Rale Micic: Serbian Jazz Guitarists Now in New York
JGT contributor Joe Barth talks to Serbian jazz guitarist Rale Micic.
Rale Micic began playing the guitar in Serbia as a kid. He moved to the United States after receiving a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. In 2000, he moved to New York City and began building a career as a jazz guitarist.
JB: You grew up in Serbia. Talk about what inspired you to play jazz guitar.
RM: Well, I started with violin as a kid and switched to guitar when I was 14, which was a relief since it was so much easier to play! I studied classical guitar and played in rock/punk bands when I got interested in jazz, around 17. There was also a great jazz scene in Belgrade, Serbia, and I would go out to hear live jazz in clubs, plus the festival that brought big names in jazz once a year.
JB: You came to this country to study at Berklee College. What did you appreciate about that era of your life?
RM: I had a great time at Berklee. It’s a very international school, with students from all over the world, and it gave me a safe place to develop as both a guitarist and a composer, and to play with amazing musicians my age. To this day, I still work with many of the people I met there.
JB: To you, in shaping your sound and approach, what are three of the most influential jazz guitar albums and why?
RM: First, Jim Hall Live – definitely had a huge impact on me. Just the way Jim played so freely and so subtly, developing phrases and ideas, and interacting with the rhythm section. Not to mention comping! The real glimpse of his genius.
Pat Metheny Question and Answer – incredible intensity and clarity of ideas, with a great guitar sound and a killing rhythm section. Good reminder that having a great drummer in a band changes everything!
John Abercrombie Night – my cousin had a copy, and I heard this record very early on. I was puzzled by it, and it still amazes me to this day. I love John’s playing, and this record has such a wide variety of sounds and styles, and it’s all with a trio. I love John’s sound, his phrasing, and feel. Also, the fact that he was playing his own music, which makes you play differently than when playing standards.
JB: Talk about the impact of Mick Goodrick upon your playing.
RM: I came to Berklee to study jazz composition, but I was lucky that, at the same time, Mick Goodrick returned to Berklee to teach guitar and was looking to take on a few private students. I got to study with him for a few years, and it really fine-tuned my playing skills and the way I approach the instrument and music in general. He was so meticulous, but at the same time we would also just play duo; sometimes even he would bring a bass player, and we would play tunes.
JB: Also, talk about the impact of trombonist Bob Brookmeyer upon your playing.
RM: Well, I only studied jazz composition with Bob, but just being around him and hearing all the stories was such a great experience.
JB: Talk about your CD, Only Love Will Stay.
RM: It’s the first (and so far only) guitar organ trio album that I made, and it came during the time of the pandemic, so it was recorded in two sessions, with two different drummers. I played with Johnathan Blake in Tom Harrell’s group, and he played on my previous album Night Music. Even though I’m a big fan of classical guitar and organ trios, I wanted to make an album of original music and approach it more compositionally. I love the sound of that album, and I’m playing a lot of those tunes live at my concerts.
JB: It’s ten years old now, but tell us about your CD Inspired with John Abercrombie, Pete Bernstein and Lage Lund.
RM: It was such a special project. Yes, it’s the 10-year anniversary, and Artist Share is releasing a special edition 180g vinyl record later this year! What an honor to be part of it, paying tribute to Jim Hall while playing with my favorite guitar players. John, who was my idol since I started playing; Peter, who I love and have played with many times; and Lage and I, well, we go way back. We were studying at Berklee together in the 90s. It was a super fun session, very unusual having just four guitars. At one point, a lot of hum was coming out of all 4 amps in the studio, and John said we should call it “Hummage to Jim Hall”. (Haha) Luckily, we had James Farmer with us as an engineer who took care of that within minutes. Love the sound of that album, and I think it’s a deserving tribute to Jim Hall.
JB: You have a performance series, Guitar x2. Tell us about it.
RM: I started Guitar x2 series around 2010, once I realized that I know and love so many guitar players here in New York, but we never really get to play together. So that gave me a chance to play with pretty much everyone on the scene, and it was so much fun. It was really a who’s who of the New York Guitar scene, big fun, and each time so different; I should probably bring it back again!
JB: What do you appreciate most about the guitars that you use?
RM: I have two guitars that I use now. First is my SS-15 Sadowsky, which I love and have been playing for a while. Has such a sweet and warm sound; it’s very light, and it’s easy to travel with, which is very important these days.
The other one that I play, and love, is Ric McCurdy’s guitar that belonged to John Abercrombie. It’s a special instrument that has such a fantastic sound and playability. Plus, being able to create music with a guitar that belonged to John is very special to me. He actually used that guitar on the Inspired album.
JB: New York is home to scores of good guitarists. You’ve been there for a number of years. What’s the best piece of advice you’d give younger guitarists for building a career in music?
RM: Yes, the New York jazz scene is very much alive, but I’ve also seen many guitarists come and go as well. It’s not easy making a living as a musician, anywhere, for that matter. But if you try to be the best version of yourself, and make music you love, and the way you hear it, and not compare yourself to the others – you have a good chance of making it work for you. And remember, enjoy it while you’re doing it!
