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Michael Marcus: Truth, Love and Soul

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Friendship

AAJ: One of the things that is noticeable about your career is that you tend to work with cats on-and-off for considerable lengths of time. I think of Ted Daniel (the duet Duology), your recordings with Sonny Simmons and we already mentioned the late Frank Lowe.

MM: There is nothing more important in life than having a friend. All three of the names you just mentioned are my friends. When you develop a connection with fellow artists, it's natural that a life-long exchange, productive growth process and love for each other will occur.



Sonny Simmons has been a mentor, a teacher, inspiration, a partner, a buddy, a comrade in the arena of music, shared all the (good and bad) realities of a friendship that has lasted over 27 years with me. "Sunyo continues to integrate in my life as we co-lead the great band The Cosmosamatics and also always, we both look forward to practice together (sharing and exchanging multiple musical ideas) when we are not individually in another country or working in our respective individual groups. I am one of the few horn players that has the ability to telepathically hook up with Sonny in a frontline. His music is very advanced and sophisticated. We have had many memorable experiences within the tours we did together internationally.



Simmons is a giant in the music and has a voice that needs to be heard by all. He is the modern day bridge to Coltrane, Dolphy and Bird, continuing their message through his unique, spiritual and individualistically original music. I think that the U.S. Government should immediately acknowledge all the artists like Sonny (particularly in his age bracket), who are obviously innovators in the music and are national treasures, by supplying them with at least all the basic necessities of life that they need, so they can continue to flourish with their contributions in the American indigenous art form called jazz. I must, though, acknowledge the fantastic contributions that the Jazz Foundation of America have provided for the community of jazz artists in need in this country. Hats off to them!



I still see a bright future for The Cosmosamatics. We have recorded seven CDs and one recording is in the can for a fall '07 release on Not Two Records. Without prejudice, this is one of the best bands on the avant-garde scene, though we play bebop, too [laughs]...hey, just ask Sonny if you don't believe me.



Ted Daniel, like Lowe and Sonny, is one of my best friends. Ted is one of the most decent, ethical human beings that I know, besides being a master trumpet player in the new music. Ted and I go back about 24 years...friends for life! What a tone Teddy has on trumpet. Incidentally, I knew Ted many years before I arrived in NYC from his prestigious discography and kinda knew I would hook up with him well when we finally performed music together. T.D. is on my debut and second recording (Under The Wire and Here At!). Ted and I created our special duet called Duology about a year ago and, without a doubt, it is one of the most enjoyable groups that I ever have been part of. Our first release of this duo is on Boxholder Records and it is called Duology. We keep getting better and better as a performing entity. The sound of this duet is made up exclusively of me on Bb clarinet and Ted on assorted brass (trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, etc.). We are planning our next recording to be a live date from an upcoming concert. This group is a sound ecosystem that enables the improviser to reach multidimensional corridors while in the immediate improvisational state—what a terrific feeling.

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Neglected Recordings

AAJ: We have talked about the fact that you feel some of your recordings have been neglected; although the discs reflect key aspects of your artistry. Please elaborate.

MM: The problem with being an artist that has recordings of quality out in the world, is that they can get lost in the shuffle if they are not advertised by the label who produced the recording or written about by the critics that are in the current pool of journalism in the Jazz arena. Fortunately, in my case, it seems that longevity in the recording and performance field might be a good factor in order to get some of my personal recordings talked about and listened to. I love that I am getting better all the time as a composer, as I am as an improviser and interpreter of other great jazz artists' music. Something to look forward to in the development of a modern day artist.

MichaelAAJ: I wondered if you would be more detailed and mention some of the discs in particular and what some of these dates mean in the development of your artistry. For example there are some dates which did not get wide distribution but still illustrate my point; the recording Soulifications (Soul Note, 2006) or your solo date, Speakin Out(Drimala, 2002).

MM: Actually, every one of my recordings all have a relationship in my development as a composer and improviser in sort of a continuum, all being in the chronological order of my sound story. Every artist must accept that their voice is their voice. I just found out that my friend in San Francisco, pianist/composer, B.J. Papa, recorded one of my compositions—a tune I wrote specifically for B.J. called "Cruisin' With B.J." By the way, B.J. has mentored many upcoming, aspiring musicians in the Bay Area over the years. He's a San Francisco institution in the jazz community. Everyone loves B.J. Papa! When I heard the news that B.J. honored me by recording my tune, the feeling I felt was so wonderful, a reward much greater than when you record your own music, knowing a fellow musician believes in what you're contributing.



Having said all that [laughs], I would love to talk about each of my thirteen or fourteen recordings under my name, but that would take too much time in this interview, so let's just address a few, including the ones you just mentioned.



Soulifications, on Soul Note, a trio I did with Tarus Mateen and Nasheet Waits which was recorded in Milan during a small tour we did in Italy. Both Tarus and Nasheet are extraordinary and inventive artists on their respective instruments. I have worked and recorded with them each individually, but this was the first time we all worked together. They are, by the way, the rhythm team in the Jason Moran Trio. I am very proud of a ballad on that album called "Harmonious Beautious." Also in this recording was the first time that I overdubbed myself on some of the melodies. I got the idea from a Zoot Sims recording that he did on ABC years ago. The title cut came out real nice, too—two clarinets! Leo Parker was the first artist to do this in modern jazz and I know Rahsaan did it as well.



Speakin' Out, on Drimala Records...a solo outing...actually my first on multiple woodwinds. Unfortunately it's out-of-print, however, I think it can be still found on the 'net. An important challenge for any instrumentalist to try and tackle is mainly to keep in mind to keep the listener's interest while you're expressing yourself. I did a hip tune for Jimmy Giuffre on Bb clarinet and also a tune I like called "ZoneTones" on tenor sax. There was no overdubbing on this recording—straight melodies and/or improvisations. There is something to be said about being the only person in the studio—no distractions...just you.



I would also like to talk briefly about my latest release that came out in January '07 called The Magic Door on Not Two Records. Not Two is a wonderful label out of Poland that is documenting some fine music, mainly of American artists. The Magic Door is my debut recording exclusively on Bb clarinet and so this recording is special to me, because as I mentioned earlier in this interview, Bb clarinet is now my main focus. There are some of my best-to-date compositions on this recording and the performances by all the musicians involved in the recording (François Grillot, Jay Rosen, Rashaan Carter, Daniel Levin, Eric Revis and Newman Taylor Baker) were spiritual and true.



François and Jay make a fine rhythm section, which lays the carpet or groove for the majority of the tunes on the date. Jay Rosen and I work in several bands together including The Cosmosamatics and our friendship is special. This recording has an extremely important and historical cover. The photo of the door is taken in Krakow, Poland...Blue Reality. The radio DJs might enjoy this recording.

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Jaki Byard

AAJ: Please talk about your first meeting then subsequent recordings (and gigs?) with the late, great Jaki Byard. Two sessions, of course, came out from your collaborations Involution with The Jaki Byard Trio and This Happening. Is there anything else in the can?

MM: Jaki Byard!

MichaelA sweet man, who could make anyone cry when he played his "Family Suite." I was so honored and jubilant when Jaki agreed to work/record/perform and tour with me. How this all happened was, when I was to do my second recording for Justin Time, saxman Tim Price and I were running ideas around for what concept I should record. Tim suggested to me that I should consider doing a recording with a pianist who had the entire spectrum or history of jazz music under their hands! So we came up with Jaki Byard—who else?



Jaki was a synthesis of the many styles that evolved through the history of jazz music, like Eubie Blake—through Erroll Garner—through Earl "Fatha" Hines—Monk—Cecil Taylor etc., yet Jaki was extremely original and definitely one of the greatest pianists in modern improvised music to ever grace this planet. Ask Mingus. Check Jaki out on Eric Kloss' '68 Prestige recording Sky Shadows—a masterpiece.



I got Jaki's phone number and called him up and introduced myself. He said, "Look, I do not just agree to record with someone without hearing some music from the artist and seeing the artist's written charts of the music to be recorded." So I granted his request and sent both some music from my past recordings and charts of the new originals that I wanted to record with him. A few days later, Jaki called me and said, "I will agree to the recording." He said, "You're not trying to copy anyone and your originals are fresh." I was excited, but not nervous, so I started to go weekly out to Jaki's house and we would rehearse regularly until we did the Michael Marcus meets Jaki Byard This Happening recording date for Justin Time.



Jaki and I had an instant rapport and our chemistry was great. Subsequently, we became good friends. I still have the Christmas cards he would send me. Jaki was a lovely man with high spiritual conceptions and had an undeniable presence. I learned a lot from Jaki about dynamics when performing music. I'm very indebted to him for this.



We started touring all the Canadian festivals and also performed as a duet in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Erie, PA., and NYC. Traveling with Jaki was a blast and we were quite the couple as far as visuals on stage. So much beauty. He had so many stories to tell me of his years with Dizzy and Monk and of course, Mingus. I remember two important stories. He said one time at his house, Eric Dolphy, Roy Haynes, Richard Davis and John Coltrane on harp (not saxophone—Trane and Alice must have shared a lot of ideas in regard to the string harp), recorded a master...where is it?



Also, he told me that he invented free music. He said in the late forties in Boston, Cecil Taylor's dad would bring young Cecil to listen to Jaki and his trio and at the time Jaki was orchestrating in his playing some "Charles Ives meets Boogie Woogie" and came up with free jazz. Then he would laugh with me when he thought about it because he knew how important Cecil and his contributions were. By the way, he played duets one night in a jam session with Bird in Boston in '54, and Bird asked him about his approach to the bridge from "Body & Soul," because allegedly Bird was blown away by what Jaki was playing in his solo when it came to the bridge, and so Jaki responded to Bird and said, "You're not the only genius." That was the only time Charlie Parker and Jaki Byard played or jammed together. Sam Rivers and his brother, who was a bassist, were also there that night.

Michael
Jaki Byard (l) and Michael Marcus (r)





Later the next year in '98, we did the second recording for Justin Time, Involution—Michael Marcus and The Jaki Byard Trio. Jaki loved my approach when we performed the slow blues and so I had respect from him. Remember, he backed just about every great reedman of the day—Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordon, Johnny Coles, Booker Ervin, Eric Kloss, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk, to name a few. We were to do a tour of Europe, but the inexplicable tragedy occurred a few months before we were to go. I spoke to him on the phone a couple of nights before he died and told him how much I loved him.



When I look back in retrospect, my collaborations with Jaki were some of the peak highlights in my musical life. Many people all over the world still request those recordings that we did about ten years ago on Justin Time. He touched so many lives around the globe with the joy that comes from his music and recordings. He was a monumental inspiration to numerous students and fellow musicians like me.



Jaki ranks in the highest echelons in jazz, forever. Pianist/composer magnifique! Wow..."The Cry for Peace!"

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The Future

AAJ: Do you have any notion of what kinds of things you are looking to do during the next few years ahead?

MM: I just want to keep practicing, composing, growing as a person and as a creative artist, improve my craft, developing my mind and heart while seeing another beautiful day. Hopefully there will be more important gigs and tours to experience. I would love to do a recording project with tenor great Antoine Roney...work with bassist Rashaan Carter again...maybe record a Monk project with the MM3....maybe a string synthesizer recording with Rosie Shakarian...more Cosmosamatics...Duology...work more with Zane Massey and Jemeel Moondoc...who knows, as long as the spiritual thang is there. But I will always send a message of peace and keep playing the music true!


Selected Discography

Michael Marcus, The Magic Door (Not Two, 2007)
Michael Marcus and Ted Daniel, Duology (Boxholder, 2007)
Michael Marcus, Soulifications (Soul Note, 2006)
The Cosmosamatics, Zetrons (Not Two, 2005)
The Cosmosamatics, Reeds & Birds (Not Two, 2004)
Michael Marcus, Ithem (rec.1993, released 2004)
The Cosmosamatics, Magnitudes (Soul Note, 2003)
Michael Marcus, Blue Reality (Soul Note, 2002)
The Cosmosamatics, II (Boxholder, 2001)
Jemeel Moondoc Tentet, Jus Grew Orchestra (Ayler, 2001)
Michael Marcus, Sunwheels (Justin Time, 2001)
Michael Marcus, Live In N.Y. (Soul Note, 2000)
Michael Marcus, In The Center Of It All (Justin Time, 1999)
Songs Of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Haunted Melodies (Metropolitan, 1999)
Michael Marcus and the Jaki Byard Trio, Involution (Justin Time, 1998)
Michael Marcus and Jaki Byard, This Happening (Justin Time, 1997)
Sonny Simmons, Transcendence (CIMP 113, 1996)
Michael Marcus, Reachin' (Justin Time, 1996)
Michael Marcus, Here At! (Soul Note, 1994)
Michael Marcus, Under The Wire (Enja, 1990)

Photo Credits
Top Photo: Nuno Martins, courtesy of TomasJazz
All other photos courtesy of Michael Marcus

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