Jazz Rhythm Section Fundamentals, Part 4

Here it is! --- the fourth and final installment of a mini-series looking into the formative years of professional rhythm section players. The questions were posed by Jules Estrin, a jazz Masters degree candidate at the University of Toronto. Previously, responses by bassist Mike Downes, drummer Ted Warren and me were posted. Now we move onto guitar.

Canadian guitarist, Mike Rud won a JUNO award with his last disc, "Notes On Montreal."  He has a brand new disc entitled "Miniatures," on which he sings in addition to playing guitar. Here's a promo video:

(I attended McGill University at the same time as Mike, and remember him as the slightly disheveled guy who often stayed up all night transcribing Jim Hall or other master guitarists. He was definitely one of the more advanced players in the McGill jazz program during that era, so it was interesting for me to read about his development, prior to his undergraduate studies.)

How did you get started on your primary instrument?

I was playing guitar from age 11. It wasn't through school. It was seeing the Beatles on TV. Also my older brother had one around the house and he played. As Stevie Ray Vaughan said about his older brother Jimmy Vaughan "he would leave it [the guitar] out where I could reach it and tell me not to touch it...he knew what he was doing."

What made you choose your instrument?

I wanted to be popular! Guitar was what the Beatles were playing (at least the ones who sang)

Did you spend a lot of time experimenting with instruments or jamming after school as a young musician? How much influence did jamming with other players have on you?

Massive. Easily as much as any organized class or lessons, though I also took those (starting guitar lessons at 11, clarinet and jazz big band guitar around grade 8-9). Jamming was part of guitar culture. I did it a lot with my older brother, friends, etc. In that context I could dream.

Who is the first player on recording that made an impression on you and that you tried to emulate on your instrument?

Probably George Benson.

Can you list some players that younger players should be initially trying to emulate from recordings and talk about the specific characteristics of their playing that should be noted?

Grant Green for time. Ed Bickert for chords and comping. Jim Hall for texture, taste, in-the-moment inspiration and compositionality. Wes Montgomery for warmth, blues ingenuity, and swing. Django for cheer.

Where do you go for resources when you were young? Did you study locally with a teacher when you were young?

I had a number of strong teachers early on. They all really inspired me. I went to the library a lot and took out records in many styles.

What do you see as the primary and secondary roles of your instrument in the rhythm section?

Primarily it's feel. Particularly in comping. So many sub-genres of comping need to be mastered. Secondarily it's probably soloing. The better a student gets as a small-group player, the more he or she will understand their role in a big band.

Can you list some fundamentals that young players should be looking at to get a head start on your instrument?

CHORDS learn a lot of them. Listen an awful lot.

Discuss any special relationships that the instrument in the rhythm section have with each other that you have discovered.

Listen to the snare drum of great drummers, and the rhythms of pianists. Their comping uses essentially the same rhythms you want to.

How do you describe the role of the rhythm section in small band playing vs big band playing?

The rhythm section is different especially for the drums. The guitarist usually needs to play less often and look for a few well-placed chances to provide a nice texture, often behind the soloist. Stay out of the piano's way, but also look for transparent textures that allow you to co-comp effectively with the pianist. You can play a lot less in a big band, and probably should.

Who was your biggest musical influence throughout your primary schooling in music? (ie. Middle school or high school music teacher).

Maybe my first jazz guitar teacher Brian Hughes.

What advice would you give school music teachers about teaching your instrument?

Be really patient with guitarists. They have an uphill battle getting the jazz style right. Encourage them by giving them as many solos as possible. Start combos, not just a big band. Herb Ellis' album "Rhythm Willie" is a great place to hear both a great jazz soloist, and Freddie Green, crystal clear. Basie's birthday on Jazz Casual by Ralph Gleason is good video of Freddie. The Art Of Jazz Band Rhythm Guitar by Bruce Foreman is a really useful comping book. Berklee A Modern Method for Guitar Vol 1-3 (Leavitt) are great for learning to read.

What technical advice would you give a young player starting out on your instrument?

Be a musician first and a guitarist second. Learn to read. Do it every day. Sing everything you play. Everything. Memorize as much as you can about your favorite jazz recordings.


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About Jules:

Jules Estrin is a first-rate trombonist, a graduate of McGill University's jazz program, and is currently completing his Master’s degree, having served as director of the 7 o’clock Jazz Ensemble at the University of Toronto. All the while, Jules continues his regular schedule with the Toronto District School Board, as well as being acting musical director of the JAZZ.FM91 Youth Big Band. During the summer month

There's Jazz In Them Thar Hills

I just completed a short guest artist residency at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. My stay culminated in a concert of my big band music performed by their Jazz 1 ensemble last night. I shared the conducting duties with their director, Martin Saunders and also played piano on a few selections. In the three days leading up to the concert I gave lectures in jazz arranging and improvisation, in addition to rehearsing their two big bands and top combo.

Conducting the Marshall University Jazz 1 Ensemble (09/30/2015)

Marshall's jazz program is unique and well-poised in that they have three full-time jazz faculty members, and they benefit from a substantial endowment which included the gift of a designated jazz building, complete with a recording studio, plus rehearsal and performance space. There are about twenty undergraduate jazz majors, most of whom appear very open to instruction, and are "hungry" for new information. Many of these students come from remote locales throughout Appalachia, so jazz is a newly aquired passion for them, and they are keen to unlock it's mysteries.

Rehearsing with the MU Jazz 1 ensemble.

Besides the gratifying experience of having my music performed, brief residencies such as this are valuable to me for collecting new pedagogical approaches, as well as gathering administrative and recruiting ideas which I can apply back at home. I gain perspective as I assess the ensemble I am hired to conduct and rehearse, and consider how they compare to my students in Connecticut. Without question these experiences make me a stronger ensemble leader and educator.

Drummer Jesse Nolan

It is equally inspiring to hear about the research interests of professors at other institutions. Marshall's newest faculty hire, percussionist Jesse Nolan brings a lot to the table, with expertise in using new online platforms capable of transforming how information is collected and disseminated. As technologically impaired as I am, he managed to get me excited by the potential a customized version of "MashPlant" could offer organizations such as JEN (the Jazz Education Network). He serves on their Education Committee and has imaginative ideas which could transform the entire organization. Imagine an online destination connecting all the scholarly work of its members, neatly organized and in one place, which allows for collaboration and dialogue, in addition to documenting successful initiatives to demonstrate the effective use of donor's investments. Wow! Sign me up!

It's nice to have reached this point in my career where I can choose to occasionally bounce around the country and work with different ensembles, share the expertise I have to offer, while gaining new insights and ideas which keep me fresh and recharge my batteries.

Here's a glimpse into how I spent the last three days:

the Jomie Jazz Center, Marshall University

Mon:
9:30am – Depart from hotel
10-11am – Jazz Arranging (JJ114)
12-1pm – Jazz I rehearsal (JJ210)
1-2pm - Lunch
2-3pm – Jazz II rehearsal (JJ210)
Dinner

Tues:
9:30am – Depart from hotel
10 - 11, 11 - 12: morning piano lessons
12 – 1pm - Lunch
3:30-4:30pm – Jazz Improv I (JJ210)
6-6:50pm – Jazz Jam Session (JJ210)
7-9:30pm – Extended Jazz I rehearsal (JJ210)

Wed:

9:30am – Depart from hotel
10-11am – Jazz Arranging (JJ114)
12-1pm – Jazz I dress rehearsal (Smith Recital Hall)
1-2pm – Lunch
2-3pm – Jazz II rehearsal (JJ210)
5:30pm – Sound Check
7:30pm – Jazz I Concert

Reviews of last night's concert appeared in both the Parthenon (Marshall's campus newspaper) and the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, both of which are posted online.

Jazz Meets Hollywood Squares

Despite being touted as the exemplification of creative music, jazz could benefit from a new influx of outside-the-box thinkers. To a degree, the problem may stem from how jazz is now taught. Young jazz students are indoctrinated into a mindset of revering and emulating the masters who proceeded them. Oddly those same masters bucked convention in their youth. So, here we are, with a new generation of highly skilled players, well-schooled in the music's past, who are seemingly content to play in the style of their predecessors; and jazz (at least a good-sized chunk of it) remains at a standstill.

Ambrose Akinmusire's band has piqued my curiosity,
but they still need to ditch the suits.

The absence of challenging convention extends way beyond musical vocabulary in jazz. No one seems to be questioning why performing jazz quintets still dress like they are living in the mid-1950s. C'mon folks, let's stir things up; it's 2015 for crying out loud! 

Similarly it is rare to see a university jazz program embracing instrumentations other than big bands and combos (consisting of trumpet, sax, trombone and rhythm section).  Since when is respecting the music's lineage more important than artistic advancement?

Even big band seating configurations have become nonmalleable. Whatever happened to Kenton's "flying V" set-up? Ellington and Basie weren't locked into three rows with the rhythm section to the side for their entire careers.

Sure there are benefits and practicalities in setting up as we do, but with mic-ing and monitors, visually appealing, truly creative staging could be realized, that both compliments and enhances the music (like we see in dramatic art and pop music productions). 

Darcy James Argue needs to be applauded for taking the lead here. His most recent set-up, as documented in the New York Observer, resembles a clock face, with the horns seated around its perimeter.

  Equally stunning is the stage plot for his "Brooklyn Babylon" production. 

 The bar has been raised folks! Just think of the countless possibilities which could be explored!  Off the top of my head, I could envision "going vertical", with a variation of Hollywood Squares.

Hopefully others will follow suit in transforming not only the music, but how it is presented.  I'm tired of the same old, same old.  How about you?

Jan Jarczyk Tribute

On Friday evening I shared a brief eulogy honoring my former composition teacher, Jan Jarczyk.  Jan passed away in August.  His family organized a series of concerts in the cities where he lived and worked, to celebrate his life and music.  This was the third stop, at the Lilypad in Cambridge, MA, following gatherings in Montreal and Toronto.

I was one of three invited speakers, along with drummer Marcello Pellitteri and Jan's daughter, Amaryllis, who read comments by Berklee emeritus professor, Ken Pullig.  Our remarks were interspersed between musical selections performed by a stellar quintet led by tenor saxophonists Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone.

I chucked during a story shared by Pellitteri.  Three times he turned in a composition assignment to Jan only to be handed the piece back with the advice, "You can do better."  In my own experience I can attest that Jan certainly did possess the uncanny ability to make us reach to achieve higher levels.

When I spoke, I alluded to Jan's legacy through his teaching and example:  McGill was a special place in the early 90s, because students came from all across Canada to study there.  All regions of the country were represented.  When we graduated, some went back to their home provinces, some stayed in Montreal or went to Toronto or Vancouver, some moved to Europe, and others tried their hand at New York.  Jan's spirit, music and teaching impacted a lot of people, and I hear it in Canadian jazz.  When people say that Canadian jazz has a unique sound of its own, I don't think its a tremendous stretch to say that sound can be traced back to Jan.  I'm not saying he produced musical clones of himself.  He didn't.  He did, however, push us to dive deep into the exploration of harmony, melody and the development of ideas.  I hear Jan in the music of Josh Ranger, Joel Miller, John Stetch, Mike Downes, Bryn Roberts, Jim Head, Tilden Webb and many others.  He's there.

Jan arrived at McGill half way through my undergraduate studies.  If I remember correctly, there were only two full-time jazz faculty before he was hired.  One was a big band expert with a penchant for Sammy Nestico; the other was a "hard bopper" influenced by Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley.  Jan instantly flipped the scene on it's head with improvised solo recitals on piano or pipe organ(!), in addition to his vast catalog of sophisticated, quirky compositions.  He opened our ears to other possibilities, and suddenly it "became cool" to admit to liking Jan Gabarek, Keith Jarrett and other cutting-edge improvisers.  Frequently groups of us would make the trek to hear Jan at Claudio's, a loft jazz club/restaurant in Old Montreal.

But when I think of Jan, I smile thinking of his fun personality as much as I think about his music.  I played a trick on him once, which I outline in the introduction of the following tune, which was performed a couple of weeks ago at a UCONN faculty showcase concert.

My one disappointment in the evening was how little of Jan's music was performed.  I was really looking forward to hearing his tunes played live, but I think they only did two of his pieces:  an Ornette (Coleman)-like melody followed by free improv and "There Is Always Time".  (They may have done one other.)  I heard that in Toronto his tunes were played exclusively --- as they should have been.

Bergonzi and Garzone "tearing it up" at the Lilypad in Cambridge.

I wish I could have also attended the gatherings in Montreal and Toronto.  It would have been nice to hear my Canadian friends share their memories.  Since his passing, I have had several opportunities to chat with former classmates about him, but until Friday night I hadn't made the complete emotional connection that he is gone.  Visiting with Jan's wife and daughter was especially touching.  It was a bittersweet evening that I will treasure, along with my other memories of Jan.

Orchestral Debut

The premier performance of my first orchestral piece, "Dolphy Dance", took place last night at von der Mehden Recital Hall, with the University of Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.  I conducted, which in itself was a thrill.

Here is a video from the concert, followed by my program notes:

Dolphy Dance (2014)
Composed by Earl MacDonald (b. 1970)

Last summer, I ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund the manufacturing of my latest compact disc. Commissioning “a tune” was offered as an incentive. My friend Paul Gruhn ordered a song as a surprise birthday present for his wife Donna, but with the caveat that in couldn’t be “too jazzy”. Apparently she hates jazz. For a jazz composer, this presented quite a problem, but we eventually decided upon something in the salsa style.

After two weeks of listening to Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente and Mario Bauza recordings, I sat down and wrote a relatively simple piece, trying to adhere closely to the style. Paul requested the title “Donnamite”, which was his wife’s nickname as a stock car racer several years ago. The surprise debut took place on the outdoor patio of Willimantic’s Cafémantic, and Donna was ecstatically pleased.

In hindsight, perhaps I should have let the story end there --- “happily ever after”. Instead, I decided to tinker with the piece. After immersing myself in salsa recordings, I started questioning the importance of melody to the genre. Would it still be “danceable” if the clavé rhythmic pattern was retained, but the predictable melodies were replaced with more complex linear material? Similarly, what if the harmonies were altered; could it still pass as authentic Afro-Cuban music?

As I experimented with taking the melody and harmony further left of center, I began imagining what jazz saxophonist Eric Dolphy might have sounded like had he been featured with a salsa band around 1960. Out of this vision, “Dolphy Dance” was born.

I later added a musical prologue, in the spirit of an orchestral ritornello. It uses the same linear and harmonic material, presented in triple meter, while drawing upon the orchestra’s vast color palette.

Graduating senior, Colin Walters will play the role of Eric Dolphy in tonight’s performance. During his time at UCONN, Colin has worked diligently and his musical development has been significant. Featuring him as a soloist with the orchestra is my graduation present to this fine young man.

Lastly, I wish to thank Maestro Harvey Felder. It was Professor Felder who instigated this collaboration, and persisted when I said “no” initially. He gave me complete freedom to write whatever I wanted, to be myself, and to write jazz, so as to expose the orchestral students to the genre’s authentic, stylistic nuances. This and his inviting me to conduct, reveal his selfless pedagogical fervor. What he accomplished in the orchestra’s initial rehearsals of the piece, prior to handing me the reigns, established a solid foundation upon which I could build.

This was my first experience writing for and conducting a full symphony orchestra. I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t be my last. Thank you Professor Felder for this opportunity, as well as your encouragement and guidance throughout the process.
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UCONN Today also published an article in advance of the concert.  Here is a link: Jazzman MacDonald Debuts First Orchestral Composition