I’m excited to present new and original arrangements of Herbie Hancock’s music with my trio at Andy’s Jazz Club. I am grateful to Chris Chrisholm, the club owner for this opportunity. We have a 2 month residency and we get to make all the noise we want in the heart of downtown Chicago.
This establishment has been a pillar in the jazz community, consistently providing star studded performances over the past 70 years and I’m thrilled to play here with my group. Joining me on bass is Mike Benning, and on drums, Jonathon Wenzel. who are both exceptionally talented young lions.
Herbie Hancock has been a major influence on me as a jazz pianist and composer. His persona transcends the instrument, and you can hear it in his virtuosity, lyricism, and creative output on and off the stage. In the span of his extraordinary career, he’s contributed to music of all genres, and has been a source of inspiration for many of us students of the music. From producing the first jazz hip-hop song, to playing in Miles Davis’ Band, and recording jazz inflected disco, pop music, Herbie is one of the best players in the history of the piano.
One of my favorite albums he recorded was “Gershwin’s World”, which I was introduced to by my professor Garry Dial, at the Manhattan School of Music. This recording incorporates hard swing, strings, rhythm section and Latin infused rhythms, which he is no stranger to.
Personally, one of the most captivating tracks was Ravel’s “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G Major” which he arranged. On this album, Herbie records with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra a masterful rendition of this concerto. He takes improvisational flight off of the structural harmony into the stratosphere of the unknown. His complete surrender to the divine is breathe taking, and can be felt in every note. This is a great example of third stream jazz.
During my masters at MSM, I had an assignment to transcribe a Herbie solo and I excitingly took on the challenge. One of the things I took from that study was the understanding and appreciation of constructing meaningful ideas in the modern jazz language.
When some people think of jazz music, they believe they need to understand it in order to enjoy it, so they don’t listen to it as much. We also don’t understand the complexities of Einstein’s theories, and we’re touched by these universal laws and principles.
I believe music has the same effect as gravity causing an apple to fall from a tree. Music is simply the transfer of emotions in the form of sound, from one living being to another. This made me contemplate on the origin of Herbie’s ideas and expressions and became curious as to whether I could find the well from which he draws from, I mean, who doesn’t want to sound like a genius?
His creative stream was an enigma to me, absent was the signature of the conscious mind, because it is too slow to deliver such prowess in real time and space continuum. I learned he was operating from a state of flow.
What is flow? Flow is a state where feeling, thinking and acting becomes instinctual. This state could be developed through conscious awareness, feeling through the body, and truly being in the moment. It is a place of acceptance, free of the critical mind. It is timelessness, where everything belongs and trust abides.
Creating from this invisible source makes ideas connect gracefully because it comes from a deeper level of consciousness, thus making what is said secondary to how it is being said. The musician himself becomes a witness to the music, as he unites with the universal mind, God.
Humanity, whether it recognizes it or not, has a deep desire to connect with a higher power. We crave genuineness and sincerity. Life and death are beautiful because its polarity gives meaning to life. They are sincere, as creativity in flow being informed by truth.
There is so much more to say, but I’ll keep this one short. I’m looking forward to playing with my trio and I hope you can attend to one or many of the shows. The dates are listed on my calendar. Thank you for reading, you are amazing, remember that.
