Deference

I (reluctantly) attended an after concert jam session recently. It has not been my practice to participate in such festivities for many years because for some reason, whenever I step up to take a solo at sessions, things have a habit of falling apart on the bandstand shortly after I begin to play. For a long time, I didn't understand why but it happened so often that I began to instinctively recognize the indicators: Pianists will start to comp with far too many percussive and dense chords, bassists break up the beat unnecessarily and drummers shamelessly obscure everything with excessive volume, rushing, metric modulation, hemiolas and all out non-stop soloing. These violations are much more evident when very young players are involved - especially recent graduates from university level music programs. (Of course there are exceptions) Unfortunately, unseasoned players sometimes use these sessions as unofficial audition situations, and take it upon themselves to "go for it, every time" at all costs. The result is often amateurish, unlistenable chaos and the most common excuse is usually "I'm sorry,  I thought that's what you wanted...."

However, at the aforementioned session, the issue was completely different. After I was called to play, (even though I had no intentions to do so) I was completely blindsided by several younger players who suddenly took out their instruments and stampeded to jockey for a place on the large stage. They hadn't been summoned nor invited by the host nor any members of the band but in as much as I enjoy hearing musicians play and express themselves, it was perfectly fine with me. I chuckled and welcomed them.

After a very loose and sloppy melody statement was made by one of the young players (who clearly didn't REALLY know the melody OR form) I stepped up to take one of my classically short solos (Charlie Parker length.) It was at that point, one of the young saxophonists all but bogarted his way to the microphone and blasted his way into the first chorus. As I realize that music is not a competitor sport, I laughed and marveled at his bravado and enthusiasm and let him "have it." After his solo that went on for far too long, another player did the exact same thing. He cut off someone else and elbowed his way to the microphone. This scenario went on with maybe 2 more players afterward.

Finally, when it came time for me to play, and after they had exhausted every possible avenue of expression and tested the patience of the audience by playing marathon-length solos, I waved off the opportunity and let the pianist play instead because the song had gone on for entirely too long. At that point, I felt that there was no reason to contributing to the cacophony. There had been at least five or six solos played already.

OBSERVATION: The behavior that was exhibited that evening is part of a phenomenon ushered in by a current generation of players who have not been taught or conditioned to show respect for those that have endured much more in the music. (re: elders) Their only aim and cause is to put on an exhibition of what they can do, despite the fact that much of it is not original or in the spirit of storytelling and embracing the spirit of artistic camaraderie. The attitude is one of pure selfishness and a lack of awareness of the staples and ethics of the craft. There is no way possible that I would have EVER bum rushed Lou Donaldson, Jackie McLean, Charles McPherson, Bunky Green, etc. or ANY elder at a session or otherwise. Not only would it have been foolhardy to do so in a musical sense but it would have been a showing of utter disrespect. I would have, with full humility, waited my turn, made a quick statement of maybe ONE chorus and then withdrawn back into the shadows to be seen and not heard. I would have done that simply out of reverence and acknowledgement of the social hierarchy and laws of the bandstand. It's called, "Knowing Your Place."

Teachers, please teach your students to adhere to the principles of grace and decorum in all musical situations.

Artists Interviewing Themselves - The New Standard In Jazz Journalism.

The following are excerpts from an online interview (one of many) that I did last year. I deliberately obscured the source and publication, as not to appear that I'm attacking them directly. I'm merely providing this as an illustration of this recent phenomenon...

On 0X/0X/2015, at 9:53 AM, Greg Osby wrote:

Dear XXXXXXXX,

Here you go. I finally found a break and a little bit of energy to do this.  As you know I've been on tour and traveling lengthy distances every day. To be entirely honest with you, I'm not necessarily a fan of survey-type interviews, and it's far easier for me to talk than "compose" my thoughts and answers to basic questions. With this new form of internet-based transmissions, the artists do all of the work and the journalist simply affixes their name to the article and gets the credit - as if they verbally asked the questions and transcribed the answers themselves. Not good. Also, this should have been taken care of weeks ago while I had plenty of time to do it while I was still in the US, fully conscious and in my own time zone. Now you tell me that the deadline is approaching...

When artists are on tour, there are full days of attempting to function in a jet lagged stupor, endless amounts of activities, ridiculously early travel departures bad food and mostly sleepless nights. Still jet lagged and fatigued, I barely had the brain cells to complete this. I appreciate your efforts, but answering questions via email after arrival to foreign destinations isn't recommended. I prefer to be as thorough as possible and to hopefully make good sense when doing interviews. With this in mind, I'm hopeful that my answers don't reflect my still foggy mind state. Perhaps we can speak via phone or Skype next time.

Respectfully,

GO

==================================================================

On 0X/0X/2015, at 2:07 PM, XXXXXXXX <xxxxx@xxxxx.com> wrote:

Hi Greg,

Sorry to be a nuisance, but when you get the time would you be able to fill out the below Q&A and send your answers back to me? We are nearing the deadline.

Have a great day~!

Kind regards,

XXXXXXXXXX

==================================================================

On 0X/0X/2015, at 2:07 PM, XXXXXXXX <xxxxx@xxxxx.com> wrote:

Hi again Greg,

I hope you're well,

I've had a great request for a Q&A with yourself from XXXXX XXXXX from XXXXXXXX.

I have attached his Q's below, if you could kindly fill out your answers when you get the chance and send those back to me that would be fantastic

Kind regards,

XXXXXXXXX

1.     After a 16 year tenure and 15 albums for Blue Note, in 2007 you launched your own record label ‘Inner Circle Music’.  How has this turned out for you and is the direction you’re heading in changed over the last six years?

It was the best decision that I could have made. Having complete control in every stage of the production of my releases is best for me at the moment. Of course, running a label requires a great deal of time and energy, but the end results feel much more satisfying when we get good responses for our efforts, knowing that no compromises were made in the creative process. 

2.     Jazz or improvised music is one of the most purist forms of personal expression but with that, comes a certain vulnerability because each night you’re putting everything on the line in a very public way.  I’m thinking that it would be easier for you to deal with criticism these days given your success and stature as an artist but how did you deal personally with criticism in the early days when critics might have had negative opinions on your jazz-rap fusion?

"Critics." The very term and everything that it represents is somewhat pointless. No other profession allows non-practitioners to determine the value of it's participant's work or their worth. The medical profession, for example,  doesn't allow people who have never studied or practiced medicine to offer commentary about the particulars of the practice. How did we as musicians become so fortunate, to have people whose only reason for living is to get free CDs, DVD's and admission to our shows - and then go on to write and publish misquoted and sometimes bitter commentary? Their very existence is pointless, and I don't know of anyone who has acted in any way whatsoever as a result of being influenced by a review. And frankly speaking,  I have never had any need to "deal" with reviews because I don't normally read them. And when or if I do, I'm not disturbed by unfavorable ones because I know the mentality of many of those who write them. We have totally different agendas. But to be fair, sometimes the observations, complimentary or otherwise, do hit their mark.

My hip hop projects and tours were actually very well supported and received at the time, which was over 20 years ago. The only real issue was that there was no precedent to compare my band with because none existed. Musicians didn't collaborate with rap artists before my project, so there was no way to define or market it with any successful blueprint. All in all, I considered it a departure and an experiment and by no means did I set out to extend those projects beyond their natural course. Above all, I'm an improvising artist and composer first. 

3.     How does it make you feel when you see the younger artists such as Jason Moran or Sara Serpa whom you’ve given significant opportunities to, become such successes in their own right?  Would you say this approach stems from the opportunities you received yourself from artists such as Jack DeJohnette?

       

The success of younger artists whom I've hired is exactly what I was planning for when I hired them. It validates my reasons for hiring them when no one else would. The entire point, by design, is for our successors to so well and hopefully, go farther than we have. I've always done, and will continue to do everything that I can to insure that anyone who passes through my bands or studies with me will succeed. I will give them all of the information and guidance that I'm able to provide. I'm obligated by the laws of the music to guide them as I was guided by the elders before me. That's the way it is. Touring in Jack's band for 6 years provided me with a great model for leadership and organization. 

4.     The world lost one of the great modern jazz guitarists in Dec 2013 in Jim Hall.  You made a lot of great music with Jim Hall.  What is your lasting memory of the great Jim Hall?

Aside from being one of the greatest humans beings and artists that I have ever known, I learned a great deal from Jim about space, balance, phrasing, color, dynamics and good decision making. Not to mention that he was also very funny, warm and incredibly thoughtful. 

5.     In 1993 you were on the cover of Downbeat with Lester Bowie under the title of ‘Jazz Rebels’  Would you consider that title still appropriate to your approach to music?  If not what would your preference be?

That was an unfortunate and inappropriate caption for that magazine and article. It was an obvious ploy designed to incite and to sell copies of their publication, and is entirely why many artists are distrustful of the media. We were not advised of that decision. There is nothing rebellious at all about being determined and staying true to your mission as an artist. What is there to rebel against? 

6.     You have on a number of occasions written for Downbeat with interviews  of artists of the calibre of say Ornette Coleman.  While some artists prefer to let the music speak for itself, you obviously feel it is worthwhile providing verbal insight from the artists perspective.  What are your thoughts on that?

Much that is written and covered about music comes form the perspectives of frustrated and unqualified individuals, many who feel empowered by their positions as journalists. I feel that it is very important that artists not continue to allow their work to be recklessly defined by others, many of whom have hidden agendas or are covering work only by assignment and not out of passion. Failure of artists to state their relative cases results in their music being miscategorized or classified by ridiculous terminology, like 'Bebop." I do not believe that the definition of creative works should be relinquished to the authority of persons who are not in tune with the complete intentions and aspirations of the artists themselves. This is why I chose to write articles for publications myself or to make regular postings to my blog. 

7.     In XXXXXX and I assume in XXXX you’ll be performing with pianist XXXXX XXXXXXX, one of our most consummate and lyrical players.  What type of approach can audiences expect to witness with this collaboration?

They will enjoy a healthy collaboration between artists who, although are from dissimilar backgrounds are hopefully, in pursuance of similar goals.

Tineke Postma with Sonic Halo, Buma Boy Edgarprijs 2015

Listening. Responding. Reacting. (and Borrowing.)

December has been an exceptionally busy month for me so this month's blog post is being brought to you by .... my own post that I "borrowed" from the Inner Circle Music (INCM) Blog Page. Enjoy.


http://innercirclemusiclabel.blogspot.com/
Listening. Responding. Reacting.


More new topics and observations in 2016. I absolutely don't expect anyone to agree with me on some or any of them. However, alternative viewpoints are exactly what is needed (and even necessary) to turn ideas into actions. 

Everyone Deserves a Chance

Here's my answer to a question that's asked of me practically every time I'm invited to appear on a music panel:


"What advice could you offer to concert promoters/organizers who want to bring about a major change and some fresh new music to the audience?"


For starters, promoters should be willing to take a risk, ignore trends and sometimes trust their instincts, and book new or emerging artists that have little or no track record who have created a buzz on the jazz underground. Everyone on the scene usually knows who they are already, and a short polling of insider's opinions would easily reveal who these new talents are. They can regularly be found working for peanuts in every dive bar or playing for free at jam sessions in every major city. They're not difficult to find at all and by presenting them regularly, it would stimulate interest in the music substantially. They're young, eager, and ready to give their best. I always keep my ear to the street (on an international level) and I know scores of amazing young players who already perform in an incredibly advanced and mature capacity.

I strongly recommend doing this, instead of offering the same, tired line ups of uninspired musicians who never raise the artistic bar for themselves nor produce anything provocative. Most of them have settled into complacency much too early in their artistic journey and have set the pace at which they will operate for the remainder of their careers. And yet, their ilk dominates the bookings at every major jazz festival and important venue. It's actually an issue of laziness on behalf of the promoters and reveals how uninformed they are of who is actually relevant on the scene. Many of the common names most often placed on performance rosters are not necessarily held in too high esteem by the hard core players. History has shown that many of the most provocative players are regularly and unjustly ignored time and time again, while the "stars" enjoy the attention of a public who, I am certain, would respond favorably and enjoy more diversity in the festival/concert programming.

I know that my answer is an opinionated one, but I am certain that I am not exclusive in my perspectives on this subject.

Bring it Back Home

This month, I'd like to provide a link to a blog entry that I did for Inner Circle Music, the recording label that I started in 2007. I began this blog in an effort to encourage my fellow artists to share their thoughts, ideas and perspectives with our broad range of music supporters. It isn't a simple task to get musicians and performing artists to express their feelings in words (unless they're singing them). I'm very aware of the numerous demands on everyone's time as well as the challenges of the lifestyle. However, I happen to be a huge fan of artists' tales when expressed in their own words, with no filter. There's something very genuine about it, even if it's not delivered as artistically as their music may be. That's not really my concern - this isn't a spelling bee nor an essay competition. I'm in it for the observations and the stories.

This month's topic covers the idea of self-supported alternative performance spaces for the large numbers of exceptionally talented musicians that all endure the daily frustration of soliciting interest in their work and seeking bookings. In short, the absence of clubs and paying work has made it necessary for artists to look elsewhere for support and receptive audiences.

Inner Circle Music Blog

 

Responses to Sounding “Young” (from 9/14)

    1.     Negrodeath says: 
May 27, 2015 at 4:39 am 


Personally, I enjoy both approaches (exhuberant and zen-like) – it depends on what it comes out of it. Maybe it’s just because of my fondness for rock music and its theatrics. Still I think your advice has been good, because a young musicians should first of all focus on the development of his solo. You can overplay later, if you want too, but don’t concentrate on pleasing with overplay while learning.
One nasty question: what’s your take on James Carter? Personally, I love his music and playing as much as yours, and I couldn’t think of two more different musicians!  




    2.     Greg Osby says: 
June 4, 2015 at 8:47 pm


I’ve played extensively with James with the World Saxophone Quartet and can honestly say that he is absolutely the loudest saxophone player that I have ever heard or played with. He certainly knows how to project his sound. James has also put in a considerable amount of time studying the styles and approaches of several masters who are completely overlooked these days – Ben Webster, Illinois Jaquet, Gene Ammons, Arnett Cobb, Coleman Hawkins, etc. Knowing these styles gives him broader reference and a sonic and conceptual advantage when playing songs from specific eras and especially ballads. He’s a true fan of the instrument and I have a great deal of respect for him.




    3.     Negrodeath says: 
June 18, 2015 at 3:47 am 


Great! I was asking ’bout James since I often read complains about him, that he’s an exhibitionist and an overplayer etc. Complains that sound superficial and superficially may remember the advices you’ve given the young sax player.
About James’ study of Webster, Ammons Cobb, Byas, Thompson: that’s the first reason I loved his music the first time I heard it. I love the big-toned Hawkins-rooted saxophone players, a way of playing which is a bit too much forgotten nowadays.




    4.     Peter Wisely says: 
August 7, 2015 at 11:54 am 


Hi Greg, I’ve read trough your posts and each one is awesome, I find myself taking a step back after reading them and reevaluating my own playing. I don’t play the saxophone but I do play and certain times when I feel that I am lacking the “words” to say I revert to a showboat tendency. But I’ve also noticed that seasoned players can do this as well what would be a way to avoid this or avoid playing to many choruses, should one replay a part that they have already done? I know that the ideal answer would be learn and practice more parts, but at times I can find myself blanking out and not knowing what to play.