agreed upon a limit beforehand Because everyone had to fit on the record. A whole section was cut. I'm very happy with what's on it. It's a little less organic than you would play it at a concert.

CS

You said that you define zones for improvisation. In a recording, you often have to re-record parts, do overdubs, and so on.

NV

In those cases we played the whole piece again, in one complete version. We had agreed in advance how we were going to play it. At the concert, there is also a guitar intro and a guitar solo, for example, which we removed for the record. That way, we ended up with a shorter song, but still a continuous whole.

CS
Welke muzikanten hebben je geïnspireerd specifiek voor deze nummers?

NV

Specifically for this music, I find the Belgian jazz scene very inspiring at the moment. I enjoy listening to people who are currently involved in jazz, such as Aki, Anke Verslype's project, in which Willem also plays. I also like what he does with Rising Moon. I am very happy that they wanted to play along. I also draw inspiration from what Lara Rosseel does. She was my mentor for my project. I like Jakob Bro, and Carla Bley, a pianist. I enjoy ECM jazz.

CS

Do you have a message for future students?

NV

I think it's definitely worth it. Apart from learning music, you also get to know the world, which I found to be a great added value. You get to know the people you want to play with, you get to know the circuit. You learn how to perform or get gigs. If you want to do it, just do it.