For The Love of Jazz...Jason Moran

My mother would tell you that I came to my love of music by way of classical. My house, as well as that of my Grandma Lil, was always filled with the sounds of Schubert, Chopin, Dvorak.....really the list is endless. I love my mom, but she is not always right. My love of music came by way of Jazz.

I remember as a kid my Grandma Lil playing Scott Joplin on the piano. I loved ragtime and was fascinated by the timing, tempo, and structure of each song. I could feel my heart rate go up and down depending on the tune. Joplin, opened a door to musical exploration for me. I spent time listening to ragtime and jazz recordings that my folks had, and finally made my first jazz album purchase when I was 14. The album was Hot House Flowers by Wynton Marsalis.

To be honest, I knew nothing about Marsalis; I just thought that he looked so cool on the cover. While the reason for the purchase was misguided, the result was magical. I remember the first time that I heard When You Wish Upon A Star. The composition was a revelation for me. As a 14 year old, I had never heard an interpretation of a song that I knew. I just knew the song and expected to hear it as such.

When You Wish Upon A Star   

This song opened another door for me. And exploring I went. This happened again and again over the years as I explored the jazz greats and some great unknowns.

My journey continues with Jason Moran's album Ten. Jason Moran has made a very strong name for himself over the past ten years as his interests and intellect have taken him on his journey of musical exploration. Draw to and inspired by history, art, movement, sound, and of course music, Moran has produced albums that balance the pure joy of listening and the requirement of the listener to pay attention and think.

Listening to Ten for the first time brought me genuine excitement...and then made me step back and put on my thinking cap. Each of the compositions on this album operates on a number of levels. Take the opener, Blue Blocks, for example. Blue Blocks is a composition, inspired by the quilters of Gees Bend, Alabama, which was commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This Gospel-esque composition acknowledges the racial tension of the past in Gees Bend and the existing tension that Moran still sees today in Philadelphia. It does this while musically interpreting Gees Bend quilts through interweaving patterns and tempos.

Blue Blocks   

Throughout the album, Moran continues to explore his interests. RFK In The Land of Apartheid was inspired by Robert Kennedy's 1966 trip to South Africa. Gangsterism Over 10 Years, sees Moran's continued exploration of the speech patterns and rhythms of rap and hip hop. Pas De Deux - Ballet Lines was part of a collaboration with choreographer Alongzo King for his Lines Ballet Company. Feedback Pt. 2 was inspired by Jimi Hendrix's performance at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Pas De Deux   

Moran also tackles the work of other musicians that have inspired and influenced his music and career. I loved what Moran does with Thelonious Munk's Crepuscule With Nellie. And while I am not very familiar with American Composer Conlon Nancarrow, I was intrigued with Moran's two interpretations of Nancarrow's Study #6. I also loved the playfulness of To Bob Vatel Of Paris, which was often performed by Jaki Byard who has been very influential in Moran's life.

To Bob Vatel Of Pasis   

Holding all of the compositions on this album together is Moran's trio The Bandwagon. After ten years together, the interplay that can be heard between Moran, bassist Tarus Mateen and Drummer Nasheet Waits is truly amazing. It is obvious that the connection that these three musicians share is something very special.

In September, three months after the release of Ten, Moran was named as one of the MacArthur Foundation's 2010 genius grant recipients. In receiving his Fellowship, the foundation noted "Through reinterpretation of jazz standards and new compositions of his own, Moran is expanding the boundaries of jazz expression and playing a dynamic role in its evolution in the twenty-first century." Tall praise, but well deserved. Even if one is not a 'jazz fan,' I would encourage folks to check out Ten and really spend some time listening to it. It really is remarkable and quite an achievement.