Perspectives: Andreas Varady   David talks to 12-year-old Slovakian child prodigy jazz guitarist Andreas Varady, who has been living in Ireland since 2008. This year he'll be recording his first CD, playing at most of the major festivals in Ireland, as well as some in the UK and Europe, and making special guest appearances with some of his heroes.   David: OK, so first question: what is the capital of Ireland?   Andreas: Oh it's Dublin [laughs].   David: Just joking. First question: do you remember when you first played the guitar?   Andreas: Yes.   David: What was it like?   Andreas: Nice. It felt good. It was good. The strings were nice. I just played like one string, with one finger!   David: Who was the first guitarist that you heard play?   Andreas: My dad. Then George Benson. I was four or five.   David: What was it that you liked about George Benson?   Andreas: I really like the tunes he played. And good solos he has. It was nice. I really liked it the first time.   David: What about Wes Montgomery?   Andreas: I didn't know any other guys at that time. All I knew was George Benson and Django Reinhardt. I didn't really know any other good musicians.   David: So you started listening to Django Reinhardt and then tried to play some of his tunes on the guitar?   Andreas: Well, not really. I listened to George Benson, and some different jazz tunes. I don't know the names of the people who played them. It definitely wasn't Charlie Parker or Miles Davis. And singers.   David: What way did you practice when you were young?   Andreas: Well my father teach me the tunes – you know those easy tunes – like 'Girl From Ipanema' and 'Quando'. And 'Blue Bossa', 'Black Orpheus'.   David: When did you hear Wes Montgomery?   Andreas: In Ireland.   David: Really?   Andreas: I mostly heard Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter – all those other guys – Wes Montgomery, Sylvain Luc when I moved to Ireland.   David: So before you moved here you listened to George Benson and Django Reinhardt?   Andreas: Well I knowed them at home. I only got to know good musicians, like Charlie Parker, in Ireland. I never really knew those guys. Because nobody listened to them, you know.   David: So back in Slovakia you practiced the Django tunes every day with your dad? Is that the way you learnt, just listening to recordings and trying to copy them?   Andreas: Yea, mostly. I copied the things that they play. But not really solos in Slovakia. I only got to solo here, because when we were busking my dad told me to solo, so I soloed.   David: When did you start busking? Was that in Ireland as well, or back in Slovakia?   Andreas: No, I just busk in Ireland. I wanted to try it, like how much we make. And we were sometimes practicing there with good weather, like bored in the house, so we went and practiced outside. It was good because, it worth it!   David: So why do you like jazz? Why not rock?   Andreas: I don't like rock. It's just, ah, stupid [laughs]   David: What do you like about jazz?   Andreas: Solos. That's my favourite part.   David: What way do you practice now, like if you're learning a tune?   Andreas: Well, I listen to the tune and then I just try to copy it. And when it gets really hard, like say 'Lush Life', if you wanna copy that it's really hard to copy that by ear, so you're better to just put on band in a box! And the solos, just all by yourself.   David: What do you think about when you're taking a solo on a tune? Do you think about anything? Do you just play?   Andreas: I'm thinking about the guitar stuff. And I'm thinking about the end of the gig [laughs]. I'm thinking when I make a mistake. I never really think about the chords or anything like that. I just play and even if I make a mistake sometimes it's actually good, because some mistakes, say in your solos, say it's G minor, and you play a scale G sharp, sometimes it sounds good   David: Yea it's true. What was it like when you first moved to Ireland?   Andreas: Really cool. There's lots of stuff not in Slovakia what is in Ireland.   David: Could you speak any English or did you just learn in the past two years?   Andreas: Well I could speak main things, like 'How are you?', 'Where are you from?' and something like that because in Slovakia in school I used to learn English. Some boys are German. English is pretty easy to learn.   David: Can you remember what it was like when you were learning guitar when you were like four or five?   Andreas: Not really because it was like long ago. Six years.   David: How long have you been taking solos for?   Andreas: Two years.   David: Can you remember what you sounded like when you started?   Andreas: Well it sounded not bad, you know. But I played the tune then I just can't stop soloing. My dad was angry 'cause he told me, 'Will you stop and go back to the tune?' [laughs]   David: Can you tell that you're getting better on the guitar?   Andreas: No.   David: No, you can't tell?   Andreas: No. Well I hate to listen to myself. I never listen to myself. When my dad puts on those videos I just say, 'Will you quit that?' because I hate to listen to myself.   David: Wao! I think your videos sound great. What would you like to be doing in four years time?   Andreas: New York. Washington DC.   David: What are your dreams for playing guitar? What things do you want to do?   Andreas: To play with George Benson. Meet him, because now he's a bit old. There mightn't be a lot of time left.   David: Yea [laughs].   Andreas: Seriously, he's 66.   David: That's not that old. Roy Haynes is a drummer who played with Charlie Parker. He's still alive and still doing tours.  He's 85.   Andreas: He'd be like [demonstrates slow motion].   David: He's really good. He can still play fast.   Andreas: Really?   David: Yea, yea, yea.   Andreas: Can he do breakdance?   David: [laughs] I don't know.   Andreas: Why don't you ask me questions about Spiderman?   David: [laughs] People don't want to hear about Spiderman. They want to hear about your guitar playing. What's your favourite type of jazz?   Andreas: I like jazz fusion, like the one you did, 'Amazing Andreas'. Like those cool chords like that, and good rhythms. You know like getting bored of tunes like 'Blue Bossa' [laughs]. I love Charlie Parker tunes. Is that enough to record?   David: For the interview? Almost enough [laughs]. What other types of music do you like?   Andreas: I like heavy metal.   David: Wow!   Andreas: Only joking. I like swing. I really like swing, jazz-funk, gypsy music, reggae and some free music.   David: What about pop music?   Andreas: I don't really play any but I like to listen to it.   David: Rap music?   Andreas: Well not really rap because, well I get bored with it, you know. OK this is it: they start the music then they 'bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla' [etc]. I like to listen to it in the car.   David: What do you do when you're not practicing, when you're not playing the guitar?   Andreas: What do I do?   David: Yea.   Andreas: Well, I go to the computer and call you. I practice, I mean [laughs]. I watch videos with my brother and sister, I download some games for free, I watch Spiderman, eat. Sometimes I play soccer in the park.   David: You like the X-Box too, don't you?   Andreas: Not really at the moment. It's getting boring actually, you know.  I'd like to get the Blackberry phone though.   David: Yea it's good. Alright that's enough questions.   Andreas: Oh and I like Spiderman.   David: Spiderman. Any other films?   Andreas: Funny films. Lots of disaster movies. I like tornadoes, earthquakes, movies like that.   David: Are you looking forward to doing your tour and CD, and playing with lots of great musicians?   Andreas: Yes.   David: What's going to be the most exciting thing this year for you?   Andreas: I mostly play. I don't really know any of the gigs though, and I think I know some places I go to. To Belfast and [pause] I don't know. My mum knows them.   David: You'll have to check out your own website and see where you're playing.   Andreas: Oh yea.   David: Alright that's enough questions. Anything else you want to say?   Andreas: I'm hungry. You are my favourite drummer. I like playing with you.   David: I like playing with you too. You're my favourite guitarist.   Andreas: [laughs]   David: It's true!    Visit Andreas' website at www.andreasvarady.com.