David Mac (DM): Let’s start out Rodrigo with some very basic biographical information for our readers. Where and when were you born and where do you reside?

Rodrigo Mantovani (RM): I was born on 12/12/1983 in São Paulo, Brazil, and I've been residing at the same city since then.

DM: Well, that is up until very recently, as you just moved to Chicago, which we will discuss later in this interview.

RM: Yeah, my friend…I'm so happy and excited about it.

DM: Before we get to Chicago, let’s back up a minute and discuss some early musical experiences. Do you remember some of your first exposures to music and how that had an impact on you?

RM: Well, the first thing I remember is when I was a small kid my grandmother took me to a supermarket, there I saw an acoustic guitar. I remember freezing in front of that guitar and my mind went crazy with that little piece of wood that could produce music and also that little neck that bring so many possibilities. It actually felt like an ocean of amazing possibilities at that time and, in matter of fact, still does!

DM: Do you recall the first time you heard American blues or rhythm & blues?

RM: I used to listen to the radio a lot, but in Brazil, when I was a kid, they almost never played the blues in the radio. So mostly I listened to classic rock, classical music and some of the blues hits, but unfortunately, blues wasn´t played that often.

But still I constantly tried to play the songs I was listening to, learning note by note of each song, even when I wasn´t able to distinguish bass from guitar. So, one year later I started to play in a “blues” band when I was thirteen years old, so then I started to learned all the songs this band played. They mixed other styles too, not just blues.

Finally, I started to learn the blues by the master’s albums two years later and I fell in love immediately which made me go deeper and deeper trying to discover new blues artists and new albums.

DM: Do you have any formal musical training?

RM: About the time I joined that band I studied in a small music school from my neighborhood for a couple of years.  But mostly I learned from listening a lot and playing around, very little came from theory books or school classes.

DM: Did you have a teacher or mentor that was particularly helpful or influential?

RM: I certainly did. My first music teacher and great friend Fernando Piu was really influential. Also, Chico Blues and Lynwood Slim have a special spot in my life when it comes to music, life and heart. I think I'm a lucky person who has great musicians and people around me as a friend. It is a big help.

DM: Let’s talk about your development as a musician. Did you play any other instruments before settling on bass as your primary instrument?

RM: Not really. But I did learn my first bass lines on an acoustic guitar. I had a neighbor (and now one of my best friends) who played the bass and was the first to teach me some bass lines. At that time, I didn´t even know I was learning bass lines.

DM: Ok buddy, here is that obligatory pain in the ass question that I’ll ask you anyway. Who are your primary influences on bass?

RM: That´s always a difficult question. There are so many great players that influenced me and still do; but on blues specifically, I would say Ransom Knowling, Ernest “Big” Crawford, Alfred Elkins, Jack Fallon and so many other upright players. On the electric bass I would say James Jamerson, Jack Myers, Lee Otis Wright, Robert Popwell and Duck Dunn, as well as many others.

I believe it is really important to listen and learn from these great masters. There is a world of knowledge we´re able to take. We can at some point manage to find our own sound and offer our best to each band we are playing with at any given time.

DM: Let’s talk about some of your early band experiences.

RM: As I mentioned I started to play in a band when I was 13 years old. I've been playing and been a professional musician since this time.

DM: Let’s talk a bit about the man known as Chico Blues whom you referenced earlier. He is such an important figure in this music.

RM: Yes! Definitely! He´s such an important person in my life and I´m sure he is also important to many others in Brazil who've been working with this music. I was 16 years old when Chico started to give me a lot of blues material and introduce me to many of the blues artists. Since then he is involved on many of my works, on the recordings, mixing, choosing the songs, etc. He is such a special guy and every time we are together, no matter the reason, we have an amazing time. He owns a big heart and his wife Ana too. They are lovely people that I want to have always around.

DM: How old were you when you first met Yuri and Igor Prado?

RM: When I first met Igor, I was around 16 years old and he was replacing a guitar player in a band that I used to play with. It was a great night and we realized we had a lot of musical influences in common. One thing led to another and we decided to play some gigs together and that was when I met Yuri. It felt great to play with those two since the beginning and that musical connection led to a natural association.

DM: There are so many have so many records that are in my library under the Igor Prado Band name as well as others that you have backed. 

RM: We recorded several albums as the Igor Prado Band and many more with other artists such as Donny Nichilo, Denilson Martins, Ari Borger, Flavio Guimarães, Lynwood Slim, Rafael Wressnig and others. 

DM: Your music has taken you all over the world. You are welcome to share some of those experiences with our readers. Are there any festivals or gigs that stand out in your mind?

RM: There are some great experiences for sure these past years. First time I played at The Doheny Blues Festival in 2010 was so special! It was the first big festival in the USA that I played. It is where we first met, Dave. We did a handful of gigs that week in Southern California and ended up at the Simi Valley Cajun and Blues Festival that took place the weekend after Doheny.

The Lucerne Blues Festival was memorable at that time we played with Slim and Kid Ramos. Portland Waterfront was so special because we had the great Jim Pugh sitting in with us and Curtis Salgado as a special guest.

DM: The Simi Valley event was a lot of fun. They still have the Cajun and zydeco thing going, but for all intents and purposes they dropped blues music from the program a few years ago. Those shows with Lynwood Slim were just great. Let’s talk a bit about Slim.

RM: As you know he came down to Brazil and he sang on our record Brazilian Kicks. I had hung out with him at Nick Moss’ house in Chicago earlier in 2010. We had a great time hanging out and doing some gigs together. As you know Dave, Slim produced an album with Nick Moss back in the 90’s.

DM: That was Nick’s 1998 debut album First Offense. 

RM: Everything kind of runs right through him. I would like to say this about Slim; he was the first guy in modern blues to sing in a straight jazz style with blues and straight blues with a jazz style. He found that junction between the two styles. A lot of guys did it way back in 40’s and 50’s. He kind of brought that back.

DM: One of my favorite recordings to come over the past year or so was on a singer named, Bia Marchese which you produced. Let’s talk about that vocalist and that album, Let Me In.

RM: I´m glad you liked the recording It was a pleasure to work with her on this album. Bia has a natural singing that really interests me, plus she has such a facility on learning new songs and singing in different styles. It was great to produce this album. We used to play some gigs together until we started to work together more often in 2014 and that led to our musical project and the album recording. So, Bia, Chico and I chose the songs and started the work on the album. I was lucky to have all of these great musicians and friends on this recording.

DM: Let’s talk about the recent record that is billed as Big Creek Slim & Rodrigo Mantovani entitled First Born. As a reminder to our readers this album was named BLUES JUNCTION Productions Country / Acoustic Blues Album of the Year for 2018.

RM: Whenever I was playing country blues several musicians talked to me about Big Creek. I used to play a lot of country blues and lot of musicians talked about Big Creek to me saying he was great and we should meet and record together. We finally met at the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival in the south of Brazil when we talked and jammed a little bit. It was in the end of the year, 2014 I believe. I organized a little tour in São Paulo right in the beginning of the next year and we had a great time. I love to play with him and he has a wonderful talent as a musician and I believe he really is one of the great ones around the world of the new generation. We made another tour and we decided to record an album. So, we chose different songs and some of his own tunes to record. I love the album.

DM: Let’s talk about this exciting new chapter in your life and your move to Chicago?

RM: It's just happened unexpected. I met Nick Moss a long time ago in Spain and we talked earlier about the time we spent together in Chicago. A few months ago, Nick asked me if I wanted to join his band. Of course, it is a pleasure for me. So, I accepted and I'm so happy about this new era of my life. Nick and the band are so busy. I'm anxious to spend time with him and his great band.

DM: You have a new album which just came out. Lets’ talk about that.

RM: It is Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling’s second release on Alligator Records. The name of the CD is Lucky Guy. Most of the songs are originals and written by Nick. Dennis wrote a couple. It isn’t strictly what people think of when they think of Chicago blues. The record itself is a reflection of a lot of different Chicago styles of blues. It has more swing than is normally associated with Chicago blues. I know that the term jump blues is largely associated with the west coast sound, but you had what they called jump blues coming out of Chicago a long, long time ago. Of course, Dennis is really in to that stuff and the new record reflects some of these various influences.

DM: You recorded the album out in California up at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios. Let’s talk about that experience.

RM: Kid is all over the record. He plays on several tracks. He also co-produced the record along with Nick. Kid’s love of music made me feel a connection with him. He reminds me of myself in this regard.

DM: What do you like to do when you aren’t making music?

RM: Listen to music. What can I say? It is my life. Music is my life. It means everything to me.

DM: I hear something very special in your bass playing that stands out...in a good way. What do you hear or maybe a better way to put this is to ask you what you are trying to achieve when you play? 

RM: It is my goal to get the people...I hope this is the right word but I try and get the people…“hook-ed?”

DM: Hooked…that is the perfect word.

RM: I try and get the people hooked on the beat…hooked on the groove. I try and let people know through my bass how I feel about the music.

DM: What would you like people to know about you?

RM: Music is my life. I want people to understand that I am not doing this to be famous or to get rich. I would do this in my house or on the street somewhere. Music is who I am. It is part of my soul.

DM: Thanks for doing this interview with me in English Rodrigo. I don’t speak Portuguese.

RM: It was great talking with you again today my friend. Thanks for doing this. Let’s stay in touch.