62 ndANNUALCRITICS POLLRISING STAR KEYBOARDMARC CARYPREFERENCE FOR RESONANCEBy Jeff Potter | Photo by Steven SussmanOnstage, Marc Cary projects a big presence. Stylishlydressed, the pianist sports billowing dreadlocks thathalo his chiseled features. He creates a massive, resonantsound from the keys, unleashing complex, grooving explorationsthat spiral further upward with each successive phrase.Yet, when encountered offstage—casual in his bluewarm-up jacket and wrapped dreads—thewiry pianist-keyboardist seems smallerthan his onstage persona. He speakswith a soft, FM-deejay voice andcalmly observes his surroundingswith tranquil eyes.54 DOWNBEAT AUGUST 2014STEVEN SUSSMAN
But make no mistake: The focused intensitystill burns. When Cary starts talking music, hecan cover vast terrain, fervently philosophizingwith enthusiasm and amazement.After completing a regular workout onV-Drums, Cary said, “In my other life, I was adrummer.” It’s a slightly misleading statementbecause he’s a drummer in this life. Rhythmremains central to all his music, whether he’s playingan acoustic piano, electronic keyboards or atrap set. Cary, 47, cut his teeth behind the kit inthe groove-intensive go-go scene of Washington,D.C. That experience gave him a foundationand remains a crucial influence. “Back then, ourgroup—The High Integrity Band & Show—haddancers, and unicyclists grooving back and forthon the sides of the stage, and people doing flips.That’s the vibe. A band would come up with asong, a rhythm and a dance. Go-go has its ownclave, which gives it the official stamp that it’sa form, a culture.”After switching from drums to trumpet, Carydiscovered a higher calling on keys. Moving toNew York in 1988, he rapidly became a sought-aftersideman, taking high-profile gigs with BettyCarter and Roy Hargrove, as well as a 12-year stintwith Abbey Lincoln. Since his 1995 leader debut,Cary On, Cary has built a discography characterizedby an increasingly eclectic palette and bolddepartures—most controversially on the 1999release, Rhodes Ahead, Vol. 1, which showcasedhis prowess on Rhodes piano in anexperimental jazz/dance mix.Following Lincoln’s passing, Cary paid lovingtribute to the vocalist with his acclaimed 2013 solopiano album, For The Love Of Abbey (Motéma).The heartfelt release offered a fresh take onLincoln’s iconic material. “Being around Abbey, Iunderstood where she breathed,” he explained. “Iunderstood the balance of weight that she wantedbetween the lyric and the music. The lyricwas, in a way, more important to her: She wasinto telling stories. There were times when I wasplaying onstage with her that I held back tearsbecause of the way she delivered those songs.So, for me, the actual meaning is now permeatedin the chord. When I play the chord, I hearthe lyric that goes to the chord. Understandingher phrasing was the biggest thing that helped meapproach that record.”Cary’s latest disc, Four Directions (Motéma),marks the return of his Focus Trio, an adventurousunit that unites his acoustic and electric facets.The CD introduces a revamped lineup includingdrummer-tabla player Sameer Gupta and bassistsBurniss Earl Travis II and Rashaan Carter, whoplay individually and in tandem. The ambitiousalbum straddles straightahead, electronic-danceand funk, along with North Indian, Malian andNative American music. One infectious track,“Indigenous,” is particularly meaningful for Cary,whose mother is a Wampanoag tribal chief.“The bass line and melody comes right out ofNative American repertoire—like a combinationof three folkloric melodies. That was the backdropof my household, with drummers and singerscoming to the house. I grew up in the sweatlodge. We lived in Maryland—the PiscatawayIndian Nation headquarters. My mother grew upfighting in the American Indian Movement—theAIM. Hence, my use of those songs. But I nevertry to do things literally; I prefer the resonance.”In addition to Focus Trio gigs, Cary’s docket isbrimming with projects, including an upcomingresurrection of Rhodes Ahead, a go-go albumand a digital release from the collective CosmicIndigenous. Of the latter, Cary said, “That groupdeals more with the Malian approach in my indigenousexplorations. All the songs are in [the formof a] North Indian classical raag, but the melodiesand lyrics are Malian.”Ultimately, “Indigenous” holds a greater universalmeaning for the venturesome pianist: “InWestern music, you have the seven-tone scale.Five tones are omitted. Those tones are pentatonic.And the pentatonic is the spiritual tone set that isfound in all spiritual and indigenous music. I callit ‘the ether’—it’s on top. Whenever you want to gooutside of a scale or add something, you’re dealingwith the ether. And indigenous music is based onthat ether—the spiritual element.“The main thing is the intention behind whatyou say musically; [that’s] the beauty,” he continued.“If you’re thinking something and you hitthat note, the resonance of what you’re thinkingactually goes through that note. It’s like a telephonefrequency carrying your voice—literally.That’s the power.”DB
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