On March 22nd I had the privilege to present at the Leeds International Jazz Educator’s Conference at the Leeds College of Music in England. The trip was one I will never forget. At the conference I heard many great performers and educators sharing their research and projects. I heard a lot of great music too. The students of Leeds played in the cafe each day and they all were fantastic. Note, these are cats 17-20 years old, killing it on everything from standards to Metheny and Chaka Khan tunes. They got it going on over there. The main thing that I walked away from the experience is that jazz is such a powerful music. I was able to talk to people from England, New York, Ireland, Austria, Spain, and Switzerland about jazz, it’s impact on other countries, and how we all can continue to better ourselves as jazz educators to help keep this American art alive and well.
At the end of the conference we all gathered to talk about various topics that came up during the past two days. One that kept coming up revolved around ways to better define what jazz is. I got the feeling that some there felt that if we could only define it better it could be better marketed and reach a broader audience. But I believe that is the beauty of jazz and why it truly is an American art. The second you think you can define us, we change to include something else, something new, something borrowed from someplace else. Jazz is the sum of all music that has come before and continues to evolve to the music we will hear next.
My research was on Charlie Christian’s influence on Wes Montgomery. More on my presentation can be found here on my website. What I found was Montgomery used the traditions of jazz (particularly what is got from imitation Christian solos) as his foundation and repository of possibilities. As he mastered those traditions he was able to add his own self into what he was play, drawing from his own experiences, insights, and possibly even mistakes to help create new traditions.
At the conference two artists, totally unrelated to each other, created works influenced by Dante’s Seven Deadly Sins. The first was the key note speaker, saxophonist/hip-hop artist Soweto Kinch. His presented was a theatrical piece revolving around the day in the life of a young MC and how he was tempted through his day. His work included elements of rap, hip-hop beats, and samples, as well as live drum and bass, improvisation, and his saxophone playing. Very hip stuff.
The other “Deadly Sins” work was by a fellow conference presenter and vocalist Louise Gibbs, who wrote a piece for voice and septet. Her writing was rooted in the traditional styles of arrangers like Gil Evans and Sammy Nestico. She performed three pieces of her 50-minute song-suite which featured the traditional jazz swing feel and plenty of fine improvisations.
As a composer and arranger I personally connected with the Ms. Gibbs more because I really enjoyed her writing, both for the horns and her lyrics. Her work was rooted in traditions of jazz that I myself felt a stronger connection to. It wasn’t better music, it just connected with me on more levels. For someone else it may not have. That is cool too.
For me both are jazz artists that performed works of jazz. The foundations they drew upon were the same, but the end product was as unique as the individuals themselves. Does it matter who was “more” jazz? Would a better label help sell the music better? Over the past few years jazz artists have been surprising folks in all categories at the Grammy Awards. Robert Glaspar won a Grammy for best R&B album (2013), Esperanza Spalding won best new artist (2011), and Herbie won album of the year for his Joni Mitchel album (2008). How? Why? They are just creating really, really good music and people are taking notice.
The music jazz musicians perform is creative and inspiring. The music is evolving from their own individuality and the traditions of the past. Jazz musicians are still adding to the traditions of jazz and doing it really well.
That is why I think jazz is so great. One is able to create with all the musical colors of the rainbow. If the color you want is not in there, add it yourself. Mix it up and paint away.
Thanks for a great experience Leeds College of Music. I hope to see you again soon.