by Tyler Hernandez

David Bertrand Interview

In Jazz, most instruments that you’d associate with the medium would be horns such as the Saxophone, and not so many woodwind instruments like the Clarinet or the Flute. However Jazz Musician, David Bertrand argues against this and believes that the flute has the ability to adapt languages from other instruments to go through its vessel. Originally from the neighborhood of Cocorite in Trinidad, David’s musical language is very heavily influenced by the Saxophone itself, however he uses that language through the woodwind instruments he plays to give what he calls perspective. Playing woodwind instruments with the heart and soul of a broader instrument is something Bertrand loves to do when playing with his colleagues and friends. In this interview, I ask David five questions that pertain to him as an artist and more importantly as a person and what his role is in the world around him.

1. Is music the only form of artistic expression that you are interested in? Have you tried any other forms of it? And if so, how do you think that correlates with being a Jazz Musician?

A: Right now, I don’t have any other music other than jazz music quite frankly. It takes up all of my time, except for having a family. But throughout my life I have engaged in other forms, so when I was in secondary school (my country’s equivalent of High School) I was a Visual Arts major- watercolor, painting, some drawing. I was kind of good at it? And I felt that it was a kind of emotional malleability that the visual arts possessed that I was drawn to. You know, that whole thing of your perspective being important, and really the idea that you are expressing a sentiment that is unique, really massively appealed to me. At that time, there were folks in my class that were way better technicians than I was. So I had a better talent, maybe? But I didn’t have the kind of skill as the others, and I felt I wanted to engage with a form where I can truly realize my imagination, and my perspective and articulate it. So, I think that led me to Literature and I was actually a Literature major in College. Almost did that in Grad School before coming to America, and becoming a Jazz Musician. I would say that it’s probably still an active thing- I do write, and I have shared some of that writing in public settings, it comes in useful. I think that perhaps it’s the second strongest way I have of expressing myself, other than music. Some of the people in my life think that is the prominent thing, but for my own self, the inscrutability of music that we can, as instrumentalists, not have words in our tool kit, yet we’re able to convey aspects of the human experience without the need for words. Emotions and Sentiments don’t need that information. But I think that there is something because these are all human expressions where there is intersectionality. If you can think of a well formed phrase in poetry or prose as being musical, all the nuances, not just the inflections of the words itself, but the kind of real punctuation which feels like a really stilted thing, and convey so much sentiment in terms of the duration of the proses. To give you a sense of the personality of the writer, or the kind of mood or sentiment that is trying to be expressed, I think has a very strong correlation to music. That’s what ultimately we’re trying to do organically, honestly in real-time as Jazz Musicians. But Tyler, I would argue that there is an art in everything. I really wanted to get into parkour when I moved to New York, and that in itself is an art. To see the world itself as your canvas, and you are the paintbrush, and are moving differently to how the landscape changes, that’s essentially what we’re doing as Jazz Musicians. It’s as if we’re running through the rooftops of all the five boroughs, and that changes constantly. It’s still New York, but the weather changes- there might be a flock of pigeons on one rooftop one night; someone painting; another a group of people doing Yoga; so that you’re changing as you’re doing your whole Captain America parkour thing. I suppose it’s a similar thing when we’re playing.

2. When performing music, what does it take for you to get into a state of mind where you can riff and improvise a piece? Is it an instinctual feeling or is it something that you have learned to develop over time?
A: It’s both actually! I feel like when I’ve been asked similar questions, I think immediately about, like, sort of like the parkour thing, I think about Basketballers or in the world of fiction, before this stuff became nerd popular, I was really into Marvel Comics (not so much the movies) and I was really into Star Wars, that whole Jedi thing. And because I think with those characters, the idea that you had this incredible amount of acumen, that came through decades of study and practice but also with an encouraged malleability, so when you’re in a real-time situation, you’re able to react organically and recall all of this training and all these possibilities. I see the same thing in real life with Basketballers especially, and Footballers- this team thing where the individual’s contribution is celebrated, but they’re having to do it in context with others. So with me, it’s trying to be relaxed enough so I can remember all the training that I have as a Jazz Musician, in terms of how I’m going to create spontaneously and being open, so I can do it in a spontaneous way. At the same time it’s grounded, not just in this visceral sense of reacting to stuff, but it’s still anchored in what we refer to as Jazz Musicians as, language that’s not gobbledygook- that I am being expressive, so that other musicians would be able to hear me, and hear ideas, sentences, a dialogue, so it’s not just me running around the streets of Brooklyn going “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” but rather I’m saying something that can be understood, followed, and felt. I think that’s true for a lot of things in life. You want to be open to be spontaneous, so that your reactions are grounded in acumen- What you know. And that can be malleable to create new expressions and that now is added to your acumen. And I suppose that’s what group feels like for a lot of us.

3. What was it like performing with other people for the first time? Is there a certain energy you could describe to the way others play off of you?

A: One of the joys of playing with new people is the possibility that they are going to catalyze something in your own plane, and that you get to catalyze something in their plane, and that it is going to be something positive, enjoyable, surprising and beautiful. That doesn’t always happen, and I think a lot of it depends on the fact that we are human beings and that sometimes there is a degree of inscrutability because well, if I’m honest- sometimes people can be jerks. Some folks can be mad about us playing the music, and other folks are like, “well I wanna show you how bad I am, how fast I can play, how impressive I can be,” or maybe it’s a social thing. “I don’t know you so maybe you’re not worth my time so I bring that attitude to the music.” So that doesn’t always happen, and most people I found are cool. If you don’t know someone, try to figure out first off- if they’re a jerk or not, because that determines the dynamic of the music. If someone has a lot of attitude, then we’re trying to be polite and respectful, but you’re also acknowledging the elephant in the room. That can’t always be enjoyable. Within the first few seconds of playing, you get a sense as to what the person’s agenda is, or if there is no agenda. They’re playing in a way where you’re audible, and they’re not drawing attention to themselves, but rather contributing and making it a conversation, a dialogue, wanting to think. Musically, they’re listening to figure out who you are, they want to hear you- they want to learn more about you. It’s like what a conversation does- and when that happens, man you can relax, be yourself, even when you’re solo-ing and you’re expressing yourself in an expressively individualistic way. You also want to hear from them, so you can give them some space. They’ll say something back like, “Oh! That’s a really interesting point/Oh! That was clever!/Oh, that was funny!” and that just catalyzes more uplifting moments in the interaction. So it’s always kind of, “let’s see who this person is,” but it’s always hopeful that you’ll have those really positive uplifting moments. And those are the kind of people you want to play with. That’s why most of us moved here- for the opportunity for that to happen. I think all those great records made us all want to be Jazz Musicians, and because we can’t necessarily play with all the great Jazz Musicians from generations before, it’s like, alright, that’s their story. Now I need to find my musical friends to have that happen, and maybe when we play, we want to lift someone else up who has us.

4. What does the word “Jazz” mean to you? Is it a word that can be described verbally or is it something, like theater, that needs to be experienced rather than explained? And if so, could you elaborate on that?

A: Jazz has a very… the word itself, has a very specific history in this country. And I think there’s certain quarters from the African-American Jazz community that have been, I think very honest about how that word makes them feel. A lot of this you can check out on Google, but given that the word was according to some historians, first used when musicians were playing in some rather seedy establishments, that you had this kind of smear attached to this amazing expression from the African-American imagination. If it’s black, if it needs to be spoken of with respect. Were blacks not doing anything valid anywhere? So to them, they may as well give them a dirty word against it. And I think that stigma is still very much part of the dynamic of how the music is treated in this country. It is considered America’s classical music. It is considered one of the great innovations of the 20th Century. It is considered one of the greatest expressions from human imagination. And yet, how much Jazz do you hear in everyday life? In your neighborhood? How many families from solid working class communities have the opportunity and the resources for their children to become Jazz Musicians? So let’s even consider that as a career option. Popular culture has a history of making fun of Jazz- the writing staff for The Simpsons- I know The Simpsons isn’t necessarily relevant anymore but they have a history of these really silly Jazz jokes. Same can be said for Saturday Night Live. And you kind of ask yourself- why is this music that is represented initially, the African-American community, coming out of all their anguish and pain, wanting to assert their artistry and their personhood- why would you make fun of that, why would you routinely do so? What’s impetus to pull it down and make it stupid? Make it sound like something irrelevant. There is that. Mostly though, I think of dignity when I hear that word. I think of overcoming, I think of welcoming perspectives. So if you are from New York, with this music growing up, and it has significance to you? More power to you. You can be from Australia, you can be from Lebanon, you can be from Korea, you could be from Trinidad, and at some point you hear this music. And you feel like, wow that’s how I want to express myself and contribute something beautiful to the world. That’s one of the greatest things. So sorry for the convoluted response on that one, but I think like so many things, especially conversations the past few years there are different perspectives. You cannot, I think, in the 21st Century- you cannot think about Jazz and not have honest conversations about appropriation, and the way systematic resources or the allocation for those resources, lead to one group of people being able to engage with that artform regularly. Whereas other communities, ironically communities that birthed that music- this music and others, don’t even get the chance to listen to it, far less, practice it. I think that’s problematic. Especially New York, Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, where people of color, some of the greatest practitioners of this music ever, may forget about it.

5. What was the journey like to getting to the instrument that you now are most associated with? Did it take a long time to discover that this instrument is the vessel that you want to express your musical intuition with?

A: I didn’t want to play the flute- I wanted to be a Saxophone player. But the band program I was in, in my secondary school, at the time- an interest in Jazz developed, and the school did not have any Saxophones available- they had a flute. And I was like… okay- I’m going to use this, and I got really good really quickly. And that’s what I wanted to do with my life. I think when it was obvious that I had an affinity with the instrument, it didn’t matter to me that it wasn’t a Saxophone. I still, in terms of my approach, what we call the language as Jazz Musicians, I listened exclusively to Saxophone players. When I did hear flute solos, Jazz Musicians that played Flute primarily, a lot of it was kind of light and ineffective, and didn’t have a lot of drive, it didn’t seem very cerebral- it felt kind of inconsequential. Whereas in Saxophone playing it’s, “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!,” sort of like an MC spitting verse, or like a really amazing boxer, amazing gymnast, like yeah go for that. And over time, I mean I do play other things. Clarinet is my second instrument, but I do know Saxophones- I could technically play them. But when I do, my whole thing has been taking an instrument that is kind of marginalized in Jazz, and using the language of the dominant horn in the music- the Saxophone. Using that language and coming up with this thing that, and it’s not unique to me, other people have done it, but it’s been so underreported that most people’s response to me is, “okay you’re going to be a flute player haha,” then they hear all the Saxophone language and they’re like, “Oh, woah there!” and it’s either resentment because I’m not living up to their expectations, or it’s an invitation to collaborate and play, and I’m accepted as an equal. And I think you’re astute enough to see that I kind of push this as a metaphor for identity. I’m a black guy from Trinidad in the Caribbean- I’m not going to change who I am or my personal history, it’s just like having a flute, right? I grew up with a lot of American Television but I also read Shakespeare, but I also read all this Caribbean literature, plus I love my Marvel Comic Books, plus Hip Hop, and all of that comes together, and I want to acknowledge all of that, just like how I acknowledge that the flute is an amazing instrument, and has been from the beginning of time, and has this great reputation in classical music, but yet when historically it has been used in Jazz- it kind of sucks. But it sucks because historically, it’s been played by people who may have been Saxophone players, who played it as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th instrument, so they’re not really practicing- not really driven to really express themselves totally to the wall on it, as if nothing else mattered as it would on the Saxophone. And I tie that into the way in whichpeople of color, our stories for a long time haven’t been told by us, but have been told by other people and their perspectives, and a lot of them meant well, but those weren’t their stories to tell. And I think that now, people are much more receptive to the idea of someone being a flute player in this music and that there’s no stigma attached and the expectations are- well alright, we won’t judge you until you play, or we expect that you are automatically an equal, as opposed to an inferior or looked down as someone they don’t respect. What’s interesting is that as a flute player, because of the category, when you play something else, that perspective can be refreshing to people. So some naysayers will be like, “the flute is only valid if you have a better Saxophone language in it, if you put too much Saxophone language in it, oh no don’t go there!”But when you, as a flute player, play a Clarinet or a Saxophone, that perspective is unique and it reminds people that they’re supposed to be a diverse range of expressions in all of these instruments, because as human beings we’re individual- we’re not all supposed to sound the same on a Saxophone, or a Clarinet, Flute, or Bassoon or whatever it is. And as long as I can remember, that for myself, maybe there’s another perspective shift that can change how someone feels about an instrument, and if that happens then maybe it’ll change the perspective they have towards someone who is not like them, or a culture that is different to them, and that would be a good thing.

by Zeal Patel

Interview with John Klopotowski

John Klopotowski is a Jazz guitarist based in Oakland, California. He graduated from the Jazz Studies and Performance program at William Paterson College in New Jersey. As an undergrad he also chose to explore classical music in depth through private composition lessons and piano lessons. Most recently, John has joined the Universit Chorus at Berklely. The chorus has about 65 members with a diverse group of people from all backgrounds such as physics, economics, data science, computer science, etc. John was gracious enough to provide me with a link of Berkeley Music Live Stream – University Chorus: The Light of Peace, featuring Mozart’s Requiem

I had the pleasure of asking John a few questions over email and he has graciously provided detailed answers.

ZP: Can you talk a little about your process for composing tracks for your album, Project 59?

JK: For my CD, “Project 59,” I documented in the liner notes the events that led to making the recording, and will take a broader view of your phrase ‘composing tracks.’ I did bring one of my original jazz compositions, but also chose to feature some jazz standards, some compositions by favorite teachers, and last but not least, two compositions by my co-producer, pianist Rave Tesar (he is a gifted composer). There may be two CD projects squeezed into one (there are 5 tracks with a quartet and another 5 with a quintet) but this project felt a bit like recording a jazz guitar concert or recital in the studio with a variety of composers represented.

Specifically though, I brought the original piece “Child’s Play.” I wrote this in 1982 when I was studying jazz improvisation in New York with tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh. It is a jazz ‘line’ – an original melody – and is written over the song form of the standard tune “My Melancholy Baby.” I wrote it as an assignment as part of the compositional aspect of the studies. As a starting point, I always liked “My Melancholy Baby” both as a song, and as a vehicle for improvising. With the composition, I found an opening phrase that worked and then went from there, incorporating some of the musical and technical exercises that I was working on with Warne. I was happy with this piece in that it felt organic at the time – a whole piece in spite of the various aspects that I drew on – and it got a good response from Warne and also when I would bring it to sessions with other musicians. And, I wanted to honor my mom by recording it, I always felt like the lyric to “My Melancholy Baby” could have been sung by her, to me, when I was an infant. Finally, I had studied formal composition extensively before 1982 and strove to

bring to my jazz composing some of the aesthetic that I learned when studying the structure of JS Bach’s writing.

ZP: You began your musical career as a classical musician, what inspired you to dive in the realm of improvisation and jazz?

JK: Actually it was the reverse: classical music studies came as a result of my studies in jazz, so please allow me to reverse the nature of the question. I started playing guitar at age 11, took ‘normal’ lessons, and was influenced by The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, and lots of other popular bands at that time. Then, at the age of 17 I happened to be visiting a record shop in NYC, was beginning to feel the draw of jazz, and bought two LP’s – one by guitarist Django Reinhardt, the other by trumpeter Miles Davis. These two records found their way into my musical psyche, and it was hard to get certain tracks out of my head. Not long after this a friend shared that he was studying with a jazz guitar teacher and encouraged me to do the same, and I started lessons around the age of 18. These studies led me to apply to be a Jazz Studies major at William Paterson College in New Jersey. It was a very inspiring musical environment, and for the first year I was devoted to my jazz studies but also studying music theory drawn from classical music. There were great musical influences at William Paterson, notably classical piano studies with concert pianist Gary Kirkpatrick, and also concerts by the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, an acclaimed contemporary classical music group. I knew that one of my jazz guitar heroes, Jim Hall, had studied classical composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music and seemed to me to have a beautifully thoughtful approach to his improvising, similar to pianist Bill Evans (the pianist on the first Miles Davis LP that I purchased). So I started studying ‘classical’ composition privately over the summer of 1976, and showed an affinity for it. I was also greatly inspired by everything that I was listening to, no matter the genre.

These studies eventually led me to enter graduate school (Stony Brook University) as a composition major, and this was entirely a classical music educational environment. However, after two years of rigorous study I met jazz bassist Sonny Dallas, a local resident on Long Island. He had a very active jazz performing career in New York in the 1950s and 1960s, notably with pianist Lennie Tristano. The experiences of playing and studying with Sonny, and his friendship and support, led me to study in New York with Warne Marsh from 1982 to 1984, and thereafter by mail and phone (he had moved to Los Angeles, his hometown) until his death late in 1987. At that time I became fully committed to improvisation and still am. JS Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin were all gifted improvisers. In my later years I have become aware of the close connection between music and spoken language, and improvising is something like telling a story but with no predetermined framework of how the player should tell it – the story therefore can be quite personal. Improvising also takes place in ‘real time’ – the present moment – and both of these factors can make the music emotionally direct for both performer and listener.

ZP: How does your background in classical music & jazz play off of each other?

JK: In performance or practice by myself, while I realize that I may be improvising on a jazz tune or practicing a ‘classical’ piano piece, the musical language can be the same, or very similar, especially if the music is tonal and structured around common-practice harmonies (the common-practice period in music is roughly considered to be from 1685 through 1900). Jazz draws much of the harmonic language from developments in Western classical music, and also the interesting period around the turn of the last century (1900 up to around the beginning of World War II). That said, improvising brings a freshness, a feeling of surprise, that can infuse a musical performance with life. Classical performances that capture this feeling are very attractive to me. Last and definitely not least, the rhythmic element of music is pronounced in jazz. Certainly this comes from the African roots, and the way the music developed in America in the slave community. However, rhythm also underwent drastic expansion and transformation in classical music in the period following 1900. There are jazz elements in classical pieces from that time (ex – Ravel Piano Concerto in G, Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue), and classical harmonic language in jazz composition and performance (the writing of Gil Evans – “Birth of the Cool,” “Sketches of Spain”). In sum, I am aware of a fruitful cross-pollination between classical and jazz music.

ZP: Who are your original and current influences?

JK: (See answer to #2 for info on some important early influences.) The first jazz player I was drawn to, in terms of wanting to emulate, was guitarist Pat Martino. He died recently (November 2021) and was a large force in jazz and jazz guitar. I was lucky to hear him perform several times in New York in the early 1970s but did not get to study formally with him then. However, I did take a week of master classes with him at Stanford University in the summer of 2001. In terms of formal study, northern New Jersey was home to a robust community of jazz guitarists and I studied then with Bob DeVos. We are still friends and you can hear Bob performing currently in New York. He had a very similar approach to Pat Martino in both playing and teaching, and they had both studied jazz with Dennis Sandole in Philadelphia.

After relocating to the Stony Brook area on Long Island I met bassist Sonny Dallas, and he led me to listen to several early jazz masters. Studying jazz history also led me to these players, and private studies with Warne Marsh did the same. I came to be influenced by all improvisers of note, but especially tenor saxophonist Lester Young, alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, pianist Lennie Tristano, saxophonists Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, and Sonny Rollins. One reason is that these are players who contributed greatly to creating a language of improvisation that other players emulated. Finally, I came to be influenced by the great jazz singers – Billie

Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and many others. At the core, the best jazz is directly connected to the voice and these artists show us the way.

With guitar, I became enamored by the playing of Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery, and I also have had a great affinity for the ‘Toronto School’ of jazz guitarists. The first jazz guitarist from Toronto who attracted attention was Lenny Breau, and I also greatly admire Ed Bickert. If I made a full list of players I admire, who I consider to have influenced my thinking, it would be long and might be a bit boring for you. These are all players that I love dearly though, their playing speaks directly to me and I have learned and sung many of their improvised performances. Referring to the last question, for me these sorts of jazz recordings are ‘classics’!

ZP: Technology has played an important role in Jazz recordings & performances. Do you think upcoming tech like Virtual Reality (VR) would play a role in reshaping the next phase of Jazz recordings or performances?

JK: For this question, let me draw on the last 20 years in terms of technology evolution: in my experience the learning tools used in jazz have developed exponentially. These include transcription, practice, and recording tools. This is not what the general public would notice, but the level of playing is much higher than it was 30 or 40 years ago, and also the speed at which a student of jazz performance can develop has increased significantly. I don’t know how VR would play into this, but I am sure there will be an effect. Perhaps musicians in different locations will be able to collaborate more meaningfully in real time, and more easily, with VR as it develops. But the great news is that people need to practice their art for a lot of reasons and this will not stop. Technology will only continue to enhance learning and performance.

by Dom Celauro

Mike Holober is a Grammy nominated jazz pianist and composer. Holober has directed and conducted many jazz orchestras and has released studio albums. Holober is also a professor of Jazz at CCNY.

Question 1: What do you think jazz educators could do to make students more interested in their courses?

“Part of that is, ‘What can the department do to make the huge campus community aware that the courses exist?’ One thing that we do, which I think that we should do more of, is student performances on campus. Being active on campus as a program and making sure the program is in the public eye.”

Question 2: Do you believe jazz is mainstream?

“What does mainstream mean?… For me jazz is mainstream, but it depends on what your stream is. Billboard? (hot 100) no. But if you listen to wbgo in Newark, the jazz station, or stream jazz programs, or listen to certain pandora stations, then yes, it is very easy to make it a mainstream part of your life. In terms of sales, no its not mainstream in that way but it is easy to make it mainstream in your life.”

Question 3: How do you get over “writers block” when composing new pieces of music?

“The famous Duke Ellington was asked once, ‘What’s your motivation?’ and his answer was ‘A deadline.’ When you have a deadline and something must be done and it will really be bad if you don’t get it done, that takes care of it… If I have writers block one of my favorite things to do is experience some other artform. Seeing an artist in another genre who’s fearless and creative is the most thrilling thing.”

Question 4: Which era of jazz is your favorite?

“I’m not sure, I guess I can’t really answer that because I like so many of them. I think style is a better question than era. Many of the eras are still with us. It’s really hard to say, ‘I like the hard bop era’, I mean I do, but I can listen to a lot of music in the style of the hard bop era in Smalls (NYC jazz club).”

Question 5: Do you believe we will eventually see new eras of jazz or is jazz done evolving?

“No, I think it’s going to continue to evolve. I definitely think there’s some circular stuff in there, but you hear new things all the time and that doesn’t mean that they’re better but that does mean there’s new information that’ll find its way into people’s consciousness and be fused with other things into something new. Not everyone is trying to constantly emulate something they’ve heard. We are all evolving as individuals and musicians.”

by Alexander Brooks

The jazz musician that I decided to interview was Michael Holober. Mr. Holober is not only a jazz musician but a music professor here at CCNY. He was originally trained as a classical musician. He received his undergraduate, musical training at SUNY Oneonta and then his masters at SUNY Binghamton. He is now the Artistic Director/Conductor of the Westchester Jazz Orchestra. He has performed in Jazz Orchestras all over the world including in Scotland, Croatia, Sweden and all over Europe. Below is a link of his catalog of music:

https://mikeholober.bandcamp.com/

Five Interview Questions For A Local Jazz Musician: Michael Holober

1. Why did you decide to become a Jazz musician?

“I was classically trained and started very young. A bunch of us got into it as a group in high school. Our instrumental ensemble teacher had Miles Davis “Round Midnight” in his office and we started to listen together. Although I got hooked then, both of my degrees are in classical piano. I had some summer jobs as the rehearsal pianist for a very good opera company. Once I finished my masters there was no choice when the opportunity to switch worlds was there for me.’

2. Who were your inspirations?

“When I was in high school, the jazz station in NYC then was WRVR. They played a lot with Freddie Hubbard and Sonny Stitt. That was the language I wanted to learn. In college and graduate school it was Bill Evans and then John Coltrane. Now it’s everything and everybody.”

3. What do you like about being able to play Jazz in New York?

“That’s an easy one! In NYC you never have to worry about being the best player in the room. Every time you play you learn something, get inspired and get stronger.”

4. What was your favorite venue and why?

In NYC for listening to music, it’s The Village Vanguard. I’ve only played there a handful of times and it’s great. There is a club in Nyack, NY called Maureen’s Jazz Cellar where I play quite often. It’s wonderful – small, they have a quiet policy, the staff and vibe are great, There are always musicians hanging out, it’s always packed and the piano – my instrument – is excellent. In NYC I really miss The Jazz Standard (a victim of Covid) and The Cornelia St Cafe.

5. What is the life of a professional jazz musician like?

There are many ways to be a professional jazz musician and many answers to this question. I teach full-time at CCNY so haven’t spent nearly as much time on the road as pure players. I am also a composer, arranger and conductor. A lot of my work time and travel has been writing and then going to visit a jazz orchestra and staying put for

10 days or so while we rehearse and then do concerts. I like this balance. We are all lucky – we get to do something we love and this satisfaction shows in how great so many of the people are.

by Daniela Arriaga

For this assignment, we were asked to find a local jazz musician and interview them, the person that I picked was Linus Wyrsch. Linus was born and raised in Switzerland and a little while after he made his way to the Big Apple. He attended Berklee College of Music and a while after he pursued his dream of being a musician. He found himself interested in playing jazz as well as improvising it, his main instruments are the clarinet and the saxophone. These instruments are what bought Linus to great success, his hard work and dedication paid off and he now tours all around the world and is even on tv-shows called NBC’s Universal Kids (PBS Kids Sprout), NBC’s The 10 Show!, NY1 and ABC7 News. He also produces and hosts the popular podcast “The Jazz Hole”. If that’s not enough he even won a Grammy for best children’s album back in 2018. Seeing all of his accomplishments made me interested in his life as a musician and I asked the following questions to which he responded with the following…

Do you play instruments other than the Clarinet and the Saxophone? and if you do which was the hardest to learn and why? If you don’t what was the hardest part about learning both of them.
1. When I was a teenager, I tried to play the drums (next to the clarinet and sax). However, for drums, I only took a couple of lessons, I never formally learned it. I just enjoyed playing along with recordings, trying to imitate other drummers, and watching them closely in concerts (live or on video). When I went to music school, I also took basic piano lessons, in order to get a basic understanding of harmony and the structures of jazz standards. I would never call myself a drummer or a pianist, but I think that learning some basics of other instruments can be extremely useful in one’s musical development. The piano is of particular importance for harmonic understanding. In retrospect, I wish I had learned more about it at an earlier age.

Did you ever have a moment of discouragement in your career, what made you keep going?

2. Yes, more than once! I believe jazz musicians are often facing tough hurdles that can be discouraging. The genre itself is not as widely popular as others (anymore), which by default has several consequences: Work can be scarce at times, the offered wages can be low at times, the genre’s infrastructure and budgets are limited (meaning that most tasks land on one’s own shoulders. Few jazz musicians today have Management, Booking Agents, etc.), the general enthusiasm and admiration for jazz seems pretty low at times, and all this can lead to a feeling of lack of appreciation or recognition at times. Furthermore, many of us at some point felt discouraged by having to regularly play music other than the one we are truly passionate about, in order to make ends meet (see question 4). Here is what keeps me going in these situations:

a) I try to remember that it’s a privilege to play music for a living – even if the circumstances are not always ideal. Only a few people have successfully managed to turn their passion into their profession, to be among them should never be taken for granted. Getting jaded doesn’t help, it’s better to look back and appreciate how long being a musician has worked out so far or to look forward and motivate oneself about what’s coming next.

b) I’m not sure who said it first, but there is a cliché quote that jazz musicians will often use: “Take care of the music, and the music will take care of you”. While this is often meant in regards to one’s practice time, I like to apply this quote in its broader sense, for example exactly during a time when I am discouraged to practice my instruments. I will try to dive right back into this music in some other way: studying or reading something about its rich history, for example, or listening to an inspiring recording. It might help me remember what got me into this music in the first place. Often the music itself has the power to lift you out of any discouragement if you just attentively listen to some of it.

c) If this doesn’t work, it’s also ok to really step away from it sometimes, taking a walk, going to a museum, or taking a little trip, focusing on something else. It’s not possible to be inspired by music 24/7 (or anything else for that matter), so it’s ok to step away. Then, sooner or later, music will come right back to inspire me in one way or another because it’s just such a big part of life – and I will be reminded of my love for it.

What inspired you to follow your passion for music/jazz?

3. My father has a huge CD collection (mostly jazz), so as a child, I began listening to a lot of music and tried to play along with the records at a young age. I started taking recorder flute lessons and then at home, I would put on a CD and try to play along using the recorder (before my fingers were big enough to hold a clarinet, which is what I always wanted to have after hearing Benny Goodman). My father also plays bass semi-professionally, so since I was little, I accompanied him to concerts and was fascinated with everything, the band setting up, performing, etc. I also got to see some concerts by famous jazz musicians with my father, including a concert by the incredible Oscar Peterson, which left a big impression. Music and especially jazz with its improvisation element continued to fascinate me to no end. As I got older, I took more music lessons (clarinet, sax, …), and I was also doing pretty good in high school in most subjects. But I realized as it came to making some first decisions regarding my future, that there was no subject other than music that I truly wanted to pursue further, professionally. While my music teachers and parents were of course always very encouraging, I also had warnings that it can be a difficult and risky career, so I decided to major in music business and management in order to learn more about the business side, but deep down I knew I wanted to mainly become a performer and took a lot of music classes. Of course, with today’s music scene, having some knowledge in the business aspect helps a lot even as a performer.

Would you like to try another genre other than jazz?

4. I have, many times (from playing with an Orchestra to playing with some rock/pop groups). Playing a big variety of music can be very fun, challenging, and inspiring. For

example, there is no feeling like playing in a big orchestra, it’s something very special and while I don’t usually pursue that, I do miss that feeling when I haven’t done that in a while. Certain other genres I have played at times only as a paid job (in order to make ends meet). Sometimes your extensive background and studies in jazz and on your instruments make you qualified for a gig that might pay well but is musically not challenging or satisfying. I think most experiences in music are (or can be turned into) good experiences somehow, so I am not against taking these jobs from time to time, however, when you do too many things that don’t give you a good musical gratification or are regularly stuck in a situation like that, it can become boring or discouraging. It will draw you back to playing more of the music that you actually want to play. I personally love variety, but luckily, the jazz genre itself can already be extremely wide, so I can usually get a pretty good fill of variety in different contexts that still have to do with jazz. For example, living in NYC, I can play a very traditional jazz gig one night and then an authentic Latin jazz gig another night and more of a jazzy pop gig yet another night.

When did you perform in front of an audience and how did it feel?

5. Luckily, I play in front of audiences all the time. During good times, most nights of the week. Of course, it’s not always in a concert hall, theater, jazz club, or festival, often it’s in a small restaurant or bar, but playing in front of any live audience is actually my favorite thing! It doesn’t matter how big, often a small audience can make things even more intimate and special. I don’t think anything can ever replace that unique feeling of getting together in a room, performing with other musicians in front of a live audience without edits or do-overs. To me, that human connection that takes place at the moment is the big fundamental of jazz, it’s what this music is all about, in my humble opinion. It’s a very special feeling already to play with other musicians and interact with them, but some nights the audience can add another layer, create a special thrill, especially with jazz where you improvise and take certain risks – it can really elevate the music or inspire the musicians (pretty immediately) to try something different or special.

by Ashley Laurent

Suzanne Pittson is an accomplished jazz vocalist that lives in New York. She started learning the piano at age 8. Pittson earned a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Arts in Music as a classical pianist before getting into jazz voice. She has been acknowledged for her musicianship and improvisational skills. Pittson uses her voice as an instrument when improvising and playing with melodies.

What inspired you to get into jazz?

I was surrounded by jazz growing up. My aunt and uncle were jazz musicians, and many of my parent’s friends were either jazz musicians or jazz fans. My mother, who was a singer in her youth, played the jazz radio station in our home from morning until night and I was well acquainted with the individual sounds of many of the famous musicians and vocalists. I also had the opportunity to accompany my parents to jazz clubs and festivals. I began playing piano when I was 8 and completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical piano at San Francisco State University. While in college, I injured my right hand from over practicing, and though I continued playing and finished the degrees, I felt that I couldn’t physically sustain a career as a concert pianist. It was at this point that I naturally began to sing jazz and using my years of piano training, I set out to develop myself as an improvising jazz singer — that is, to be able to sing jazz lines on the level of a great instrumentalist. I spent a lot of time studying the improvised solos by trumpet players and saxophonists and gradually developed my own sound. I have always found that the study of jazz enables me to continue growing and exploring new ideas which I find exciting. But it also has helped me to grow as a human being. When taking a jazz improvised solo, which often may go in a direction we didn’t anticipate, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable in front of an audience and then demonstrate how to end victoriously. So, from jazz, I have learned how to overcome adversity. This to me is the greatness of jazz.

If you had to describe jazz in one word, what would it be and why?

Honesty. The jazz ensemble is a place where all players can be honest and authentic while respecting the other musicians’ individuality. It’s a place where there is no judgment, either for yourself or others. It’s important to not judge yourself or the other players when improvising. Instead, we try to support one another so that each musician can express themselves fully. In this way, the jazz ensemble is a model of democracy and mutual respect.

How would you describe the perfect setting to play jazz?

The perfect setting is anywhere that musicians can play together and feel connected to the audience. Since the establishment of International Jazz Day in 2011, Jazz is beginning to be viewed as global music, a music that can bring the people of the world together. So, more and more people are realizing the inclusiveness of jazz, and how the honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability that I mentioned above can touch the hearts of people worldwide.

If you had to pick one jazz style, what would it be and why?

That’s difficult. I like any jazz that is honest and aspires to a high level. I consider myself more of a straight-ahead jazz vocalist, though my influences are very broad. Some of my chief influences are vocalists Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan, trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis, saxophonists Michael Brecker, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Charlie Parker, and pianists Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans. But I’m most authentic when I’m improvising on a jazz standard tune, and that is what I love to do most of all.

Do you have a favorite song or recommendation? What makes it stand out to you?

That is extremely difficult as I have a very large repertoire of songs that I have performed over the years. Part of the jazz musician’s training is to become well-versed in the jazz standards so that musicians worldwide can play together, often without reading music. But there are songs that I do keep coming back to time and again. One of those songs is by Kurt Weill (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics) that is called “My Ship,” from a musical entitled “Lady in the Dark.” I recorded it on my first CD, and I never get tired of singing it. It has a gorgeous melody, very vivid lyrics, and a fantastic set of chord changes. The final line is “I do not care if that day arrives, that dream need never be, If the ship I sing, doesn’t also bring, my own true love to me.” I learned this tune from listening to trumpeter Miles Davis. His recording is possibly one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard in my life!!

by Kevin Brown

Biography 

Alison Wedding Vocalist / Pianist 
Is a singer songwriter and musician, that has performed with jazz artists’ Gerry Mulligan, Dianne Reeves, Joe Chindamo, Bob Sedergreen, and Peter Knight. Before moving to New York in 2007, Wedding was based in Melbourne from 2001 to 2007 where she performed and recorded throughout Australia. She holds a degree from the University of North Texas. Her album, This Dance was produced by Michael League of Snarky Puppy and featured special guests Lionel Loueke, Chris Potter, and Theo Bleckmann. 

JAZZ INTERVIEW

1. Can a career still be built by being a Jazz musician?
ABSOLUTELY! COMING THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS PANDEMIC, PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY TO HEAR LIVE MUSIC, and AND HUNGRY FOR THAT THRILL AND CONNECTION TO MUSIC AND THE ARTISTS THAT TAKE THEM ON A JOURNEY THROUGH PERFORMANCE. And teaching jazz/ being a mentor is also just as important as ever to help guide young musicians on their musical path.

2. Are there any recording opportunities for Jazz artist?
Yes! A lot of people are recording independently from labels and self-releasing their music. There are still plenty of opportunities to collaborate with others on their recordings as well.

3. How often do you perform per week/month/year?
I used to perform a couple times a week at least (and if touring, it would be even more than that). Right now, coming out of the pandemic, I perform maybe once a month. My main focus the last few years has been my voice teaching. 

4. What did your Jazz musician friends do to cope with the pandemic?
A lot of people were collaborating through recordings and doing live performances over live stream to connect to their fan base and even build their fan base up. Some musicians changed their focus from performing to writing- I started a project co- writing music for children, which might not have ever happened if the pandemic didn’t happen.

5. What would you like to see the Jazz community do or become in the next year / 3years / 5 years?
I would like to continue to see more unexpected/unique collaborations between artists.  I would love it to see more and more young artists coming out with truly unique sounds/approaches (ie: Michael Mayo). And of course I want to continue to see more jazz music education at the middle and high school levels so we can continue to fan the flame in younger artists and keep alive this very important American music art form.

by Garrison Brown

Zac Zinger is a friend of a friend in the performance business. I first experienced him performing at a live youtube video gig being done at a bar in midtown. At the time, he was playing the saxophone, but in the next few concerts he was featured playing the Shakuhachi as well. From what I have seen of his work, he mostly does Jazz concerts and video game music. Below is a list of the 5 questions I interviewed him with, followed intermittently by his well thought-out responses.

1. What do you think led you on the path to playing such a unique instrument, the Shakuhachi?

 I went to a big band concert in Japan in 2012, and an American shakuhachi player was featured on a few tunes. The idea of using this instrument I’d never heard of in a jazz context really resonated with me, as did the way it can play in between the notes, allowing for another layer of expressiveness. Only later did I discover the wealth of traditional music and history that really makes it special.

2. Is there a style of Jazz that you prefer to play? Or perhaps a style you find yourself playing most often?

Every style of jazz is challenging to play and requires a knowledge of the tiny nuances that make them unique. So I like playing pretty much any of them, as long as it’s at a high level.

3. Is there something about the Shakuhachi that makes it appealing for playing Jazz?

The shakuhachi is a fully microtonal instrument, meaning it can play not only the 12 notes in the equal-tempered chromatic scale, but anywhere in the infinite spectrum between them. This makes it expressive on the level of a human voice, unlike the western flute, for example, which is limited mostly to playing the twelve notes it’s tuned to. For jazz, more expressive=better. But what interests me most is the idea of borrowing musical vocabulary from Japanese music and working it into the jazz style in a way that’s organic. For example, we don’t have an English word for “an overused phrase,” but the French do, so we borrow their word: “cliché.” It now makes sense in the context of an English sentence. I think finding ways to do this musically is really interesting.

4. When playing Jazz, do you prefer to play the saxophone or Shakuhachi?

I can’t say I prefer one or the other, that’s why in my own band I frequently play both. Both are supremely expressive instruments that lead you to find your own voice. The saxophone has seen over 100 years of exploration in the jazz medium, so it feels more comfortable that there’s an established norm to draw inspiration from,. But the shakuhachi feels like I’m doing new things that may never have been done before, so it can feel exhilarating but intimidating at the same time.

5. How would you describe the New York City live Jazz scene? (Perhaps a favorite venue?)

New York is the center of the universe for many industries and art forms, and jazz is no different. Because the level of the musicians is so high across the board, you have no choice but to push yourself to be your best just to keep up. It’s not for everyone––some people don’t care for the pressure and aren’t self-motivated enough to push themselves to be their best. Others don’t have the desire to feel the discomfort of being surrounded by literally thousands of musicians who are better than you. But if you have a desire to be pushed and thrive in situations that require you to reach a higher level, New York is the place to be for jazz.

by PJ Louallen

1.-Tell me about yourself?  

Hi, I’m jazz pianist Jinjoo Yoo. I moved to New York from Korea in 2015 and I’m currently working here leading my own band as well as playing as a sideman with different musicians.

2.-What made you want to be a Jazz musician? 

I have never thought I’d be a jazz musician until I turned 25. At first I just started listening to jazz music because I was simply fascinated by the fact that it is an improvised music. It sounded like magic and I wanted to learn the secret. From that point going to listen to the jazz music became an absolutely exciting hobby for me. Then I started wanting to play something on the piano just for fun, then joined an amateur band to find friends to play with. I found that playing with people is so much fun and I think that how it all started. I wanted to play something beautiful like those musicians that I always listen to – Duke Jordan, Wynton Kelly, Bud Powell, Hank Jones, Barry Harris….

3 – What instrument do you play ? And what is your greatest strength? 

I play the piano. To be honest, I cannot really think of any greatest strength in my playing (haha). I tend to see my weakness first so I feel pretty embarrassed to talk about my strength.

People say I have a nice touch on the piano that makes light sound. I think maybe it’s simply coming from my small hands and light body weight – playing the piano is all about using the weight of the body and gravity. 

4.-Out of all the instruments to play what made you choose the instrument that you play right now? 

I was introduced to play some other instruments when I was young. I learned violin and flute. I liked flute but I hated violin. I could not stand the sound that I make. Flute was fun but it was not as fun as playing the piano. I was naturally attracted by the piano.  Maybe it’s also because I had more opportunities to perform with piano than flute. I used to accompany church and school choir.

5.- Tell me how long have you been playing this instrument? And when did you fall in love with jazz music?

When I was 7, my older brother started taking classical piano lessons and I used to sneak into the piano room to sit in his class. I also wanted to learn what he learns. I was able to take piano lessons when I turned 8 and I was so happy. My teacher noticed that I’m learning fast and she wanted me to attend many piano competitions. I started attending 4-6 competitions every year and at a certain point I found myself not really enjoying the piano.

So I stopped learning it when I turned 10. Although I stopped taking formal education since then, I kept playing the piano by myself just for fun – you know, to play some pop music and famous movie tracks. I started playing again when I entered the college because I wanted to join amateur jazz band. I got to know about jazz music only after I entered the college.

My friend got a free jazz concert ticket and we went to see it. They played tunes such as Summertime, Autumn Leaves, etc – and the musician told us that they are improvising! I could not believe it and I thought there must be a secret logic behind it. It all started out of curiosity. I liked the fact that every musician can sound so different although they are playing the same tune. I felt there is a more space for individuality and freedom in jazz music.

Jazz music sounded pretty democratic to me and I felt that playing this music is not heading or forcing toward somewhere to make a perfect sound but taking risks, expressing opinions, finding a balance, and responding to the moment spontaneously.

Read more about Jinjoo at https://jinjooyoo.wordpress.com/about/

Hello!

I’m very happy to have you all back in person this semester! The class is in a slightly new format, where everything can be found on this site, and assignments are submitted through Blackboard. Throughout the semester I will be posting some of the best papers submitted in this space. See you in class!