Body and Soul

Six months into my biography project. If you’re new, or just not paying attention, I have decided to dedicate this year to the study of biographies (and autobiographies) or musicians and dancers. Why musicians and dancers? The simplest answer is these are the two topics that have always kept my full attention. Ballet, specifically, fascinates me with its aesthetic, grace, precision, and discipline. The finest dancers possess strength, musicality and astounding control. 

I was fortunate to study ballet while pursuing a dance minor at college. I enjoyed the jazz and modern classes, but always took more ballet classes than was strictly necessary. The feeling of executing a perfect pirouette or moving through an extended adagio combination without losing your balance is absolutely thrilling. I managed to progress enough to try some work en pointe, which is every bit as challenging as it appears to be. After a nearly 10 year lay-off, I have finally returned to a ballet studio. It is so difficult, but I love every minute of it.

At the end of last year I read Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet, by Jennifer Homans. This well-researched book chronicles ballet through its beginning in 17^th century France, its move through Italy, its subsequent grip on Russia, all before launching itself upon the world. Because so much of the history of ballet is tied to aristocracy and politics, I wound up learning more about European history than I ever did in history class. 

My biographies started with the sublime Dame Margot Fonteyn and has, up to now, taken me through the lives of Maria Tallchief, Jacques D’Amboise, Suzanne Farrell, George Balanchine, and Gelsey Kirkland (whose autobiography I have now read three times). Not surprisingly, they all dance through each others’ books, as they ballet world is rather small. The composers who write through this world include Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Debussy, among many others.

The musician side of this project is, for better or for worse, heavily weighted in the jazz genre. My jazz foundation began when I was a kid, just starting to notice this thing called jazz. One of my first long reports in school was one of the history of jazz (I also did a report on the history of ballet). I learned about jazz’s beginnings in New Orleans (the history of which is only just now beginning to be clarified) and how it made its way to Chicago and Kansas City and then to New York as it spread itself throughout the nation and the world. Since that initial research, and forevermore, New Orleans has held a special place in my heart as the birthplace of such an intriguing art form. So perhaps it may have been a bit cloying to start the musician side of this project with Terry Teachout’s Pops. Considering Louis Armstrong’s influence on so many musicians since he picked up a horn, it just made sense to me to start the project this way. Following Louis, I have read my way through the lives (and times) of Artie Shaw, Lawrence Welk, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, and Woody Herman.

Biographies are brilliant ways to learn history, as no one lives in a vacuum. I have also found them to be a great source of inspiration. The great musicians and dancers are great for a reason. They have talent, certainly, but they also possess ideas, grit, determination, and absolute dedication to their craft. These are qualities that should be acknowledged, admired, and held up as an example of what an individual can accomplish.

Looking forward to the rest of the year, I notice that female musicians are under-represented, so I will be on the lookout for some good women. In the stack of books, though, are the lives of Vaslav Nijinsky, Bob Fosse, Miles Davis, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, the Dorsey brothers, and Lionel Hampton. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some reading to do.

In the middle of the pouring rain.

Walking in Memphis was written by Marc Cohn and was released in 1991.  Cohn wrote the song after a visit to Memphis, TN.  It is semi-autobiographical and takes the listener on a trip through history and nostalgia.

He first mentions putting on his blue suede shoes, a tribute to Carl Perkins who recorded the song Blue Suede Shoes for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios.  Sun Studios is also located at 706 Union Avenue, as mentioned in the lyrics, and is where Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and countless Delta bluesmen recorded their music in the hopes of hitting it big.  He touches "down in the land of the Delta blues": Memphis is the top corner of the Mississippi Delta region; "in the middle of the pouring rain": the piano melody that opens the song is reminiscent of falling rain.

W. C. Handy is also given a mention, and justly so.  While Handy wasn't a Delta bluesman (he was actually a formally trained musician and bandleader), he was one of the first to recognize the brilliance of blues music.  It was Handy who introduced the blues to the rest of the world (before the recording studios took the chance).

Cohn sees the ghost of Elvis on Union Avenue, then follows "him up to the gates of Graceland", Elvis's Memphis mansion.  Inside a "pretty little thing" waits for the King in his Jungle room (Elvis' homage to his favorite vacation spot, Hawaii).

While he was in Memphis, Cohn took a short drive out of town to visit The Hollywood Cafe, which is a real place off of Highway 61.  Murial, who "plays piano every night at the Hollywood" struck up a friendship with Cohn and even attended his wedding in New York.  She was immortalized by being written into the song.

"Catfish on the table and gospel in the air" reminds us that we are truly in the South.  "Reverend Green be glad to see you" tributes Al Green, who is a celebrated soul singer in his own right, and later became an ordained pastor for the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis.

Do you hear the people sing? Again?

I recently played in the pit orchestra of a production of Les Miserables, (or Les Mis to the initiated).  It is a musical that adapts Victor Hugo's epic depressing story of poverty, desperation, revolution, and ultimately, reconciliation and hope.  My part in this production is to cover the Reed 3 book, which asks for Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, and tenor recorder.  See family portrait, above.

The musical was initially not well received when it opened on Broadway in October of 1985.  Now, however, it is one of the most beloved musicals in the Broadway (and off-Broadway) canon.  Listening to the musical repeatedly, as is the case when playing in pits, one starts to observe.  For example, the "On My Own" theme is used throughout, and because the musical is sung-through (using recitative, much like an opera), several sing-speech motifs come through.  The first motif of this style is given when the farmer dismisses Jean Valjean from his work. "You'll have to go. I'll pay you off for the day. Collect your bits and pieces there and be on your way."  The same motif returns when Valjean is again asked to leave the doorstep of an inn he wishes to stay in.  "Our rooms are full."  Later, we hear the same motif from Madame Thenardier is yelling at young Cosette to draw some water from the well.  Similarly, the "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" melody is first heard from the Bishop at the beginning of the musical when he is trying to help and console Valjean.

This style of composition is called leitmotif, which means to repeatedly use a short phrase or musical idea throughout an entire work.  Leitmotiv comes from the German that means "guiding motif", and one of the first composers to really make great use of it was Richard Wagner in his operas (though he did not invent leitmotifs).  Often, leitmotifs are used to signal the arrival of a character, as heard in Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique.  The Fantastique is a portrayal of a series of dreams of a lovesick artist.  The leitmotif that drifts around the work is a representation of an unattainable woman the artist loves.  In the March to the Scaffold movement, our tortured artist drugs himself with opium and has horrible visions, which include him being marched off to death for murdering his beloved mystery woman.  Just before the guillotine falls, the artist thinks of his beloved, the theme soars (this time from a clarinet)...and is cut short at the drop of the blade.  We hear his head bouncing down the steps, and the attendant crowd cheers. 

Times were different then.

Moo

Lest you think I will never post again, here is a picture of a group of musical barnyard friends.

The fellow on the saxophone could really wail.

NASA Day 3

Whoa!  What a weekend! 

Sunday, Day 3, for me began softly, with a lovely pair of duets with soprano saxophone and an instrument called the pipa (pronounced peep-a).

The young man on the saxophone had a beautiful, clear tone.  The pipa player was fascinating to watch.  A pipa is a four-stringed instrument from China that sounds like something between a mandolin and a lute, being strummed and plucked.

Second on the program for this early recital was an alto player with didgeridoo.  Time to wake up, I guess!  The man playing didgeridoo sounded great (I've always loved the sound of a didgeridoo) and was a remarkable accompaniment to the sax.

For the last piece, the didg player laid down the traditional instrument and picked up an odd arrangement of pipes.  He called it his "sewer sax", being made of sewer pipes.  It is played like the didgeridoo, but has an extra pipe end that can be covered with his hand to create two different pitches.  Thus, his new instrument can do more than just drone on one note.  Outstanding!

Following the recital was a NASA General Membership meeting.  Old and new business was discussed.  NASA, as an organization, isn't as old as I thought it was, and membership is growing.

Then, Eugene Rousseau lead a masterclass.  Here he is, imparting wisdom:

 
After the masterclass, my mouthpiece and I took another spin through the exhibit hall to try out the Bauhaus saxophones.  Bauhaus is a company out of the United Kingdom that focuses solely on saxophones and is starting to distribute in the U.S.  They play very nicely, though are a bit heavy (which translates to better sound, ultimately).

By the time this ended, I was badly in need of some quiet time.  The third day of many of these conferences and conventions can sometimes feel like burn-out, despite your interest and love of the subject matter.  So, I took myself and a book over to the corner coffee house to get in some reading and relaxing.  It was my mini-vacation, after all.

Relaxed and well-read, I then headed back to the lecture hall.  I took in a performance of a piece for tenor sax and percussion, ably performed by an old friend from way back.  Then grabbed the last portion of a performance lecture on the saxophone life and times of 1920s musician Kathryn Thompson.  A woman of the jazz age, who reportedly strongly disliked jazz but wrote some sparkling ragtime music for saxophone and taught saxophone in a music school in southern California. 

The final two lectures I attended dealt with building up a private lesson studio and teaching critical thinking to students.  With these ideas and thoughts rattling around in my overwhelmed, slightly sleep-deprived brain, I strolled back to the car and headed for home.

NASA Day 2

What a day!  Got up early to get back to campus to start the day with a lecture on Alexander technique.

But before I could do that, I had to wait for the geese to cross the road in front of my hotel.

Okay, Alexander technique.  I thought this method was only for actors, but many of the concepts can be applied to any discipline, including playing an instrument.  It is more than posture and deals more with balance, "non-doing", letting go of tension, body kinesthetics, and awareness.  It requires recognizing a bad habit and replacing it with a better habit.  With the saxophone, much can be done just by adjusting the neckstrap to a place where the weight of the horn is less severe on your neck body alignment.

Following the Alexander lecture was a presentation by Pedrosaxo.  www.pedrosaxo.com if you are interested.  He was "discovered" by Jeff Coffin, who persuaded NASA to feature him at this year's conference.  "Break your limits" to quote Pedro, and he broke limits.  His music creates soundtracks and sonic landscapes without overdub or electronic assistance (except for maybe a bit of resonance through his computer).  His music is personal, emotional, and impressively performed.  For his presentation he performed four pieces, one of which was played without the mouthpiece and another played on just the mouthpiece and neck of the horn.  Not just sax tricks though, he used throat singing, multi-phonics, and singing and playing simultaneously.

Pedrosaxo

Mind blown, I headed over to hear a panel discussion about the history of classical saxophone pedagogy.  Members of the panel were none other than Fred Hemke, Steve Mauk, and Eugene Rousseau. 

Over lunch I listened to some fine student sax quartets and took a spin through the exhibit hall.  I was excited to find some publications of music of Rudy Weidoeft (that I can't wait to get home and try out!) and a book of Bach music transcribed for saxophone.  I also took the opportunity to try out the new Keilwerth MKX.  Not only is it a beautiful horn, it plays great.  So great, I didn't really want to put it down.  Always a good sign of a quality instrument.  I also tried a couple of the new model Buffet saxes.  Not as much to my preferences, but built well.  I noticed that the finishes really made a big difference with these horns.

After the test drive and shopping session, I wandered back over to the lecture hall to hear a talk that really boiled down to fundamentals as they relate to classical style versus jazz style.  It was just the kind of nit-picky, lazer-beamed, hyper-focused lecture that academics are known for.  But I still managed to pick up some information that may be useful with my students.

The evening concert was a superb showcase of ensemble and chamber work featuring saxophones.  A duet with piano, a quartet, saxophone with percussion ensemble, the Moanin' Frogs sax ensemble, the Eastman Saxophone Project, and Jeff Coffin and Futureman returned to the stage.  Bravo!

And thus concludes day 2: chicken soup for the saxophone soul.

Jazz on Stage 5

Oh yeah.  Doxy.

NASA-ers

NASA Day 1

Woke up bright and early this morning to hit the road to attend the 2014 North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA--clever, eh?) Conference.  Which is a bit of a mouthful, so from now on, I will refer to it as Saxfest. This is my first Saxfest and I hope to get recharged (it is sort of a mini-vacation for me), pick up some inspiration, learn new things, and hear some good saxophoning.

After arriving at the campus of the University of Illinois and securing a parking permit (no sense feeding meters all day when a day pass can be procured), I headed to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts to check-in and see what's what. 

The first thing I encountered was and ensemble showcase of the UMKC Conservatory.  It was lovely sounding entrance music as I got  checked in, met up with a couple fellow QCA friends, and refueled my coffee cup.

After coffee and reviewing the day's schedule, my friends and I took a look at the saxophones exhibit.  Here we found some vintage copy from saxophone ads for Conn, Beuscher, and Selmer companies.  Also available for perusal was a collection of saxophones from the era of the man himself: Adolphe Sax.

Also on hand was this Grafton plastic saxophone.  Charlie Parker used a horn like this we he hawked his good horn for drug money. 

Bass saxophone. Don't see these everyday.  Well, unless you own  one.

Then it was off to the Music Building for a recital of new music for saxophone.  The building is rather extraordinary.  My pictures don't do it justice, considering my camera is getting a bit dated (so much so that the last photo kiosk I took it to to print pictures told me that the resolution was too low.  Cheeky kiosk.)

The program for this recital featured music written within the last several years.  The last piece on the program was a world premier composed by Dorothy Chang, who was in the audience to talk about her piece.  New Stories for Alto Saxophone and Piano was performed by Joe Luloff and showed how versatile the instrument can be in conveying mood and imaginative landscapes.

After the recital, I wandered into a lecture about Bessie Mecklem .  Bessie was one of the first female saxophone soloists who had an active performance schedule in New York.  She recorded some with Thomas Edison, but unfortunately, the recordings have been lost.  What was most interesting takeaway from this lecture was the prevailing attitude towards woman musicians, particularly woodwind players, at the Turn of the Century.

Not really wanting to go too far from the lecture hall because I wanted a good seat for the Jeff Coffin clinic, I stuck around for the following discussion panel.

The panel discussion, titled "D.M.A or J.O.B. Pathways to Employment in the Academy and Beyond" was interesting to listen in on.  Even though I don't have current aspirations to get a DMA or to make a run for the very few jobs available in academia, I did find some inspiration in the advice given from the panelists. 

From my notes: "What do people hope to gain from their musical experiences?" and "What does it mean to be a teacher?"  Some interesting questions to consider.

Just after the panel discussion was the Jeff Coffin clinic.  Jeff Coffin on saxophones and Roy "Futureman" Wooten on drums.  They began with about 35 minutes of non-stop jazz interplay made up on the spot.  Both are entertaining performers, playing with tone color, sound effects, water bottles, and comic devices all without dropping a beat.  Coffin then asked us to list all of the things we heard. 

The listening exercise spun out into a discussion of the Five Fundamentals.

Coffin lists these fundamentals, in order of importance, as:
1. LISTENING (all caps because it is very important and required before the others can make any sense)
2. Tone/Dynamics (including emotional dynamics)
3. Harmony--This is a huge topic, so start small and start to connect the dots.
4. Rhythm/Time
5. Articulation --This can be an extraordinary expressive device.

With practice and mastery of these fundamentals, your opportunities for expression as a musician can increase dramatically.

An inspiring and energizing first day at Saxfest!