What a whirlwind month of January! It started literally right after 2013 dawned, with a January 2 crack-of-dawn flight to Atlanta for the Jazz Education Network Conference (full disclosure: I serve on the JEN board). Among that conference’s highlights was the great bassist and conference honoree (along with NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman) Rufus Reid conducting an Atlanta big band through their successful channeling of Reid’s “Quiet Pride,” a commissioned work in homage to the late visionary artist-activist Elizabeth Catlett (whose son, drummer Francisco Mora Catlett‘s “Afro Horn MX” release coincidentally made our list of top 2012 releases – scroll down). As successful conferences will, this one produced more than its share of rewarding panel discussions, masterclasses, clinics and research presentations – including daily sessions on different vibrant topics produced by the Jazz Audience Initiative. Among the sessions I enjoyed were Chicago saxman Geoff Bradfield‘s revealing discussion of the overlooked legacy of NEA Jazz Master Melba Liston; an aforementioned session (scroll down) with Matt Wilson, and John Clayton-Bob Mintzer-Don Braden-Javon Jackson (again, scroll down) as the Four Wise Tenors on subjects related to career development; and a simple listening session with saxophonist Jeff Coffin that had a full house vibing anew and group-analyzing such saxophone classics as Coleman Hawkins‘ peerless rendition of “Body & Soul” and by contrast Lester Young in the evergreen tenor department. Onstage at JEN, catching up with the kinetic violinist Christian Howes in performance and conversation; Howes, no longer the excitable boy, now a very mature artist, was a treat; as was the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, and Larry Rosen’s Jazz Roots keynote address. Just generally the positive buzz throughout the JEN Conference was palpable; clearly the jazz community had missed these annual networking gatherings since the demise of IAJE. Like its predecessor organization once did successfully, for the time being the JEN Conference will rotate annual host sites around the country; the succeeding four January conferences will be in Dallas, San Diego, Louisville, and New Orleans.

Got back from Atlanta on a Monday night, leaving a one day turnaround before taking Amtrak up to NYC for a day at the nascent – and seemingly on a nice success track towards annual presentation – the industry-based Jazz Connect Conference (this year with over 1K registrants) at the Hilton. Presented in conjunction with the major annual Association for Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference at the same hotel, on the first of the two Jazz Connect days I had the great pleasure of moderating a lively panel discussion on the need for jazz artist mentoring efforts. The panel was coincidentally a drum-heavy assemblage of clear-eyed thinkers and musicians, including trapsmen Carl Allen, Matt Wilson, and wiseman Michael Carvin, plus saxman Greg Osby and New School jazz program director Martin Mueller. Carvin dropped plenty of mother-wit science and all agreed that the generations of musicians now arriving from the academy – as opposed to the “streets” – could use some measure of mentoring from experienced musicians to skillfully navigate the speed bumps of a successful jazz career; speed bumps that no amount of mastering pedagogy can surmount.

Tenor men Javon Jackson (left) and Branford Marsalis hamming it up at the NEA Jazz Masters 2013 event

Amtrak back up to NYC on Sunday, the following Monday evening was high times at the NEA Jazz Masters awards event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Presented the last few years in grand style at JALC’s classy Rose Hall (more on that venue later), budget constraints and more modest programming shifted the NEAJM event down the hallway to JALC’s club space Dizzy’s. From the moment of the 5:30pm annual group photo shoot of the assembled Masters in an adjacent room, this NEAJM event felt more intimate; an impression which was confirmed by more than one Master post-event. Randy Weston declared himself particularly pleased by the closeness and camaraderie the Masters enjoyed in the smaller confines of Dizzy’s. Consequently the mood was more about fun than honorific reverence, and this time the music was provided entirely by the Masters themselves; with a house rhythm section of NEAJMs Kenny Barron, Ron Carter and Jimmy Cobb.

The humorous highlight of the program was Lou Donaldson‘s acceptance speech, prefaced with an (as Jon Hendricks once remarked) “I’m only serious…” kidding aside of “What took you so long” for him to gain entry into jazz’s highest honor. Donaldson proceeded to break up the house with tales of his potent senior cocktails of Viagra, Levitra and assorted other supposedly life-renewing drugs. Musical highlights included Jimmy Heath‘s lovely turn on “Sweet Lorraine,” ironically part of the tribute to the frequently salty proprietress of the Village Vanguard, Lorraine Gordon, the 2013 NEAJM Advocate recipient who was unable to join the proceedings; the stellar trio of Randy Weston, Ron Carter, and Jimmy Cobb breathed great life into three or four shades of Weston’s classic “Hi Fly,” played in homage to those NEAJMs who inevitably left the planet in 2012, and Paquito D’Rivera teamed up with Dave Liebman for a burning benediction.

NEA Jazz Masters Paquito D’Rivera and Candido enjoyed the hang

Later that week, on Friday it was Amtrak back up to NYC to moderate a Saturday morning panel discussion at the request of the great bassist-educator Reggie Workman. Friday night afforded another A-train trip to the 59th Street station and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Fact is, at least until we get a look at what Randall Kline has cooked up with the new multi-million dollar SF Jazz home base in San Francisco (which just launched this week), JALC’s facility is top of the food chain where jazz-dedicated performance facilities are concerned. JALC’s venues prove once and for all that jazz music is as adaptable to its environment as any music on the planet.

The lamp was lit at JALC that Friday evening as all three venues – Rose Hall, the Allen Room (with its dramatic stage backdrop bay window view of Central Park), and Dizzy’s – were in high activity mode, each with some measure of the cool 50s advancement on the bop aesthetic. Rose hall featured the Music of Gerry Mulligan and John Lewis. The Lewis portion of the program began promisingly when the young & restless, old soul New Orleans pianist Jonathan Batiste strolled out in a slim suit and high top sneakers as the evening’s featured pianist. This proved to be a prescient artistic choice to navigate Lewis’ music from the piano seat, though on the surface one might not associate such an excitable cat as Batiste with the uber-dignified countenance that was John Lewis and his classic-leaning essays of the blues. But from the moment Batiste laid into Lewis’ standard “Django,” the wisdom of seating him at the piano for this program was evident. And what a marvelous acoustic environment Rose Hall is for jazz! Once Batiste concluded his opener, out strolled an estimable small ensemble consisting of Wynton Marsalis, trombonist Chris Crenshaw, alto saxophonist Ted Nash, drummer Ali Jackson, and bassist Carlos Henriquez to play Lewis’ “Delaunay’s Dilemma” with gusto. Zeroing in on Henriquez’ robust bass tones the mind drifted to what must have been one of the acoustic engineering team’s focus in the design of this hall – proper reproduction of the ever-tricky acoustic bass.

Next on the program was a Victor Goines-featured rendition of Lewis’ memorable line “Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West”; this one proved once and for all that the clarinet is Victor’s most distinctive horn; he consistently brings a full measure of his New Orleans tradition to that often tricky straight horn. The remainder of the Lewis portion of the program was delivered in high style by the venue’s signature ensemble, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Throughout the program Marsalis played truly remarkable trumpet. Its been a minute since I’ve heard Wynton sounding as engaged by his horn as he was that night; juggling so many hats and responsibilities with JALC’s operation, the Artistic Director just sounded more dedicated to great trumpet, and the good house was duly rewarded. The second half of the program was the music of Gerry Mulligan, but a quick decision was made during intermission to head over to Dizzy’s because by that time the last (9:30) set was about to begin.

It was a John Lewis kind of night as Dizzy’s featured an elegant ensemble fully up to the task of small group interpretations of the John Lewis legacy. Led by the high class young pianist from Columbus, OH, Aaron Diehl, the quartet was rounded out by drummer Rodney Green, bassist David Wong, and the prodigiously talented Baltimore vibraphonist Warren Wolf, who is also quite the facile multi-instrumentalist. Shades of MJQ you say? For certain that was the prevailing mood, but these young musicians breathed their own contemporary life into that rich legacy and John Lewis’ most potent exponent. And what a fine contrast Diehl’s approach proved to be following his contemporary Jonathan Batiste’s successful efforts at Rose Hall. Diehl, who also proved to be an informative host, introduced a string quartet which provided further elegance to the closing two pieces of their set. Great Monday/Friday bookends that week at JALC!

Reggie Workman invited me to moderate a panel on the subject of “Improvised Music: The Business and Art” that next Saturday morning as part of the Chamber Music America Conference. I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that my CMA conference experience actually began with a (pre-JALC trip) cocktail hour showcase performance that Friday at 5:30 with a performance by one of the CMA jazz composition grant-funded artists, saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, whose supple alto was joined by bassist Peter Slavov, pianist Taylor Eigsti, and the potent, resourceful drummer Kendrick Scott. Our panelists that next Saturday morning included Workman, pianist Marilyn Crispell, tabla master Tapan Modak, and poet-dancer-choreographer-arts presenter Patricia Nicholson Parker (read more about her efforts right after this piece). In addition to some lively conversation on developing business paradigms for various streams of creative music (in this case streams of the jazz-related aesthetic), a recording of Workman’s piece “Cerebral Caverns” welcomed panel attendees into our discussion and Modak brought peace and purpose with a warm invocation on tabla. Following our discussion, Reggie Workman and Marilyn Crispell improvised a lovely bass-piano duet that brought heaps of additional meaning to our subject matter.

What a great couple of weeks of arts conferences, jazz and arts community camaraderie, good conversation, serious networking, and wonderful music this proved to be to kick off the New Year! Hopefully we’re off to a good start in 2013.

Marilyn Crispell & Reggie Workman weaving magic at the Chamber Music America conference

Patricia Nicholson Parker resembles the wise university professor, pleasant of disposition but iron-willed when it comes to ensuring students do the right thing in her classroom. It would appear that blend of wisdom and tough-mindedness has served her well in developing Arts for Art, the not-for-profit she started in 1995 principally to present the renowned Vision Festival. That annual gathering and collection of some of the freer thinkers identified with jazz and improvised music expressions has become such a strong haven of successful collaborations and vibrant performances that Ms. Parker has produced several spin-offs, including the Vision Collaboration Festival (for dance & music collaborations), and the weekly series known as Evolving Music.

In a 21st century kind of way, Arts for Art’s grassroots, DIY approach harkens back to earlier musician’s collectives, and particularly to the early 70s when such restless explorers as Sam Rivers, Rashied Ali and other Lower Manhattan-based artists grew the loft scene. A multiple recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association “Producer of the Year” award, as an artist Ms. Parker is a dancer-choreographer and poet. At last week’s Chamber Music America conference panel I moderated (see preceding piece), as pianist Marilyn Crispell and bassist Reggie Workman spun out a lovely, medium tempo piece I caught a glimpse of a restless Patricia Parker doing what comes naturally – dancing in her seat to the music. Oh yeah, coincidentally she’s also the spouse of bassist-composer and Vision Festival fixture William Parker. I’ve been curious about the whole development and mission of Arts for Art, so some questions for Patricia Nicholson Parker were clearly in order.

What came first, the Vision Festival or your overall operation known as Arts for Art Inc.?
The Vision Festival came first – It came out of the Improvisors Collective that I began in 1993 and ran through June 1995. In ’93 there was nothing happening – nowhere to play improvised or edgy music – the Knit was mostly booking John Zorn‘s scene and the indie music scene while the more improvised and high energy school was under-represented. So I began the Improvisors Collective to bring people back together and support each other. After 2 years of the collective, the energy was not building. In 1996 I organized the first Vision Festival. The idea was to make visible the high energy music that had been inspired by Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Ornette, etc. and that had hither to been overlooked. We saw these initiatives as part of the continuum of the movement of self-determination, as I was working closely with other artists. The festival takes the musicians/artists’ point of view in the way that the business is conducted – the artist comes first. To ensure ‘visibility and embrace some kind of diversity we included artists from other genres and at different points in their careers. We booked people who were well known and others who were coming up and some who were new or emerging. The Festival embraced the idea of bringing arts together and including ideas of social justice. We applied for non profit status in 1996 as it became clear that we would continue and make the festival an annual event.

How has the Vision Festival grown through the years, to the point where it is arguably one of the signature creative music events in this country?
When we began it was about making the NY high energy music available to a larger audience. We were a niche festival. Now we seem to be the only game in town and this has put new responsibilities upon us. There is a young group of musicians emerging with a different aesthetic whom we are including . But we still fight for the original aesthetic because we think that it is a very important part of the story which is still being left out of music education/history – However, we will also need to include more and more aesthetics and a greater diversity of artists.

As a year-round arts presenter what have been some of your biggest challenges?
Arts for Art has always responded to the needs of its community, so we have tried to present concerts year round and have education programs that teach the under-served about non western music and improvisation. However since we don’t have our own venue yet, it is a struggle to raise sufficient funds for all of our programming, It is particularly difficult without our own venue to present the music and art in the way and with the frequency that is needed. Also without our own venue it is difficult to build the loyalty necessary to optimize audience development. Thus we have just launched a new project. We are building consensus and raising support for The Under_LIne, a new venue that we wish to build on the lower east side in a city owned building. If seems like the right idea and this is about time.

How do you balance your career as a dancer/choreographer with your work as a presenter?
I struggle always with this, all the time. But one way that I deal with it is based on the understanding that I am one being and everything that I do is dance, is movement, is art, is prayer.

What are some of the highs & lows of having two creative artists, both with a wealth of ideas, living under the same roof?
We have very different personalities but we believe basically in the same things and then we keep loving each other and respecting ourselves and our art.

ON THE SUBJECT OF MUSICIAN’S RESPONSIBILITY TO HIS/HER AUDIENCE. Dig this…

CREATE RELATIONSHIPS PLEASE EMPOWER
CREATE TRUST CREATE COMMUNITY CREATE LEGACY
YOUR LOCAL SCENE. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.
JAZZ IS NOT JUST NEW YORK!
offer present
receive include
convince the audience that they are cool and groovy!
Will the intent of entertaining diminish
the art form? NOPE! The lack of imagination will though.
welcome the sound of
Present
Include
Be Nice! Be Happy! Be Grateful! BE!
entertain: To hold attention by amusing and diverting. To show hospitality to guests. To hold in the mind.
I HEREBY DECREE, TAKE AWAY
My kind manager, Amy Cervini, and I have launched a new venture that we believe will greatly benefit you awesome hard working cats out there in field providing a solid music educational experience for our youth.
It is called VITA — Very Inspiring Teaching Artists. We have assembled quite a roster of folks who can come in and really fire up your students. We also offer talented writers/arrangers for your needs as well as presentation consultation and other services. check us out at jazzvita.com jazzvita@gmail.com Thank you! My children, who want to go to college, thank you also!
“Clarity & Honesty!”
Entertain
MMmmmm…pie! Homer Simpson
have fun, smile & laugh. repeat over & over.
Two simple words of wisdom from my friend John Clayton.

The JEN Masters: l to r Javon Jackson, John Clayton, Bob Mintzer, Don Braden, and moderator Martin Mueller dropped some real science on a packed house during a session at last week’s Jazz Education Network conference in Atlanta; John Clayton is also part of the JEN Mentor Program team of expert mentors. Read on…

In January 2012 the Jazz Education Network (JEN), whose Board of Directors I am proud to sit on, launched the JEN Mentor Program. Over the last several decades training and education of aspiring jazz musicians has largely taken place in the “academy” – high schools, colleges & universities, and conservatories. This of course marks a departure from the traditional way so many of our great masters learned this music – in the figurative “streets”, through rigorous trial & error, and conspicuously through the mentoring of older, experienced musicians. This kind of mentoring would take place on the bandstand, and also on tour buses and other by comparison informal settings.

At the January 2-5, 2013 JEN Conference in Atlanta, the brilliant drummer-bandleader-educator Matt Wilson gave a very illuminating and rewarding talk on the subject of “Audience Decline: Is it Because Jazz Concerts Are Boring?” that dealt with musicians’ responsibilities to the audience for jazz that was sprinkled with excellent advice and good humor. On January 10 I moderated a panel session on Mentoring at the Jazz Connect Conference at the New York Hilton that also touched on aspects of the musicians’ responsibility to his/her audience, as well as other critical elements of experienced artists mentoring students and developing jazz musicians. Panelists for that session included Wilson, fellow drummers Carl Allen and Michael Carvin, saxophonist Greg Osby, and New School director Martin Mueller. I asked Matt Wilson to further illuminate his discussion from the JEN conference.


Master drummer Michael Carvin

Matt Wilson’s sense of humor is never far from the surface, but the drummer is always full of wisdom as well.

What motivated you to present that particular session on the presentation responsibilities of artists at the JEN conference?
I am puzzled by the lack of imagination that is present when presenting jazz music. Often, collegiate concerts sound like final examinations. I want to hear sounds that surprise! We give them tools to play but take away their ” spirit ” of adventure. Look at guitar players in jazz bands and you see what I mean, They sit and they look scared. At home, they are probably spitting fire and stage diving. Jazz is not a safe music Willard, never has been, never should be.

Why does that aspect of artists striving to connect with their audiences seem like such a dying art?
Because we have made ourselves too damn important. Jazz is one of America’s folk musics not classical music. Though to my eyes and ears, engaging classical music embraces the listener, welcomes them in to be a part of the sonic fabric. You feel Andre Watts or Anne Sophie Mutter right? Entertaining can be a bad word I understand. But it also means to be gracious and that is how I perceive it. You are displaying gratitude that folks are there to share some human moments with you. Human moments, that is what we need in 2013!

How important is this component, this aspect of stage presence and presentation to a student’s music education?
Extremely. I often wonder if medical students are given guidance on how to deal with patients. Or is it, here are the skills to administer care to the patient but if something goes wrong, you are on your own with the family. Now music, in the grand scheme, is not that big of a deal really compared to being an MD or a 747 pilot. But, if we can at least make the students aware of communication and allow their natural way of communicating to emerge, then we have at least made a step. We need to stress that they need to create relationships. On that bandstand and off. That is what pays the bills. Not Facebook or mailing lists. The folks knowing you. Either personally or through your sonic message of joy. Relationships build trust. Trust creates community. Community creates legacy. This gives folks careers a life span. It takes work and it takes time. Yes, it is very important. After JEN I have made an observation though my friend. Is it us making the students aware, Or could it be us getting out of the way and allowing fresh, non- experienced minds to have a try at it occasionally? That could very exciting and risky…. Here is that safety issue again. Guidance, wisdom and allowing is the key. In the words of my late wise father. ” Do something, even if it is wrong.”

www.mattwilsonjazz.com

…And don’t forget, you can learn more about the Jazz Education Network (JEN) Mentor Program at www.jazzednet.org and go to the Advancing Education section of the site.

Been away for a few days R&R with family, when up popped a truly sad Tweet from pianist Vijay Iyer, reporting on the passing on to ancestry of my favorite performance poet, Jayne Cortez. Mother of drummer Denardo Coleman (son of the legendary Ornette), and recording artist with an impressive series of recordings of her work on her own Bola label, Jayne’s work is truly extraordinary. Blessed with an ability to deliver biting social commentary in an ironic and often good humored tone, I’ve been delighted to meet and converse with Jayne in recent years through our mutual friend, and my mentor, Randy Weston.

I have become so well-acquainted with Jayne’s poems through multiple spins of her work down through the years on my Ancient/Future radio programs that upon being introduced to her I couldn’t help myself and began reciting lines from one of my favorite of her poems “What’s Happening” (as in “…you KNOW what’s happening…”). To which the good-humored Jayne responded delightedly that “…you really DO know my work!”

Randy and Jayne’s friendship and mutual admiration society crested last Easter Sunday during a matinee premier of Randy’s “Nubian Suite” at NYU. For that work, hopefully soon-to-be-released on record, Randy crafted two large ensemble pieces sandwiched around a series of storytelling duets. One of his duet partners was Jayne Cortez and their collaboration was a true highlight on a program filled with high moments.

The next day Randy’s wife Fatou threw him a belated birthday party at their home and Jayne and her husband-sculptor Mel were among the celebrants. Randy recounted their collaboration on the concert, marveling at how though he had asked Jayne for a look at her poem in advance, she had coyly refused, desiring instead that he purely improvise to her verse. The results were pure magic! Peace be unto you Jayne Cortez, and thanks for those precious memories and for the lasting legacy of your rich discography.