Guitare Xtreme Magazine numéro 104

In our little universe, we sometimes meet extraordinary people, who combine many talents and who seem capable of moving mountains, driven by a burning and communicative passion, like our dear friend Hans J. Kullock, bassist, journalist, teacher and founder of the CNCM and later of the M.A.I., who has just left our world at the early age of 73. To say that this man revolutionized the teaching of contemporary music in France is an understatement. He took his machete to clear a territory where everything was still to be built, offering to aspiring professional musicians another alternative to the classical conservatories and the dusty jazz schools. Hans is the one who felt that things were moving and who imported to France a modern vision of musical education as it was practiced in the USA, at the Berklee in Boston or at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, but adding his own touch, his own vision. This was quite a success, since many of the professional musicians in the business today were trained in his two Nancy schools. He was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2016, as a reward for his career and the work he accomplished.
The closing of this issue was particularly difficult and it is with a heavy heart that I write this editorial. I thought about you and a lot of good memories came back to the surface, starting with the shows, the real ones, when they still weighed a lot, those of the 90's (on one of which we met while I was writing my first papers in the music press), but also the last editions during which we shared our booths with the M.A.I., and to this team of beautiful people that you and Monique had gathered around you: Manu Livertout, Pierrejean Gaucher, Jean Bisello, Kermheat, Denis Palatin, Fred Villard and many others. I think of your corrosive humor and your offbeat (even trashy) jokes full of repartee and intelligence, which could turn into a formidable weapon to get rid of the jerks (there are also some in our profession). I also think of the benevolence you always showed to our magazines and of the support you gave us in tense moments, of your loyalty and your trust. Our thoughts are with your wife Katy, your son Eric, and of course with your soul mate Monique who has always remained in our hearts, as well as with all your friends. Auf Wiedersehen, my friend, and warm up the place: we'll join you one of these days!
LUDOVIC EGRAZ