Dan Jacobs: Writings

PETOSKEY NEWS-REVIEW, 13 MAY 2005 EDITION
Article on Dan Jacobs found at: www.petoskeynews.com, features photo of Dan Jacobs playing trumpet on cover.

Professional musicians pass on secrets to area youth

Musicians take students to next level with their music - by Fred Gray, staff writer, News-Review

Blues singer and instrumentalist Doc Woodward and big band jazz trumpeter Dan Jacobs have learned over their long careers how to gracefully break into an improvised solo at the wave of a finger.

And when to back off uncharted musical journeys into unobtrusive background rhythms as others take their turns in the limelight.

And how to create new jazz lines by syncopating an unanticipated series of notes in a traditional cadence.

These and the other subtle arts of blues and jazz are not easily learned and less easily taught - they are better absorbed over a lifetime of trial and error, in practice and performance.

But however difficult the challenge, Woodward and Jacobs have spent their time between performances this year coaching dozens of young musicians of Petoskey and Charlevoix on the intricacies of jazz improvisation.

For years Woodward, born Chris Ventzke, was a featured performer at Whitney's in Charlevoix.

Jacobs, a native of Bellaire who has become a 40-year veteran of the international jazz scene, including a recent stint with singer Linda Ronstady's band, works with horns, while Woodward works with the rhythm sections.

We're trying to emphasize Michigan's contribution to the legacy of blues and jazz," Woodward says.

Jacobs and Woodward, who refer to themselves as the program's "clinician-instructors," split their time between Charlevoix and Petoskey high schools and Northwest Academy.

During a typical session at Petoskey High School, Jacobs coached a dozen would-be soloists in the wind ensemble jazz band while Woodward sat at the grand piano, showing senior Mike Antonishen new blues riffs and chords.

Woodward and Jacobs are the featured instructors in "Jazz in the Mitten," a blues and jazz educational program funded by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts through a grant administered by North Central Michigan College. The Crooked Tree Arts Council is a partner organization.

The program was created to help students develop their musical, recording, marketing and graphic arts talents through contact with professional musicians and artists, and to promote Michigan's rich musical heritage.

"When I get in front of a (musical) chart I get slightly intimidated, whereas Dan does not," Woodward said. "He is very good at conducting large workshops on improvisation - the esoteric art of making up music on the spot around the format of jazz and blues."

He said most of the professional musicians who participate in the program as mentors are not necessarily professional educators.

"It's new for them and a way of sharing their talents. I think it makes them feel good to realize their own place in local musical history," Woodward said.

Woodward said the lab bands from the three schools in the program will perform a final concert at Charlevoix High School on May 20.

He said Jacobs, who has produced over 30 music CDs including the critically acclaimed "Blues After Hours," will record the bands' concert performance and make CDs of it available for purchase to help support the program in future years.

Woodward said the program will not end with the concert, but will continue through a Web site already under development and a course of instruction in Michigan jazz and blues history that could be offered at the community college level.

The "Jazz in the Mitten" educational program will culminate in the first annual "Spring Fever" jazz and blues jam, to be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 20, at Charlevoix High School.

The concert will feature the talent of local students from Petoskey High School, Northwest Academy and Charlevoix High School. Also featured will be The Northern Michigan Jazz and Blues All-Stars, with Dan Jacobs on trumpet and program producer Doc Woodward on keyboard.

Tickets are on sale at the NCMC College Store, the Crooked Tree Arts Center and at the door. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. For group rates and other information, call 348-6705.

Come blow your horn, tickle the ivories ...

Fred Gray can be contacted at 439-9374, or fgray@petoskeynews.com.

ANTRIM COUNTY NEWS 5. 17. 2005

Trumpeter, DAN JACOBS, a native of Bellaire and a 40-year veteran of the national jazz music scene, is bringing his love of the musical genre to Northern Michigan musicians.

PASSING NOTES:
Internationally acclaimed jazz trumpet recording artist, Dan Jacobs, is sharing his talents with area student musicians. He grew up in a family that was all about sharing music; now Dan Jacobs of Bellaire is sharing his passion with northern Michigan musicians. "With my two brothers, Chuck and Rod, I grew up in a very musical family and received ongoing
encouragement in any musical pursuits from my parents, friends and relatives as a normal part of my life," Jacobs said.

It's his passion for jazz that has Jacobs working with area musicians currently. He, along with singer and organ player Doc Woodward, have been working with students from Charlevoix High School, Petoskey High School, and the Northwest Academy of Arts on a Spring Jazz and blues program - performance will be on May 20, at 7 p.m. at Charlevoix High School performing arts center.

The concert is the result of a pilot program started by Woodward and Jacobs, "Jazz in the Mitten," The program puts professional artists and musicians together with students. Jacobs and Woodward are using it to teach their favorite musical genre to a new generation of musicians. Jacobs, who has worked with musicians of all ages, said he's really enjoyed his time with the area high school students and has been both pleased and surprised with how they've taken to the program. And those budding jazz protégées are learning from two seasoned veterans.

Jacobs has had a trumpet in his hand since he was 12-years-old. "At 12 years old, when I started playing trumpet, I was able to improvise before I could read music. It just came natural to me so then I had to backtrack and fill in the technical gaps from my early training," Jacobs said. As a young musician himself, Jacobs took every opportunity to play jazz.

"When I was growing up, there were always jam sessions and places to play live jazz," he said. "So I took advantage of this and sat in (played) where ever and whenever I could. This gave me some great exposure to better players resulting in lots of growth for me personally."

Jacobs has been a part of the national jazz musical scene for 40 years. His desire to share his music has taken him all over the nation and world and his music is played on jazz radio stations worldwide.

He has also recently released his second jazz CD, "Blue After Hours." So far, the CD has received critical acclaim and sales all over the world and is played on jazz stations from Europe to Japan, Australia and all throughout the U.S. The reviews are very satisfying, Jacobs said. Reviews can be seen and the CD can be purchased online at: www.blueafterhours.com or www.jazzstandardtime.com.

ANTRIM COUNTY NEWS 5,17,05

PARADOXICAL INTENT AND THE NINE-YEAR BLUES

I don't know why journalists don't use the expression paradoxical intent anymore. It is perfect for describing half of what happens inside the beltway.

It means setting out to do one thing and ending up doing the exact opposite. Dan Jacobs recently had an experience with paradoxical intent. As a result, the jazz world has a new and compelling voice.

Our story begins, as all good ones do, at a street side café in Paris after the turn of the 21st Century. Jacobs was suffering from the nine-year blues. He couldn't help it, he had just turned 59.

As he sat under the gray Paris skies talking about early retirement and running away into the unknown, wife and soul mate Myrna, sensing he needed a creative project, suggested he make a recording of the brothers.

Jacobs had grown up in a musical family near the northern Michigan resort town of Charlevoix. His mother taught music and played piano with a Dixieland band and it was only natural that he and brothers Rod and Chuck would become players.

By the mid-1950’s the boys put together a family band playing Dixieland and jazz standards and achieved a modicum of regional success. Then the sixties came along. Dixie and jazz went out of vogue and the brothers drifted apart pursuing individual careers.

Youngest brother Chuck went straight to the top of the popular music world. His initial break came when he was called to replace Jaco Pastorius as bass player for Wayne Cochran and the C C Riders. That established him as a player on the “A” list and for the next three decades has seen the bright lights of big cities in venues worldwide as the bass player with Kenny Rogers.

Brother Rod combined his considerable playing skills on drums with a case of wanderlust and took his place on the world stage playing with established artists on cruise ships and in exotic ports of call.

Dan did a tour of duty playing trumpet with the Navy Band followed by enrollment at Michigan State University School of Business while playing jazz on the side. In the music rich city of East Lansing he was instantly recognized and welcomed as an outstanding player.

Over the next four years he was seemingly everywhere, playing with soul bands, jazz bands, show bands and performing at rock 'n roll and jazz-rock festivals. When he won the prestigious outstanding soloist award on trumpet at the 1968 Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival, “Down Beat” Magazine hailed him as a "great soloist,” and he became a player to watch.

After marriage and the birth of son Evan, Dan took the road least taken by jazzmen. He disappeared into the world of responsibility. Music was his passion but the family was his life. Moving to the suburbs of Los Angeles he became a successful marketing executive while working as a musical weekend-warrior with West Coast big bands and horn sections.

In the spring of 2001, after returning from the Paris trip, Jacobs lined up a top recording studio. Without benefit of a rehearsal, Dan and his two brothers joined with Nashville guitarist Randy Dorman, and recorded a CD simply entitled “Jazz Standard Time” by The Jacobs Brothers.

"It was not my intention to make a commercially successful or critically acclaimed recording," Jacobs told the Examiner. "I just wanted to make sure there was an archive of the band and have some fun doing it. I guess you could say it was supposed to be a farewell musical tribute to a band nobody had ever heard of."

The first inkling he had done something more came when he picked up the 2003 spring edition of Jazz Improv Magazine. "I just bought it to read," he continued. "I had no idea there would be a review of our CD."

As he read the review, he was astonished by what he saw. "I was struck by Dan Jacobs' beautiful sound on trumpet," reviewer Winthrop Bedford wrote, “his warm full sound, his articulation, vibrato, use of space and thoughtful and logical improvised lines. His sense of time is rock solid, enabling him to play right in the center of the groove, or sensitively lay back, behind the beat, to infuse live, in-the-moment emotion into his music. Dan Jacobs' approach is clearly about taste and musicality."

Jacobs confessed, "I had one of those 'he can't be talking about me’ moments.“ Bedford, indeed, was talking about him and he wasn't the only one. As international sales of the CD took off Jacobs began getting requests for live radio interviews around the world as well as domestic concert dates with Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, pianist Bob James and others. When credible jazz critics from the U.S. and Europe started comparing him to Chet Baker, Miles Davis and Bobby Shew, the paradox was complete. At the age of 60, Dan Jacobs was the new kid in town.

Now the brothers are back with their second release, "Dan Jacobs, Blue After Hours." Once again the critics are in the trumpet players' corner.
"Hell, he is simply one of our new great offerings to the jazz world," says George W.Carroll of E Jazz News.

The Jacobs Brothers recordings work for a number of reasons.

First, all of the guys can really play. The rhythm section swings and the solos are inventive and fresh. The true specialness, however, comes from original intent and here, there is no paradox. The brothers recorded music they loved and mastered as children. The result is absolute musical honesty. The recordings are absent any pretense or attempt to impress but rather reveal a depth of passionate belief in the music itself that is as compelling as it is contagious.

Second, the composer is quite often the odd man out on current jazz albums; players use their songs as little more than a springboard for their improvisational wizardry. That is not the case here. When the brothers play Gershwin, what you get is Gershwin. When they play Richard Rodgers, the writer is in the house.

Finally, there is the pure genius of Dan Jacobs on trumpet. His phrasing, tone, use of space and mastery of both his instrument and the art of improvisation are something the jazz world hasn't heard since Clifford Brown's recording of “It's Just a Garden in the Rain.”

Proponents of the internet have long predicted an independent artist relying primarily on internet sales could see Grammy attention. If Jacobs’ recording of “Blue” by Bobby Shew or Nora Jones' “I Don't Know Why” get the sales and radio time they merit, that prediction could come true.

The Jacobs Brothers CDs are available at jazzstandardtime.com, blueafterhours.com, cdbaby.com and iTunes and are definitely worth a listen.

Buck Vandermeer

JAZZ IMPROV INTERVIEW WITH TRUMPETER DAN JACOBS January 2005


JI: What is your most important discovery as a working musician in Los Angeles?

DJ: My close friend Bobby Shew, definitely one of the “A-list” trumpet players internationally, gave me this tip when I first came to Los Angeles. He said, in the music business, people would rather work with musicians they like to be around and can get along with. He went on to say, of course it is vital to be able to perform competently and professionally, but given a choicewith all other things being equal...people would still rather work with their friends!

On reflection, the simple and now obvious truth of this statement made all the difference in my career. Further, it put things in perspective for me in a way that nothing else had done up to that time. Yes, I had been trained and experienced as a trumpet player for years before, performing with all types of musical organizations from small groups, big bands, rock opera, road shows, etc., and getting gigs had always come easy for me. But, I never really examined why I got hired, thinking it was only because of the way I played. I now realize that actual performance is only part of the picture. Being able to get along with people you're working with is the other side of that coin. After all, the people you're playing with or hanging around with during the breaks are able to make the gig a pleasurable experience or something quite the opposite.

A recent experience might help to illustrate this point. I was hired to produce an album for an artist in another city. Though I had performed there before, when I needed players to work in the studio, I called upon my old friend and top studio player to get names of other guys to work on the project. He told me, “Lots of guys could cut this gig, but get this guy because he can play anything and he's fun to have around.” He was right! I did hire the guys he recommended and was happy I did. Now, they are also my friends and they would be my first choice for any future project.

JI: How has working in the music business affected your life?

DJ: To begin, I read something by a famous producer that clarified this area for me. He said, there are two words in “music business,” music and business! You can't completely separate them and remain viable. Unless you know something about the business side of music, in addition to the fact of creating music, you'll run into difficulties unnecessarily. There are lots of books on the subject, seminars you can attend and other sources for information on the subject so that you can easily get a working knowledge of the area. These days, there is really no excuse for not having at least some working knowledge of the business side of things.

I've got musician friends that simply don't want anything to do with the business side of music. They have dedicated themselves to being a player and that's all they want to be. Admirable though this may be, it also is a limiting factor in my opinion. I was lucky enough to enjoy not only the creation of music but the production, marketing and promotion of it as well. Having produced over 30 albums, I've found that it requires 100% of your time, attention and dedication to create a professional musical product suitable to offer for sale-and another 100% of your time, attention and dedication to market and promote it successfully. This is where the “music business” operates. And you need to know something about it even if you can't stand doing it yourself, so you can hire competent people to do it for you.

For myself, I consider that I've got the best job around; to be able to do what I love every day, whether in creating a musical product or in creating a way of reaching the public through marketing and promotion. None of this is work to me. It's fun! Perhaps it's because I enjoy every step of the creative process from conception to finally completing a project and getting it demanded and sold to the public. Whatever it might be, when I'm able to make use of my musical skills and combine that with my experience in the business side of things, I find that things go easier and life is much more enjoyable.

JI: What kinds of encouragement did you receive growing up, and what was the environment like that led you and your two brothers to pursue this creative path?

DJ: With my two brothers, Chuck and Rod, I grew up in a very musical family and received ongoing encouragement in any musical pursuits from parents, friends and relatives as a normal part of my life. Everyone expected that we would follow some sort of creative musical career path, as it was so much a part of our lives from a very early age. Our family band, including me on trumpet, Chuck on bass and Rod on drums, our mother on piano, our sister on clarinet, and our “other brother,” Rick Culver, on trombone, won local and regional contests from the start, resulting in performances around the Midwest at any number of shows, concerts, misc. gigs etc. These experiences lead to all of us becoming seasoned performers in addition to being competent instrumentalists. To some degree we became involved in the “entertainment business” in addition to the “music business” as a result of these experiences. From this, I figured out that: a) all practicing was done alone and was for my benefit; b) rehearsing was done for the benefit of the group; c) that the performance was for the audience! And that concept stays with me to this day.

JI: Tell us about the concepts you had for creating the music on your two albums Jazz Standard Time and your recent release, “Blue After Hours”

DJ: The question is best answered with this short story that my wife, Myrna, wrote around the time that “Jazz Standard Time,” was recorded in late 2001: “One day on a rainy Paris afternoon, over a cup of espresso, Dan, the oldest of the three brothers, decided it had been long enough without a 'Jacobs Brothers' CD. The idea was then born to just set a studio date, have everyone show up, then figure out where to go from there! So, that is what happened. Chuck showed up with his bass, Rod set up his drums Randy Dorman, was there to play guitar on the project and Dan on trumpet. It was early in the morning and they set up and began to play. They played, improvised, and tried new things, each adding their own special influences. It was loose yet disciplined by experience and professionalism. Music is best played that way and it turned just how Dan envisioned. Everyone had fun, had something to contribute and left wanting to do it again.” And, it turned out to be a very popular CD.

The second project, Blue After Hours was conceived one evening when my wife and I were listening to some jazz during dinner. We got the idea of producing a project that was deeply personal and yet universally acceptable. We decided to try to capture the unique essence of a live jazz performance in a club like Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, Bakers Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, or the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York. It's that feeling you get while experiencing an exhilarating night of listening to jazz, where you're transformed by a club full of strangers united for one common aesthetic purpose; the smells and sounds of people, smoke, booze and jazz; the feeling of being crowded around a small, well-used table in front of the bandstand at any one of a thousand small jazz clubs around the world being pleasantly seduced by the sounds of live jazz being played in the environment in which it was born.

We wanted the CD to stir old memories of some of those times in the past...or let the listener imagine what it might be like to experience it sometime in the future. That was the birth of the concept for, Blue After Hours now released and available worldwide. From initial feedback and media reviews, we accomplished our objective with this project.

JI: How has your playing and overall perspective grown as a result of the two jazz albums you've recorded, “Jazz Standard Time” and “Blue After Hours?”

DJ: My appreciation for all the “invisible” steps that have to occur for any project to be released has grown tremendously. What you see and hear at the end is the finished product, but what you don't see is all the other things that have to be done expertly for the final CD to reach the listener with the level of quality that was envisioned. I've also learned that seeking only perfection is a trap. This is because as you get closer to perfection, your skill and awareness inevitably get better and you now see how it could be improved even further. You have to learn when to call it done. And when is that? In my mind, any work of art is done when the technique involved is sufficient to touch the listener with the intended message.

I feel that works of art are experienced by people; they are heard by people and felt by people...not just for a small clique of insiders. I've always thought that the message of the music was more important than the technique used to accomplish it. If what I'm playing doesn't touch people, to me it doesn't matter how much technique I display. I'm convinced the reason for technique is to help facilitate the delivery of my message, which is always more important to me. The focus of my playing is to do whatever is necessary to reach people, to touch them with my music. Everything else is secondary in my opinion.

JI: What were the jazz recordings or performances that you first heard that inspired you to develop your improvisational skills, and what kind of feeling did you get from those?

DJ: I first heard Louis Armstrong shortly after I began playing trumpet. I got to meet him twice after the concerts and two things stuck with me. First of all, he was a consummate entertainer and was also a phenomenal musician. He was really the first one of his stature that I'd seen who was competent and comfortable in both areas. As a player, his tone, phrasing, dynamics, sense of time, note placement and ability to always swing made him the ideal performer. And as an entertainer, he always seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing for the audience. Like all the really top performers I've played with over the years, from Woody Herman and Mel Tome to Linda Ronstadt and Kenny Rogers, they all made you feel that this performance was just for you!

The next jazz recordings that really turned my head around were the Stan Getz/Chet Baker Quartet records of the '50s. I had never heard anything like it before and it definitely touched me emotionally! The tone of the Chet's trumpet and his sense of harmony and phrasing were and are pure aesthetics to me. I practically wore the grooves of that LP down to nothing from listening to it over and over. Miles and Kind of Blue and subsequent albums also opened more musical doors for me. Both of those records inspired me to further develop my improvisational skills to be able to get out of the horn what I was feeling inside. Since then, I've listened to and studied not just trumpet players, but all types of music. I've found that any great music will reach me, sometimes in profound ways.

JI: Who have been some of the most influential musicians in your development, and what specific ways have they impacted your music and artistry?

DJ: From my viewpoint all current trumpet players owe a debt to the great players who paved the way; Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbeck, Dizzy, Clifford, Kenny Dorham, Chet, Miles, Blue Mitchell, Freddie, Woody Shaw, Tom Harrell, Wynton, Enrico Rava, Randy Brecker, Bobby Shew, Nick Payton and too many others to mention. Each contributed in their own way and they all have and are continuing to contribute to the development of jazz trumpet specifically and the art form generally.

JI: Could you share some of your perspectives about learning how to improvise and the process of improvisation?

DJ: At twelve years old, when I started playing trumpet, I was able to improvise before I could read music; it just came “natural” to me so then I had to backtrack and fill in the technical gaps from my early training. Primarily, I concentrated on learning the melody to the songs I was playing, as I was the lead instrument in the band. Consequently, my soloing was mainly melodic interpretation in the beginning, but, as my solos made sense in that context, it gave me the confidence to continue developing my skills and competence. At that time, I was playing mostly standards so I began to learn the words to the songs, too.
This exercise helped me tremendously as it gave me a “connection” to the songs that showed up in my solos. Later, as I learned more scales and alternate chord changes I would think of my own melodies, write them out to practice over the chord changes to the song. This too, was a “rapid-launch” method to gain confidence and certainty in my improvising that I would recommend to anyone. When I was coming up, there were always jam sessions and places to play jazz live. So, I took advantage of this and sat in wherever and whenever I could. This gave me some great exposure to better players resulting in lots of growth for me personally.

My perspective on the process of improvisation in general is basically simple. Improvisation means to create spontaneously and play what you hear naturally. In the beginning stages of learning about improvisation, I feel it is important not to edit yourself too much. Just get used to hearing a note or phrase in your mind then try to play that same note or phrase with your instrument.

The old saying, “strive for tone” is still the most important part of improvising in my opinion. Never compromise speed or range for sound. Your tone or sound is the most personal and identifying characteristic of your playing. It is your musical identity and it's who you are on your instrument. Listen to players you like. Emulate those that inspire you. Don't worry about being perfect before you start. Be willing to face up to and work on your weak areas when they show up. Practice them until you don't have to think about them anymore. Listen to players that have come before you. There is nothing wrong with imitation especially in the earlier stages. Your own voice will develop

“I believe that artists are arguably the most valuable people on this earth. For they seek to inject the culture with all the art, beauty or aesthetics you find on this planet. Without the working artist, the world would not be as livable, and, I'm proud to be counted as one of them.”

naturally if you are playing what you hear. Persistence, perseverance and patience are the keys to competence in mastering the art of improvising.

JI: I've observed that two diverse approaches often influence or tug at the direction that trumpeters focus on-the amazing technique of Maynard Ferguson, and or the depth of content and unique sound approaches of Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and Freddie Hubbard, among others. Could you comment, and discuss the temptation to focus on or be drawn to technique over the music itself that some artists experience.

DJ: Back in 1971, I was given a wonderful article discussing the relationship between art and communication. At that time, I began to really take a look at what was going on with technique, content, sound and the musical experience itself. I relied on my old, dusty dictionary to find that technique is simply the procedure, skill or expertise in handling something, like an instrument or a voice. Art, on the other hand, is usually defined as the creation of some beautiful or thought provoking work, as in music, painting or writing etc. So, I puzzled, how much technique do I need to get my musical message, (which can be any feeling, sensation, desire or anything else) across to the listener and make it a desirable artistic experience at the time? It was clear to me that technique was just a tool to help me reach people with my music and to touch them emotionally. It is there to push the idea forward and give it the power and punch to impact the listener and the audience. Seemed simple enough, I just had to keep my priorities straight.

“The old saying, 'strive for tone' is still the most important part of improvising in my opinion... your tone or sound is the most personal and identifying characteristic of your playing. It is your musical identity and it's who you are on your instrument.”

The message, the idea...was dominant! As long as I remembered that the purpose of practicing technique was to get my message across more effectively, I was okay. And if I started working on technique only for its own sake, I knew I had fallen off the rails. And, significantly, I began to make rapid progress in finding my own musical voice at that moment. I knew I wasn't going to be the new Maynard, Miles or Chet because even at my best I would only be a copy of them. I discovered that the more I trusted my own instincts about how and what to play, the more I began to sound like myself...and the more I liked what I heard! For a more complete discussion on this topic, go to www.bobbyshew.com, from whom I learned nearly everything I know about playing the trumpet.

JI: Most of us are baffled or frightened by mere smokescreens. Once we understand these events simply as the illusions they are, we can often transcend these “walls” and experience the fulfillment and success that lies just beyond our current awareness. If you've experienced this kind of evolution at one point or another in your life, could you share that with us?

DJ: I have found that many of the difficulties and problems of life appear so only because we have not really faced them. At one point in my life I found that the complexities of life increased only to the degree I was unwilling to meet them head on. And, when I did willingly face whatever life presented me with, things became simpler. I have found that the first barrier to learning anything new or gaining any new ability, is thinking that you already know all you need to know, without any further study. With this idea, you've made it impossible to improve further. To apply this concept to any instrument, if you are unwilling to face, for instance, the fact that you never really learned your basics, you'll find many aspects of music quite baffling.

It is humbling to have to face your weakness and admit that you have something to learn, but it is the only way you are going to really improve and reach levels of effortless mastery in your playing. Life is a constant, ongoing study. And the more I know, the more I find out there is to know. In the words of Bobby Shew, “I'm humbled every day by the trumpet. But, I still know that it's just $35.00 worth of brass and without me doing something to it, nothing happens! I'm the one controlling it, not the reverse.” This makes total sense to me and clarified the proper relationship between the horn and me.

JI: To be truly universal, one must be particular moment by moment, detail by detail. How does this perspective or approach manifest itself in your life and music?

DJ: In my opinion, if all my attention is hung up on something in the past then I have less attention to devote to succeeding right now, let alone planning for something better in the future. I know I tend to get what I keep my attention on. So, if my attention is on my past, my future will be much the same.
I heard this concept stated by Chick Corea once when he said something to the effect that when he performs at his best, he is totally in the moment, completely in the present, creating each moment right now. He's not thinking of what he did a day ago or a second ago. He's not even thinking about the future. He's just in the present moment totally, and he creates most effectively from that state. I agree with him completely and strive for this state every time I pick up my instrument.

JI: How do you stay balanced-as an artist, as an individual given the many distractions that surround us and the stress?

DJ: I have learned to trust my instincts completely about people and situations in my life. If I have a bad feeling about someone or something going on around me, I don't ignore my instincts or make excuses to “explain” away some odd behavior or situation. I call it for what it is and act accordingly. I either handle them in some effective manner to get them straightened out, or get them out of my life. I get rid of “toxic connections” fast and never look back! Conversely, if I see that I routinely do better around certain people, I'll do everything in my power to help them any way I can.

I'm very loyal to my friends and I know who they are. I never compromise with my own sense of personal integrity in my music or my life. I figure if I don't believe in myself, why should anyone else? I have an unshakeable belief in the basic goodness in people. Personally, I've never found a person who “tried” to do the wrong thing. In my experience, most people try to do the right thing and are willing to correct themselves...eventually.

Finally, I believe that artists are arguably the most valuable people on this earth. For they seek to inject the culture with all the art, beauty or aesthetics you find on this planet. Without the working artist, the world would not be as livable, and, I'm proud to be counted as one of them.

Visit Dan at www.jazzstandardtime.com
interview with Dan Jacobs - INTERVIEW: JAZZ IMPROV

ROCKIN' FOR RELIEF

20 SEPTEMBER 2005
ANTRIM COUNTY NEWS

AREA MUSICIAN UNITE FOR HURRICANE RELIEF FUND-RAISER

By Stephen Kloosterman, ACN Staff Writer

“This fundraiser was great, because my wife, Myrna, artist, photographer and graphic designer, and I both worked on this together and we got to share the sweet glow of success afterwards,” said Jacobs, jazz trumpet player.

Relief work really shouldn't be this much fun!

But nobody was complaining at the relief concert to benefit hurricane Kartina victims held last Wednesday and Thursday at the BigEazy Rhythm and Blues Grill in Traverse City.

“It was a very happy feeling in the crowd, that at least they could do something,” said Bellaire jazz musician Dan Jacobs, who with his wife Myrna and others organized the event. Jacobs played his trumpet with various bands to a standing-room only crowd from 5 p.m. to midnight both nights of the concert, tired, but happy, at the close.

“It was a long day, but it was a lot of fun,” said Jacobs. The relief concert in Traverse City featured 14 bands and over 60 of the area's finest blues and jazz musicians, all of whom donated their time for the performance. A smaller performance, also organized by Jacobs, was held in Petoskey on Saturday.

Jacobs said he didn't know yet how much money the combined events raised, but guessed the figure would be from $5,000 to $10,000. Money was collected through admission to the event, a silent auction and sale of event T-shirts, designed by Myrna Jacobs. The owners of the BigEazy also donated 25% of their gross receipts for the two nights to the cause, and Marshall Music donated the use of a sound system, piano and drums. All money was routed to Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts through the Salvation Army.

“Everybody knew the purpose. Everybody wanted to have fun. Nobody was there grudgingly throwing money in the pot,” said Jacobs.

Featured musicians and bands included the Epsilon Jazz Band (led by Bellaire resident Bud Bechtold), Ronnie Hernandez and David Chown and friends, Kathy Nobles and the Rhythm Doctors, Al Jankowski and Into This, Luther Gravy and the Soul Biscuits, Leo Creek and an all-star quartet, Jeff Haas and NOD, the Mike Hunter/Kevin Smith big band, Dan Jacobs and Jazz Co-Motion, The Mudbugz (Cajun/Zydeco), Blisstripp and others.

“They got to see other bands that hey never otherwise get to see,” said Jacobs of the musicians. Jacobs said musicians sometimes get isolated, since they play at the same times as other bands each night, usually at separate venues.

“The level of musicianship was so high, it was unbelievable,” he said.

The Salvation Army gave each musician a thank you certificate. “It will look good on my wall,” said Jacobs.

“To me, what's important is to give something back. I've never been one to hold to myself. I like to get others to enjoy it as much as I do,” he said.

JACOBS BROTHERS RELEASE NEW RECORDING

16 December 1992
ANTRIM COUNTY NEWS
- by Cathy Stathakis

BELLAIRE, MI - “We learned to perform to professional standards at a very early age,” said former Bellaire resident Dan Jacobs, who, with younger brother Chuck, has spent this past year producing some beautiful music.
Dan, of Toluca Lake, CA., and Chuck of Burbank, Cal, longtime bass guitarist with Kenny Rogers, started 1992 with the first release from Jacobs2, “Dream Sketches,” and will see the year end with “Future Memories”, due out later this month.
The two works, both on the Simplicity Record label, are available on compact disc and cassette. Dream Sketches features 45 minutes of original contemporary instrumental music and can be purchased in Traverse City at The Sound Room and Riecker’s Outdoor Gallery.
Dan, a virtuoso musician, performs on flute and bass flute for both works, and Chuck, a world-class bass guitarist, adds fretless bass and piccolo bass to many of the pieces. Both brothers play keyboards and some percussion.
Dan and Chuck produced, composed, arranged and performed all the pieces. Brother Rod of Grand Rapids also plays some percussion on the first release.
Dream Sketches consists of ten songs, six written by Dan and four by Chuck. Among the titles are After The Rain, Waterfall, Winter Sky, Snow in the wind and Lullaby for Jazmin, which Chuck wrote for daughter Jazmin.
The brothers’ introduction into the world of music came at a young age, because of their parents’ (Wilbur and Loretta Jacobs) passion for music and their frequent Dixieland-style jam sessions at home with visiting artists.
The family spent its early years in Bellaire, later moving to Traverse City.
“Any time a musician came to town, Dad would invite him over to the house to jam,” remembers Chuck, who taught himself how to play guitar at the age of 10, the same age he decided to make music his career.
To commemorate his success, Heritage Guitar of Kalamazoo invited Chuck to help design a new five-string bass guitar for its Signature Series. The instrument, which sells for about $2,000 and bears chuck’s signature, premiered at the National Association of Music Merchants show in Anaheim, CA., in January.
Currently, Chuck tours between 200 and 250 days a year with the Kenny Rogers band Bloodline, where he’s performed bass guitar since 1979.
He can be seen this month on Kenny Rogers Christmas Special, which will air on CBS, Fri., Dec. 10 p.m. The show was filmed last month in Branson, MO.
In Chuck’s spare time, he produces music with Dan and other members of Bloodline; has written instructional books for guitar and enjoys his home and family in Burbank, which now includes baby daughter, Jazmin Rose.
Early in his career, Chuck performed with brothers Dan and Rod, and Eileen Sarafis, who would become Rod’s wife, in Kenny Gordon and the Sound Gathering. A 1968 graduate of Traverse City High School, he’s also performed with Arnett, Huntley & Jacobs; Wayne Cochran & the CC Riders; The Rainmakers; and Chopper, a popular regional band.
Chuck admits to having reached many of his goals.
“I keep having to set new ones,” he said. “The only thing now that would make me happier is to play in my own name.”
Which is exactly what he and Dan are doing with Jacobs2. Having performed together for nearly 30 years, Chuck and Dan have a special insight into each other’s musical styles that brings a rare intimacy to their combined style.
Dream Sketches and the soon-to-be-released Future Memories reflect a combination of interests and abilities from a very musical northern Michigan family, who often returns to their roots in Bellaire, MI.
Anyone interested in works by Jacobs2, can write to: Simplicity Records, 10153 ½ Riverside Drive, Suite 139, Toluca Lake, CA., 91602.

WHY EVALUTATE MUSICS? - Just listen or select something else! - by Cary Kilner

Let's investigate a point of debate -- merely for artistic discussion. People tend to blithely announce who the "best" musician or player is. I do it, we all do it -- it's a way of stating our artistic conception, and of expressing our love of music to others.
But not only is it senseless, it creates a vacuum into which fall "jazz critics," a subset of the world of "art critics." Why we need these particular people I will leave up to your estimation, but I would suggest that as intelligent, experienced and perceptive listeners we do not.

If we know clearly what another person likes, we can expand our horizon of artists by checking out her recommendations. That’s how I expanded my own jazz library beyond my original parochial childhood tastes. A drummer friend always had musics playing that caught my ear. He would show me how these artists kept appearing with other artists in other contexts, and these sounded great, too. Finally I could purchase musics, sound unheard, on the basis of the players involved. (By the way, the musics to which I am referring are Blue Note artists across the label, but the same concept applies to other jazz labels, as well as across labels, of course. Artists of like mind tend to play together.)

People laud Sonny Rollins as "the world's greatest tenor player." So what is "great?" Sure he's "great," but what about Michael Brecker, Ernie Watts, Joe Henderson, George Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Hank Mobley, Joshua Redman, Dewey Redman, Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers, or -- get my point? Go ahead and list some of your favorite tenor players that I have not yet mentioned.
Many aficionados would elevate Coltrane over Sonny as THE tenor saxophonist of modern jazz, although isn't this comparing apples to oranges? They have different backgrounds, contexts, styles, influences --
You have to qualify your criteria to make such statements. What is a “great” sax player, a purveyor of originals, an interpreter of standards? A quartet sax? A quintet sax? A pianoless sax? A big-band sax?

By the way, what is "jazz?" Bebop? Mainstream? West-Coast cool? Blue-Note? Modern jazz? Dixieland? Avante-guard? Free-jazz? Aren’t these all “jazz” since they all contain improvisation? And they each have their own exemplars.
So not only do you get to choose your artists, you choose your idiom, and you choose your time period.
To quote from Duke Ellington, “If it sounds good, it IS good!”

Who, then, is "the world's greatest alto sax player?" Wouldn’t most jazz lovers unequivocally say Bird?
What about Cannonball? I'd rather take Cannonball for maturity, humor, and sheer exuberance!
What about Phil Woods? Paul Desmond? Jackie McLean? Sonny Stitt?
Apples 'n oranges again --
Now list all the alto players who YOU like.

What about soprano sax? Coltrane? Wayne? Bill Evans? Joe Farrell? (Go to Pat Metheny's web site and see what he has to say about Kenny G.)

Who is "the world's greatest trumpet player?” Clifford Brown?
Of course Clifford was only 23 when he left us, and sure he was great! But I could extol the virtues of Booker Little just as easily -- and what about the marvelous Fats Navarro?
Freddie Hubbard is still my favorite for esprit-de corps! But if you want sheer lyricism, I'll take Blue Mitchell anytime!
Whoa! What about Dizzy Gillespie? Lee Morgan? Miles Davis? Wynton Marsalis? Clark Terry? Chet Baker? Woody Shaw? Tom Harrell? Roy Hargrove? Nickolus Payton? Maynard Ferguson?
Go ahead and list all the trumpet players that come to your mind.

Then there’s Wallace Roney: he plays nice, his recordings are good. But he sounds just like Miles! Why not listen to Miles?
Miles has left us and this is new music. So what if he sounds like Miles, does it sound good? Then it IS good.
If you want an original sound, go find one. And if you’d rather listen to Miles, then do so. Just don’t criticize. There are many derivative players; so what? Do they sound good? Then they are good!

Now let's look at “the world’s greatest drummers:” Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Higgins -- what about Alan Dawson,
Joe Chambers, Roy Haynes, Billy Cobham?
What about Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis? Totally different contexts -- trio, big-band, small-group, piano/guitarless, etc. There are timekeepers, soloists, interactive drummers.
List some drummers you like.

Bass players? Ron Carter, Reggie Workman, Art Davis, Dave Holland, Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Miroslav Vitous, Richard Davis, Eddie Gomez, -- save us! There are just WAY too many marvelous players!
Make a list of some more bass players.

What about electric bass? It’s a wonderful instrument, once eschewed by jazz players until Steve Swallow permanently abandoned his acoustic bass to take it up. Of course Jaco is “the world’s greatest bass player,” as he once told Wayne Shorter, and then went on to prove it in Weather Report and in his stunning solo album! But note that he meant “electric bass,” so there was an unspoken necessary clarification.
I certainly like Nathan East for intelligence and subtlety! And Victor Wooten is no slouch! Outstanding electric bass players are often missed amongst the excitement of a dynamic ensemble, but they are always what holds everything together, not the drummer.

Now what if we consider electric bass players who are also acoustic bass virtuosos? Does this make them “greater?”
Stanley Clark, Christopher McBride, John Patattuchi? Can you list some more who are equally facile on both instruments?

The “greatest guitar player?” It should be obvious by now how hopeless such a discussion would be! Let’s start listing some:
George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, Les Paul, Larry Carlton, Pat Martino, John McLaughlin -- already we probably have some agreement about “greatness,” but the contexts, styles, genres, time periods are completely different amongst them.
State some guitar players of your own preference. See how many you can list. Then try to separate them into separate genres.

My instrument, piano, is almost as difficult as guitar! For instance, do you mean acoustic piano, or the myriad of other keyboards, each of which requires an understanding of its unique qualities and contributes differently in different idioms. Fender Rhodes, CP-70, Wurlitzer, synthesized piano? Organ, Hammond or synthesized? Are we discussing an acoustic player or someone who plays all those keyboards well?
Take acoustic piano: there are just too many styles to make any kind of comparisons. It's what you like, dig?
Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner --
What about Phineas Newborn?? Art Tatum? Teddy Wilson? Michel Camilo, Geoff Keezer? Kenny Barron?
Now some more esoteric ones; see if you’ve heard of them: Denny Zeitlin, Roger Kellaway, Fredrich Guilda, Joe Zawinul, Clare Fischer, Jaki Byard, Victor Feldman, Stanley Cowell, George Cables, I could go on and on.
List some of your favorite piano players, old and new.

I have not discussed vibes, trombone, or vocalists. Perhaps you would like to make lists of each? Are there other instruments I have neglected?

So, in the interests of a more useful, informative, and less adversarial dialogue with friends and acquaintances about “jazz,” why not begin by saying, “the kind of jazz I really like is represented by (this group or artist), and I like (her, him, it) because (blah, blah --).”
Then “However I also like musics by (state or list) because (compare positively with your main like or influence).”
In response to an artist or group you do not like you might state, “I don’t care for them as much because (compare and contrast with your original preference),” rather than evaluating in pejorative terms, “I don’t like them, they are bogus --” This keeps all discussion on a positive and objective level, without evaluating for the other person and allowing her to make her own preferences known without fear of competition or put-down.
In this way, perhaps we can put the “critics” out of business and at the same time permit all good musics to flourish and prosper for the fun and entertainment of us all.

By the way my dear friend, Dan Jacobs, and I go way back to college where we met and played music together. Even then Dan had an ideal, a vision, that music was sacred and that it should be revered and worked on, and that every time one played it was a performance, and that it should be approached with that standard in mind. He did not tolerate sloppiness, even as we practiced our instruments -- especially as we practiced!
That didn’t mean you couldn’t make mistakes, it just meant that you should listen and pay attention, and do the best you can every time you play. I learned much from Dan as I worked on becoming a better pianist and accompanist.
Why does Dan sound so good? Is he better than folks on the list above? Oh, oh, remember, we needn’t make comparisons. And this is easy with Dan, because he doesn’t sound like anyone I know, does he to you? He has his own sound -- that’s because he has taken the best from everyone and crafted his own voice, therefore he doesn’t sound like anyone, dig? And I have rarely heard him to say negative things about other musicians; he allows every musician to have his own voice.
If I have any claims to excellence myself it’s that I don’t sound like anyone else on piano either -- I never tried to. I play to my strengths and work with my weaknesses, and I always try to make good musics.
So does Dan, and he certainly accomplishes this, to our collective pleasure! - Cary Kilner, pianist, PhD candidate

Just came across this article about the benefit concert my wife and I organized for the Katrina disaster victims. We put together a two-day concert with over 15 bands performing, all in a two-week period! Dan also performed in six of the groups, including his own combo.

http://www.record-eagle.com/2005/oct/13notes.htm

DAN JACOBS: JAZZ IMPROV MAG INTERVIEW

Interview taken by: Jazz Improv Magazine January 2005 - reprinted March 2005

JI: What is your most important discovery as a working musician in Los Angeles?

DJ: My close friend Bobby Shew, definitely one of the “A-list” trumpet players internationally, gave me this tip when I first came to Los Angeles. He said, in the music business, people wouldrather work with musicians they like to be around and can get along with. He went on to say, of course it is vital to be able to perform competently and professionally, but given a choice with all other things being equal...people would still rather work with their friends!

On reflection, the simple and now obvious truth of this statement made all the difference in my career. Further, it put things in perspective for me in a way that nothing else had done up to that time. Yes, I had been trained and experienced as a trumpet player for years before, performing with all types of musical organizations from small groups, big bands, rock opera, road shows, etc., and getting gigs had always come easy for me. But, I never really examined why I got hired, thinking it was only because of the way I played. I now realize that actual performance is only part of the picture. Being able to get along with people you’re working with is the other side of that coin. After all, the people you’re playing with or hanging around with during the breaks are able to make the gig a pleasurable experience or something quite the opposite.

A recent experience might help to illustrate this point. I was hired to produce an album for an artist in another city. Though I had performed there before, when I needed players to work in the studio, I called upon my old friend and top studio player to get names of other guys to work on the project. He told me, “Lots of guys could cut this gig, but get this guy because he can play anything and he’s fun to have around.” He was right! I did hire the guys he recommended and was happy I did. Now, they are also my friends and they would be my first choice for any future project.

JI: How has working in the music business affected your life?

DJ: To begin, I read something by a famous producer that clarified this area for me. He said, there are two words in “music business,” music and business! You can’t completely separate them and remain viable. Unless you know something about the business side of music, in addition to the fact of creating music, you’ll run into difficulties unnecessarily. There are lots of books on the subject, seminars you can attend and other sources for information on the subject so that you can easily get a working knowledge of the area. These days, there is really no excuse for not having at least some working knowledge of the business side of things.

I’ve got musician friends that simply don’t want anything to do with the business side of music. They have dedicated themselves to being a player and that’s all they want to be. Admirable though this may be, it also is a limiting factor in my opinion. I was lucky enough to enjoy not only the creation of music but the production, marketing and promotion of it as well. Having produced over 30 albums, I’ve found that it requires 100% of your time, attention and dedication to create a professional musical product suitable to offer for sale—and another 100% of your time, attention and dedication to market and promote it successfully. This is where the “music business” operates. And you need to know something about it even if you can’t stand doing it yourself, so you can hire competent people to do it for you.

For myself, I consider that I’ve got the best job around; to be able to do what I love every day, whether in creating a musical product or in creating a way of reaching the public through marketing and promotion. None of this is work to me. It’s fun! Perhaps it’s because I enjoy every step of the creative process from conception to finally completing a project and getting it demanded and sold to the public.

Whatever it might be, when I’m able to make use of my musical skills and combine that with my experience in the business side of things, I find that things go easier and life is much more enjoyable. that with my experience in the business side of things, I find that things go easier and life is much more enjoyable.

JI: What kinds of encouragement did you receive growing up, and what was the environment like that led you and your two brothers to pursue this creative path?

DJ: With my two brothers, Chuck and Rod, I grew up in a very musical family and received ongoing encouragement in any musical pursuits from parents, friends and relatives as a normal part of my life. Everyone expected that we would follow some sort of creative musical career path, as it was so much a part of our lives from a very early age. Our family band, including me on trumpet, Chuck on bass and Rod on drums, our mother on piano, our sister on clarinet, and our “other brother,” Rick Culver, on trombone, won local and regional contests from the start, resulting in performances around the Midwest at any number of shows, concerts, misc. gigs etc. These experiences lead to all of us becoming seasoned performers in addition to being competent instrumentalists. To some degree we became involved in the “entertainment business” in addition to the “music business” as a result of these experiences.

From this, I figured out that: a) all practicing was done alone and was for my benefit; b) rehearsing was done for the benefit of the group; c) that the performance was for the audience! And that concept stays with me to this day.

JI: Tell us about the concepts you had for creating the music on your two albums Jazz Standard Time and your recent release, “Blue After Hours”

DJ: The question is best answered with this short story that my wife, Myrna, wrote around the time that “Jazz Standard Time,” was recorded in late 2001: “One day on a rainy Paris afternoon, over a cup of espresso, Dan, the oldest of the three brothers, decided it had been long enough without a ‘Jacobs Brothers’ CD. The idea was then born to just set a studio date, have everyone show up, then figure out where to go from there! So, that is what happened. Chuck showed up with his bass, Rod set up his drums Randy Dorman, was there to play guitar on the project and Dan on trumpet. It was early in the morning and they set up and began to play. They played, improvised, and tried new things, each adding their own special influences. It was loose yet disciplined by experience and professionalism. Music is best played that way and it turned just how Dan envisioned. Everyone had fun, had something to contribute and left wanting to do it again.” And, it turned out to be a very popular CD.

The second project, Blue After Hours was conceived one evening when my wife and I were listening to some jazz during dinner. We got the idea of producing a project that was deeply personal and yet universally acceptable. We decided to try to capture the unique essence of a live jazz performance in a club like Caveau de la Huchette in Paris, Bakers Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, or the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York.

It’s that feeling you get while experiencing an exhilarating night of listening to jazz, where you’re transformed by a club full of strangers united for one common aesthetic purpose; the smells and sounds of people, smoke, booze and jazz; the feeling of being crowded around a small, well-used table in front of the bandstand at any one of a thousand small jazz clubs around the world being pleasantly seduced by the sounds of live jazz being played in the environment in which it was born.

We wanted the CD to stir old memories of some of those times in the past...or let the listener imagine what it might be like to experience it sometime in the future. That was the birth of the concept for, Blue After Hours now released and available worldwide. From initial feedback and media reviews, we accomplished our objective with this project.

JI: How has your playing and overall perspective grown as a result of the two jazz albums you’ve recorded, “Jazz Standard Time” and “Blue After Hours?”

DJ: My appreciation for all the “invisible” steps that have to occur for any project to be released has grown tremendously. What you see and hear at the end is the finished product, but what you don’t see is all the other things that have to be done expertly for the final CD to reach the listener with the level of quality that was envisioned. I’ve also learned that seeking only perfection is a trap. This is because as you get closer to perfection, your skill and awareness inevitably get better and you now see how it could be improved even further. You have to learn when to call it done. And when is that? In my mind, any work of art is done when the technique involved is sufficient to touch the listener with the intended message.

I feel that works of art are experienced by people; they are heard by people and felt by people...not just for a small clique of insiders. I’ve always thought that the message of the music was more important than the technique used to accomplish it. If what I’m playing doesn’t touch people, to me it doesn’t matter how much technique I display. I’m convinced the reason for technique is to help facilitate the delivery of my message, which is always more important to me. The focus of my playing is to do whatever is necessary to reach people, to touch them with my music. Everything else is secondary in my opinion. else is secondary in my opinion.

JI: What were the jazz recordings or performances that you first heard that inspired you to develop your improvisational skills, and what kind of feeling did you get from those?

DJ: I first heard Louis Armstrong shortly after I began playing trumpet. I got to meet him twice after the concerts and two things stuck with me. First of all, he was a consummate entertainer and was also a phenomenal musician. He was really the first one of his stature that I’d seen who was competent and comfortable in both areas. As a player, his tone, phrasing, dynamics, sense of time, note placement and ability to always swing made him the ideal performer. And as an entertainer, he always seemed to thoroughly enjoy playing for the audience. Like all the really top performers and entertainers I’ve played with over the years, like Bob James, Woody Herman, Wayne Newton, Johnny Mathis, Mel Tome, Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, and Kenny Rogers for example, they all made you feel that this performance was just for you!

The next jazz recordings that really turned my head around were the Stan Getz/Chet Baker Quartet records of the ‘50s. I had never heard anything like it before and it definitely touched me emotionally! The tone of the Chet’s trumpet and his sense of harmony and phrasing were and are pure aesthetics to me. I practically wore the grooves of that LP down to nothing from listening to it over and over. Miles and Kind of Blue and subsequent albums also opened more musical doors for me. Both of those records inspired me to further develop my improvisational skills to be able to get out of the horn what I was feeling inside. Since then, I’ve listened to and studied not just trumpet players, but all types of music. I’ve found that any great music will reach me, sometimes in profound ways.

JI: Who have been some of the most influential musicians in your development, and what specific ways have they impacted your music and artistry?

DJ: From my viewpoint all current trumpet players owe a debt to the great players who paved the way; Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbeck, Dizzy, Clifford, Kenny Dorham, Chet, Miles, Blue Mitchell, Freddie, Woody Shaw, Tom Harrell, Wynton, Enrico Rava, Randy Brecker, Bobby Shew, Nick Payton and too many others to mention. Each contributed in their own way and they all have and are continuing to contribute to the development of jazz trumpet specifically and the art form generally.

JI: Could you share some of your perspectives about learning how to improvise and the process of improvisation?

DJ: At twelve years old, when I started playing trumpet, I was able to improvise before I could read music; it just came “natural” to me so then I had to backtrack and fill in the technical gaps from my early training. Primarily, I concentrated on learning the melody to the songs I was playing, as I was the lead instrument in the band.

Consequently, my soloing was mainly melodic interpretation in the beginning, but, as my solos made sense in that context, it gave me the confidence to continue developing my skills and competence. At that time, I was playing mostly standards so I began to learn the words to the songs, too.

This exercise helped me tremendously as it gave me a “connection” to the songs that showed up in my solos. Later, as I learned more scales and alternate chord changes I would think of my own melodies, write them out to practice over the chord changes to the song. This too, was a “rapid-launch” method to gain confidence and certainty in my improvising that I would recommend to anyone. When I was coming up, there were always jam sessions and places to play jazz live. So, I took advantage of this and sat in wherever and whenever I could. This gave me some great exposure to better players resulting in lots of growth for me personally.

My perspective on the process of improvisation in general is basically simple. Improvisation means to create spontaneously and play what you hear naturally. In the beginning stages of learning about improvisation, I feel it is important not to edit yourself too much. Just get used to hearing a note or phrase in your mind then try to play that same note or phrase with your instrument. The old saying, “strive for tone” is still the most important part of improvising in my opinion. Never compromise speed or range for sound.

Your tone or sound is the most personal and identifying characteristic of your playing. It is your musical identity and it’s who you are on your instrument. Listen to players you like. Emulate those that inspire you. most personal and identifying characteristic of your playing. It is your musical identity and it’s who you are on your instrument. Listen to players you like. Emulate those that inspire you.

Don’t worry about being perfect before you start. Be willing to face up to and work on your weak areas when they show up. Practice them until you don’t have to think about them anymore. Listen to players that have come before you. There is nothing wrong with imitation especially in the earlier stages. Your own voice will develop naturally if you are playing what you hear. Persistence, perseverance and patience are the keys to competence in mastering the art of improvising.

JI: I’ve observed that two diverse approaches often influence or tug at the direction that trumpeters focus on— the amazing technique of Maynard Ferguson, and or the depth of content and unique sound approaches of Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and Freddie Hubbard, among others. Could you comment, and discuss the temptation to focus on or be drawn to technique over the music itself that some artists experience.

DJ: Back in 1971, I was given a wonderful article discussing the relationship between art and communication. At that time, I began to really take a look at what was going on with technique, content, sound and the musical experience itself. I relied on my old, dusty dictionary to find that technique is simply the procedure, skill or expertise in handling something, like an instrument or a voice. Art, on the other hand, is usually defined as the creation of some beautiful or thought provoking work, as in music, painting or writing etc.

So, I puzzled, how much technique do I need to get my musical message, (which can be any feeling, sensation, desire or anything else) across to the listener and make it a desirable artistic experience at the time? It was clear to me that technique was just a tool to help me reach people with my music and to touch them emotionally. It is there to push the idea forward and give it the power and punch to impact the listener and the audience. Seemed simple enough, I just had to keep my priorities straight.

The message . . . the idea...is dominant! As long as I remembered that the purpose of practicing technique was to get my message across more effectively, I was okay. And if I started working on technique only for its own sake, I knew I had fallen off the rails. And, significantly, I began to make rapid progress in finding my own musical voice at that moment.

I knew I wasn't going to be the new Maynard, Miles or Chet because even at my best I would only be a copy of them. I discovered that the more I trusted my own instincts about how and what to play, the more I began to sound like myself...and the more I liked what I heard! For a more complete discussion on this topic, go to www.bobbyshew.com, from whom I learned nearly everything I know about playing the trumpet.

JI: Most of us are baffled or frightened by mere smokescreens. Once we understand these events simply as the illusions they are, we can often transcend these “walls” and experience the fulfillment and success that lies just beyond our current awareness. If you’ve experienced this kind of evolution at one point or another in your life, could you share that with us?

DJ: I have found that many of the difficulties and problems of life appear so only because we have not really faced them. At one point in my life I found that the complexities of life increased only to the degree I was unwilling to meet them head on. And, when I did willingly face whatever life presented me with, things became simpler. I have found that the first barrier to learning anything new or gaining any new ability, is thinking that you already know all you need to know, without any further study. With this idea, you’ve made it impossible to improve further. To apply this concept to any instrument, if you are unwilling to face, for instance, the fact that you never really learned your basics, you’ll find many aspects of music quite baffling.

It is humbling to have to face your weakness and admit that you have something to learn, but it is the only way you are going to really improve and reach levels of effortless mastery in your playing. Life is a constant, ongoing study. And the more I know, the more I find out there is to know. In the words of Bobby Shew, “I’m humbled every day by the trumpet. But, I still know that it’s just $35.00 worth of brass and without me doing something to it, nothing happens! I’m the one controlling it, not the reverse.” This makes total sense to me and clarified the proper relationship between the horn and me.

JI: To be truly universal, one must be particular moment by moment, detail by detail. How does this perspective or approach manifest itself in your life and music?

DJ: In my opinion, if all my attention is hung up on something in the past then I have less attention to devote to succeeding right now, let alone planning for something better in the future. I know I tend to get what I keep my attention on. So, if my attention is on my past, my future will be much the same. In my opinion, if all my attention is hung up on something in the past then I have less attention to devote to succeeding right now, let alone planning for something better in the future. I know I tend to get what I keep my attention on. So, if my attention is on my past, my future will be much the same.

I heard this concept stated by Chick Corea once when he said something to the effect that when he performs at his best, he is totally in the moment, completely in the present, creating each moment right now. He’s not thinking of what he did a day ago or a second ago. He’s not even thinking about the future. He’s just in the present moment totally, and he creates most effectively from that state. I agree with him completely and strive for this state every time I pick up my instrument.

JI: How do you stay balanced-as an artist, as an individual given the many distractions that surround us and the stress?

DJ: I have learned to trust my instincts completely about people and situations in my life. If I have a bad feeling about someone or something going on around me, I don’t ignore my instincts or make excuses to “explain” away some odd behavior or situation. I call it for what it is and act accordingly. I either handle them in some effective manner to get them straightened out, or get them out of my life. I get rid of “toxic connections” fast and never look back! Conversely, if I see that I routinely do better around certain people, I’ll do everything in my power to help them any way I can.

I’m very loyal to my friends and I know who they are. I never compromise with my own sense of personal integrity in my music or my life. I figure if I don’t believe in myself, why should anyone else? I have an unshakeable belief in the basic goodness in people. Personally, I’ve never found a person who “tried” to do the wrong thing. In my experience, most people try to do the right thing and are willing to correct themselves...eventually.

Finally, I believe that artists are arguably the most valuable people on this earth. For they seek to inject the culture with all the art, beauty or aesthetics you find on this planet. Without the working artist, the world would not be as livable, and, I’m proud to be counted as one of them.


JAZZ IMPROV ®
P.O. Box 26770, Elkins Park, PA 19027
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fax: 215-887-8803
e-mail: jazz@jazzimprov.com
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