This is reporting that occurred in real time on the 2009 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. There are other reportings at Andrew Oliver’s blog, Alison Chesley from the Old Town School of Music, and a few other locations. Information and application guidelines for the workshop (plus a history of the program) can be found at Banff Centre Jazz Program.
Visiting artists in 2009 were Dave Douglas (director), Joshua Redman, David Gilmore, Adam Benjamin, Matt Penman, Clarence Penn, Tony Malaby, Angelica Sanchez, Ron Samworth, Ben Street, Jerry Granelli, Joe Ferla, Edmar Castaneda, Don Byron, Nicole Mitchell, Hank Roberts, Marshall Gilkes, Dafnis Preito, Steve Bellamy.
May 19th, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Great to be back in these mountains, even despite United once again losing my bag. One thing’s for sure, it’s a real commitment coming all the way up here — a full day of travel from New York. So I can only imagine the trip from Australia, Israel, Belgium, and all the other places these musicians have come from. They’re here to play… I’m going to try to get some short videos to post if they’ll permit me.
Day One of this program always presents the conundrum of how do you make a semi-improvised coherent piece of music with 65 musicians who don’t know each other. We attack it differently each year. I like the solution proposed by Terry Riley 45 years ago — ‘In C’ presents 53 cells of music notation which the players move through somewhat freely, taking liberties here and there. We began the program with our version and it was a powerful start, and exciting to get to hear everyone.
After lunch the “creative music office band” played some tunes and talked about the program. They sounded really great, especially considering most of them just met. Mostly original music by Mark Micklethwaite, Pat Reid, Ryan Butler, Curtis MacDonald and Heather Segger.
Met up with fellow visiting artists of the week Josh Redman, David Gilmore, Adam Benjamin, Matt Penman, and Clarence Penn to read through original pieces. It’s always amazing to me how many different ways people conceive of music and write it down and play it. Played about ten pieces, each brought by one of us, and worked through some concepts for our concert later this week. We then set up and played a small concert for the participant group — unrehearsed versions of the ‘tunes of the week’ — what a fantastic group of players and warm feeling playing these songs we’ve been learning and playing for so many years. As long as I’ve been playing with Clarence and Adam, I realized we’ve never played standards together.
Spent a part of the evening walking around campus listening to people play into the late twilight. Will try to get pictures.
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May 20th, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
It’s kind of been sun-snowing here intermittently. Sort of eerily magical weather. This pic was the view out my window this morning.
Sometimes musicians, myself included, get in a mood to say nothing about music. Often I have found it’s the best option… But as in the title of the book by Dainen Katagiri, You Have To Say Something. Today I said a lot of things. It’s hard talking about music, at least for me. But it’s why we’re here, and I hope it is helpful.
In the morning Adam, Clarence, David, Josh, Matt and I worked with small ensembles. Mine was a double group – 14 musicians – and we read through a piece of mine called Sanctuary and did some improvising.
After lunch I did a talk on composing. Music is so vast, it’s hard to know where to begin. I’ve always been interested in learning about other composers’ methods, reading and listening for how and why they do what they do. In my own work I have been interested in continually varying the approach, looking for new ways to say what I have to say. At the root of it is sound, and so prior to adopting any particular stylistic or method point of view, we took a look at the elements of sound: what makes up the building blocks of our work, and how hard it is to put your finger on them and be precise as to what one is hearing or playing. Envisioning what a piece might be by drawing it, and then homing in on the specific notes, rhythms, and other elements. Reading that back, it sounds pretty vague (this is a blog after all…). We did, however, leave with an assignment which we’ll pick up on next week.
We also had our first meeting with instrumentalists. Got to play variations on All The Things You Are with a plethora of brass players. Haven’t gotten the full update from the other groups yet — there’s lots of playing going on all around. Opening night at the club was packed and everyone sounded great.
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May 21, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Sort of amazing how well everyone plays up here. Maybe it’s the air. Don’t think so, though, it’s just a great group of players. Just to give you an example, my morning group sightread The View From Blue Mountain — it’s on the new record, so I know they’ve never heard it. They got right to that kind of bittersweet, heart-breaking quality, grokking not just the vibe and the form, but also the notes. They also gave a good go at The Sheik of Things To Come. Bless ‘em.
My fellow coaches report similar results.
In the afternoon we had two contrasting presentations on rhythm. Guitarist David Gilmore talked about how to hear and feel odd meters, using cycles and polyrhythms. I still have his hand-out and it’s good stuff to work on. Then Matt Penman gave a class detailing different ways of practicing with the metronome, starting at quarter equals 40 (that seems to be “Banff Standard Time,” as Mark Turner said the same thing a few years ago). Try it, you might not like it, but it’s serious medicine…. Then, cranking up to an easier tempo Matt played various tunes using the metronome on different parts of the beat. One that seemed to stump the crowd (or me anyway) was playing against the metronome on the second half of the fourth beat in four-four time. OK, not going to nerd out here.
Lots more snow today, but sun is coming.
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May 22, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
There’s so much music being played that I feel like I’m only aware of half of what’s going on. Maybe less.
Briefly: my morning group played arrangements written for the SFJAZZ Collective. They’ve been coached by current and former members including Joshua Redman, Matt Penman and myself. This is group is going to play a suite of Monk tunes tonight at the Club. Monk is always good.
Other groups were rehearsing live music with film, Ornette, odd meters, tunes of the week, originals, more.
Josh gave his workshop this afternoon, focused around one of the most important elements of music and maybe the most difficult to talk about. Intention. Commitment. Clarity.
Adam gave a wide-ranging class on relationship to music. And lots of talk about the KneeBody cueing system. A couple key quotes: “Spend more time with old people.” “Everyone should give a 60 minute solo concert only with a pair of drumsticks.”
Everyone keeps coming back to Matt’s class. It reminded me of something he said in explaining why this work is so crucial: “Everyone wants to feel your time.”
Telejazz: a real time performance by high speed link. Five players here; two players in Calgary. No lag at all. If I had had my eyes closed I would have thought they were in the room.
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May 23, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Spent the morning practicing and writing. Despite the frenzy of activity there is a lot of solitude up here. I have a secluded hut where I can work every morning. Only disturbance is the occasional pine martin, deer, or bird.
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May 25, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Saturday’s concert opener was a “dodectet-plus-three.” Violin, Viola, Cello, Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, 2 Trumpets, 2 Guitars, 2 Pianos, Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass, 2 Drum Sets. Added benefit for me was to be able to sit in the house for this one — they played Ornette Coleman’s ‘Broken Shadows’ and Joshua Redman’s ‘Identity Thief.’ Then a suite composed by Matt Penman – overture and music to accompany a short Kurosawa film. The band played so well, very beautiful.
The first half concluded with Toronto’s Turtleboy — a trio of Tenor Sax, Guitar and Drums. They rocked the house.
Second half set list:
Handwritten Letter (DD) (Hear the DDQ play it in Cheltenham – tonight on BBC 3)
Protean Way (David Gilmore)
The First Stone (Adam Benjamin)
War Room (DD)
Zarafah (Joshua Redman)
Zoom Zoom (Clarence Penn)
encore:
Unison (Bjork)
Pianist Andrew Oliver gives another perspective on the events at his blog.
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May 25, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Today we welcome Jerry Granelli, Ben Street, Tony Malaby, Angelica Sanchez, and Ron Samworth. On Wednesday Joe Ferla gets here. The weather has been stunning. Yesterday a bunch of us biked up to Lake Louise, from which, still recovering.
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May 26, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Week Two.
Sunday evening the great drummer Jerry Granelli gave a session on meditative practice. His tradition is Shambhala Buddhism, which he learned directly from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Jerry lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where there is a large school and community in the practice.
Monday morning Jerry spoke about musical practice, an effortlessly smooth transition for him. It’s hard to describe for those not there. The Practice of Practice. A doctor practices medicine; a musician is in the practice of music. Jerry has been a part of every musical movement in America since the late fifties and there is a concrete element to his work in music.
Afternoon: Adam Benjamin (verging into his Rockies vacation) and Mark led what I called a Rhythm Roundup. (Left the cowboy hats at home). All the ideas that have come up so far for rhythmic practice, including the Teddy Raven™ Rhythmic Modulation. Coming soon to a town near you.
Newly formed groups met to plot out next steps. In the evening a Composers Workshop read through about thirty short pieces based on ideas about simplicity, directness, and basic elements. It’s one of my favorite things to do. Play new music.
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May 27, 2009
Author: Adam Benjamin
THIS IS THE ADAM BENJAMIN
Thanks Dave!! Totally a highlight of my year yet again.
Teddy Raven = a note that is 3 dotted quarter notes (9 eighth notes) long. The exercise was, Play all the things, or blues or whatever, against dotted quarters in the ‘nome, then set the ‘nome to every other dotted quarter (dotted half), then set the ‘nome to every third dotted quarter (Teddy Raven). Alternatively play these pulses against whole notes in the ‘nome. All three pulses line up with the top of All The Things since it is 36 bars long.
Cheers! Off to the Columbia Icefields…
Adam
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May 27, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Telejazz this week will be a mirror image — six musicians on different sides of the continent, connected by high speed internet. Speaker placement becomes pretty important. They are playing Don Cherry, Randy Weston, and a few originals.
Six trumpeters, two trombonists, a tubist and drummer (leaving out the names to protect the possibly innocent) read through some of the brass music from the new record, Spirit Moves. It was loud.
A nonet read some of the Charms of the Night Sky music.
Angie, Tony, Ron, Ben and Jerry all worked with individual groups on improvisation and original composition.
We had a talk about the impact of form in music, and how to get the most out of form as another element in the music, as well as how it interacts with all the other elements. The next composers workshop will work with our first small examples, developing them into building blocks for complete pieces.
A wolf just ran past my hut window. (A fox? It was gray and about the size of a small dog, 25 pounds or so). Sorry, couldn’t get a picture. I’m still basically a New Yorker, but these things surprise me.
The view from my practice hut:
Anyway, still feeling I am giving an incomplete picture of the workshop. Sixty five musicians running on all cylinders, I’m only hearing a small portion of what’s happening. Pretty inspiring.
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May 28, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Matt Penman Workout
Banff, May 2009
Metronome at 40.
Scales ascending and descending.
One note per click.
Two notes, etc…
Goes up to ten notes per click.
Metronome placement
Clicks are:
on 4.
‘And’ of 2 & 4.
‘And’ of 4.
Dotted half.
Dotted quarter.
12/8.
Different groupings of eighth notes.
Clap the polyrhythms.
Play the polyrhythms.
5/4.
Metronome on half notes.
3-2, 2-3.
Add eighth note groupings (twice as fast).
7/4.
Metronome on half notes.
Combinations of eighths against pulse.
9/8.
Metronome on dotted eighths.
Groupings.
Metronome on quarters.
Continue.
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May 28, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Yesterday Tony Malaby and Angelica Sanchez did a workshop on free playing or open improvisation. It was powerful – I had never heard anyone break it down quite that way. They talked about strategies for developing your own language and approach, and also how to incorporate some of those pathways into compositions. Both Tony and Angie play with such authority, it’s hard not to get the message.
Ben Street had announced his class as “Finding Your Own Voice” (an idea that was batted around in comments here a few months ago). Interestingly, he re-titled it right at the beginning: “Finding/Accepting Your Own Voice.” The class was an open discussion about challenges musicians have getting down to work and accepting the results. It was brave of Ben to open himself so completely to the many ideas put forth. And once they got to playing it was clear that progress was being made.
This group has been playing pretty much 24/7 for 10 days now, so it is really astounding to see such full engagement and involvement in every class and topic.
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May 29, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Angelica Sanchez
Assaf Kehati (ISR), James Lewis (USA), Sam Anning (AUSTRALIA), and
Adam Miller (CAN) playing at the club.
Ryan Butler, Alison Chesley, Craig Pederson, and Curtis MacDonald
performing in Telejazz, May 28, 2009. Six musicians in Banff played
with 5 musicians at Humber College in Toronto in real time. Organized
by Chris Chafe.
Graphic Notation Example by Ron Samworth.
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May 31, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Concert last night with Tony Malaby, Angie Sanchez, Ron Samworth, Ben Street, Jerry Granelli. Nice feeling to have worked so closely and intensely all week and developed this music together. Seth Thomas (DD), Argo (DD), Homogeneous Emotions (Ornette), Coming Through Slaughter (Granelli), Beauty is a Rare Thing (Ornette), Mopti (Cherry). Encore: Billie’s Bounce (Parker).
Don Byron, Hank Roberts, Nicole Mitchell, Marshall Gilkes, Edmar Castaneda, and Dafnis Prieto arrive today.
June 1, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Of course a lot more than what I reported happened on Friday and Saturday. There are too many participant groups to mention, and one can only know the half of what’s going on. Also, this is the participants’ chance to experiment and try new things, develop new relationships, not to be reported on and judged.
If I’ve learned anything here, it’s to be open to the consistently surprising and different relationships to music. One of the things that many participants say to me is that they’ve had to abandon assumptions they had about the artists they like or don’t like. They realize how many opinions are based on hearsay and gossip, and that working intensely on music disabuses them of many of these tentatively staked out esthetic positions.
Also something I’ve learned, and this is maybe the most inspiring part, is that these musicians sound best playing their own music. As important as it is to learn repertoire, to get exposure to music by Joshua Redman, Adam Benjamin, Clarence Penn, Jerry Granelli, Tony Malaby, myself, and all the others — all of that is nothing but a springboard to find their own music and play it with more commitment, dedication and love than ever before. You can talk about music until you are blue in the face, but at the end of the day there is no substitute for writing, practicing, performing.
One special thing about the Banff Workshop experience is that since there is no curriculum we are able to deal with each participant one-on-one, as individuals. (In that regard the teaching of Laurie Frink has had a big influence on me). We can talk about experiences of the road and the bandstand in a truly concrete fashion and deal with the basic challenges of making creative music. And then we can get out of the way and let them do it.
Not that we don’t deal with the fundamentals. Almost all of them have been to music schools, so we’re all dealing with the invaluable information they have gained in school, and then adding in real life and approaching some of the things they would really like to say. How do you get to that? That is the question. It’s something that very rarely happens in school.
Every generation has its own questions and concerns. No different than in any other period, young musicians come up with their own way of saying it in music.
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June 2, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Trombonist and composer Marshall Gilkes taught an inspiring master class yesterday, demonstrating how he practices classical etudes and how that informs his practice of improvisation. Aside from witnessing the awesome virtuosity, it was a rare look inside an artist’s process. Marshall had also asked that two groups prepare a couple of his pieces, having sent the music and recordings in advance. They played very well, and Marshall was able to show them how they might improve their playing through dynamics, articulation, improvised development.
Joe Ferla was here last weekend and it was a pleasure to see and hear him as always. Joe and I have made a dozen records together, and for the last few years he has been visiting Banff and sharing his brilliance with particpants in both the audio and jazz/creative music areas.
A large group had a self-directed listening session. The dry erase board still showed the evidence the next day. Very neatly listed: Song Title, Artist, Album, Musician who chose it.
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added June 10: We also had another session on composition, reading through each other’s work. Three voice exercises now becoming fuller structures with more considerable harmony. (My piece coming out of the exercise, now called Bird Song, will likely be performed by Brass Ecstasy on the upcoming tour). We talked about harmony as it occurs in Bach chorales versus how it occurs in jazz tunes. Different ways of notating it and analyzing it. What uses can be made of harmony on a structural level. What’s the most effective way of using it in a given situation.
Don Byron thinks we should have a composition specialty (not Big Band writing, but composition) within the workshop. I strongly agree with him. My one concern would be that composition works in so many ways — I think everyone should have a chance to try it and hear the work. I also think that these young musicians have so much to say on their own, the thing would be to encourage and challenge without squashing. I know it can be done – we will be discussing further.
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They are up to something
June 3, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Don Byron reading compositions written in class — for two tenor saxophones and piano. Jeff Brown, piano; Eric Trudel and Ben Dobay, tenors. After describing a piece of music as specifically as you can, quickly write an example that captures those elements. Don’s Piano Etudes were runner up for the Pulitzer this year. They deserve it every bit.
A Raven.
Dafnis Prieto speaking to and playing for percussionists.
Teddy Raven.
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June 4, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Judith Sanchez and Dafnis Prieto demonstrate different approaches to integrating dance and live music. Lucian looks on.
Violinist and Director of Music and Sound Barry Shiffman and Family at the Wednesday lunch outdoor concert.
Harpist Edmar Castañeda demonstrating harps diatonic and chromatic, and playing traditional and modern harp music between Colombian music and jazz at his master class.
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June 5, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Hank Roberts talked about how to deal with injury, and how to relax into playing your instrument. He then went on to play several of his pieces and talk about where they come from and how he approaches music making. This short description doesn’t do it justice. It was electrifying.
Nicole Mitchell presented a two-phased class. Beginning by talking about free music and the actions and inspirations of the AACM, she played recorded examples of the way she organizes improvisation in both large and small ensembles. She then switched gears and talked about developing a catalog of sound techniques for yourself on your instrument. What was amazing was that she was able to demonstrate each example clearly, and in isolation. She went through about a dozen of them, and then played an improvised piece blending them all together. Wish I had that on tape…
Don Byron asks a question.
Don Byron rehearses with the Banff Little Big Band.
Chris Chafe, of Stanford University, playing celletto at the sound check for our telematic performance with Mark Dresser and Michael Dessen in San Diego; Pauline Oliveros and Jonas Braasch in Troy, NY; Justin Yang in Belfast; and Chris, Norm Adams, Simon Rose and myself in Banff.
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June 6, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
Departure Day: It snowed early and through the morning here.
I’ll soon have a wrap up and a bunch of hi res photos from the three weeks of the workshop here in Banff, Alberta. In the meantime a HUGE Thank You to all: staff, participants, visiting artists, audiences, donors. Together we make this workshop the extraordinary experience that it is. I am grateful every time.
email from a participant:
I was walking back from my last morning here in the practice hut – coffee, music and I heard someone call out – I looked up and Hank Roberts was waving at me from his room in Lloyd Hall. He said he had been thinking about some ideas for me and would I meet up – we had met the previous day.
So we went to his practice hut and he proceeding to lay out for me in the most comprehensible and wonderful way his ideas about me moving forward with my music. I had played a piece for him the day before. It was like he gave me the keys to the kingdom in a way but maybe after these 3 weeks I was ready to take them.
Classic Banff moment…
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June 7, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
By the time the sun came up we were almost in Calgary.
Maren Selvaag, Sam Anning, Hank Roberts, David Meier, Anu Junnonen, James Lewis, and Brian Seligman at Margaret Greenham Theater sound check on June 6, 2009. Banff, Alberta.
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June 8, 2009
Author: Dave Douglas
The final concert was spectacular fun. First half with Nicole Mitchell’s ensemble, Hank Roberts’ group and Don Byron’s Little Big Band. Second half began with Dafnis Prieto solo, then continued trio with Edmar Castañeda and Marshall Gilkes. Finally, joined by myself, Nicole, Don, and Hank. Pieces by each. Followed by live party music in the Club. And a lot of goodbyes and thank yous…
I’m now home in New York eating fresh arugula from my garden. By later this afternoon I should have some quality photographs by Laura Vanags, The Banff Centre.
Packing up and stowing away the remnants of three weeks’ intensive study — it’s a moment to reflect on all the different ways we’ve approached music. And yet, music is a vast ocean, there is always the infinite beyond. You just keep working.
Don Byron.
Nicole Mitchell.
Dave in a Calgary Flames vintage practice jersey.
Don Byron rehearsing.
Dave listening to something.
Edmar and Marshall.
Edmar Castañeda.
Tony Malaby.
Jerry Granelli.
Dave, Matt and Josh.
Matt Penman.
Joshua Redman.
Dave, Adam, Josh, Matt.
Tony and Angie.
Ben Street.
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