  What
kind of set-up do you use? Take a cut from one of your records and
give us the set-up you used on the track. Do you MIDI into another
tone generator?
I've used the EVI on
two different records. On "Day In - Night Out" it is the
solo voice on the title tune. It is also the pedal point bass note
on the cut called "Epilogue". To sustain the pitch without
interruption, I had to circular breathe, which, much to my surprise,
is fairly easy to do on the EVI. On my second record for the
Impulse! label (Day In...was the first), the EVI was the solo voice
on "Straight Life" and "Certain Times". For both
of these recordings, I was using one of the old Crummar-Steiner
EVI's (the model that preceded the Akai). Therefore, the EVI used on
those dates was pre-MIDI, and I had to pretty much settle for the
best thing I could come up with from the instrument itself. We did
some studio processing, but it was still pretty basic: LINE OUT of
the EVI right into the board. Since I picked up my new AKAI, I've
experimented with the MIDI possibilities very briefly, and have
decided, at least for now, to stick with the basic factory sounds I
like (out of 64, only 4 ar OK for me: Trumpet, French Horn, Brass
Ens, and Harmonica). Because I play mostly flugelhorn on my gigs,
I've yet to feel the need to plunge into the infinite abyss of the
MIDI world - for both musical and financial reasons! As I mentioned
to you before, I use the EVI much like a tenor sax player would use
a flute or soprano sax. It's just different voice and a nice change
of pace from the real thing, but something I try not to play too
much.
How did you get
your first EVI and how long have you been playing it?
I've been playing the
EVI since early 1983; Pat gave me one for Christmas of '82. I'd
known about it since the late 70's and dismissed it as a gimmick
that was not to be taken seriously (although I'd not given it a fair
chance at that time). But after I spent some time with the one Pat
gave me, I began to see possibilities for my band. "Day
In..." was written in '83 specifically for the EVI.
Do you have any
practice tips?
My approach from day
one was basically just to plunge in and try to play music on the
instrument. Of course, I am much more limited technically on the EVI
than on the Flugelhorn, the "register break", the constant
low register fingerings, and the right hand-left hand coordination
always needs lots of work.
How long were you
playing the EVI before you felt ready to do improvisation in front
of an audience?
 As far as improv in
public, much to my eternal embarrassment, I attempted to play the
EVI publicly (in a jazz setting with my band) much too soon! It
makes me shudder to think that there are people out there in the
world who remember my early days as a stumbling beginner trying to
play changes, etc. Even now, when attempting to play more "jazz
oriented" tunes, I am capable of hitting clams that are tragic
in nature. As you know, an EVI clam usually tends to be at least a
major 7th wide.
For more about Mike,
visit Mike's website at www.mikemetheny.com
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