| Essai de Christian Tauchner (2006/07) | |
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Version anglaise uniquement Black Music, in other words, music composed by people of African descent, has greatly impacted my development and evolution as a musician, and as a human being. African-American music, African music, Afro-Latin American music and Afro-Caribbean music (such as reggae and calypso) have all served to broaden my musical horizons and my deepen my appreciation of various Black cultures around the world. By listening to, and/or learning about, the Senegalese mbalax music of Youssou N’Dour, the a cappella isicathamiya and mbube music of South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the African chant-inspired Circlesongs of Bobby McFerrin, amongst many others, I have been able to absorb and identify with some of the common elements in Black Music from different regions of the world. Underlying themes of spirituality, strength and pride pervade these various styles, regardless of idiomatic techniques or methods of expression. More recently, I have devoted my life to the study of the African-American musical experience, focusing specifically, but not exclusively, on jazz. The ground work had been laid early in my life, as I fondly remember attending concerts by some of Black Music’s luminaries, including Ray Charles, Oliver Jones, and Oscar Peterson. My mother would also take me to hear the Montreal Jubilation (Gospel) Choir perform on occasion. In studying the jazz tradition, I have learned of its roots and origins in the shouts, work songs and spirituals of pre-Emancipation slaves, and the later developments leading to jazz and it’s close relative, the blues. While I have been influenced to some extent by the music of African-American musicians such as Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson, Mamie Smith, Reverend Thomas A. Dorsey, and Robert Johnson, Lead Belly, my primary focus and passion has been jazz.Black performers and composers throughout the history of jazz have proven to be guiding lights in both a practical and inspirational sense. A key element to jazz education is the listening to, and often transcription of, classic jazz recordings, the majority of which were composed, arranged and performed by Black musicians. Although I have studied European Classical music as well, it is the Black Music of America that resonates the strongest within me and consequently drives me most significantly to continue my musical studies and endeavors. I have studied my main instrument, the piano, with pianist Wray Downes, following the style passed on to him by Dr. Oscar Peterson and many others from jazz royalty. Along with practical instruction and teaching me the language of this music, Wray has also provided me with a feeling for the music that goes beyond textbooks and educational videos. This past spring I presented a Nat King Cole tribute show at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall. This independent project involved not only selecting and learning songs from his repertoire, but also a considerable amount research into his life. I felt (and still feel) a strong connection to Nat Cole’s music, as a pianist and vocalist, and therefore proceeded to read biographical material and view several video documentaries to acquire a deeper knowledge of his life as a Black man in that era, and to understand the intention behind his music. How could I possibly sing the lyrics to Frim Fram Sauce without a deeper comprehension of Black Music? My immersion into the world of jazz has also involved the reading of biographies and autobiographies, as well as viewing documentary footage, of many other significant Black musicians. Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Louis Armstrong, William “Count” Basie, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Edward “Duke” Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, James P. Johnson, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Phineas Newborn Jr., Charlie “Bird” Parker, Oscar Peterson and Jimmy Smith, to name but a few, have been sources of inspiration both directly, through focused listening and transcription of music, and indirectly, by getting a sense of their life experiences as Black performers, composers and arrangers. As mentioned, some of the most significant lessons learned are of a more spiritual natural. For example, I was profoundly affected by a 1958 NPR recording and filming session in which Billie Holiday sings 'Fine and Mellow' with a fine cast of sidemen. The look in her eyes when tenor saxophonist Lester Young stands up to take his solo speaks volumes on the emotional connection with the music, and how an entire conversation could take place through their art. I have learned that solo, and every time I play it, I imagine both of them in that recording studio. Often we become too entangled in the academic nature of learning this type of Black Music, and hearing or seeing such footage provides a glimpse at the soul of what we are doing. Contemporary artists have also influenced my education. The Branford Marsalis Quartet produced a CD and DVD of an Amsterdam concert in which they recreated John Coltrane’s 'A Love Supreme' recording. The technical brilliance of each band member was enough incentive for many late night practice sessions of my own, but again it is the deeper side that is as much or more memorable. The concert footage includes backstage scenes where Branford is talking about when the music becomes “....more than mere notes, but something beyond.” Another guiding light has been Dr. Yusef Lateef, who has written much music with a strong Black church element and a heavy focus on jazz’s African roots. He is also a prolific author, musicologist and philosopher. In reading his works on Black Music, and listening to his diverse recordings, including the African American Epic Suite, I feel like I have a much more profound connection with African related genres. Although I have heard Gospel singing since a young age, it was only when I sang in the Concordia Jazz Choir that I had the opportunity to completely immerse myself in Gospel music. Although the repertoire for that class did span a wide range of the jazz spectrum, there was also a heavy focus on Gospel music. Important figures perhaps more indirectly related to music, such as the great poet and writer Langston Hughes, have also been significant to my learning process both from a technical and cultural perspective. I have felt a strong association with local Black music community from my relationships within the academic environment, as well as my participation in annual events like the Carifete festivities. One such experience which will I cherish forever was hearing Ranee Lee sing at jazz bassist Charlie Biddle ’s funeral. In summary, Black Music has been crucial to my growth as an aspiring jazz musician and has played a key role in my formal, and often informal, education. Christian Tauchner Scholarship Recipient 2006 / 07 (Internet links by Trevor W. Payne) |
