Tõnu Naissoo says improvisation is his strongest suit

Musician and composer Tõnu Naissoo says jazz remains his main strength, particularly improvisation, ERR reported in an interview on its Terevisioon programme.

Naissoo celebrated his 75th birthday this spring. Over a career spanning decades, he has composed music for films, theatres and television and released nearly 40 solo albums. Though he has worked across musical genres, he considers himself first and foremost a jazz artist.

“That’s where it started, and all the other things have been connected to it,” he said. Naissoo listens to many kinds of music and has no objection to classical music, which he studied at school during the Soviet era. But while practising Chopin etudes, he would turn to improvisation. “Improvising is my strongest suit,” he said.

After periods of intensive music writing, Naissoo sometimes needs a break. When he goes to the countryside, he may not compose every day, he said. But avoiding music altogether is difficult because it comes from every direction in the modern world.

The interview was conducted by Katrin Viirpalu.