January 2004

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CJA Downloads

  The Free Mp3 downloads this month is " Three Jazz/Blues " offerings with three wonderful and very different offerings from Chick Corea and others! These downloads are provided for study and educational purposes and the midi files have notation of all the parts to follow along with to facilitate learning! Take advantage of these resources!

 Don't miss out on these great downloads!  

Here is the link:

http://www.songsofdavid.com/CJA_Free_Download.htm

1) When did you start developing a love for Jazz music?
About age 14.  The kid who lived across the street  was a tenor player and into jazz.  He was cool, or so I thought.  He even had a component stereo system; really ahead of the rest of us.  He turned me on to Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Bird, etc.

2) Did you study Jazz formally and if so where?
No.  I learned "on the street" as they say by playing with musicians and later in clubs.  Years later, I studied music in college, not jazz but then began a systematic study of jazz.  After a time, I began to compare my findings with others in education.  I later went on to become Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University for 23 years where I recently retired.  In all my years of teaching, I have always tried to give some of the "street" experience to the students.  I believe that's essential.  Nothing like human interaction.

3) Who do you consider some of the main influences on your writing and playing of  jazz?
Wayne Shorter, Miles, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Monk and more.

4) What are 5 of your most favorite Jazz CD's. (if you had to choose just 5 which ones would they be?)
Miles - Kind of Blue (a must have CD for all musicians), Bill Evans - Vanguard Sessions,  Joe Henderson - Lush Life, Coltane - A Love Supreme and Miles - Live at the Plugged Nickel.  All of these are incredible recordings but there are more, or course.

5) Tell us about the 11:00 AM Jazz worship service you and your quintet play for? What instruments are involved?
The 11am service is called the Studio.  It is a jazz-based, multi-sensory church service that we jokingly refer to as "church for people who don't like church".   We use all the arts and integrate them into weekly thematic material.  it is an extremely challenging and creative atmosphere.  The pastor and associate pastor are two young, talented, bright people who celebrate the arts.  Twice a month we have what we call Gospel Jazz where we get down with hard grooves and feel good music coming from the black experience.  Once a month we have my jazz trio with a vocalist and once a month we have Chamber Jazz. This is an opportunity for me to write and arrange for a variety of guest artists from the jazz community both locally and internationally.  Normally I use a jazz quartet with a vocalist, however, sax, piano, bass and drums.

6) What kind of audience comes to the 11:00 Jazz service and how much participation do you get from the congregation? What is the average age of the people that gather for the service?
The congregation is varied.  It cuts across all lines, young and old, multi-cultural, etc.  The one thing they all share is a love for the Studio experience.  Once someone experiences this service and like it, they are hooked and can't go back to traditional services.  I try to involve the congregation in varied ways from traditional hymn type singing with jazz arrangements of course, to jazz raps, trading 4's or 8's with the band, etc.  We'll try anything.  The main thing is to involve the congregation with the music so they feel a part of the music making experience.

7) Where do you get the material you play at this service? Hymns, original music, or what?
From all sorts of places.  Fake books for secular music that addresses thematic material, church hymnals where I usually reharnonize and original compositions.

8) It seems as though there is an increased interest in using Jazz in worship. Are there other churches doing this that you know of?
Yes.  I recently attended a conference at Stony Point, NY called Jazz in the Church.  Rev. Bill Carter, Presbyterian minister and jazz pianist started this a few years back.  I met many musicians there who are bringing jazz into the worship experience.  One of the main features of my ministry is to bring jazz musicians and their music into the church.

9) You have recently published the "Jazz Hymnal". Please share with us more about the contents of that book.
The Jazz Hymnal contains original songs along with jazz arrangements of traditional hymns.  The book contains about 50 arrangements, mostly keyboard, but with some horn parts.  It is designed to act as a supplement to the library of a working church musician.  Once someone gets into the book, they begin to see things that they can do with other music and hopefully create their own arrangements.

10) Do you find a spiritual connection in playing jazz music? What are your thoughts concerning this?
Definitely. I believe that God has given each of us a way to connect with him.  For musicians, it is music.  Once we get past the fundamental obstacles of playing an instrument an begin to experience the music, we become faced with the responsibilities of playing with others and sharing musical ideas.  The more we do this and the more we open ourselves we eventually come face to face with the Creator.  I believe that one cannot be a creative individual without coming into contact with the Creator.  And when that happens, all I can say is.....hold on.  It just gets more profound and humbling.


11) What is it about Jazz music that you love so much?
Jazz puts me into the present moment, when I allow it and get out of the way.  It is in the present moment that we find God, not in the past or future.

12) What is your favorite church hymn and why?
Amazing Grace for it's great melody, lyrics and its simplicity and transparency.  All great music has these qualities that allow for endless interpretation.  

13) Are you working on any new CD projecst of your own? Tell us a little about some of the Cd's you have recorded.
At present, I have a new band and am writing new music.  The musicians are all great players who also write.  We are looking into many new things and hope to have a recording completed within a year.  I have to date, recorded close to 30 CDs that vary from solo piano to a Jazz Nonet (nine piece band).   I have recorded for major labels and with great people but most of what I do now is church oriented.

14) What has been the most challenging project that you have ever worked on?
Learning how to let go and let God do the work.

16) What future goals do you have planned for yourself as a artist and a person?
I try not to think of goals.  For most of my life, I was goal oriented, always planning something or some project to work on, but since I have retired and have taken myself out of the working mode, I just try to offer each day to the Lord and try to be open to His marvelous gifts.