The Vinny Golia?Tabloid Interview

Vinny Golia is a menace. For too long, the not-really-jazz man has unsettled L.A.’s musical firmament with extreme turbulence via the numerous wind instruments he inflates, the avant-plus Nine Winds record label he masterminds, and the hordes of combos he leads and mans. Worst, this corrupter of youth lurks undercover, posing as an “educator” at CalArts.

It’s time again to cower before Golia’s most extravagant phalanx, the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, which he brazenly exposed on DVD last year. A shocking document, the disc reveals 36 musicians conspiring to fuse vast clouds of toxic dissonance with the licentious rampages of our region’s most uncompromising soloists. This weekend he musters his biggest army in the Ensemble’s 24-year history: 40 crack commandos with a core that embraces Brad Dutz, Bruce Fowler, William Roper, Sara Schoenbeck and Jessica Catron; his special guests include Nels Cline and Jeremy Drake (Friday) and Harris Eisenstadt and Randy Gloss (Saturday).

As if all that weren’t enough, Golia is of Italian descent. You’ve watched The Sopranos; we’ll say no more, aside from observing that the soprano is one of his favorite saxophones. Aware, however, that Golia perceives whacking journalists as bad business practice, we challenged him with the kind of probing inquiries for which the Weekly is so justly renowned.

The Large Ensemble keeps getting bigger. Is this a sign that you’re insecure?

Aside from the fact that I am insecure, it keeps getting bigger because there are a lot more players who are interested in this music.

But they all hate you, don’t they?

Not until they get their parts.

That tuba player, Bill Roper, is a sneaky bastard, always trying to upset you. How are you going to prepare for him?

Usually I call him and he tells me what was wrong the last time, and I try to avoid those mistakes so he doesn’t get upset. But in doing that, I often create new problems.

Will you be rapping?

I don’t think so.

What will you be wearing?

Georgio has asked me not to reveal anything. You can take that any way you wish.

Queried about the rampant media speculation over his relationship with Paris Hilton, Golia claims he doesn’t know a thing about that woman. Ha. Take a hard squint at the musician in the wig, behind the contrabass sax.?

The Vinny Golia Large Ensemble plays REDCAT in the Disney Hall complex, 631 W. Second St., downtown, Friday and Saturday, March 31 and April 1, at 8:30 p.m. Call (213) 237-2800 or visit www.?redcat.org.

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