...........................................Joan Discussing the Benefits of Joining the Madison Music Collective..............................
LOCAL:
QUESTION OF THE MONTH: "WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE JAZZ CONCERT YOU REMEMBER HEARING/SEEING IN MADISON? Who? Where? When? Further comments?"
Certainly one of the most memorable jazz concerts that I remember seeing are the 3 times that I saw Dave Brubeck in Madison. He and the other members of his quartet really impressed me with their ability to do improvised solos that sounded like well thought out written music instead of improvised solos. I remember him asking people in the audience to name various songs and then he would do amazing improvisations based on them, or asked for people's names and did improvisations based upon the syllables of their names. I believe that I saw him in the 80s, 90s, and 00s and he was terrific each time.
Bobby Mitello was truly amazing when he did a a dual brain solo where he played a flute solo and did accompaniment with his vocal chords.
Finally, I remember being really saddened when Dave Brubeck said that he had enough new material for several CD's but he couldn't get any record companies to produce it so he can only perform it live. He said that all the record companies want him to do is re-treads of past material and when he wanted to go in new directions the record companies weren't interested. Yikes! If Dave Brubeck can't get a record contract something is seriously wrong with the record industry.
There were many other very memorable performances in Madison, but that one sticks out in my head. I really enjoyed Paquito D'Rivera, Wynton Marsalis, and of course locals like Lynnea Godfriaux as well.
by Rick Wirch
I'll never forget the Jazz at Five concert, September '07, by Tony Monaco, the great Hammond B3 performer. It was a beautiful, pleasantly warm Wednesday evening when he and his bassist and drummer cooked up one of the most exciting jazz concoctions of recent memory.
Monaco was the consomate performer, literally melding himself to his instrument, providing one of the most passionate performances I've ever enjoyed. He immersed himself in the instrument and they were one. He and his trio intricately and seamlessly wove their playing into a cohesive, happening sound that literally had the audience on their feet.
At the concert, I bought one of Tony Monaco's CD's, "Live at the 501", which I listen to almost every day. It's so exciting and so inventive I never tire of listening to it. It's not often that I can say I enjoy every track of an afbum but this album is the exception.
If you'd like a taste of Tony Monaco's performance, I plan to bring this CD to the next MMC "Listening Session" on July 27. I hope you'll all come, bring a favorite album, and we'll sample a scrumptious evening of jazz together.
by Sue Peterson
REVIEWS: CONCERTS
MMC PRESENTS: The Art of the Duo--Laurie Lang/Marilyn Fisher & Clifford White/Ben Karetnick, 7/19/08
For years I have been bemoaning the fact that too many jazz musicians approach a concert as though rehearsals are somehow inappropriate, thus insuring a predictable performance, full of safety and cliche! It is sometimes possible to rely on this approach, but only if the improvisers are world-class, and even then.......I'd rather go home and listen to the real Charlie Parker (or whomever) on recording and marvel at the freshness of the music at the time it was made.
The two duos who performed as part of the MMC series on July 19 had rehearsed--at length--to find as many ways as possible to present their original ideas! They performed pieces ranging from well-traveled and less well-traveled to original compositions and their arrangements were both interesting and creative. It was as though the musicians were anxious to communicate their best stuff and, as audience members, we responded warmly to the care and respect we were shown!
During the first half of the concert, Marilyn Fisher (voice) and Laurie Lang (bass) started out with a couple of standards which had been performed in earlier concerts this year but provided their own personalized versions. They also presented an interesting blues in all 12 keys and a haunting ballad with processed effects on the bass. My favorite, however, was an original composed by Marilyn, a lively and witty tune which I look forward to hearing again! Laurie and Marilyn worked very well together and they took time to carefully explore the many, and often ignored, possibilities between the voice and the bass.
Clifford White came to us from Massachusetts to play saxophones with drummer Ben Karetnick for the second duo of the evening. Billed as the "Living Outside Duo" the music was, nonetheless, very accessible. Several of Ornette's melodies were featured, along with some Trane, all of which allowed close melodic treatment between both drums and sax. Cliff also brought in his own music, even naming a new composition in honor of our fair city! The duo, despite its exploratory urges and emotional reactions, remained tightly controlled throughout. Ben is one of the most melodic drummers around and Cliff has become very lyrical, even in his most bombastic moments. It was a most enjoyable performance!
The two duos joined together to play a blues for the last number... a jam which contrasted mightily with all the music that had gone on before...something they didn't have to rehearse...but seemed more like a celebration of the deep creativity that had taken place throughout the earlier part of the evening! reviewed by Joan Wildman
MMC PRESENTS: The Art of the Duo--Paul Hastil/Ray Rideout and Dave Stoler/John Greiner, 6/21/08
MMC PRESENTS: Jazz Improvisation Workshop by Laurie Lang and Marilyn Fisher, 5/17/08
MMC PRESENTS: Discussion and Performance on Improvisation by Joan Wildman and Friends, 4/17/08
MMC PRESENTS: Lecture and Video about Wayne Shorter by Dave Stoler, 3/16/08
MMC PRESENTS: Lecture and Video about Alec Wilder by Professor Robert Levy, 2/21/08
MMC PRESENTS: Concert featuring Madison pianists, Paul Hastil and Dave Stoler, 1/17/08.
REVIEWS: CDs
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: JOANNE POW!ERS TRIO: It is always difficult for “out of the mainstream” players to master a new musical language, but It is quite extraordinary for a group of players to develop their own vocabulary within that language to the extent that they can speak as a single voice. Yet, that is what often happens with the JoAnne Pow!ers Trio's new CD, FOOD FOR THOUGHT. JoAnne Pow!ers plays saxophones and cornet, Jennifer Pender is on bass and Madison Music Collective member, Paul Baker, plays drums.
The group manages to stay on message within each of the five selections, ranging in length from the 8+ min. "Improvised Explosive Device" to the 29+ min. "Low Profile". Except for the obvious timbre changes between the instruments, the story line remains unbroken as all three musicians trade ideas, expand or dismiss them with the same quiet urgency. They also use technical facility to good advantage, but always in a controlled manner. Bursts of 32nd notes might be followed by a slightly longer pitch which focuses on a timbre change, allowing a brief comment from another player. You can almost hear them listening to each other!
It is great to hear a group that has obviously spent much time in rehearsal together and cares very much about the music they play. I can hardly wait to hear what they do next!!
You can purchase the CD at the trio's website or at one of their gigs. (Check them out at the Escape Coffee Gallery, 916 Williamson on April 16.) reviewed by Joan Wildman
DISCOGRAPHY
The Madison Music Collective members hold monthly Listening Sessions. Check out some of the discography here.
ARTICLES/NOTES
Jane Reynolds, MMC member, is a pianist/composer, music educator and co-host with Steve Braunginn of Strictly Jazz Sounds on WORT-FM in Madison. Interviews with Malachi Thompson (1996), Marilyn Crispell (2004), Sonny Rollins (2005), McCoy Tyner (2006), Sonny Fortune (2006),
and Roscoe Mitchell (2002 and 2007) are the basis for “Musicians’ Perspectives on Creative Improvised Music,” which was presented on September 6, 2007, at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Guelph Jazz Festival Colloquium.]
Jazz improvisation is an art form of individual creative expression that, by its nature, is constantly evolving. As the music advances, it reflects the world we live in and shapes our culture, forming a connection between art and life. Creative jazz artists are the driving force behind this movement. Malachi Thompson, Marilyn Crispell, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Fortune and Roscoe Mitchell offered their personal insights into the evolution of creative improvised music and the shape of jazz to come.
Artistic development is cultivated through the encouragement and guidance of musicians who act as role models, mentors and teachers, and by music collectives, teaching workshops, colleges and universities, which can act as incubators and springboards for creativity.
The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) was formed in Chicago in 1965 by a group of music artists to create an outlet for the development and performance of creative improvised music. Roscoe Mitchell noted that its principal co-founder, Muhal Richard Abrams, was a mentor to many of the musicians and provided a place where they could get together and formulate ideas. The musicians wanted to have control over their own destinies, so they set up networks with musicians in other cities to give workshops and concerts. Roscoe Mitchell referred to the AACM as a collective.
Malachi Thompson joined the AACM in 1966 at the age of seventeen, at the encouragement of Muhal Richard Abrams and Anthony Braxton. Fellow trumpet player and composer Lester Bowie, one of the AACM’s most dynamic leaders and member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, was his most influential mentor. As Thompson described it, “When I came into the AACM, they were playing music that was a challenge to me. Another challenge was to compose original music for an ensemble and produce a concert. That’s what got me into being a leader and a composer. My early experience playing with the AACM helped shape the musician that I have developed into.” He added: “Experimentation itself is part of the tradition. If it weren’t for musicians like Miles and Ornette and Trane and members of the AACM, that wouldn’t be happening. Jazz musicians stand on the shoulders of the great masters in the jazz idiom.”
Marilyn Crispell was a contemporary classical pianist when she heard John Coltrane’s recording “A Love Supreme.” That served as the catalyst for her to begin studying jazz. As she put it, she felt a bridge between Coltrane’s music and contemporary classical music. In her pursuit of that connection, she attended Karl Berger’s Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York, where she met Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Leo Smith, Oliver Lake and others with whom she would later work.
Roscoe Mitchell had the good fortune to be invited to sit in with Coltrane. As Mitchell described it, ”Trane is a shining example that you can really do what you want to do in music, and he explained that all he’s really trying to do is hone his music down into a very clear message so that it can be widely understood. In some ways, that’s what I’m trying to achieve in my music. So I owe a lot to Trane and many other great musicians.”
John Coltrane took on the role of big brother and mentor when he invited McCoy Tyner to join his quartet in 1960. When Tyner was asked why he considered Coltrane a great teacher, he replied, “This is a hands-on art form where you learn by doing. I learned from night to night playing with him, from day to day talking to him. But playing with him was the greatest opportunity.” Tyner went on to say, “In Trane’s band, we also inspired each other. It was a group effort. You have to be a part of what is going on, but I also had to be an individual because that’s how these people that I admired became who they were.” Tyner and other creative musicians don’t seek to be followers or imitators. Their goal is to find their own voice to move the music forward.
Today, McCoy Tyner mentors young musicians who work under him. In a brief conversation with bassist Charnett Moffett after performing in a concert with Tyner, Moffett expressed humility in the challenge of keeping up with the elder master and gratitude for the opportunity to get the same hands-on experience that Tyner had with Coltrane.
Marilyn Crispell teaches improvisation workshops and has produced an instructional DVD entitled “A Pianist’s Guide to Free Improvisation: Keys to Unlocking Your Creativity” (Homespun Tapes in Woodstock, New York).
Roscoe Mitchell begins a three-year teaching appointment at Mills College in Oakland, California this fall. Mitchell has developed methods for helping the inexperienced improviser. He explained a technique which he calls scored improvisation: “One of the things I discovered was certain mistakes that inexperienced improvisers make. So I found that by giving them materials, it helped the musician to get on the road to the type of concentration that it really takes to develop strong improvisational skills.”
Hearing others in live performance is another important source for motivation and inspiration. Malachi Thompson’s first inspiration was at the age of eleven when he heard Count Basie's Orchestra in Chicago. As he observed, “There’s a difference between hearing music on a record or on the radio and a live performance. That live performance was the thing that made me pick up the trumpet.” Thompson’s experiences with the AACM later inspired him to create a 13-piece ensemble he called Africa Brass to feature new compositions and arrangements in the New Orleans brass band tradition. Thompson described the purpose behind the group: “I was going back to the origins of jazz, but trying to project the music into the future to demonstrate how there is a thread running through the jazz fabric, all the way from Buddy Bolden to what is happening now.”
In the 1960’s, Roscoe Mitchell hardly missed a concert. He recalled when there was a wide pallet to choose from, including John Cage, Sun Ra, Richard Teitelbaum, and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and that there was an established audience for the music. Unfortunately, these opportunities have dwindled in the U. S. Mitchell observed that in Europe, where he has performed extensively since the sixties, there is a long tradition of exposing people to the arts from an early age. He had an interesting theory that perhaps the U.S. has simply not been around long enough to establish such a tradition. Mitchell is optimistic as he noted: “When most people come up to me, instead of saying ‘I enjoyed the music,’ they say ‘I need the music.’ So I think that we’re starting to come back around to that point in the circle where the music will be appreciated more.”
Sonny Rollins performs frequently in Japan to large, enthusiastic audiences. Rollins observed: “The people in Japan know the whole history. The interest in jazz is so overwhelming compared to what we experience in the States. Here at home, a lot of jazz people have a hard time getting work and being recognized.” He explained that one reason for this is that the American government realizes what a great tool jazz is, so information about the music and the artists is promulgated by U. S. agencies to other parts of the world, but not at home. When Rollins was in Madison, Wisconsin in 2005 for a performance in the new state-of-the-art Overture Center, he expressed disappointment at seeing empty seats in the concert hall, followed by outrage at the inadequate media coverage, which included his being bumped off the front page of a local arts calendar for a young alternative rock artist. Many disappointed people exclaimed days later that they had not heard about the concert, and Rollins expressed uncertainty about returning to Madison. He left the next morning for another tour in Japan.
Sonny Rollins was asked what he thought of opportunities for jazz artists today, to which he exclaimed, “Jazz is always alive. What’s not alive are the opportunities for people to play jazz or hear jazz. There are no jazz television shows and it is not heard too much on the mass media.” Rollins’ observations point out the sad fact that in the U. S., the airwaves are monopolized by commercial, profit-driven mainstream media, while jazz is for the most part relegated to public broadcasting and independent community stations. Additionally, in recent years, jazz radio stations have disappeared and jazz programming has diminished due to continued decreases in funding by governmental arts agencies. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is also always looking for ways to marginalize or eliminate independent media outlets by imposing impossibly exorbitant fines for minor documentation errors or inadvertently broadcasting one of the seven forbidden words, and by supporting monopolies in the mainstream market. The FCC is on a mission to censor alternatives to the mainstream so as to perpetuate the status quo in opinion and in our culture, in the process generating a movement toward planned obsolescence of creative improvised music in the media.
McCoy Tyner expressed a concern of his when he exclaimed: “The black media doesn’t play this music necessarily from their culture. We’ve had our own unique contribution to the world with jazz and blues. It’s too bad our children don’t get to be exposed to that and realize how important it is.” Whenever Tyner has the opportunity, he performs in schools and universities where they know something about jazz, but where they haven’t experienced it enough. That is because the predominate mainstream media plays down to the listening audience and, in the process, “dumbs down” the culture. Because of this, there are many who consider jazz to be too intellectual, and they allow themselves to remain in the comfort zone handed to them. The mainstream perpetuates itself. One of the missions of the creative musician is to raise the audience up to a higher level, and it is the media’s responsibility to give them a voice to do that. Sonny Rollins has a simple philosophy: “If people have a chance to hear jazz and appreciate it, they do and they like it.”
Rollins believes that with the advent of compact discs, more young people are listening to jazz and there is growing enthusiasm for the music. Creative music artists, however, are increasingly finding that they must seek out recording opportunities that support their music, often smaller independent labels. Saxophonist Sonny Fortune left the commercialism of the Atlantic label to move to Blue Note because they offered him creative control, and there he recorded some of his best work. However, when he discovered a few years ago that these recordings were no longer available, he formed his own independent label, Sound Reason, as he said “...because one of the problems with art is the movement of it to the appreciator—how you get your product, your message, around to people.” He negotiated with Blue Note to release three of his recordings together on his label. The Trilogy is now available online at various websites, including his own.
That brings up a new resource for making music available to the public. Roscoe Mitchell observed that times are different now that we have the internet. Could it be that listeners are increasingly being diverted from clubs, concert halls and even record stores to the internet? What did McCoy Tyner think about reconsidering the dissemination of jazz in the future? “I think it’s a good idea”, he said. “Live performances you can’t beat because that brings something else to the table. But I think it’s important to use the technology that’s available to us today. Why not take advantage of it.”
The internet provides a readily accessible global source for the musician and the listener. Add to that the growing number of radio stations that are streaming on the web, while podcasts and YouTube are growing in popularity. The internet should not be considered a replacement for the mass media, but it provides greater accessibility for those independent media outlets struggling in their commitment to give a voice to creative improvised music. Live performance will always provide the primary link between artist and listener; but recordings, the media and now the internet play an increasingly important role in disseminating the music to a wider audience.
In spite of the struggles in getting the music out to the listener, improvisational music survives because it serves a purpose for the musician as a means of expression. The musician’s commitment to the pursuit of music and to always trying to get better is the driving force behind the perpetuation of the art form. As Roscoe Mitchell put it: “What I’m finding is that it takes a long time to be what I’m trying to be. I don’t feel I’ll ever learn as much about music as I’d like to learn in this one lifetime, but I’m grateful that some of the things I did think about are starting to present themselves in a clearer picture.” Mitchell has recently ventured into collaborating with computers, describing a program in which he can “...establish a rapport with the computer, gradually building a conversation and a language.” He believes that it’s time for the emergence of the super musician, who can move freely in the music in a new age of spontaneous composition.
Malachi Thompson proclaimed that the role of the creative musician is to push the music forward, to create the present in order to shape the future. As Roscoe Mitchell, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, Sonny Fortune and Marilyn Crispell persist in their commitment to fulfilling that role, they all remain certain that improvisational music will continue, because creativity and expression have a greater purpose in society and in shaping our culture. We need the music.