This past Wednesday evening (March 6) on my weekly radio program Ancient/Future, on WPFW 89.3 FM in the Washington, DC metro region (streaming live at www.wpfw.org; where you may also listen to an archived copy of that program) I decided to juxtapose two exceptional recordings. Drummer-bandleader-educator Terri Lyne Carrington, who is without question one of the most resourceful and crafty drummers on the planet, recently determined to re-imagine the classic, and somewhat testy, recording session that brought the peerless trio of Duke Ellington, Max Roach, and Charles Mingus together in late ’62 for a recording session that came to be called “Money Jungle” (reissue available on Blue Note, with several alternate takes). TLC’s latest for the Concord label is “Money Jungle – Provocative in Blue”. Working with the basic trio of Gerald Clayton on piano, Christian McBride on bass and herself, Terri Lyne has augmented the basic trio setting of the original Duke-Max-Mingus configuration with occasional horns, percussion, and cleverly sampled voices. The resulting disc will likely wind up on many best-of-2013 lists.

For my radio program I decided to alternate tracks and spin both discs pretty much in their entirety to compare Carrington’s update with the original; what resulted was a fascinating sense of classic/contemporary contrast. Clearly some questions for Terri Lyne were in order.

Given that “Money Jungle” was a piano-bass-drums trio project recorded by three absolute immortals, what was it about that project that prompted you to record your own contemporary “re-imagining” of that record?

With the three vivid personalities who recorded the original “Money Jungle,” there are stories of – ahem – unrest in the recording studio, with particular conflicts reportedly between Mingus and Max. As you looked into making this record, did you take those stories into account?

When I first heard the cd, it just spoke to me on a spiritual, mystical level. Something about the energy of the trio and the vibe and the melodies made me start thinking about trying to pay homage to it and make a personal statement as well. I knew that Duke would have no problem with that because he was about the music evolving – Max and Mingus too.

Is it your sense that the apparent tensions in that original recording session made the final product all the more compelling?

Of course I heard the stories of tension in the studio during the original recording and I heard that Mingus tried to walk out half way through and Duke was savvy enough to talk him back… I used to hang out with Max, would visit him at his place in New York and saw first hand his passion AND temper 🙂 But the one thing is all of these guys were all about the music – a driving, unselfish, passion to make the best art they could. I did not think about that part of it when we recorded. I just thought about the passion of music and art.

In your planning of this session, how did you arrive at your particular instrumentation in recording this music; as opposed to going the “safer” route and simply making it a contemporary trio project?

I think there is a beauty that comes out of mud – like the lotus flower, so maybe the struggle they may have had brought forth something even more special. But they were all consummate professionals so they were about trying to make the music happen, no matter…

I start to arrange pieces and start to hear the instrumentation as I go. I wanted to keep it trio based, but then some other sounds were just calling out to me. So I honored that. ANd Duke was the master of orchestration, so I felt like he would not have had a problem with it, so I followed my instincts…

What was your sense of including voices in your view of “Money Jungle”? And what was your thinking behind including the sampled voices?

The voice is the most powerful communicator to me, so I always like to include it if it makes sense. I wanted some of the speeches to reflect the time period 50 years ago and as well as now. And I wanted others to speak lightly about economic struggle – which is apropos then and now.
AS far as the poetry on Rem Blues, I fell in love with Duke’s poem Music because it speaks to all musicians and their love of music and how we have to be madly in love with it to sacrifice all that we do and deal with it for a life time. It spoke to me deeply and I wanted to paint a tapestry that worked with it.

In honor of Women’s History Month, its time to return to our occasional dialogue with women jazz journalists and their challenges. New York-based photojournalist Stephanie Myers is the latest to join our dialogue with women jazz journalists on their career and the various gender challenges they may face as they develop their craft.

Please talk about your writing affiliations and any books or other projects you’re working on currently that you’d like to mention.

Currently, I am working on a jazz book, Inside the Note. This is a large-scale body of work that photographically documents African American Jazz artists over a period of approximately thirty years. Many of these images were taken at venues in Europe, including Nice, France; Gratz, Austria; and Bassano del Grappa, Italy. And, of course a lot of images were taken in New York City at the Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil, Bradleys’ and the Blue Note. Included in this book are such Jazz artists as Benny Waters, Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, Jimmy Owens, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Nat Adderley, Illinois Jacquet, Frank Wess, Al Grey, Sun Ra, Don Cherry, Phineas Newborn, Gerald Wilson, Regina Carter, and many, many others.

Sir Roland Hanna. 2000. Savannah, GA Concert (c) 2000 Stephanie Myers

What has been your experience photographing jazz music in general?

In general, one of the most treasured experiences and greatest rewards of my life has been to photograph Jazz artists. The musicians have always been accessible and kind in allowing me to photograph them.

The most precious and gratifying reward of my career as a photographer has been to meet and get to know many of the musicians whom I’ve photographed. I must give special thanks to Richard Davis because he is the primary reason that I started to photograph Jazz musicians and is truly the person who opened so many doors for me in the beginning of this body of work. In January 1984, I went to Sweet Basil. It was a club that I frequented, even before it was a Jazz Club. That night I decided to go because I wanted to hear some Jazz music. I had been thinking about starting a new series of work.

Anyhow, Richard’s group was playing. His group at that time included Sir Roland Hanna, Freddie Waits, Hannibal Peterson, and Ricky Ford. The music was exciting, exhilarating, in fact. Something clicked both musically and visually for me. Richard, Freddie, and Hannibal were a photographer’s dream team, and the lighting was low and moody which is exactly what I like for my Jazz images. Also, many jazz musicians have an idiosyncratic manner in which they move. Freddie and Hannibal certainly did. It was a ‘click! click!’ moment! Right then and there, I decided that I wanted to photograph a Jazz series. When the set was over, I introduced myself to Richard and asked if I could photograph the group during the week. He said ‘yes,’ and I went back every night!

Later that week, Richard told me about a festival in Nice, France, called Grande Parade du Jazz and suggested that I contact Lois Kuhlman to find out more. She was a wonderful human being with whom I became good friends. She worked for George Wein and said she’d ask George if I could have a press pass. George agreed, and for the next five or six years I attended the Festival with fabulous accessibility to the groups and individuals who played. However, it was through Richard that I first met the Jazz musicians with whom he played that summer in Nice (1984). It was the J.J. Johnson All-Star Sextet. The members were Nat Adderley, Harold Land, Cedar Walton, Richard, and Roy McCurdy. I already knew Cedar from Boomers, a Jazz club on Bleecker Street in the West Village, but I didn’t know J.J., Nat, Harold, or Roy. J. J. was a very special human being. He was such an elegant and gracious person. I didn’t see him often, but I did see Nat a lot at Sweet Basil. He was very funny and so soulful.

I also met their fabulous wives, Viv and Ann, with whom I spent some afternoons shopping. At night, we’d sit together for dinner between sets. Most of the time, J. J. and Nat would join us. The conversations were always lively and interesting. That year, Richard also introduced me to Dizzy, Sweets [Edison], Buddy Tate, and Al Grey, among many other musicians who played the Festival that year. What a beginning!

Al Grey. 1984. Grande Parade du Jazz (c) 1984 Stephanie Myers

What was it about photographing musicians that attracted you to this pursuit initially?

The Blues and Jazz music were a big part of my parent’s lives. My Dad loved to play his old Bessie Smith 78s, and he’d enthusiastically encourage my siblings and me to listen with him. My parents also listened to a lot of Duke and went to his concerts whenever they could. Over the years, they got to know quite a few of the members of Duke’s Band, including Duke. Recently, I looked at their Bessie Smith 78s and discovered that they really belonged to my Mom when she was in college. I still have quite a few of them, including Billie singing Strange Fruit, and Paul Robeson singing King Joe’s Blues along with some old Charlie Shavers.

Because of my early experience listening to the Blues and Jazz, it felt natural to me to be inspired to begin a Jazz series of photographs that night at Sweet Basil.

Would you describe your experiences photographing jazz music as overall positive, and if so why or why not?

My overall experience of photographing Jazz artists has been extraordinarily positive. First and foremost, I have made some wonderful friends over the years. Richard and I have been friends for almost 30 years now. I was good friends with Roland and Freddie. Sweets and I were close friends. Whenever he came to New York, we’d get together for lunch or dinner or often go hear some music. He particularly liked to go to Bradley’s. Richard always said to me: “If you can sit next to anyone in the room, sit next to Sweets if he’s there!” Why? Because Sweets had some of the best stories! Well, I got to sit next to him a lot, and yes, he had some great stories! Between Sweets and Buddy, I heard a lot of stories about Billie, in particular. Sweets and Billie were very close. Over the years, I’ve heard some fabulous music. There were some very special nights at Bradley’s when Kenny Barron, John Hicks, or Tommy Flanagan performed. There wouldn’t be a sound in the room … just those masters playing piano. Nights at The Vanguard when Elvin[Jones] played were pure magic.

I think one of the challenges for photographers today is that it’s more difficult to take photos in clubs. The clubs have tightened up the rules. When I was most actively photographing Jazz musicians, the clubs were pretty loose. Max Gordon was totally cool with photographers shooting pictures as were Phyllis, Mel, and Horst at Sweet Basil.

Elvin Jones. 1997. The Blue Note, NYC (c) 1997 Stephanie Myers

Women occupy an interesting place in the jazz pantheon; on the one hand women instrumentalists are in the distinct minority, at least as far as prominence, and on the other hand women absolutely dominate the ranks of jazz singers. What’s your sense of that imbalance?

My sense is that it is simply a reflection of the inequalities that continue that exist for women in all aspects of our culture.

To apply this to photography: Photographers who are women are definitely in the minority and underrepresented. Women are underrepresented in all art disciplines. Women are underrepresented in the corporate world. Women are underrepresented in the sciences. Women are underrepresented in government. Is it perhaps because we are not encouraged in the same way that men are? It’s much more complicated and really reflects the institutionalized sexism that exists. Certainly, I was encouraged to pursue my art by my parents from the time I was quite young. I was also encouraged by mentors and other photographers whom I knew, most of whom were men. The challenge for me has never been about taking the images. The challenge has been the business aspects of the photography world. In that world, men dominate. Is it frustrating? Yes. Is it going to change any time soon? Highly unlikely! I did think that by now, there would be a greater push to consider women for exhibitions, but mostly, it’s a male dominated world. I have not seen a one-person Jazz exhibition by a woman at any gallery or museum in New York City. It’s time.

Would you describe yourself as a jazz music photographer and why or why not?

NO, I do not label myself as a jazz music photographer. I am a photographer. In the many years I have been a photographer, I have chosen to photograph a variety of different subjects. Jazz is one subject, and I have stayed with it for 30 years. I also have a Streetscape Series that I began many, many years ago. I am particularly interested in how walls change over time with graffiti, peeling paint, disintegrating posters and flyers, chunks of cement falling off and the resulting images the combination of these elements create. It also interests me to return to wall surfaces I’ve photographed to see how they’ve changed. One of my favorite places for wall surfaces is Paris. Another theme that interests me is isolation which is reflected in much of my street photography so to call myself a Jazz music photographer would not be accurate at all.

It’s been suggested that one of the real keys to solving the critical jazz audience development issue is that those who present the music must find creative ways to attract more women to their audiences; some wisdom suggesting that where more women go, men will follow. Is this an apt characterization of the jazz audience conundrum, and if so are there elements you might suggest to those who present jazz as to better attracting women audience members?

It has been my experience through the years that there is always a good representation of women present at any club, concert, or Jazz Festival that I’ve attended through the years, especially in Europe.

The issue is to attract audiences. Period! It’s the same old story. When there’s a pop group, hip hop group, or R&B group, there’s a line around the block of women and men. Clubs and concert venues attract women and men when the Jazz presenters book exciting Jazz artists who have chops and experience.

Clearly photographing music, and particularly photographing jazz, could well be characterized as “a man’s world.” Do you feel like that’s due more to the nature of the music or to some form(s) of overt exclusion from “the boy’s club”?

No, I do not think it’s due to the nature of the music. Photographing Jazz artists was never an issue for me. I had access to the musicians, and they were, for the most part, always kind and generous. The act of shooting photographs itself is not the issue. The business of Jazz is the issue.

Have you ever found it more difficult to pursue photographing music due to gender issues? If so please detail some of your photographing experiences that may have been fairly or unfairly colored by gender.

Yes, as I said before, the business of the Jazz music world is not fair. Having said that, a long time ago, there was a gallery on lower Broadway called the Samuel Hardison Gallery. Sam represented Robert Mapplethorpe, Lynn Davis, and Joel Peter Witkin, among others. I used to go to his gallery to see exhibitions, and we became friendly. He suggested to me that I just keep moving forward. He said: “Take the photographs that you want to take, build your portfolio with whatever subject or whomever you want to photograph, and print archivally.” I took his suggestion. I didn’t and don’t spend time dwelling on the inequalities that have been and still are present in every aspect of the art world. My issue is about the opportunity to exhibit. That challenge was there 40 years ago. It continues today. The irony of all of this is that women who are in positions to make exhibition decisions can be just as unfair. The reality is that being a photographer (female or male) is not easy for most of us.

Through the years, I’ve had some wonderful mentors and friends who were very generous to me with their time. I had the great honor to know Aaron Siskind who was very generous with his support and suggestions. My most important mentor was Vincent Dillard, a photographer, who guided me in my early years. He edited my work on a regular basis and taught me how to print. He also taught me to make sure wherever I exhibited that the gallery finance the printing and publicity for an exhibition.

Ultimately, I’ve just kept moving forward. I’ve had several one person exhibitions of my Jazz images and participated in many group shows. My most recent exhibition (2011) was at the gallery space for the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District in Newark, NJ to honor James Moody. It was called Moody’s Musical Moods and featured musicians with whom he had worked through the years with special emphasis on Moody and Dizzy. In 2003, I also had a one-person exhibition called Dizzy’s Legacy at The Palazzo Agostinelli Museum in Bassano del Grappa in Italy (2000). Twenty-five of my Jazz images are in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, and in years past, my Jazz images have been reproduced in a number of books and magazines.

What can be done to encourage more women to photograph music in particular, jazz in general?

I think that to decide to photograph music or Jazz music, in particular, is a very personal choice. For me, it was based on my love of Jazz music and the visual experience of watching Jazz artists perform. I don’t think a person just wakes up one day and decides to photograph Jazz artists. I think there has to be a lot of passion involved.

What have been some of the most personally satisfying music performances you’ve either photographed or simply experienced over the last year?

The most gratifying and spiritual Jazz music experience that I’ve had in the last year occurred in Paris last summer (2012). Yusef Lateef and Ahmad Jamal performed a concert together at The Olympia that Jimmy [Owens] and I attended. The music was one of the most moving musical experiences of my life. Yusef and Ahmad’s music lifted my spirits to a place of such purity and joy that I wept. It was truly transcendent.

Each winter following the fall conclusion of the annual Thelonious Monk Competition, I curate a 3-concert series at Tribeca Performing Arts Center. In fact, Saturday, March 2 we feature drummer Justin Brown in the final concert of our 2013 series. In ’08 the Monk Competition medium was the saxophone and a young man I had not heard previously named Tim Green was one of the three top finalists, finishing second. At Tim’s concert I was duly impressed at not only his facility on the alto sax, but also at his thoughtfulness and sense of programming that evening. Clearly this was a young player to watch.

Since he returned to his nearby hometown of Baltimore, its been a pleasure to catch Tim around DC on occasion – whether its at the Bohemian Caverns or elsewhere, even gracing the annual picnic of a unique, over two decades old coalition of DC-area jazz listeners I belong to that meets monthly called The Listening Group; one of our members, veteran alto saxophonist-educator Fred Foss, has been singing Tim Green’s praises as one of the finest alto players on the scene for years. Its also been interesting to watch Tim Green’s arc and consider that unlike so many of his peers, he didn’t rush out with a slew of premature CD releases. Instead Tim chose the patient approach, finally releasing his debut recording this month. Titled “Songs for This Season” the date has warranted multiple spins on my radio program, as well as those of other fellow programmers at embattled WPFW (Check our archives, listen live at www.wpfw.org, and stay abreast of the roiling controversies at www.ThePeople4PFW.wordpress.com). Clearly some questions were in order for Tim Green.

You seem to have been very patient, taking your time with developing this project and putting it out, not rushing to capitalize on your Monk Competition success. Talk about your process for developing this debut disc.

Yes, I really wanted to take my time with doing this record since this would be my first album that features mostly all of my original music. I really had to make sure I captured each song musically and make sure the personnel was right as well. I heard a lot of deferent musicians playing on some of the songs and that took some time by itself to organize.
After the Monk Competition win there was an opportunity for me to record an album for a label but I wouldn’t have been able to have total creative rights over the music and other details that went into the project so I decided to wait until I could finance the project myself . It’s very important for me to present the vision of this music just like i hear and see it. I’ll probably do my next CD for a label but as an artist you have to make sure you’re getting your music/vision across in the way that you feel it in your heart.

There’s an interesting and close relationship in the mix between you and your guitar player. Some horn players might be a bit intimidated by what sometimes sounds lika a kind of takeover mentality of guitar players. Why did you choose that kind of relationship with the guitar player on your date?

I had been using Warren Wolf on a lot of my gigs and there was a gig with my band at the Iridium Jazz Club that he couldn’t make so I decided to try the sound of the guitar on this particular gig. I asked the drummer, Obed Calvaire, who was on the gig to recommend a guitarist and he told me about Gilad Hekselman. We played that gig and ever since then we’ve been working together. He really played great on the record. I’m a fan of Pat Metheny‘s music and adding the guitar really helped that influence to come across on the record. I just wanted everyone on the CD to express themselves without holding back and Gilad really gave his everything on all the tracks that he played on which was really an awesome contribution to the project.

What’s been your overall goal with “Songs From This Season,” and are there any messages you wanted to convey with that title?

Songs From This Season is a representation of art reflecting life. Each song on this CD is about a certain time in my life, or as I like to call it, a “season”.
I really wanted people to have a look into my life over the past 8 years through the lens of my music . I really have being taking on the concept of “It’s not about what you’re playing but about what you’re saying” after having a chance to study with Terence Blanchard, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock at the Monk Institute. Thats something that they really instilled in me during those 2 years. In return , I started looking deeper within myself in order write music that is parallel with who I am as a person.

How do you see yourself following in the Baltimore jazz tradition?

There is such a deep tradition of the blues in the Baltimore Jazz Tradition. I’m always going to keep the blues in my playing and in my writing no matter how modern I choose to write music and play music without it being forced. That is the “Baltimore” in me.

How do you intend on maximizing this release in terms of your overall career?

I’ve been getting some great reviews about this CD and thats been very encouraging so far. I’m hoping this music will connect with other musicians and artists who share the same musical views that are displayed on the CD. Also, I really wanted people to hear everything that I’m capable of doing musically and I think this CD represents that well.
In terms of career effect, my goal is that this music will connect with people all over the world and in return I’ll hopefully get a chance to tour based on the support of the response to this project.

I want “Songs From This Season” to be a blessing and add richness to people who listen at the end of it all.

www.timgreenmusic.com

Nasar Abadey

Kush Abadey

Father & Son

This weekend, Saturday, March 2 will be a very special treat at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC, located at 1333 H Street N.E., call 202/399-7993 for further info. That evening at 8:00p.m. father-son drummers Nasar Abadey and his powerhouse young son Kush Abadey will feature their own outstanding bands, their bands will interact, and father & son will got drumhead-to-drumhead in a duel that’s guaranteed to raise the roof. Check out this news piece on this extraordinary father-son drumming duo:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Drummers-Nasar-and-Kush-Abadey-Perform/192523051

Old friend Steve Schwartz, the former and much-lamented long time jazz radio show host at Boston’s WGBH who was axed during that station’s draconian program grid change last year, sent me a very provocative recent article. In the February 10-12 weekend edition of Counterpunch pianist-composer George Duke contributed a piece with the intriguing heading: “Has Jazz Lost Its African-American Core?” You can find that piece in its entirety at the following link: http://www.counterpunch.org/2007/02/10/has-jazz-lost-its-african-american-core/.

Some of Duke’s key points, excerpted here, include the following:
“I’ve noticed a marked change of direction in many young jazz pianists. There seems to be a moving away from swing and spontaneous improvisation… it is a musical movement of players leaning towards European elements and not traditional African American elements. The feeling of the blues has been diminished… these young players in reality sound more like classical players… somewhere in a performance one needs to acknowledge it’s heritage either directly or indirectly. I have to look hard to find that free expression of emotion, living on a tight rope, experimenting, trying difficult passages and maybe not totally executing it correctly but making the attempt… when technique becomes more important than telling a musical story or surfing the wave of spontaneous thought, then I believe it is a misguided quest. Technique is and always will be a means to an end and not an end in itself! I’m just making an observation and wondering why? …Why the move away from traditional African American musical values? …I’ve heard some of these players play the blues, and its quite apparent that they don’t have a clue how to do it. The blues is a feeling and attitude… so when young players abandon that, it’s almost like they are abandoning a large part of what I love about jazz. The blues at it’s best is raw and free, and mad technical expertise has little to do with it! …I don’t believe one necessarily needs to personally experience the American black scenario in order to enjoy, understand or play the blues! One just needs the interest, gift and effort put forth to learn what makes it work. …I’m feeling a historical disconnect between these new crop of young players and their predecessors. What makes and made jazz was the combination of African American and European elements. To me the music works best when it contains both. So in the end whether these young players are really playing jazz based on this definition is debatable. Whether they are good players is undeniable. Whether it matters is also a point for discussion. And I’m not trying to control jazz, the mere idea is a ridiculous notion. Jazz was born of a free mind and hopefully will remain that way! …there is too much music being made today that is contrived and totally controlled. As I said before, style of music is irrelevant! The important message is the freedom of creativity and thought. Building on what came before and taking that idea to new levels.”
— George Duke/Counterpunch 2/10-12/13 http://www.counterpunch.org/2007/02/10/has-jazz-lost-its-african-american-core/

Read the entire piece, it is quite provocative and reflective of conversations in which many of us have participated in recent years, along with various discussions on how musicians learn this music today largely in the academy. I immediately circulated George Duke’s Counterpunch piece particularly to my fellow board members from the Jazz Education Network (JEN), as well as other musicians and educators who have engaged in similar conversations. Here are excerpts from a series of very thoughtful responses to the issues raised in Duke’s piece, coming largely from musician-educators, full-time educators, several full-time musicians who have engaged in various related public debates that have raged across the internet via blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, and one enthusiast. These appear in the order in which they were received. What’s your take? Leave your comments and personal reflections below.

“I feel currently there are many students and young musicians who have technical skills beyond the scope of many musicians from decades past. However I find myself being drawn to people who play from the heart, notwithstanding their technical accomplishments. Bird and Dizzy had amazing technical skill and coupled with their depth they were amazing. Miles and Chet Baker had far less technique but speak to me in a way few other artists can.”
— Bob Sinicrope, bassist-educator (Milton Academy – MA) JEN President-elect

“We still live in segregated communities, attend segregated churches and as a nation are trending towards exclusivity-based school systems (aka magnet and charter schools). Jazz in many ways represents the 1% and not the masses. In this way alone comes the loss of roots and spirituality. Jazz is now a commodity sold like bread and cheese.”
— Bob Belden, saxophonist-composer-bandleader-producer

“I do have to take issue about a blanket statement that blames “the Academy” for the problem. The problem is individuals themselves, not the academy. The individuals have to care about what they do and deliver it with ‘integrity’. Teachers as well, have to deliver with integrity in their teachings, and teach the ‘passion, drive determination, and dedication’ it takes to be successful as a performer. I would concede and agree that performers and students need more outlets to ‘mentor’ and ‘be mentored’ and feel that we at JEN are working towards supporting the academy in the teaching of music beyond their hallowed walls.” [Investigate the new JEN Mentor Program Lou refers to at www.jazzednet.org]
— Lou Fischer, bassist-composer-educator; past JEN President, Capital University (OH)

“I have always known and respected [George Duke’s] musicianship and his wonderful playing, but I do not know him personally. George Duke sounded off quite eloquently, in my opinion. The subject is quite valid and certainly needs to be aired and will be by many, I’m sure. In essence, the fun, the joyful spontaneity, the passion, and that infectious GROOVE that occurs on the bandstand that makes the body warm, is what is being lost and/or rejected as not being relevant these days. All I can say is those particular musicins are missing the very essence of the music, that is HUGE.”
— Rufus Reid, bassist-composer; JEN 2013 Honoree (www.rufusreid.com)

“I agree with Rufus, as well. Been saying it for a while and wish more cats would speak up.”
— Nicholas Payton, trumpeter-keyboardist-vocalist-composer; principle exponent of #BAM (Black American Music)

“Many of the more “current” pianists are some of my favorites – Brad Mehldau, Geoffrey Keezer, Robert Glasper, etc. I don’t hear any lack of spontaneity from these guys, but maybe I’m missing something. I do feel like as a genre the music is drifting away from the blues, which I would always prefer to [hear] more of. I have very strong feelings about the lack of connection between jazz artists and their audiences. Any time a musician pulls a blues out of their bag, the audience becomes engaged, so I am definitely in favor of seeing more of that. I do hear fairly often that it it doesn’t swing it isn’t jazz. I would definitely take issue with that point. To me, jazz is any music that is spontaneous and requires in-the-moment communication.”
— Caleb Chapman, saxophonist-educator; Caleb Chapman Music (www.calebchapmanmusic.com)

“I’m missing one important element of jazz from the discussion, which is jazz as an improvisatory storytelling of musicians by listening and responding to each other and of course communicating with the audience. The best and most honest stories are usually the ones told from first-hand experience rather than retelling someone else’s stories. …The story should be based on history and traditions, but also include the musicians’ personal experiences and identity. Sometimes I wonder if we forget to listen to the stories of our next generation when we complain about them abandoning traditions – there is lots of blues and swing, just reworked into today’s sorrows and hip hop, often in quite interesting ways. So is jazz losing its way? I’d say it’s just finding its new way and our responsibility is to provide the bridges needed by listening to the new stories and helping to connect them to our and previous stories. How many traditional jazz musicians do you need to screw in a light bulb? One to put it in and nine to bitch about the electricity.”
— Monika Herzig, pianist-composer-educator-author (“David Baker: A legacy in music”) (www.monikaherzig.com)

“…At this point I play Orrin Evans music! It will always be black.” (via Twitter @peeano88)
— Orrin Evans, pianist-composer-bandleader (www.orrinevansmusic.com)

“We all have stories to tell and we all tell them our way, no matter the influences. Even when HEAVILY influenced by someone, when we “speak,” the world hears “our” voice. To be honest, understanding the process the way I do, I never discourage a student from “sounding” like someone else. In fact, I encourage them to put their shoes in the feet of the music that touches them. Their individuality will at some point rise to the surface – and this happens differently and at different times to each person. One really cannot force it, nor will you notice when you have it. You don’t wake up on a Tuesday morning and declare, “Hey! I’ve finally got MY voice!” Other people notice your voice, just like other people stylistically categorize what you do. …I guess the sermon I preach the most (and I should probably apologize to my son for having to listen to it so many damn times!) is focus on expressing yourself with honesty and at the highest level you possibly can.”
— John Clayton, bassist-composer-bandleader-educator (USC) and proud father of emerging pianist Gerald Clayton (www.johnclaytonjazz.com)

“Of course [George Duke] is right – this is not rocket science. If you are going to “academize” an art form, what do we expect? Who can go to school… only those who can afford it and I don’t think most of those people have an ounce of blues in their background. And no judgment here, but how would a person from Korea know anything about the blues? (Though I must tell you the Korean students somehow swing harder than most of the Americans I have at Manhattan School of Music!!). All cultures have the “blues” somehow, but expressing that vibe is idiomatic and NOT universal. We are back to defining what jazz is… dangerous stuff!”
— NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman, saxophonist-composer-bandleader-educator (Manhattan School of Music) (www.daveliebman.com)

“I thought Jazz was a constant, an unchangeable, consistent type of music genre that bent but didn’t break. That Jazz was unable to be penetrated by imposters, new wave pretenders, and artists responding to pop culture blowing every which way in the wind. I absolutely agree with [George] Duke on every line of his op-ed and hope that it fuels debate among those constants in the Jazz music industry. Don’t let this debate die, it is waaaaay too important.”
— David Hammons, jazz enthusiast

“Great article… and what George Duke has to say is right on the money.”
— Stephen Enos, trumpeter-educator (dir. Jazz Program, Cuyahoga Community College)

“Glad that [George Duke] is making the point because we’ve all been having this conversation.”
— Nasar Abadey, drummer-composer-bandleader-educator (Peabody Conservatory)

“I really like this piece. He makes some very valid points in a gentle manner. I was just listening to George Duke play with Sonny Rollins in Japan in the 70s. He sounds great!”
— Ethan Iverson, pianist-composer

WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW…