The Independent Ear

A Home for Creative Music in DC

Posted on April 5, 2008 by The Independent Ear

Several years ago a group of intrepid music lovers in our nation’s capital, armed with expansive tastes that included healthy ears for improvised original music on the edgier side, developed a collective they dubbed Transparent Productions.  Two of the principles in the Transparent Productions collective are friends and colleagues from my WPFW radio days in DC: Larry Appelbaum, host of "The Sound of Surprise" Sunday evenings from 5pm-7pm, and Bobby Hill, current program director at the station and host of "The Other Side" Saturday night/Sunday morning at midnight.  Catch them both at 89.3 FM in the DC area or listen live at www.wpfw.org.

 

Transparent’s operation is quite simple: all performance admissions proceeds go directly to the artists and Transparent accrues no revenue from their productions.  An interesting cadre of artists have come to the Transparent stage, which for the most part has operated largely out of a fair-trade import store in Takoma Park, MD (a close urban suburb of DC that is right on the Metro line), a space on the George Washington University campus, or Twins Jazz in DC’s U Street corridor.  Their events, always warm and musically challenging at the same time, tend to play to a hearty cadre of adventurous listeners who’ve been thirsting for such sounds and finally have a portable "home" to such music in DC.  Blessed with a locale which is convenient traveling distance for day trips by musicians living in or traveling through the New York City area, Transparent has gifted the DC market with performances that would not otherwise have been presented in that community.  This idea always struck me as an opportunity for other forward-thinking collectives of enthusiasts to create a circuit for creative music, starting on a regional basis.

 

Willard Jenkins: What was the initial idea behind the formation of Transparent Productions?

 

Larry Appelbaum: District Curators helped create the audience and opportunities for creative, improvised music and avant garde jazz here in DC for nearly 20 years.  But when they folded, it was a dry period and many of us grew tired of having to go to New York to hear this music.  A small core group began meeting to discuss how we might start presentig.  That early group included Lisa Stewart (formerly of District Curators), Bobby Hill, Thomas Stanley, VInce Margatis, Herb Taylor, and myself.  We began working through some ideas and launched out first concert on July 6, 1997 with Joe McPhee & Michael Bisio at the old Food for Thought restaurant in Dupont Circle.  With no budget for publicity we thought we’d draw a handful of die-hards.  It was a nice surprise when nearly 90 people showed up.

 

Bobby Hill: [The idea was] To fill what we thought was a clear need and audience desire for the live presentation of the non-mainstream side of jazz music; what is often referred to as "free jazz", "avant garde jazz", or the more contemporary term "creative improvised music."

 

Did you have an exemplary presenting model at your disposal or was this Transparent idea crafted from whole cloth?

 

BH: The aesthetic model was District Curators, an organization that for many years presented such music at the now-defunct DC Space, located on 7th & E Street in Washington, DC.  In fact, Transparent Productions’ first concert was a collaboration with District Curators during their 1997 4th of July festival.  In one sense we jumped into the presenting mix because Disctrict Curators had transitioned from a monthly presenting organization to one that primarily only presented during major festival-type events.  Our approach, though only utilizing donoated space and providing 100% of all admission and music sale proceeds to the artists, was uniquely Transparent’s approach to presenting such music.

 

LA: We knew we didn’t have the time to devote to building the typical infrastructure of an arts presenter.  All of us have full-time jobs and we all pursue creative interests apart from music.  But we also knew there was a loose network of presenters all over the country doing this sort of thing on a grass roots level.  After much discussion we came to consensus on several important points:

    a) we would volunteer our time to present the concerts

    b) we would give the artists 100% of the door and all CD sales

    c) we would charge a reasonable fee so that teenagers and              

    college students could attend

    d) we would only use donated spaces near public transportation.

 

What would you describe as some of the successes and failures of Transparent thus far?

 

LA: This question is probably best answered by the audience or music community [in DC], but I would point to all the great musicians who have played shows for us, including William Parker, Leo Smith, Dave Douglas, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, ICP Orchestra, Peter Brotzmann, Steve Coleman, Evan Parker, Rova, Matt Shipp, The Thing, and many others.  In all we’ve presented nearly 150 concerts without any operating budget.  [Since our interview Transparent has also presented the Kidd Jordan Trio with Joel Futterman and Alvin Fielder, the Frode Gjerstad Trio with Paal Nilssen-Love, and Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio, which was broadcast on WPFW.]

 

We’ve shown that it’s possible to create a scene if you’re willing to donate your time and do a little work.  In that sense we were inspired not just by these great musicians, but also by the whole DIY (Do it Yourself) ethos. 

 

We’ve been fortunate to work with wonderful people in the community who have helpted contribute in many ways.  For example there’s a beautiful artist named Jennifer Carter who owns a Tibetan Buddhist Fair Trade store in Takoma Park.  She lets us use her space for concerts and she’s been very supportive of us and all the musicians we’ve brought.  Same with a jazz club in DC called Twins Jazz.  We couldn’t do these shows without the creative community pulling together. 

 

As far as failures go, some shows haven’t drawn as large an audience as we might like.  And there were a couple of musicians who we couldn’t bring and they’re now gone.  So, life is short and you can’t be too casual about passing on opportunities.

 

BH: Key successes: 1) A constant and growing audience that truly listens intently to and appreciates this music; 2) Major artist’s willingness to perform under our approach, and the positive feedback [we’ve] received; 3) The successful proliferation of similar such presenting organizations, such as Electric Possible ll, Clavius, and AnDieMuzik [in nearby Baltimore].

 

Challenges: To better balance the work required between Transparent Productions’ presenting members to reduce presenting fatigue.  Also, maybe we shouldn’t also pay admission to the performances that we present; (just kidding: that’s all part and parcel of maintaining our transparency.)

 

How do you go about engaging artists for performances?

 

BH: As many of Transparent Productions presenting members are former and current music programmers on WPFW, and also write about this music through other avenues, we all have our artists associations and contacts.  Over the years, artists have also reached out to us because of what they’ve heard.

 

LA: In the very beginning we actually contacted artists to invite them.  Very soon the word spread and we began fielding calls and emails from musicians all over the world who wanted to play DC.  Many musicians who play this music do not necessarily have agents.  So when they organize their own tours they tend to start with New York and it’s fairly simple for them to get in a vehicle and drive to Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC and beyond.  Some of the hard-core NY musicians come to hit in DC, and then drive back the same night.  These musicians love to play and the DC audiences appreciate the opportunity to see them.  Unfortunately, we only have the resources right now to do 2 or 3 shows a month.  And as much as we love straight-ahead jazz and other musics, we’re committed to doing things that are a bit more out on the edge.

 

How do you go about publicizing Transparent’s presentations?

 

LA: With no money for publicity we have to be savvy and creative about getting the word out.  We know how to write a press release and we make sure to send them out before press deadlines.  The Washington City Paper [weekly] was very supportive when we started out.  The Washington Post and the Post Express are very effective ways to publicize the shows.  We are also fortunate to have a radio sattion in DC that supports this music, WPFW-FM.  Perhaps the most important way to consistently and reliably get the word out is through the DC-Improv-Announce listserv.  It’s a Yahoo list with more than 500 email subscribers and they get timely announcements of not only our shows but various other new music events here in DC.  We’ve also got out website at www.transparentproductions.org. 

 

BH: [We publicize our events] Via the Transparent initiated DC Improv listserv, which is now also used by other like presenters; old fashioned flyer postings, radio, occasional print, and word of mouth.

 

Ideally how would you envision Transparent growing and expanding?

 

BH: Through even younger membership and broadened space presenting opportunities.  Also, we’re just beginning to toy with the possibility of going traditional [not-for-profit, tax exempt] 501(c)(3).  All no-strings-attached donations are welcomed.  All contacts are listed on our website: www.transparentproductions.org.

 

LA: I’d like to have the time and resources to present more than a couple of concerts a month.  It might also be nice to find a supportive hotel that wants to kick in rooms for the artists who want to stay over.

 

You can reach Larry Appelbaum at jumpmonk@hotmail.com.

 

 

 

 

Posted in The Presenter's P.O.V. | 1 Comment

Woe is IAJE

Posted on April 4, 2008 by The Independent Ear

Regular readers may recall the Independent Ear Blog post overview of the 2008 IAJE conference in Toronto last January.  Sadly that may have been the last IAJE conference for the foreseeable future.  What so many of us thought was a robust conference produced by what we assumed was the financially stable International Association for Jazz Education was in fact a complete house of straw.  And now the big bad wolf has come along and blown the whole house down. 

 

The bill seems to have come due (pun intended) with the post-conference "resignation" of former long time IAJE executive director Bill McFarlin.  For years boards came and boards went, presidents occupied figurehead chairs and the beat went on — all with Bill McFarlin wielding an unchallenged iron hand with zero oversight.  Well folks, the bill has come due.  Fact is McFarlin took a powder in lieu of being canned.  Once his dust cleared and the real books were examined, the rosy picture he painted for years was revealed to be as counterfeit and bankrupt as a proverbial house of straw.

 

Remember that highly-touted, optimistic Campaign For Jazz that IAJE launched several years ago, the one designed to put the organization on a forever firm foundation and establish a hearty endowment fund?  Again… smoke & mirrors.  Some of us recall IAJE conference banquets of the past couple of years that served in part to prop up this counterfeit Campaign for Jazz; various "donors" — or more to the point, donor pledgees — would be recognized from the dais by McFarlin and receive hearty applause and backslaps from those happy jazzers in attendance.  ‘Wow, isn’t that just wonderful news!’  A couple of years ago banquet attendees within earshot couldn’t help but hear one so-called donor pledgee mutter to anyone with open ears that he hadn’t exactly pledged anything of the sort.

 

At the 2007banquet a gentleman from out of the blue (regular IAJE attendees tend to be recognizeable faces in the crowd; the conferences thrived — or so we thought — on repeat business) was introduced by McFarlin as having pledged $1M to the Campaign for Jazz!  Last time I checked they were still looking for this guy and his so-far empty-suit "pledge" to the Campaign for Jazz.  A former IAJE affiliate got a call from an IAJE official seeking this gentleman’s whereabouts.  Not only was his million never banked, they can’t even locate this cat!

 

Since the disastrous Toronto conference (attendance was down a devastating 40% from the 2007 New York conference level!!!)allegations of malfeasance and misuse of funds have trickled through the rumor mill, McFarlin is apparently in deep cover and has been allowed to slink away scott free by the organization’s slumbering board, and now the board has issued a pitiful cash call asking the membership to pony up $25 per by snail mail in order to keep the organization afloat!  As if $25 per member, even if that paper tiger campaign were to be successful, would or could somehow stem the river of red ink which rumor has it has already reached $1.3M.  (I was reminded of a 1980s snail-mailed cash call from Joe Segal during one of his Jazz Showcase club struggles that was accompanied by a pathetic photo of a forlorn Joe with his empty pockets displayed inside-out of his slacks, palms up in despair.  But that was for a club, done mock humorously, not for an international organization for goodness sakes!)

 

The latest salvo comes with this week’s troubling news that Mary Jo Papich, IAJE’s first-ever woman president-elect, has resigned due to insurmountable differences on direction with the current board — members of whom apparently have their own series of agendas, IAJE and jazz be damned.  Talk about piling on!  With the exception of a tiny, clear-thinking cadre of IAJE board members characterized by Laura Johnson of Jazz at Lincoln Center (who smelled the coffee awhile back but whose warnings weren’t heeded until it was far too late), the great majority of the current and recent past IAJE board(s) must share the lion’s share of blame for this sorry state.  This was a classic case of a slumbering board perpetually asleep at the switch which never exercised due oversight over prior leadership machinations.

 

Current president Chuck Owen — the signator of that small-thinking, knee-jerk $25 red light cash call — and immediate past president David Caffey must share a great deal of this weight.  In fact during his presidency Caffey was duly warned by members of the IAJE staff and other concerned jazz citizens, formally and informally, that things were terribly amiss at the dear old Manhattan, Kansas HQ.  Caffey chose to keep eyes tightly shut, get his 40 winks and largely ignore these warnings.  And where does that leave us? 

 

It seems from this 25-year member’s standpoint that for far too long, even in the wake of the absorption of the old Jazz Times Convention’s industry-oriented model coaxed into the IAJE conference structure by such hard-working "Industry Tract" producers as Lee Mergner, Don Lucoff and more recently Suzan Jenkins, IAJE has continued to be ruled by the tight grip of jazz educators.  The organization cries out for new leadership that is a diverse, compatible mix of educators and industry leaders — not to mention its continued need for a greater degree of cultural and gender diversity in its governing body.  For far too long it appears the former E.D. was able to snow various educator-board members, greasing them up with overseas excursions to exotic jazz festivals and other locales, all the while building up chits that further solidified his armor against the kind of oversight scrutiny any intelligent organization engages in.

 

Currently it seems prospects are pretty hopeless for the planned January 2009 IAJE conference in beautiful Seattle.  I recently convened an informal dialogue among industry veterans to discuss the sad state of IAJE in the wake of the now-infamous $25 cash call (which has reportedly netted a paltry $10K).  The responses were a mixed bag ranging from the we’ve all got to pull together for the sake of the music cadre, to those questioning that limp $25 cash call, to the righteous indignation crew calling for some measure of financial recompense from the former E.D.  Where do you stand on the current sorry state of what was always thought of as our lone infallable international jazz support organization?  Your comments below are most welcome and encouraged.

Posted in General Discussion | 57 Comments

Q&A with emerging pianist HELEN SUNG

Posted on March 27, 2008 by The Independent Ear

For the launch of our annual Debut Series, which presents artists new to the Cleveland community, Tri-C JazzFest included the exceptional young pianist Helen Sung.  On a lovely Sunday afternoon in the exquisite chamber-hall like confines of the new performing arts auditorium at East Cleveland Public Library, Helen Sung and her trio totally enthralled a packed house of folks who threatened to jump out of their seats at every nuance the pianist delivered.  It was a major love-in and Helen’s CDs quickly sold out after the performance by folks eager to scoop up some of her recorded skills; her performance was that magnetic!

 

I first became acquainted with Helen Sung at one of the Monk Institute piano competitions at the Kennedy Center.  That afternoon, though she didn’t win the competition, there was something about her artistry, a certain sparkle that came across in her presentation and her general carriage at the keyboard, coupled with her obvious piano facility that marked her as someone to watch.  When you see Helen Sung in performance you are immediately taken by the sheer joy of her artistry.  She decidedly is not some brooding, introspective pianist intent on navel gazing.  There is an energy, warmth and a palpable humor in her playing that is quite infectious.  Helen’s latest recording Sungbird  (after Albeniz) is on the Sunnyside label.

 

Willard Jenkins: What originally compelled you to want to learn and play jazz music?

Helen Sung: Probably two things: 1) the incredible feeling of swing, and 2) the desire to learn how to improvise… to be able to do more than just the written note — this thrilled and terrified me at the same time!

 

How and where did that quest begin?

It began at the end of my undergraduate studies in classical piano at the University of Texas at Austin.  A friend dragged me to a Harry Connick Jr. concert (I didn’t know who he was at that point), and a couple of solo [piano] pieces he played during the concert floored me.  I didn’t know the piano could be played like that!  Along with some fellow classical majors, I enrolled in an "Intro to Jazz" class (taught by UT’s excellent jazz piano professor Jeff Hellmer) and things kind of took off from there.  I listened to everything I could get my hands on and read books on the history and masters of jazz music.  I didn’t know much so my listening was unorganized but fun — from Bill Evans to Charlie Parker to Ornette Coleman to Keith Jarrett to Sun Ra.

 

How do you explain the fact that Houston now has not one but three very vital young pianists (in addition to yourself there’s Jason Moran and Robert Glasper)?

Well I’m totally honored that you included me in this group because I see myself more as a party crasher (she smiles).  Better late than never I suppose!  Anyway, I attribute this to the excellent performing arts high school in Houston — HSPVA — and its former jazz director Dr. Robert Morgan.  Although I wasn’t a part of his class, he ran what must have been an amazing jazz program because so many great musicians on the scene today come from PVA, folks like drummers Eric Harland, Chris Dave, Mark Simmons, Kendrick Scott, another great pianist Eddy Hobizal, the list goes on and on.  People also say there must be something in the water…

 

What did growing up in Houston contribute to your eventual pursuit of jazz and the various flavors and approaches you bring to your music?

I was totally immersed in the classical thing when I lived in Houston.  I also played the violin so I was in youth symphony (and the HSPVA orchestra too, in fact).  So the colors, textures, and forms of classical music play a big part in what I hear.  Houston is also an urban city so the feeling & attitudes must be in there somewhere!  My years in Austin were also important, it being a center for so many different types of music — classical, jazz, rock, folk, alternative, bluegrass, Dixieland, etc.

 

Your latest recording "Sungbird" brings elements of both your jazz and your European art music experiences together.  Talk about why you decided to explore this kinship and are these two musics really so far apart as some think?

This was my first recorded attempt to bring jazz and western European art music together in a way that I hope is authentic and does justice to both styles.  I remember hearing classical treatments of jazz (and vice versa) and feeling that one side always got the short end of the stick.  In the end, I think music is about sound and style, although specific concepts & aesthetics might differ.  I remember being blown away when I found out classical cats back in the day all improvised — and in the style they wrote!  Can you imagine J.S. Bach improvising a Prelude & Fugue, Mozart or Beethoven improvising a sonata, Chopin improvising a ballade?  Amazing!  I remember playing piano concertos, which always have a cadenza in the 1st movement where the soloist is supposed to improvise (the "big soloist" moment).  But I always played written out cadenzas.  I remember feeling funny about that, and am very grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn how to improvise.

 

Have you mapped out any plans for your next recording?

Yes!  My next recording will probably be a live recording, a mix of old and new music (sneak preview).  For my next studio project I would love to record my "electric" music.  I’m a big fan of fusion (Weather Report, Headhunters, Return to Forever, etc.) and want to record the music I’ve written that is inspired by those groups.

 

What’s happening with, and what are your aspirations for your performing career?

Someone said to me once, "slow & steady."  I appreciate and agree with that, but I’m also ready for that "big something" to happen!  I’m grateful to have more and more bandleader situations and look forward to what 2008 will bring.  One upcoming highlight is a performance at the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival [Helen won the 2007 Mary Lou Williams Piano Competition at the Kennedy Center].  I’m also wrestling with the whole management/agent thing.  This music business is no joke!

 

Obviously it takes more than pure talent to be successful in music.  What skills do you recommend that young aspiring musicians MUST bring to the table if they are to have a shot at success?

Above all I would say persistence and patience.  And community.  This is a tough field and can be discouraging at times.  I’m a big fan of those who have longevity and continuing relevance in jazz music, and I aspire to the same.

 

You’re a highly communicative artist — both in terms of how you connect with your audiences, and in terms of how you are building and communicating with your audience (or "fan") base.  Talk about the importance of those elements in building a successful career.

I believe the artist is the ambassador for their music to the listening audience.  I never thought I’d be one to speak on the mike and all that, but I’ve had to, and have grown to appreciate it as a learned skill and important way to connect with the audience… to get to know them and let them get to know me.  People respond to music, and when there is a good artist-audience connection, the response is even better.  This takes time, and is a building process.

 

If you were afforded ample resources for a dream project, what would that be?

A large ensemble (rhythm, horns, percussion, voice) with Wayne Shorter as the guest star!  To tour and perorm a jazz song cycle and also an instrumental suite…

 

You can catch up to Helen Sung at: www.helensung.com.  Don’t sleep!

Posted in Artist's P.O.V. | Leave a comment

New Orleans Diary Vll: On WWOZ

Posted on March 26, 2008 by The Independent Ear

                             WWOZ On the Good Foot

 

After 18 years on-air doing a Friday evening jazz slot on DC’s bastion of community radio, WPFW, one of my first priorities upon landing in New Orleans last October was a prospecting visit to the studios of WWOZ, community radio in the Crescent City.  GM David Freedman and Program Director Dwayne Breashears, clearly recognizing a community radio diehard, were quite welcoming.  I had been familiar with WWOZ mainly from many trips to Jazz Fest, the two New Orleans IAJE conferences, and assorted other conference and meeting trips down here.  Familiarity with WWOZ came courtesy primarily through the programming exploits of Michael Gourrier ("Mr. Jazz"), Michael Kline, and the late, lamented "Moose".  

 

I vividly remember pulling over on Canal Street one sultry April morning during Jazz Fest while Suz dashed across the street for a coffee and being thoroughly enthralled by a John Sinclair spin of George French’s unforgettablly rich-voiced rendition of the Hoagy Carmichael classic "New Orleans."  A quick trip to the now-defunct Decatur Street Tower Records store and I was introduced not only to George French but to his drumming brother Bob French and his Tuxedo Jazz Band.  Arriving down here last fall for this as yet undetermined spell in the Crescent City, 90.7 FM (listen live at www.wwoz.org) became my instant broadcast soundtrack for life in NOLA.  Flipping on the station Tuesdays and Fridays 9-11 am even yielded the sardonically-humored, New Orleans-proud, Musician’s Village-dwelling Bob French himself (hear him musically on his ’07 Marsalis Music Honors series disc).

 

WPFW is part of that last bastion of politically progressive radio stations the Pacifica network; a station whose motto "Jazz & Justice" is manifested by a balanced menu of jazz, Latin, blues, global rhythms, R&B and left-leaning politics, much of it from a decidedly African American perspective befitting DC’s populace.  On the other hand WWOZ is thoroughly, 100% about music; leave politics for others to ponder.  Much of WWOZ’s music is about roots — classic blues and R&B, New Orleans and Louisiana music, likely the most radio hours devoted to early jazz in America, modern jazz, a strong global strip on Saturdays, gospel on Sundays, and an "open door policy" towards resident artists’ recordings and interview opportunities.

 

Yes, I do know the drill at community radio; i.e. it wasn’t about walking in off the street with 30+ years of public radio experience in my pocket and being immediately installed in a programming slot.  The community radio pecking order calls for signing up as a program sub and abiding your time for openings.  Fortunately those openings have come at a decent clip for yours truly.  And in a fascinating twist I’ve been able to stretch a bit musically.  As is the case at WPFW programmers largely work from their own extensive record collections, in the case of WWOZ largely eschewing a station record library that was severely depleted by Katrina and is just now getting back up to speed. 

 

WWOZ, a station with an impressive percentage of ‘net listeners from across the globe who also contribute mightily during the station’s pledge drives, is a decidedly "character" driven radio station.  Besides Bob French the characters abound, including "Jelly Roll Justice", "The Problem Child", "Black Mold", "Gentilly", the stellar Saturday evening classic R&B spinner who goes by "The Soul Sister", "Hazel the Delta Rambler", "The Midnight Creeper", "Big D", "Jivin’ Gene", "The Minister of Swing", "Cousin Dmitri", "Brother Jesse", the Operations Director is the inimitable "Freddie Blue"… you get the drift.

 

My own stretching has enabled me to work towards fresh and unique combinations of music from my collection, often spinning styles of music I’d never had a previous opportunity to radio program particularly when subbing for one of the nightly "Kitchen Sink" 10-midnight slots which I’ve had the pleasure of doing on several occasions.  That particular format, as in "everything but…" has a tendency to be about R&B at the core with opportunities for myriad related spin-offs.  I’ve tended to take the format literally by its title, which might call for a set featuring for instance the neo-soul sista Sy Smith, followed by John Coltrane, Sekou Sundiata, the Neville Brothers, and concluding with some Jimi Hendrix.  Yes you can roll that way with the "Kitchen Sink."

 

Depending upon when/if you read this, the next upcoming opportunities to catch the Open Sky way on the WWOZ airways are Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28 subbing for the Morning Jazz Set from 6-9am CST; and sitting in for my man "Black Mold" on the daily New Orleans Music Show Thursday, April 11 from 11am-2pm CST.  And the WWOZ studio line is 504/568-1234.  Listen live at www.wwoz.org.

Posted in General Discussion | 12 Comments

Are artists really interested in audience development?

Posted on March 14, 2008 by The Independent Ear

The Most Critical Issue in Jazz: Audience Development Pt. 1

 

Consider this part of an ongoing series on the critical subject of audience development.  Most would agree that we have a wealth of competent-to-exceptional-to-Master level jazz artists.  Jazz education is quite healthy with an increasing number of education institutions offering good-to-excellent education opportunities to the aspiring musician.  There is a veritable glut of jazz recordings released on a daily basis (that glut being perhaps another issue to explore later). 

 

Yes, there is a huge disparity in the ratio of the number of viable jazz venues and performance opportunities v.s. the number of deserving musicians.  That disparity can be closed by growing the number of jazz consumers, increasing the number of consumers excited by this music… simple audience development.  More audience… more demand… more venues… more opportunity for the significant number of talented jazz artists to ply their craft.  The domino effect of growing the jazz audience is obvious.

 

What can artists do to assist in the positive development of the jazz audience?  Perhaps adapting more effective, meticulously crafted and considerate means of programming their performances is a good place to start.  There are many observers who feel jazz artists could be more effective at developing the audience purely by adopting more audience-friendly programming skills — without in any way compromising their music. 

 

I’ve seen first hand how students of this music often feel that all they need to develop is their playing acumen, the rest is beneath their consideration; to hell with stage comportment, stage craft, and programming be damned.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As jazz artists develop their craft they need to be very mindful of learning and adapting programming elements and methods that are more audience-friendly.  If you continue performing just for yourselves pretty soon that’s all that will be happening, you’ll be navel-gazing and engaging in self-aggrandizement exercises played to empty houses.

 

Let’s for a moment examine the issue of solos, including solo length, and the notion that perhaps the kind of head-solos-head format may induce audience boredom to the overall detriment of jazz audience development.  I recall two acute occasions where I questioned the issue of solo length as a real detriment to audience development.  In both cases the perpetrators were artists I greatly admire — two of the reigning titans of their instrument, and two artists I have written about in laudatory terms, have presented in concert, have played on radio shows, and in one case have interviewed on the air on more than one occasion.  In each case a segment of the audience, most likely jazz initiates, roared their approval while a significant portion of the audience appeared glazed over, dumfounded at what they’d just witnessed.

 

Awhile back I saw alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett at the Kennedy Center Jazz Club and he was truly on fire!  Straight out of the box — sans intro — he roared into his opening piece and proceeded to play a stem-winding solo that I clocked at over 30-minutes in length.  A few months later at a festival I caught a duo concert featuring alto saxman Sonny Fortune and drummer Rashid Ali.  Incredibly they played "Impressions" for the entire 90 minute set… and Sonny’s solo lasted over 85 minutes!

 

In both cases these were amazing displays of sheer stamina, though I lost count on where the freshness of ideas ended — certainly well before they each mercifully concluded their solos.  In each case I was left asking myself how a new jazz initiate or tenderfoot audience member might have responded to such a solo.  How would your spouse, partner, children, friends who may not be as deeply immersed in the music as you are respond?  Ultimately I enjoyed both of these performances, but I’m a diehard.  They both left me wondering how someone perhaps less deeply immersed in the music might have responded to these heroic but ultimately monotonous displays.

 

These two solos and other gymnastic displays I’ve witnessed over the years always remind me of how economically effective grandmasters like Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and their cohorts were with their soloing, particularly given the time limitations of the recording format during the majority of their careers.  Think about what brilliance those greats were able to accomplish in their solos on those 3-1/2 minute gems.  In fact Bird once said "…after two choruses you’re just practicing."  And remember what Miles told John Coltrane?  "Take the horn out’cha mouth…"

 

I polled several people close to jazz music, including enthusiasts, an industry professional, an educator, a critic, a television professional, and an active jazz musician on this subject.  What’s your take on what they had to say?

 

Enthusiast/fan: "On the one hand, jazz music is supposed to be about creativity, but on the other it does help to have structure, a defined program, and like a good book… an introduction, followed by the story, some low points, some high points, and an ending… before   the reader gets tired of the story."

 

Music education administrator: "…Less is more…"

 

Jazz musician: "Most jazz musicians… including myself… at some point in time can be accused of soloing too long on any particular tune.  As a soloist there comes a point when you can stop, or at least go for another helping.  As I get older I am trying to edit myself… say the maximum in the least amount of choruses.  I think every musician must determine what is relevant to them.  They must set some sort of priority or parameter as to what is important to their performance.  I, for one, would love to see more young people at jazz venues, concert halls, etc.  I believe that in order to attract more young folks, we must keep the music more groove oriented, we must have more ensemble arrangement interplay, and keep the solos short and to the point.  I don’t want to imply that we have to play one solo chorus and funk rhythms exclusively, simply that people can tap their foot or dance to the music.

 

Every solo must be based on the current circumstances surrounding it… the vibes…  No doubt that Paul Gonsalves thirty-plus chorus solo with Duke Ellington at Newport, on "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue", is a classic… and so [by contrast] is Hawk’s original short version of "Body and Soul", where he never plays the melody; that version was a big hit!  I would prefer that the audience would say… ‘hey, so and so played great; I wish that he/she had played another chorus.  As the wise masters would say, keep them wanting more!!!"

 

Music industry professional: "I agree with you wholeheartedly, and this is something Wynton has been saying too, that artists must find a balance between their art and the audience they want to connect with.  But do painters, sculptors, textile artists worry about the same?  Did Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock or Basquiat worry whether their art would be approachable while creating it? 

 

Are musicians held to a higher standard than others?  If musicians limit their expression and worry about approachability, are they or their art being clipped of creativity?  How can artists come to this balance?  Perhaps one way is to tailor their presentations to their audience; but that is problematic too!  Wasn’t Kenny Garrett performing in a jazz club?  And wasn’t Sonny Fortune performing at a jazz festival?  If artists have to clip their expression at jazz venues, just exactly where are they to practice and promote their art?

 

So one thought may be, "to hell with audiences, musicians are just introspective; they are playing for themselves"!  But why not?  With such little revenue trickling down to the artist and so few venues presenting unadulterated straight-ahead music, the artists are probably used to playing for themselves and a select few friends and fans more often than not.  Or perhaps musicians are used to performing in Europe, where audiences seem to have a wider acceptance and are more open-minded about improvised expression.  And come to think of it, what responsibility do audiences have in all this?  Do they just come to concerts, expecting to be fed only what’s enjoyable or should art be challenging?

 

Asking artists to abbreviate their expression simply for audience enjoyment goes squarely against the grain of what I feel is the right of expression.  But others have done it, and they have left the planet a little better place with tasty improvised gems scattered throughout their repertoire, like Armstrong, Monk and even Trane.  I suppose that like everything else in life, achieving a balance is paramount to success.  It woul serve both audiences and artists alike to endeavor to do so."

 

Television producer-camerman: "I also think some artists over-play their selections.  I’m not talking about the plastic jazz genre, they have nothing to play at best and go through the pseudo crowd-pleasing gymnastics without saying a damn thing, just boring you to death… all those wish-I-could-really-play-the-sax dudes and dudettes.  What is sad is when the audiences really think they are doing something!"

 

Jazz critic: "I heard [Sonny] Fortune and [Rashied] Ali do the same thing in Burlington last year and I walked out after 75 minutes.  Most of the audience loved it ("It was just like sex," said one mesmerized fan) but I was just happy that, not having to review the performance, I could leave, although I had had enough about 20 minutes earlier.  There was also little sense of interaction between the two, which actually reminded me of a Kenny Garrett/Tain experience I had [once] ("like two fighters working the heavy bags next to each other" I wrote).  And yet in my first nightclub experience I heard Coltrane play what I recall as a 45-minute solo on "My Favorite Things" that was interrupted twice (plus once more at the end) by standing ovations that I was right in the middle of.  There have never been many musicians who could pull such marathons off.  As you say, Garrett and Fortune are great saxophonists, but to my ears they take the easy way out when they opt for the long blowout rather than exploring a wider range of moods and structures."

 

Everybody ain’t Coltrane!  What’s your take?  Coments welcome below…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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