Kirk Whalum (left) and Ramsey LewisTHE NATURALSRamsey Lewis and Kirk Whalum on theJazz-Pop Continuum and Why YouCan’t Contrive a Hit RecordBy Frank AlkyerMICHAEL JACKSON
It’s a few days before Christmas in Chicago. The giant evergreen tree in Daley Center Plaza has beendecked out and glowing—all 90 feet of it—for weeks. Shoppers bundle up and bustle down State Streetin search of last-minute presents. And it’s cold, Chicago-style cold.It’s also time for an annual rite of passage for music education: the Midwest Clinic. After 64 years,Midwest (as it’s commonly known) has become one of the largest gatherings of music educators in theworld, drawing some 18,000 teachers and their students into Chicago for several days to meet, greet,share, perform and learn. Last December, Midwest moved into new digs at McCormick Center West—abig, beautiful space that gives the clinic the opportunity to take on an expanded mission, one that includesa lot more jazz programming.New for 2009 was the inaugural Midwest Jazz Interview, conducted byDownBeat publisher Frank Alkyer. The guests for the event were twoartists known more for their connection to gold records than music education.But the legendary pianist and Ramsey Lewis and the soulful saxophonistKirk Whalum came prepared to entertain, inform and inspire aroomful of teachers and students.One of Chicago’s favorite sons, Lewis recently released Songs FromThe Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey (Concord). It’s the first time that Lewis,soon to be 75, has done a recording consisting entirely of his originalmusic. He recently ended his long-time side project as a morning drivetimeradio DJ after WNUA, Chicago’s smooth jazz station, went off theair. But he has found plenty to keep him busy. Last summer, RaviniaFestival in Highland Park, Ill., presented the world premiere of Lewis’large-ensemble composition Proclamation Of Hope: A Symphonic Poem,commissioned by Ravinia in honor of the Abraham Lincoln bicentennial.Following in the Midwestern soul tradition, Memphis-born Whalum isworking on a recording dedicated to the music of the late singer DonnyHathaway, scheduled to come out later this year on Rendezvous Records.His last recording, The Gospel According To Jazz, Chapter III(Rendezvous), serves as a testament that Whalum knows the reason forthis holiday season.In fact, both he and Lewis got their musical starts in the church.Whalum’s father was a minister, and Lewis’, a choral director. Both haverecorded and performed live on the gospel side of jazz.Alkyer: Let’s start with your own musical educations.Lewis: I started studying the piano at four years old. I didn’t know youwere supposed to practice. I thought you just went once a week for 20minutes and then come out and say, “I play piano.” The practice part disillusionedme, but my dad said, “You started it, you finish it. Get in thereand practice.” So, I did. Then, at nine years old, he said, “Now, you’ll startplaying for our church.” And I did that. It wasn’t until I was 12, 13 yearsold that our neighborhood piano teacher, Ernestine Bruce, said, “I’vetaught him all I can. You’d better take him downtown.”They did.They took me to Chicago Musical College, which is now part ofRoosevelt University. And I met a lady named Dorothy Mendelsohn. Shewould say things like, “Make the piano sing.” I’m 12 years old, how am Isupposed to make the piano sing? [laughs] But it touched something, andshe said, “Listen with your inner ear.” Now, all these years of playing inour church, it was all about your inner self. But I hadn’t connected withwhat that meant until Dorothy Mendelsohn said, “Listen from inside.”At that moment, something said, “That’s your life. I’m going to playpiano.” I did not see Grammys. I did not see gold records. I did not see myname in lights. I did not see radio or television. I only saw 88 keys. And Ifigured, “Well, this is me.” And, here I am.Alkyer: Kirk, how about you?Whalum: Definitely some parallels. I’ll play this melody. It’s the firstmelody I played in public. I’m going to play it like I probably played itthen. [he plays a choppy, beginner-like version of “Amazing Grace”; theaudience laughs and applauds]Alkyer: And you got a hand for that!Whalum: It’s funny that you should applaud, because that’s exactly whathappened. My dad was a pastor. So, the first place I was going to play anyinstrument was going to be in church. And the first song I was going toplay was “Amazing Grace.”So, I did it, and it sounded great to me. Thinking back, it couldn’t havesounded good, but what did happen was exactly what just happened here.Some really kind people applauded, and that interchange impacted me forever.I think there was part of the thing that you band directors have identified:that you have to latch onto something to inspire and encourage thestudent, the idea of giving the child something to go with—“Now take thatand make it even better.”Well, that song, I was fortunate enough to play it many times sincethen. I’ve even heard Ramsey Lewis play it so beautifully. But I played itstanding next to this lady who I worked for at the time, Whitney Houston.And I did not work with her; I worked for her, just to set the recordstraight. It was a great job.I stood next to her in South Africa, in front of 70,000 people, in 1994,the year that apartheid fell. [It was an experience] to be there, as it happened,and to look out on a mixed audience in South Africa and to knowthat it was live on HBO with seven million or so other folks watching.And I played … [at this point, Whalum plays a beautiful verse of“Amazing Grace,” complete with fills and improvisation; the audienceapplauds]. That song is the story of how I got started.Alkyer: Playing in church. Did either of you play in your school musicprograms?Whalum: Absolutely. Going right for the junior high band, 12 years old,in the seventh grade. But when I got to high school, the band director said,“OK, I heard you were doing pretty good over there at Sherwood JuniorHigh. How would you like to be in the jazz band?” And I said, “I don’treally want to be in the jazz band.” And he said, “Well, let me rephrasethat. You’re are now in the jazz band.” [laughs] You know, it’s like sweetpotatoes or something, where you say, “I don’t like that.” Next thing youknow, you’re loving you some sweet potatoes.Lewis: Wells High School was an exceptional school, a public highschool in the middle of the inner city. We had marching band, jazz band,concert band, orchestra, ballet, creative dancing, fine arts class, industrialarts. And all the instruments were provided. In every instance, they didn’tneed a piano. In orchestra, they didn’t need a piano. So, I got to play tubaand trombone. And sousaphone.About once a year, the students would produce their own extravaganza.The fine arts class would draw the scenery, the various bands would perform,the dancers would dance. It served its purpose, not only for those ofus going to school there, but also for those guys that thought they wantedto drop out. I know of two or three guys who came back to school becausethey were musically inclined, and they wanted to be part of this.Alkyer: Both of you are talking about what you consider to be a bygoneera. In those high schools today, what are the music programs like?Lewis: Well, I don’t know if they even have one at Wells High SchoolMay 2010 DOWNBEAT 33
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