Jazz in NYC

I'm actually back in Vancouver now, but I haven't had a chance to relay my last few experiences in NYC so here's a little bit of catch-up. It is now dawning on me how big the Thanksgiving holiday really is for Americans. This weekend has been as close to a standstill as I've ever seen Manhattan, excepting the "black friday" sales. An additional effect of this holiday is that less music happens in town, I've learned. Which has been good and bad. So far, the Maria Schneider Orchestra has been the only show I really enjoyed.

On the final night of my visit, I had originally planned to see two shows, but strangely ran out of time (and possibly energy) and so just caught the second of the two. You may notice that I am side-stepping the naming of names, possibly to protect the innocent, or to protect myself. The show that Sharon and I did see in the end was at a club that we have both frequented before, and both seen amazing shows at. This night, however, was not one those shows. Let me be clear: it was not a bad set of music by any stretch. These were professional musicians who are obviously able to make a living in New York, and that's no mean feat. But hearing them play did put a few things into perspective. They demonstrated for example that you can play at a high level of technical proficiency and still have gaping holes in your technique. Or that you can have a masterful command of style and idiom, and still lack a personal voice or an interesting narrative in your improvisation. And that even though people paid $20 cover, you can go up on stage and look at your bandmates saying "What do you guys feel like playing" to decide on your set.

I heard a piano player who knew what the jazz was supposed to sound like, but couldn't accurately get his fingers to make that happen. I heard a drummer play all the right notes at the right time, but all at the same volume (loud) all the way through every tune (except for his solo, which was louder). I heard a horn player calling tunes and playing them just fine, but with no real fire or energy or spontaneous interplay between accompanists and soloist. And I heard a great bass player (what can I say, he played great). It made me realize that in order to play the music I want to play, I need to address the issues in my technique (through practice and study), I need to make my instrument play music instead of just sounds, I need to put time and thought into writing and choosing repertoire, and never phone it in. At least I hope the band had fun and supported each other in their journey.

So now it's back to Vancouver and time to put those realizations to good use! Wish me luck.