John Greaves, sort of an enigma by Claudio Bonomi

Can you dedicate some words to musicians who took part at Verlaine recording?
I started the project alone with a Fender Rhodes and a click track. I added guests one by one.
Mostly friends on their way through Paris. It was interesting to watch the album grow, shifting direction with each intervention without losing track of the original thread. This was true at every stage from Karen’s armonica (Karen Mantler), Fay’s ukulele (Fay Lovsky) and saw to Matthieu’s drums (Matthieu Rabate) which he managed to do at the end of the process. Quite unusual really. All the musicians are stars: Jef Morin, Scott Taylor, Jeanne Added, Laurent Valero... their contribution makes the record, I believe, an extraordinary work. 
 
You’ve been living in France for 20 years and now your style now is very close to French “chansonniers” as Leo Ferré or George Brassens. How much is the French musical culture important for you? 
Yes, I’ve been here a long time. I don’t think my style is close to Ferré or Brassens though I admire them a lot. I suppose this record is nonetheless my little “hommage” to the cultural climate I’ve imbibed over the years.
 
You have collaborated with composers/musicians who have always taken lirycs in great consideration. For example Henry Cow, Peter Blegvad or Michael Mantler. What about you? Are you more focused on words now?
I suppose I still get great satisfaction out of finding the right relation between the musical and lyrical phrase. It’s a kind of problem-solving really. I’m interested in language  and music equally.
 
You singing style is really original and unique. When did you decide to express yourself as a singer? And do you have any model o pattern to take inspiration from?
My voice, as it were, seems to have a mind of its own. Wayward and occasionally inspired.
I like the way it tackles the French language.  Quite perverse really.

photographs courtesy Laura Buxton
 
You are planning to propose Kew.Rhone. live with the original singer Lisa Herman. Can you talk about this project?
I was contacted to put on a performance of Kew.Rhone. in Bourgouin-Jallieu  near Grenoble.
Miraculously Lisa is willing and able to do it. So is Peter (Peter Blegvad). 30  years on we finally perform it fairly much in its entirety. David Lewis on trumpet, Simon Goubert on drums. May 24th. I believe.
 
And what about the Robert Wyatt tribute project “Dedicated to you” alongside Karen Mantler, Sylvain Kassap and others? Any recordings?
I like very much the re-workings of Robert’s songs sung by Karen and Jaques Mahieux.
No recordings as yet but I believe we’re recording it for German radio at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival in October.
 
Can you also spend some words describing Alain Blesing’s “Songs from the Beginning” project. Is it just a collaboration or something more?
I had fun singing those songs. It was just a collaboration.