Eberhard Weber has long been acknowledged as a genius in the field of music. He invented the electric bass and added a fifth string to the instrument. His compositions like those of Chick Corea defy being described as entirely jazz, are influenced by classical, but belong to a genre beyond description. Weber speaking to me from his home in southern France, while recuperating from the effects of a stroke, spoke candidly and passionately about jazz music, but in a manner, that easily leaves itself open to misinterpretation when reading mere words on a page, without the benefit of hearing the tone of his voice. It was that candour, and that absence of context and inflection that led to misunderstanding a statement that he made during an interview with another journalist a few years ago, at which time he said, ‘Jazz is dead.’ While Weber acknowledges those were indeed his words, he always wants to make it clear that, as he says, the writer improvised. It is therefore within that context of Weber’s love for music, whether it be in what we typically think of as jazz, classical or some other genre, that I would like to invite you, to join me for a few moments as I speak with one of the brilliant musical personalities, and truly nice men that I have had the privilege to interview.

Perhaps no other remark that Weber made during our conversation so defines the man as when he said, “I like to play my music, and play the music that I like, not necessarily what has to be played.”  He was explaining what led him to add a fifth string to the bass, because it allows him to have a higher C string, and to play more in what he refers to as a singing quality voice. His remark however characterizes his passion for, and belief that, musicians regardless of their instrument or genre must always strive to be innovative.

In order to understand Weber, and that which contributes to the unique flavour of his music it is first necessary for us to understand something of his background. “I grew up in a classical house, and my father was a music teacher. I am classically trained so to speak, and I like classical music a lot, but I never wanted to become a professional classical musician. (Although) I continued to like classical music, for a long time, I didn’t dare to use classical approaches to music or classical musicians to play with me, because I know their attitude is different from the attitude of the jazz musicians. I am kind of between jazz and classical music. Maybe it is why I continued to develop a kind of music that is my music. Many people tell me that when they hear my music, they immediately know that it is me,” he says.

In a manner that is more matter of fact than it is humble or boastful, Weber says, “I never had to sit down and say that I needed to find out how to work with this or that kind of music. I just sat down and tried. I have been lucky that so far it has worked.”

Weber makes the point, as he does several times during our conversation that he is not a typical jazz musician, and that is why he has difficulty considering himself to belong to that ilk. He does not have a haughty attitude about his music, but rather considers himself to be rather unorthodox. He acknowledges that for him there is no compulsion to play his instrument every day and that more often that not, when he returns from a tour, he leaves his bass instrument in the corner and it stays there until he embarks on his next tour.

“The typical jazz musician likes to present themselves. They like to play, and want to play every day. The process for them to perform is the important thing. For me it is less about the process, (even though), the process is still important, but it’s not as important for me as the result. I will give you an example. Quite a while ago, I played in a jazz club, during a jam session. We played for half an hour, very beautiful and spontaneous music. Everybody enjoyed it like crazy. After one half hour, it was over, and I thanked the guys and left the stage. They couldn’t believe it. They couldn’t close their mouths, because it was so beautiful, and they wanted to continue, but I said no.  I said, ‘I stopped now, because it was so nice. If we continue, we will start to repeat ourselves.’ We had used all of our spontaneous ideas. That describes me the best. I cannot consider myself to be a typical jazz musician, and I am not classical, I am whatever. I am just a musician, whatever that is,”  says the bassist.