February 2010 issue - Jazz Singers.com

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Interview John Blum By Ken Weiss JI: You just might be the most talented pianist in New York that people don’t really know about. How difficult has it been for you to make a name for yourself? JB: My goal has always been to master my instrument so that I can execute my musical ideas. I don’t know anything about making a name for myself. I have not been embraced by the public, but I am respected among my musical colleagues here in New York. JI: Please include where you grew up and the transition to New York. JB: I was born in New York and started playing piano at six years old. As a teenager, my favorite pianists were Monk, Bud Powell and McCoy Tyner. I also listened to the Harlem stride school—James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Willie The Lion Smith. My early education in music was New York radio and the opportunity to hear many Jazz greats perform. I would go to hear McCoy Tyner with his trio whenever I had the chance. I also remember going to hear Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman when I was about 17, and I immediately felt a connection to their music. Later in the 1980’s, I was fortunate enough to see Cecil Taylor, Don Pullen, Mal Waldron, and Andrew Hill play. In the early 90’s I played in a quartet with Marco Eneidi and Jackson Krall, and that connection led me to join the Improvisor’s Collective in 1993. I met and played with many musicians on the New York scene through that organization. “If art is a product to be sold then the question of success becomes not who has the most talent but who is best at selling their art …. But when you take the pursuit of money and vanity out of art its purpose becomes the act of creating, rather than the accolades that come from success.” JI: Why is it that talent alone doesn’t lead to success in the music industry? JB: If art is a product to be sold then the question of success becomes not who has the most talent but who is best at selling their art. All musicians need and want opportunities to perform in order to grow as artists, and make money to materially sustain their creative life. But when you take the pursuit of money and vanity out of art its purpose becomes the act of creating, rather than the accolades that come from success. JI: Your performances are powerful demonstrations of force and creativity, do you feel that playing “Avant- Garde Jazz” is still misunderstood? In the past, some critics and listeners had inappropriately labeled the “Avant-Garde” musician as someone incapable of playing “Traditionally” and thus had to play free. JB: I am not sure what the public perception of “Avant-Garde Jazz” is, but I personally feel a strong connection to the Jazz tradition. The music that I play comes from Jazz and from the innovations generated from the evolution of that music. JI: You’ve made two CDs recently that were highly acclaimed by the press - In the Shade of the Sun, a recording you made with Sunny Murray & William Parker on Ecstatic Peace! and the solo recording Who begat Eye on Konnex. Has this translated into more interest in your music and what was it like playing with two historic forces Murray and Parker? JB: I have received some offers to play in Europe recently and am hopeful my two new releases will lead to additional opportunities to perform and record. I have played with William Parker for almost 20 years and I recorded with Sunny Murray on his 2005 release “Pearles Noires Volume 2” – so doing the trio recording with Sunny and William was a natural choice, and it was an honor to play with both of them on this session. JI: What are you working on now in order to grow as a musician? JB: Currently I have a working trio with Sabir Mateen and Jackson Krall at a club called Pianos - 158 Ludlow Street - one Sunday a month. This trio has been playing together sporadically since the early 1990’s, and the opportunity to play two sets a month on a regular basis gives us the platform to try new ideas and grow both individually and as a group. Our Next Performance will be on February 14 th , Two Sets starting at 7 pm —No Cover/No Minimum 42 February 2010 • Jazz Inside Monthly • www.jazzinsidemagazine.com To Advertise CALL: 215.887.8880 Credit: Ken Weiss
Interview Allison Miller By Ken Weiss JI: It’s very impressive that you’ve played with popular artists such as Ani DiFranco and Natalie Merchant along with numerous jazz greats such as Kenny Barron and Sheila Jordan. How easy and satisfying is it for you to play on both sides of the fence? AM: It is all satisfying. Good music is satisfying. Playing with great musicians is always satisfying and I always make it a priority to play with great musicians, whatever the genre. I always let the music lead me, lose myself in the music. Jazz was the first music I fell in love with as a kid, primarily because of the rhythmic and improvisational element, but I have also come to love the art of writing a great lyrical song and coming up with the most appropriate drum part to accompany a singer/songwriter. It is all enjoyable. It is all challenging. JI: How does one get the opportunity to play with a Natalie Merchant? AM: My friend, Jessie Murphy, recommended me to Natalie. She called me to audition and I got the gig. At the time, she was looking for a drummer who could play various styles. I was so shocked to hear her voice on my voicemail. I replayed her message ten times before I actually believed it was her! Ha! JI: How was the transition to life in New York after growing up in the Washington DC area? AM: I welcomed the transition from DC to New York. I wanted to push myself, push my comfort zone. I wanted to surround myself with musicians that were better than me. I wanted to be taught and New York seemed like the place to find all of those things. I fell in love with New York the second I set foot on Manhattan Island - literally, because the first time I visited New York I took the ferry. I immediately felt surrounded by “like minded” people - people searching for artistic creativity. I loved the constant buzz of the city and the creative energy spiraling out of control everywhere. JI: Are you tired of having to answer the dreaded questions related to being a female drummer? AM: No. Actually, I am not always asked questions about being a female drummer - only occasionally. It is slowly becoming more of a norm to be a female musician. I can definitely feel the gradual acceptance within my fifteen year career. And, when asked about being female, I don’t mind answering. It is very important to address the topic because we as a society have not reached equality yet - in many ways. So, until the bandstand looks as diverse as a New York City block, I will continue to greet questions regarding my gender and drumming with open arms. “I fell in love with New York the second I set foot on Manhattan Island … I immediately felt surrounded by “like minded” people - people searching for artistic creativity. I loved the constant buzz of the city and the creative energy spiraling out of control everywhere.” JI: What are your goals for the future? Any special dream projects? AM: Yes. I am already planning a percussion album - some solo, some duo, some ensemble percussion. I www.allisonmiller.com would like to include a score along with the album so students can learn and perform the pieces themselves. I would also like to make an album of improvisational duos - voice and drums - and, of course, continue my teaching. I love teaching and I feel that it is very important to pass on the tradition. Thank you to my teachers, Walter Salb, Michael Carvin, and Lenny White. To Advertise CALL: 215.887.8880 February 2010 • Jazz Inside Monthly • www.jazzinsidemagazine.com 43
Page 1: SPECIAL FEATURE: PASSION 14 Artists
Page 4: Jazz Inside Magazine ISSN: 2150-34
Page 7 and 8: Al Williams III Heart Song Masterfu
Page 10 and 11: to me for my work, but rather, a fo
Page 12 and 13: cessful. In many arenas his success
Page 14 and 15: Interview Claudio Roditi By Eric Ne
Page 16 and 17: Interview John Surman By Ken Weiss
Page 18 and 19: Noteworthy Performances rene Marie
Page 20 and 21: Exceptional Jazz Education in the B
Page 22 and 23: Fulton Ferry Landing, Brooklyn info
Page 24 and 25: 2 0 0 9 / 2 0 1 0 S Y M P H O N Y S
Page 26 and 27: Braxton Continued from Page 10 with
Page 28 and 29: Roditi Continued from Page 12 CR: Y
Page 30 and 31: Calendar of Events 28 February 2010
Page 32 and 33: February 2010 Jazz Schedule Feb 5 &
Page 34 and 35: 32 February 2010 • Jazz Inside M
Page 36 and 37: Perch Cafe, Brooklyn Perk’s, 535
Page 38 and 39: ing homage to Billy Eckstein, Alber
Page 40 and 41: Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orch
Page 42 and 43: Interview Jon Gordon By Gary Heimba
Page 46 and 47: Interview Darius Jones By Ken Weiss
Page 48 and 49: Interview Chad Taylor By Ken Weiss
Page 50 and 51: Interview Tineka Postma By Eric Nem
Page 52 and 53: Surman Continued from Page 27 “Th
Page 54 and 55: Surman Continued from Page 51 JI: T
Page 56 and 57: Rusch Continued from Page 53 “I r
Page 58 and 59: Rusch Continued from Page 55 is pri
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Page 62 and 63: Colson Continued from Page 59 be en
Page 64 and 65: Passion Continued from Page 67 Arle
Page 66 and 67: Passion Continued from Page 63 Sumi
Page 68 and 69: PASSION 14 Artists Share Theirs The
Page 70 and 71: CD Reviews CRAIG BAILEY - TIM ARMAC
Page 72 and 73: By Cathy Gruenfelder Unlike a typic
Page 74 and 75: The recording takes place at the Fl
Page 76 and 77: cades. Heck, the very core of most
Page 78 and 79: chords from Grissett and an urgent
Page 80 and 81: the ‘70s playing with everyone fr
Page 82 and 83: with a grooving drum solo that give
Page 84: W O R L D ’ S F I N E S T J A Z Z

February 2010 issue - Jazz Singers.com

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