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First Take | By bobby reed
James Farm
jimmy katz
Collaboration As
A Way Of Life
Jazz is a collaborative art form. So what Theater, dance and filmmaking—as
well many other creative endeavors—are also collaborative
in nature. Jazz musicians, however, share a special vocabulary
and empathy that allow them to improvise, adapt to the unpredictable
and create art in the moment. (Their closest artistic cousins might be
improv sketch actors.) On the bandstand, jazz players listen and respond,
agree and revise, quote and reply, and then listen some more.
In this issue, we shine a spotlight on two bands that illustrate the
power of collaboration. Our cover subjects are vibraphonist Stefon
Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott, three virtuosos
who had never played together before they embarked on the Ninety
Miles project. The trio ventured to Havana to collaborate with Cuban musicians,
including the pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa.
The title of the Ninety Miles CD/DVD package released by Concord
Picante refers to the approximate distance from Florida to Cuba. The
assembled players came from diverse backgrounds, and they spoke different
languages, but they found common ground as improvisers.
Also highlighted in this issue is James Farm, the exciting quartet
whose self-titled release is out now on Nonesuch. With a lineup of saxophonist
Joshua Redman, pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman and
drummer Eric Harland, this group is making major waves. What drew
them together The collaborative spirit. “We had never played together,
but we were already a band,” Redman told DownBeat contributor Dan
Ouellette. The albums titled Ninety Miles and James Farm provide evidence
that the whole can be much, much greater than the sum of its parts.
Pianist Dick Hyman knows as much about collaboration as any
musician you could hope to meet. We’re honored to include a feature
on Hyman (whose legendary career stretches back to work with
Benny Goodman) as part of this keyboard-themed issue. We’ve got pianist
Orrin Evans taking the Blindfold Test, a transcription of a Joey
DeFrancesco organ solo, a Master Class from pianist Joel Forrester and
a Pro Session from pianist Champian Fulton.
In his superb book Why Jazz: A Concise Guide (Oxford University
Press), jazz critic Kevin Whitehead writes, “It’s exciting to hear musicians
improvise, making a coherent statement in real time, as each player
feeds and feeds on what the others are doing.” So true.
The skills of collaborating and improvising can unite people from
various walks of life. It’s a lesson that non-musicians should apply to
boardroom negotiations, labor disputes, legislative sessions and community
council meetings. The key, of course, is to listen intently and, to
quote a common expression, “to understand where somebody is comin’
from.” In the elusive quest for mutual understanding, jazz musicians can
lead by example. Let’s all listen. DB
8 DOWNBEAT SEPTEMBER 2011