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Bluesman profession
" My heart is not in quartz "
Child already, he picked up the good notes especially on the guitar. At 52 years old, Guy Roel remained faithful to the blues... he goes 'round with an old suitcase and owen's side patch where gets into a panic a handle of bolts. Result of years of experimentations here is his drum machines (on the floor and powered by foot), to find the right and well destroyed sound. Above : guitars which been thru all the colours and fingers which rush about, free and perfectly tuned to a rough voice, on the edge of black and white . Smile in corner, the eye stopped on image : " I miss just one more leg for the effect-pedal ... ". Guy Roel asserts that he does not give into sad blues. On the steps of Blind Boy Fuller, in Lightin' Hopkins's tracks,he unwinds his life as an unlimited song. Not far from 400 titles in the directory, that helps.
With Bob Marley in Stockholm Without choosing , without copying and without knowing it, Guy Roel followed the same type of initiatory route as Jimi Hendrix. But on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean : during seven years, he made his hand and guts as a bass player on the professional circuit of the Swedish charts. When the stars of Stockholm skimmed the campaign with musicians capable of insuring in any circumstances. Three shows on evening, each sometimes in more than 40 km of distance. " I rose in Scandinavia from day to day, following an Italian night-clubs quartet; one thing leading to another, I started backing up local stars ". The rhythm is steady but quite a lot of doors open at the same moment almost everywhere.He integrates then Modern Sound Quintet, a fusion band up with Kofi, the Ghanaian percussionnist of Osibisa. Good vibrations : " It was in 1973 and during a while, we ran alongside with Bob Marley... " (EDITOR'S NOTE : the future messiah of the reggae was in Sweden to work on a music of film).
Motorway from morning till night: In touch with the group Traffic de Stevie Winwood or with Brian Auger, Guy Roel declines in the time different propositions, notably in London, but also in France : " A friend even connected me for the bass player's job in Claude Francois orchestra ... ". For any answer, Guy roars. " The variety, I had given... ". Back in the country with the solid reputation of a funk-bass player, he joins Deliverance, a gospel-soul-evangelist combo. His technique and feeling do sparks in this combo mainly constituted by Canadians and Americans, " of the true pros with with a hell of a sound !". The group runs for the hit and tours constantly Germany. " But I was sick to be on the "Autobahn" from morning till night ". The time is already in machines and electronic sounds get ready to do the housework: " In some months, the bass players and the drummers found themselves out of work... ". Guy doesn't hear it this ear : " My heart is not made of quartz and it will never be... ".He makes a complete break and takes up in 1984 with the music which always made him vibrate in the deepest. " I returned spontaneously to the blues, the one that I was playing with Gérard Jelsch (EDITOR'S NOTE : the future drummer of Ange), when we were kids... ".
At the secondary school, he calls himself Ray:Son of a textile engineer fascinated by jazz, Guy Roel (Roellinger for Etat-civil) was called by the music very early " I must not have been ten years old ". At Belfort's secondary school, he wears constantly dark glasses and on the playground he calls himself Ray. " " Georgia one my mind " had upset me and I was soaked for a long time literally by the rythm' of American blues ". In the big displeasure of his mother, he's interested only in guitar and child, picks up in secret the one of his brother (" he never played it ") hung on on a wall. The attempts to pick up a learning in its taste fail one after the other. But at he age of 15, he masters enough the bass (" I picked up on the right and left, at friends ") to be engaged by the "Vicomtes, " a good group of rock 'n' roll " which made then speak about him in the valley of Doller. one the year later, nevertheless hard school of the ball (" one played three times by weekend ") with an orchestra of the Haute Saône is only strengthening its passion. He doesn't know himself yet, but at the end of the road, Scandinavia, already, waits for him.
The time to live. at 52 years old, Guy Roel takes his time today, " the time to live ".Settled at the doors of Alsace, in Reppe (near Bréchaumont), he's appears from time to time, "as guest "backing up the American singer Lisa Doby. And works,home, on a next CD. Not fool: " The manufacture is craft-handed and so will be the distribution... " He breaks and order a mineral water, " because the French blues doesn't interest nobody... ". In the meantime, Guy's concerts tell still and still its course, the road, the scene, people. Acoustic or electric, solo or in trio, he wants to create every time a true meeting with the public. " I never select songs before ; it is "they" who choose me, with the audience feedback... ".
Jean-Marc
Thiébaut - DNA 09 avril 2001