By Ludwig vanTrikt
All About Jazz: Dave Douglas has said that we are in a golden era of fine trumpet players. What separates your own playing from the crowd both in technique and concept?
Ralph Alessi: Yes, I agree that there seems to be quite a never ending plethora of great improvising trumpet players these days. These players are not just the 30+ contingency of New York players--they are all over the country, all over the world, young, old, female, etc. I think we are all making small but significant contributions to the tradition of jazz/improvisational trumpet playing. What separates me from this crowd? That's hard for me to say, but I'll take a swipe at it. I would say that my strengths are that I have a pretty good foundation of classical playing with its requisite techniques. In addition, I think I have been able to bring my own techniques into that mix. One thing that can technically free me up is to try to forget that I am a trumpet player (with it's assumed limitations) and focus more on making music which psychologically has less boundaries. Conceptually, I try to think of myself less as a player and more of a composer when I am improvising. This kind of mindset also keeps me more open to hearing and playing new things every time I play (at least that's my goal).
AAJ: Much like Steve Coleman with whom you have worked extensively; you are not afraid to use hip/hop as an influence. Please explain why?
RA: This must be in reference to Carl (aka Kokayi) being on Hissy Fit. The decision to ask Carl to be a part of that project was because I think of him first and foremost as a virtuoso improviser and less as a rapper. He transcends that category which is true of all of my favorite musicians to play with. I am definitely influenced by Steve, as I am by other music that is strong rhythmically (James Brown, Miles 60's group, Tower Power, Afro-Cuban Folkloric music, Stravinsky).
AAJ: When you first started freelancing as a classical player (San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Chamber Works), were you actively listening to modernistic jazz?
RA: No, at that point, the music I was listening consisted of Clifford Brown, Miles Davis and John Coltrane's early records and a lot of R&B such as Stevie Wonder and Earth Wind and Fire. It wasn't until I attended Cal Arts (shortly after that) that I was exposed to other music that totally opened my ears and imagination up; music such as Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland Quintet, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis' later music, Jimi Hendrix, West African Folkloric Music, Balinese Gamelan, etc.
AAJ: At California Institute for the arts where you studied with Charlie Haden and James Newton - what did you absorb from both artist?
RA: They were both a great source of inspiration. With Charlie, itr was the opportunity to play with him on a weekly basis and then subsequently hear his thoughts on music and life. He had our respect to a point where you could hear a pin drop in the room every time he would speak to us. He had a way of communicating very basic yet weighty things to us regarding the moment of playing music inside the large context of life and it's inherent beauty and urgency. Another amazing thing about Charlie was his infectious excitement and passion for music. One of the manifestations of this was Charlie exposing us to a lot of the music of Bird and Ornette (probably his favorite music). Regarding James, I learned a lot about composition through the study of and exposure to the music of Monk, Mingus, Bartok and Berg. I also gained a lot of insight and inspiration from James' music and concepts. Above all, it was the introduction to the immense universe of Duke Ellington that was probably the biggest gift James Newton gave to us at Cal arts.
AAJ: Eddie Allen suggested that Muhal Richard Abrams charts were so difficult that it took him awhile to really feel that music. What approach did you take to Abrams writing?
RA: I don't think I can offer too much regarding this question. I only played one gig with Muhal, a performance of one of his pieces for medium large ensemble. It was a chamber piece and was extremely challenging in a technical sense. I was struck by Muhal's energy and in particular something he said to us right before we ran the piece at the dress rehearsal. In essence he said "play from your subconscious mind."
AAJ: what are your thoughts on the re-interpretations of classical works by jazz artist??
RA: I think we are in a time where musicians like Uri Caine, Dave Douglas and Don Byron are not only very adept at understanding both the jazz/improvised music and classical realms, but also have the artistic imagination to present classical works in a context that is more organic. In the case of Uri, he has taken the music of Mahler, Bach, Wagner, etc., extracted the layers of the music (i.e. historical context, mood/bive, composers intention and concept, the actual music, influence on jazz as an idiom) and brought it into a field where it can be interpreted any number of ways (literal transcription, total abstraction, vehicle for improvisational material, etc.). Uri is also very good at choosing players that are equally comfortable at either playing both styles in a traditional sense or finding a middle ground which works for both. He also has the compositional vision to give space to the improvisers and trust that they will play what's needed for the music.
With all that said, players today are much better at amalgamating different traditions of music (Jazz, Western Classical, American Pop, Eastern European Folk, Afro Cuban Folk, etc.) into a single approach (as opposed to taking a symphonic theme and "swinging it"). The knitting factory and much of the music made there over the years has contributed to this offering a laboratory in which musicians have been able to experiment with this and many other concepts.
AAJ: What kinds of music flows between members of a musical family like your own; both in terms of what each of you are listening to a playing on your own?
RA: Well, I have been very blessed to have a family of great musicians. I studied trumpet with my father for 10 years and in that time he gave me a strong foundation for playing a brass instrument that will last me a lifetime. He also instilled that in my brother who is not the principal trombonist with the New Philharmonic. I also got to hear my mother sing on countless occasions and was always amazed at her ability to go for it every time she performed.
During my childhood, my brother did listen to a lot of music and as a result allowed me to hear jazz for the first time in the form of JJ Johnson, Don Ellis, Maynard Ferguson and Miles Davis. That being said, the most significant influence I received was just from hearing them practice and perform. To this day, I still get brass playing advice from both of them and have given both of them improv lessons (my brother gave me a lesson in return). So, music has flowed between but more through osmosis than anything else.
AAJ: January 2001 you formed the Center for Improvised Music. Why?
RA: This idea was the result of my 4 years teaching at a reputable university and in particular conversations that I had with Michael Cain and Steve Coleman regarding education. Our collective feeling was that jazz academia was perpetuating a myth based on a "how to do" formula for playing jazz as opposed to broader concepts and more to do with a lifelong process via study and experience. It was also the result of my experiences as a student at both Cal Arts and Banff in which the emphasis of those educational experiences was about playing, talking and listening to music. I felt that my teaching experience was an excellent litmus test in terms of teaching in an established music conservatory for a four year period.
The result was that I was able to experience the absolute best and worst of what jazz academia has to offer. "The best" was the students' incredible intelligence and creativity that was unparalleled in all of my experiences as both teacher and student. I was also struck by the high level of musicianship which is attributed to a conservatory's emphasis on traditional fundamentals beneficial for a musician of the west. "The worst" were members of the administration that clearly were not committed to providing the best educational experience for their students. This often was the result of a fear of change, feelings of insecurity and basic ignorance.
In the middle of my teaching tenure and by then knowing that I would not be there forever, I began to fantasize about starting a school. Basically, I imagined a structure in which the best of that experience (students having a balance of fundamentals and creative opportunities, students learning life skills, and teachers able to mentor, etc.) became the norm rather than the exception. I also envisioned a broader, more diverse curriculum that would be much more applicable to a student of today. So, shortly after my wife and I moved to New York in 1999, I made the commitment to getting the project off the ground. Nowadays, all that requires is choosing a name (School for Improvisation Music or SIM), but building a website (which Peter Epstein did) and established ourselves as a non profit corporation (my wife did all of that work). We chose SIM as the name of the corporation because we didn't want to be boxed in by the word "school" in our corporation name. The ultimate idea for SIM is for it to be both a physical place and concept umbrella under which several things exist. They include.
- School for Improvisation Music (eventual year-round school for students currently holding 2 weeks workshops).
- SIM Record label (featuring original music made by young individuals, first two releases set for 2003
- SIM roundtable discussions (semi regular dialogues involving players ranging from students to masters, teachers, writers, label reps, etc.)
- Support mechanism for creative musicians (An entity that supports creative/chance taking musicians with resources and guidance/advice
The actual Center for Improvisational will be a physical space that houses the school (SIM, recording facilities, research library and performance space. I guess I see the Center as being the musical version of the Sundance Institute as it would be an integrated place for study and application for and by students and teachers who are striving to create new music with an emphasis on improvisation and creativity.
In short, I founded CIM so that individuals (students and artist/teachers) wanting to play (or teach) new, important music that falls outside of the support of the mainstream media and audience, can have a place where that is possible and supported. CIM is really about filling a twofold void:
To educate the culture (student and layperson) who is open to learning more about new and creative music and to give more support to today's artist who is up against incredible financial obstacles (slowly disappearing student loans, no heath insurance, rising cost of living, etc.)
When I talk about this stuff, I hark back to a Henry Threadgill quote in which he talks about the difference between music evolving and being incestuous. That interview was another reason I wanted to do this.
AAJ: You have mentioned that the trumpet is a "completely unforgiving instrument if played wrong in a mechanical sense." How do you reconcile this statement with the avant-garde history of technically flawed players?
RA: I think this statement was geared more towards a trumpet player whose job is to play written, notated music (that has to be played with precision as opposed to solely being an improviser (and in particular a free improviser). In general, playing the trumpet with "proper" mechanics (i.e. embouchure, breathing, muscle support, etc.) gives you a much better chance at being consistent, free from injury and with more longevity than other players.
Then again, the other side of the coin for an unconventional player (a la Don Cherry, Lee Morgan, Dizzy Gillespie, Ornette Coleman playing the trumpet, etc.) is that you have arrived at a place where you are able to play things (sounds, overtones, ideas) on the instrument in a way that has never been previously executed or approached.
Playing the trumpet is no different than being an athlete. As with pitchers, you can have 5 or 6 incredible years (ala Sandy Koufax) but without the proper physical approach you run the risk of burnout or injury. This is opposed to Roger Clemens who is around 40, pitching better than ever and might pitch at that level for another 5 years. Not coincidentally, he has always pitched with flawless mechanics and has taken care of his both with supreme commitment.
AAJ: You toured Cuba with Steve Coleman - what was it like?
RA: Life-changing. The basic schedule in Cuba was to meet for 8 hours a day in a house in Havana for 2 weeks. Ostensibly, the purpose of this was for Afro Cuba de mantanzas to play their songs for Steve. From these "rehearsals", he would slowly put together ideas and concepts that would lead to the music that would both be performed at the Havana Jazz Festival and in the studio for the "Sing and the Seal" record.
It was incredible for all of us to be exposed to "Afro Cuba" both for the content of their music and the way in which they carried themselves. It was the first time I had ever seen a group of virtuoso musicians play in such an unpretentious and loving way (love for the moment and the music). All I have to say is thank God for camcorders as I was able to document about 10 hours of these rehearsals. I can still watch those videos and learn new things every time. I learned more about rhythm in those two weeks than I had in my entire life up to that point. The idea that really hit me over the head was the concept of rhythmic groove as community and how individuals were so selfless in giving themselves up (playing a specific part for a long time) to a larger whole (the groove and sustaining and intensifying the groove). I also learned a lot about a culture based on the idea that music and spirituality are one and the same.
Of course, the experience of seeing Steve work in that situation was also an incredible lesson. I was amazed at how he was able to slowly but surely get more familiar with Afro Cubas compositions and in the moment find a way to piece together their music with this music. I think the outcome of that process was pretty amazing and opened up new possibilities for integrating differing musical traditions. I think he was successful at doing this by finding the thread (the relationship of rhythms) that is implicit in both approaches.
AAJ: What is the bottom line (in actual dollars and cents figures) on being a sideman or freelance artist in both the classical and jazz idioms.
RA: I don't know if I could accurately answer that question since I have not been a classical freelance player for quite sometime. One thing that I could say is that in order to make optimum money a jazz sideman normally needs to travel (international tours and festivals) whereas a classical freelance player makes his/her money staying "in town" (playing with orchestras, weddings, etc.).
AAJ: What are your future recording plans - further with the proliferation of jazz CDs in the market is recordings still relevant to a musician?
RA: I just finished another modular theater recording which I will be shopping around. I am also planning on doing another quintet recording and duo recording with Fred Hersch. I plan on recording music as long as I am an active player and composer.
As far as the glut of jazz CDs on the market, it's a case of good news and bad news. The bad news is the people are not buying jazz CDs like before and (outside of being on a major label) it's almost impossible to get your records into stores if you are on an independent label. Another negative is that with the ease of making records, there is a lot of mediocre music that people are documenting and selling and in turn clogging the market. With this relative ease of documenting and selling recordings, there is a requisite responsibility for artists to wait until they have produced something that is strong and worthy of everybody's attention. I think that young people are also not realizing that it's very difficult to become a good leader making great music until you have gone through the process of being a good sideman. The reason for this is that will later allow you to better make your own music. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule but for the most part I think it holds true.
The positive aspect of the proliferation of home studios is that many young players are focused on making their own music rather becoming passive clone-like players devoid of any imagination. Because of this, the modern day equivalent of records like Kind of Blue, Shape of Jazz to Come, Files de Kilimanjaro, Love Supreme, the White Album, Belonging, Ah Um, Electric Ladyland are being made everyday all over the world. Our job is to find this music and do everything we can to encourage other people to find it.
To be more specific regarding your question, recording is more relevant now to me because with the improbability that you are going to sell a lot of records, you are only left with one reason to record: because you enjoy the process of documenting packaging your own music.
