Interview Tyree Glenn Jr. English Version

Tante Tyree ruels
WIE IS‘ ET
Tyree Glenn Jr. is one of the most
famous jazz musicians in the
USA and also here in Germany
known for its perfect use of the
saxophone, as well as its overall
charming humour. He originally
comes from the USA, his father
was already playing along with
jazz legend Louis Armstrong. In
recent years he toured together
with Helge Schneider across
Germany and played a major
role in Helge Schneider‘s film
„00 Schneider“ as Aunt Tyree
from America. Today we talk to
the exceptional musician who
travels across Europe at the time:
Mr. Glenn Jr.!
A great thank for taking the time
to answers us and our readers a
few interesting questions about
the “Ruhrgebiet” from the perspective
of a immigrant, who
lives here since a few decades as
well as in the USA.
Aunt Tyree: Thank you for the
invitation.
The first question that burns me
on the nails is how would you
like to be called? Mr. Glenn Jr. or
Aunt Tyree, your role in the current
film by Helge Schneider.
Aunt Tyree: Tante Tyree is fine
Tyree Glenn Jr. - A piece of history
with me.
by Ralf Zeiß
You are very popular by the audience
just because of your humor.
Who came up with the idea
to call you Aunt Tyree and hang
you two coconuts around the
neck?
Aunt Tyree: To be honest, the
general idea was from Helge. I
had no idea what my outfit would
look like and on his suggestions,
the costume department from the
film company developed it from
his ideas. I liked the idea too and
had no problem wearing it in the
film. Luckily, it was „My Size“!
Now we have this clear, I’ve the
question to the time when you
arrived as a successful American
musicians to – for that time
quite dirty and sooty „black Kohlenpott“
– Marl (Germany) and
what were your first impressions
of this region and its people?
Aunt Tyree: Everyone was very
friendly to me when I came here
and coming direct from Hollywood,
where I was living at the
time, I must say that it was a big
change for me. First off, the Weather.
The sky at that time, January,
was „Always Grey“, not like
Los Angeles. I also noticed that
Tyree Glenn Jr.
Bild: Tyree Glenn jr.
„The Ambassador of Funky
Rhythm and Blues“! The
American „Harlem-born“ saxophonist,
singer, composer
and above all entertainer is
well acquainted with Music
and Show-Business since
his childhood, his father was
none other than the legendary
Tyree Glenn Sen., trombonist
with Duke Ellington
and many years with Louis
Armstrong. Influenced by the
musical heritage of his father,
the Junior himself became a
musician almost „Naturally“.
Tyree Glenn Jr.‘s over 40 years
of experience on New York‘s
Broadway, concert tours, television
and radio shows in
Italy, Portugal, England and
Germany have made him
what he is today: „A Brilliant
Musician, Entertainer And
Composer, capable of Entertaining
Different Audiences“.
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most of the houses were Grey as
well. I lived in Portugal 5 years
and there, the houses are multicolored.
I would imagine that if
you are „Color-Blind“ in Portugal,
you would not find your way
home! I came here in 1976 and
I did not find the Ruhrgebiet a
„Schwarzen (black) Kohlenpott“
at all! Perhaps in the Fifties and
Sixties it was like that but I found
it to be a lot more „Green“ that
the people made it out to be. I
guess that a lot has changed in
the last 40 to 50 years. For me,
the Ruhrgebiet is the “Soul of
Germany”!
You have spent your school days
in the Bronx borough of New
York, and there also learned the
saxophone playing. As far as I
know you have a daughter who
grew up here in Germany. What
differences do you see mainly for
growing up in America and Germany?
Aunt Tyree: Well, to begin
with, I also have a son, Tyree
and my daughter is Tracy.
The big difference that I
discovered is the School System
here. My personal opinion is that
to separate children at such an
early age, 11 or 12, and say that
according to some test or so, you
will go to this type of School and
be this or to another type of School
and be that. Some children develop
later than others and who is
to say at that young age, how a
child is going to develop later??
Also, this System tends to bring out
an Elitism among parents who
say that their child goes to a
“Gymnasium” and the others go
to a “Dummy School”. All children
should have the right and
the time to develop at their own
pace and not be dictated to at
such an early age, which direction
their life will take. Just too
soon. In America, there are many
problems with the school system
there as well but, when everyone
is going to the same classes,
one has a “Vorbild (model)” from
the better students in your class
which will “inspire” many students
to do it better. A sort of “If
they can do it, so can I” type of
mentality. This “Mentality” does
not happen in the Lower Schools
here unfortunately.
In English, you really do not
know this word, but I ask you
what is „Heimat (home)“ for
you? Where do you feel at home?
Aunt Tyree: I guess that I am
one of those rare persons who
can “Fit In” wherever I live at
the time. “Home” will always be
America for me but having lived
in many countries, Italy, Portugal
and Germany, one learns
other cultures etc. One thing I
have learned is, that we are basically
all the same in our wishes
and desires. The Language and
Words may be different but the
meaning is the same!
You are a proud American come
from a famous family of musicians.
You stood more than 35
years on the stages across Europe
with your saxophone.
What impression did the people
around you and how you were
respected in the economic miracle
and how it is today after the
structural change for you? From
your point of view what has most
changed over the years?
Aunt Tyree: As a musician, I
can say that unfortunately, there
are fewer clubs for bands
to perform in nowadays as
in the time when I arrived here. I
would like to see, perhaps in the
form of a “Cultural Tax Break” for
club owners, young musicians,
singers and entertainers have the
chance to perform in front of “Live
Audiences” to perfect their Kraft!!
The problem is that many young
singers and musicians do not have
the opportunity to develop and as
a result, some of them go on these
“Casting Shows” as “Amateurs”,
not really knowing how to perform
Bild: Tyree Glenn jr.
WIE IS‘ ET
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WIE IS‘ ET
or entertain. Not all of them but
most of them. For example: How
is it that one of the best singers
and performer that I know here
in Germany, Pamela Falcon, did
not win the “Voice of Germany”?
Perhaps because the people who
were the judges and the audience
don‘t know a great talent
when they see and hear one. If
you have clubs where people can
get up and perform more often,
they would learn the difference.
By now, you have traveled the
world and have seen many
places. Is there a favorite place
for you here in the Ruhr-area?
Aunt Tyree: That I have pilot‘s
license, my favorite place is
the “Ruhrbebiet von Oben”.
In Helge‘s film, as you can
see, “Tante Tyree” made his escape
by “Flying Away” over the
Ruhrgebiet.
As a young man you‘ve been very
successful with your Band in New
York and played in clubs, where
at that time the Beatles came to
visit when you were playing there.
If you had the choice, what
would you like musicians are
once again on the stage today?
Aunt Tyree: James Brown! I had
the good fortune to see him when
I was younger “Live” at the Apollo
Theater in Harlem, the part of
New York City where I was born!
I got to know and work with
many of the “Greats of R & B”,
Jackie Wilson, King Curtis, Aretha
Franklin for example to name
a few, but never had the chance
to meet him personally, although
many of my friends played with
him like Maceo Parker. Looking
forward to seeing this Summer
the film about his life!
Mr. Glenn, Jr.: Thank you very
much for this interview and wish
you all the best and good health,
that your music will be with us for
a long time. The best greetings
from the Ruhrarea.
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