WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley This is the Catholic Crossley Show. Jazz it's African American music the music of the American experience the swinging snap crackle and pop of jazz has made an enduring Mark in Boston from the Savoy and high hat to Wylie's and scholars. It's been used have been the stomping grounds for fans. And the stomping grounds for jazz Giants Charlie Parker. And Miles Davis and homegrown heroes like Johnny Hodges and Roy Haynes. And for 30 years on these airwaves Eric Jackson known as the dean of the Boston jazz scene has been giving us a jazz master class he's been bringing us interviews with jazz Giants and has even given some artists their big break right here on WGBH this hour. Erik Jackson joins us as we raise a glass to his 30 years of nighttime radio show from there. It's another jazz great Danell Fox on his upcoming show at scullers mashups and Afro Blue. Up next it's a jazz drop again. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Carol Vandam. There's going to be a personnel shake

up with President Obama's security team. NPR's Tom Bowman says it comes ahead of the 2012 presidential campaign and the expectation is that Leon Panetta who now heads the Central Intelligence Agency will be the replacement for Robert Gates at the Pentagon and the replacement for Leon Panetta at CIA will likely be General David Petraeus who now is the commander of forces in Afghanistan. NPR's Tom Bowman in Washington. The U.S. is beginning the withdrawal from Afghanistan and is poised to pull all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of the year. Afghan military officials say the Army officer who shot and killed eight NATO's service members and a contractor was a pilot in the military service for 20 years in Afghanistan. Officials say he opened fire after an argument during a meeting. They deny a Taliban statement saying the gunman was an insurgent a senior U.S. defense official says all eight were Americans. President Obama is hoping to finally put an end to the issue of whether he's actually an American. He's released the long form of his

birth certificate. NPR's Scott Horsley reports it took a special waiver from Hawaii to do so. Hawaii State Director of Health authorized the release and the president's personal lawyer flew to Honolulu to collect the birth certificate the certified copy signed by the president's mother and the attending doctor shows Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. Mr. Obama acknowledged even that level of proof won't satisfy the most hardcore skeptics but I'm speaking to the vast majority of the American people as well as to the press. We do not have time for this kind of silliness. The White House says the renewed questions of the president's birth fueled by Donald Trump are a distraction from important challenges like unemployment and the budget debate. Scott Horsley NPR News the White House. There is mounting talk that the Federal Reserve needs to tighten monetary policy to curb inflation. The Fed's policymaking Federal Open Market Committee is not ready to do so just yet amid continued uncertainty about the economy. Steve Bucknor of Market News

International reports the Fed was meeting this past hour in Washington. The Fed is keeping the federal funds rate near zero where it has been for more than two years and plans to keep that you short term interest rate exceptionally low for an extended period. And it will continue buying treasury bonds to hold down long term rates. The Fed says the recovery is. Proceeding at a moderate pace but housing is depressed and jobs are improving gradually. It's as rising commodity prices are pushing up inflation but says this is likely transitory. The chairman Ben Bernanke he will expound on monetary policy at an upcoming press conference. For NPR News I'm Steve Bucknor in Washington and on Wall Street at this hour following the Fed meeting the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up forty five points to twelve thousand six hundred forty one. The Nasdaq composite index is up five points and the S&P 500 is up a point. This is NPR News. The latest string of powerful stunner storms and tornadoes in the south are now hitting Alabama early morning storm snatch trees and knocked down power lines. High winds damaged one of the hangars at the Birmingham Airport. An

Alabama Power Company says more than 260000 businesses and homes are without power. Thirteen people were killed in Arkansas and Mississippi over the past two days from severe weather. Ontario's electricity utility wants to build underground vaults to store radioactive waste. But as Dan carbon reports opponents say it could pose a risk to drinking water on both sides of the border. Ontario Power generation or OPG has admitted more than 12000 pages of documents to support its position that the deep geologic repository would not likely have any significant adverse environmental or public health effects. It wants to store low and intermediate level nuclear waste just about everything except nuclear fuel. About 2000 feet below the surface and beneath a thick layer of low permeability shale OPG says that will safely isolate and contain the nuclear waste. Those storage facilities would be built less than a mile inland from Lake Huron. Activists and opposition politicians say the facility would be too close to the drinking water source for millions of Canadians and Americans. Public hearings

into the project are expected to begin next year. For NPR News I'm Dan Koppen shuk in Toronto. Apple says iPhone consumers misunderstand the point of the phone storing location information. The company says the data file uncovered by researchers and publicized last week does not track a phone's location but is a list of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers near the user. Apple says that helps the phone determine its location without having to find faint signals from satellites. I'm Carol Vandam NPR News in Washington. Support for NPR comes from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation making grants to solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world on the web at Hewlett dot org. I'm Kalee Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show. If you recognize that tune that

signature music from my guest Eric Jackson. Because this hour we're talking all about jazz and Eric Jackson talking with Eric Jackson the dean of the Boston jazz scene. We're marking his 30 years as WGBH as night time jazz host. He's been spinning hotplates of jazz greats and bringing new artists to the airwaves and interviewing some of the jazz giants of our time. And welcome. Hey Kelly how are you. I'm thrilled to have you. I'm thrilled to be here thank you very much. OK. I can't believe it's 30 years. Yeah. Neither can I. It's been a while. But you know all in all I'd have to say it's been a great 30 years I mean great really just the the things that have happened. A lot of things were just unimaginable 30 years ago if you told me that a lot of the things that have happened over the 30 years are going to happen. I would have said yeah right sure man you're right. Well we got to give our listeners a chance to find out how you got to be the dean of the Boston jazz scene.

Let's start on your journey from BE YOU student to jazz fixture How did that happen. Well when I went came to be you in September 68 and in sometime late that year there was an ad in the campus paper saying they were looking for announcers at W TV you there AM station no experience necessary and they were trained. And I just said oh this would be fun to do. I was in school and I was I came to Boston I want to go to med school I want to be a doctor I want to be a psychiatrist. When I just responded to the incident took a little while but I did manage to get a show before I left I actually was on the air more than any other announcer at that station and I went to the program director and I said look this you've got a big rock n roll audience out there. I'm just curious why I'm on the air more than anybody else I'm not complaining. Enjoy it. Why am I on my. And he said something to me that was very significant he said because when you're on I get quality radio and you know when you're

20 years old 19 years old when somebody says something like that you stop pause and I said Oh you mean I'm good at this. So that was sort of an eye opening moment there when he said that to me. I was I worked for a while if you are a station 70 71. I did Harvard's station roughly school you're 71 72 and then went to w o d Where did the Sunday afternoon show. Wow. During You know they were daytime or so during the daytime hours of 72 during the early hours of 72 I was able to do that. And then while you are I mean it. I also started working at CNN as a full time job and I was there five years. That was a great job because. The idea was that we were supposed to be very eclectic in our programming. And so I got exposed to lots of different kinds of music. And I think

it in some ways prepared me for what was my first stop here at WGBH in 1975 there was a writer by the name of A.B. Spellman who was doing a show here called Essays in black music was a black music history show he did about three or four shows and then he was called away to Washington to take a job with the NEA which he just retired from a year or two ago where they were going to scrap the show and there was an intern here who recommended me to do the show so I came over. And believe me I thought I was way over my head when they offered me this job but I do want to tell WGBH you know if you want to know. Yeah just very fast or Sure yeah I could do this yeah. So I was actually fortunate I stumbled upon a great book by a Harvard professor by the name of Eileen Southern. That is called the music of black Americans and that sort of formed the basis of that program I did. I should mention that I teach at Northeastern. It is the textbook that I

use in my class even today. Mr. Wonderful. Well I a part of that story that you if you were giving us the journey I know be you you were becoming really quite fascinated with jazz and I'm told that you were knowing some of your mates with one particular song. Well you know I fell in love with John Coltrane I grew up listening to jazz I mean my father played jazz in the house all the time so I was comfortable with it. But when I I really fell in love with Coltrane and Miles and I still walk around with John Coltrane's Love Supreme and I always say if if you invited me to come visit you probably about five minutes into the visit I'd probably hand you John Coltrane's Love Supreme. Could you put this on the place. So I'm going to give our listeners a chance to hear what you were badgering your classmates with your ideas. John Coltrane's A Love Supreme part one. Now Eric what about this just captivated you.

Oh I think there were so many things that it opens up with a gong. One of things I thought about the John Coltrane's band in particular these these four musicians here I remember being amazed that these four men were making all of this music. I mean just seemed like there was so much music. There's a word I used to describe it. And it was majestic. It was like This is majestic. I mean you know these four guys are creating this powerful. Music. Like this I think was the power of the music that got to me the sound of John Coltrane's horn and then her stage and then end up this selection with John Coltrane singing a love supreme. I'm going to let you know that we're going to we're going to let our listeners are actually saying that part so how about here's the end where you know the vocals with John Coltrane a love singing a love supreme. Leader.

I've been told it's your anniversary singing. You want to OK OK OK. And that was pretty amazing that is an amazing piece of music and the whole work to me. You know this was also this is one hundred sixty eight. When I was listening to this think about the times there was a lot going on in those times politically. The war activities civil rights activities all were going on. Personally for me I was going through some sort of religious changes dealing with my personal faith and John Coltrane was and his music helped me through that through that period that was the spiritual that I needed to hear at that time. Now I think John Coltrane is universally accepted as a jazz master. Who else would be on your list. Oh well the other person that I would say that really caught my ear at that time was of course Miles Davis.

And it's funny although miles and Trane work together. Initially John Coltrane you're right and you're right. Yeah. OK. Right although the two of them work together it wasn't the band that they were in together that caught my eye it was a later band meiosis when he had people like Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter in the band who was that band of Miles's that caught my ear. Not the band with Coltrane and I went back and listened to that and said yeah this stuff is great. But initially it was what they called miles a second great content that caught my eye they were doing new things different kind of sounds and I was like oh well you pointed us to a couple of things from miles from that period what do you want. Which one would you like us to give our listeners a chance to hear. Why don't we hear stuff first. All right hear stuff. You know.

This with my brother called me about an older brother who called me up and he said Man if you had a new Miles record and I said now he said well I'm coming up this weekend I'm bringing up so you could hear it. And he brought this up. What was different about this. This was the first recording that was released that they. Were with Miles that featured Herbie Hancock playing electric piano. So this was very different sounding. When it hit the streets. Also Miles was mixing the music differently. He knew that he had a very special drummer in Tony Williams So he actually had Tony miked differently so that you could really hear what Tony's doing. In one sense it's an evolution of the music because earlier the drummers role Jasmine had just been a key time. That's all he did he kept the beat. But once we get to. What miles and Tony you would hear Tony is a much more interactive part of the music he's kicking He's prodding the shaking he's doing all of that to music. And Miles help that would he like him.

Well Eric what you just described by talking to us about that music of this piece of music by Miles Davis called Stuff is exactly what we come to love about your program. OK I was listening to you I learned so much you're not just it's not just hear the music and you know so go on to the next piece. It's so rich with information and that makes me want to know more about it so that's for me what these 30 years have been about you know I've said this re years that I've called myself a gee whiz kid and I've always said I'm not the kind of person that wants to go on vacation by myself that would be no fun for me to see a beautiful like a beautiful painting a beautiful something and not have somebody to turn to and say Wow did you see that I think that would be torture for me. And that's the radio is the perfect job for a gee whiz kid like me because I can say gee whiz and then bring on the radio and say Listen to this. So I've got the perfect job.

Well I'm so happy that there are other people who are appreciating your G-Wiz attitude. This is jazz week beginning this Friday and we're celebrating you as a as a part of it it's wonderful. We're talking about jazz this hour we're celebrating 30 years of Eric Jackson on these airwaves that's 30 years of live jazz performances and studio interviews and great new works night after night since 1981. Next week there will be a two part stage and screen salute to Eric Jackson at scullers and the regent theater to mark the 30th anniversary of his eighty nine point seven WGBH radio jazz program. We'll continue this conversation on the other side of the break. Keep your dial on an eighty nine point seven. WGBH. Through. Support for WGBH comes from you and from Boston Private Bank and Trust

Company Boston private bank provides private and commercial banking and investment management and trust services to individuals and businesses. You can learn more by visiting Boston private bank dot com and from the Boston Pops. America's orchestra joined by special guest artists performing the country's favorite music in one of its finest concert halls May 11 through June 26. Tickets and information available online at Boston Pops dot org and from Somerset Subaru. April is National Car Care Month Subaru drivers are invited to schedule a courtesy inspection at Somerset Subaru located off Route 195 in Somerset. Somerset auto group dot com. On the next FRESH AIR how the Arab Spring Remade President Obama's foreign policy. We talked with Ryan Lizza about his article in the current edition of The New Yorker. He's the magazine's Washington correspondent and traveled with Hillary Clinton to Cairo and Tunisia last month. Join us for the next FRESH AIR. This afternoon at 2:00 an eighty nine point seven.

Boston Ballet presents Balanchine Robbins for great works by two of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins and featuring music by Mozart and Stravinsky support eighty nine point seven with a gift of one hundred twenty dollars and WGBH will say thanks with a pair of tickets to Balanchine Robbins. Saturday May 21st at 8 p.m. Seating is limited. Visit WGBH dot org slash box office where we're running out of oxygen. I have so many people that I can treat the world and it's not an easy decision for anyone to make. Coming up at 3 o'clock on an eighty nine point seven WGBH Boston NPR station for news and culture. Afternoon I'm Kelly Crossley. This is the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning

in we're talking about jazz this hour. Later we'll be talking with jazz pianist and Nell Fox but right now we're commemorating 30 years of Eric Jackson as the host of his own show here on eighty nine point seven. WGBH Eric here's the thing. You're the perfect person. Having looked at the landscape for 30 years to talk about where we are jazz wise in Boston today what is the Boston jazz scene because as I look at it I'm you know I see Berkeley Jazz Festival I see Berkeley School University actually moving us out in front always with great artists over there. Even Harvard has a program lots of jazz artists come through to big scholars and regatta bars rooms for jazz artists. But is it is it is vibrant as it used to be. I think that the jazz scene fluctuates A goes up and it goes down. But I think that Boston will always. The powerful for force in the jazz community worldwide. I think it's always going to be

a presence. And certainly Berkeley and the conservatory make sure that it will continue that. But the fact is that Boston has been a major jazz center since the earliest days of jazz. In my research I found bands that were playing jazz here as early as 19 18. Wow. So we've been here and Duke Ellington's band we all rave about Duke Ellington's band well in 1927 Harry Carney left Boston and joined a gallant in's band in 1928 one of his neighbors from Hammond Street left Boston and joined the Duke Ellington's band his name was Johnny Hodge is considered the greatest soloist ever in Duke Ellington's band These are Bostonians. There was a man named Tom Whaley he's one of the people I heard who was playing here in 1918. Tom Whaley served from about 1942 into the late 1960s as Duke Ellington's. Copyist so that Boston has always been a presence on the jazz scene. Both the

local community and then after Berkeley was established and after the conservatory established their jazz program their jazz program is about 30 years old now too and I should mention Wiley's as a mainstay on the jazz scene here. But while he's right there in the south there were a lot of those Berkeley students just run right over there it starts right figure out here from the Masters in that venue. Well that area there is actually the center of the old nightclub area Wiley's actually used to be across the street from where it is now. And they used to you know 47 I believe where they still have stage shows actually and while the stage show was in Wiley's where Wiley's is now was another place called Paradise I believe it was over to the right and that featured mostly local groups Boston groups and of course where the Harriet Tubman sits at mass and Columbus was the high had a world famous jazz club. So there were a number

of clubs there there were a number of smaller clubs up off of a tree lined street was the famous. Would you call it those places you knock on the door speakeasy OK. Right. Underground History was strong and the current you know scene is going pretty strong as well I think as long as you have the conservatory and Berkeley that's going to make sure that scene safe stay strong. The only concern is that you don't want them to overshadow the native greater Bostonians and their music. Absolutely. The thing that always when people do polls about music you know is that jazz always struggles to get the attention of a lot of Americans. Though overseas internationally it's huge it's recognized as a great American creation. Is that changing I see a lot of young people are there young masters now that you look to. I realize when I was thinking about this segment the people that I thought of you know I think you know I think I'd like to read middle grade not that young.

You know what do you say. I think that there are you know and I'm when I'm asked about the condition of jazz I say you have to look at it in two different ways. If you're talking about the economics of the jazz world well that's dismal that's looking pretty bad. But if you're talking about the music itself I don't see any end to people who want to play this music so that I think this music is going to stay around. Well how much how many people are going to be able make a decent living playing it. Is that what's going to be. It's what's under question but to me they're young people who want to play this music who want to hear them. Now there are not enough young people. I think we need to be able to reach out to more young people. And I've been saying lately lately that i think i pods. Part of our enemy really well because you know this is a quick way to say this although I don't really mean it exactly what I'm saying. There was an old computer

expression it says garbage in garbage out. And the idea is basically whatever you put in is what you're taking out so if you've got an iPod and you're not putting any jazz in then you're not going to hear any jazz. No chance of getting a spontaneous hearing right where it's yes. Steve Schwartz years ago was the moderator and also works here. He was the moderator of a panel of jazz announcers a few years ago and he went through the panel and the question he asked was did you get into jazz by listening to the radio. And my father was on the panel because my father's an ode. It was an old jazz radio announcer. So you go through the panel and everybody in the panel said yes yes yes that's how I got into radio Chris got to my father my father said I'm 85 years old there was no damn radio. Remember cranking up the Victrola. But but my point is that so many of those people all those people said they got into this music via the radio. And so if you're in your iPod How are you going to get the first exposure to this

music unless you let them do the whole find something new for me and then maybe you might stumble across it that way. Yeah yeah. So here's a question I love to ask people who appreciate certain art form. Why Gaz for you. I mean usually people who are into music are into broad swaths of music and they somehow have settled on one specific one but all music interests them. But so for you is that true. Well I do listen to a lot of music as you know I teach a class at Northeastern called the African-American experience through music. So I listen to music from West Africa to hip hop as a matter of fact. But jazz is really my love. I don't know it's the power of the force. And one thing I know that very consciously affected me. Maybe when I was about 20 years old was the fact that I thought I said these guys. No they're not going to be the person we see on television every day.

They know they're not going to for the most part be on the cover of Time magazine or the front page of the globe or they're not going to be the millionaires off of their music but they still play this music anyway. I found that very appealing that these guys would say no I'm interested in creating art. It may not sell a million dollars but this is my artistic creation. To me that's a distinction between an artist and an entertainer. The guys who play jazz for the most part have made a statement. I want to be an artist. I appreciate that. With time ticking down I wonder if you have a comment about trends toward the future it seems to me that there's a lot of fusion now going in jazz which some people say it's not pure as it might have been when you began the radio show 30 years ago. I think there's a lot of splintering of the music but I think it's almost been a natural progression. And I know there are a lot of people will probably look at me like I'm crazy but in some

ways I say Well blame it on Charlie Parker he did this because Charlie Parker was the one who showed OK we can make melodic changes we can make harmonic changes and we can make rhythmic changes. And that's what's been happening ever since Charlie Parker did that. Thank you Charlie fuck yeah. Not knocking it but I mean to me he was the one that opened the door and said Yeah I know you think the Jazz is this but we're going to change how we view chords in the music we're going to change how we view rhythm in the music and that is what to me open the door for the changes that have come later. And I would say that basically to me most of the changes that have occurred since about 1970 are just variations or extensions on the changes that came before. They're not totally new it's like OK where we're going to extend that idea that somebody had 30 years ago foundational but different had a different twist. Perfect transition. As we leave the segment of the show and go to our

next we've been celebrating 30 years of Eric Jackson as the host of his jazz show here on eighty nine point seven. Next week as part of jazz week there will be two parts stage and screen salute to Eric at scullers and the Regent Theatre. To learn more visit jazz Boston Org and Eric isn't going away because he has to be here for the transition to the next segment. He's sticking around for part two of this conversation with jazz pianist and Elle Fox. Keep your dial on eighty nine point seven We'll be back after this break. Support for WGBH comes from you and from Eldridge's appraisers and

auctioneers. Since 1953 selling in New England selling to the world presenting their Asian art auction April 28 and twenty ninth For more information you can visit online at Eldred's dot com and from the New England mobile book fair in Newton. For 54 years. New England's independent bookstore. The New England mobile book fair find them online at an e-book fair dot com. That's an e-book fair dot com and from Nova tonight at 9:00 on GBH to presenting Mt. St. Helens back from the dead. A look at the volcanoes developments following its last eruption. Could it happen again. Watch Nova tonight at 9:00 on WGBH too. It's 1962 when the Soviet Union exiled composer Igor Stravinsky is returning for a concert and Soviet music fans wait in line for tickets for an entire year day and night come rain or snow. Like gold at the end of the rainbow almost a Russian author spins that event into a novel. Next time on the home. Coming up at 3 o'clock here at eighty nine point seven.

Join eighty nine point seven brewery and hearth wood fired bread on Thursday night April 28 at 6 o'clock for a special event called ancient grains from thread to beer. It's your chance to indulge in those delicious pairings with seasonal brews and fresh artisan breads with host Brian O'Donovan tickets are $25 reserve Morris at WGBH dot org slash bread and beer. From download to your favorite local talk shows to video from the latest Frontline episode WGBH dot org is the site to see more and experience more of your favorite WGBH programs. That's online at WGBH dot org. Good afternoon I'm Kalee Crossley This is the Calla Crossley Show. We're talking about jazz this hour. Joining me in the studio along with the dean of the Boston jazz singing Eric

Jackson is Danell Fox. He's a renowned jazz pianist. Currently he's a Martin Luther King visiting scholar at MIT and he's with us today to talk about his upcoming performances at scullers mashups and Afro Blue. Now Fox welcome thank you. Great to be here. Well so we've teased our audience so you've got to tell explain to them what mashups and Afro Blue mash that's what's that all what's that all about. Yeah. Well it's funny because I heard a little bit of what you're taught what Eric what I part I have a different point of view. I really think the iPod his opened up with a global. Way of listening to music in the global economy just the worlds not one place that we can go with the digital age that a lot of young people hear all these different music coming and they may not know exactly what it is but if you go to their iPods you know one minute Jimi Hendrix you know Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Charlie Parker possibly John Coltrane. So the way that their listening tastes are much broader and they're much more open to different styles of music are found when they come to the concert so one of the things I do given my background too which is part classical jazz and Latin music is I

mash it up so that at one moment you could be listening to Mr. Simmons by John Coltrane and then I want to do a really slow ballad. But it's taken a right Rodgers and Hart song. I might play something from Robert Schumann one of the great Romantic composers in it but done in the Jazz Quartet and listeners will go and the club will go it's beautiful What was that. I say Robert Schumann own 1833. OK so listeners mashups is an expression that came from I guess the kids in the Internet age who mash up their own original material with what else is going on in the Internet of all kinds of stuff that might be photos that might be other text that might be you know any anything that's out there. They match it up and make it their own and and so you yourself as you've just alluded to are as they say genre bending. You say no boundaries.

Exactly. Yeah it was it was an article and some years ago and the headline was confronting the genre police. I took that as a very I don't know about you know yeah this is a badge of honor. But you know the whale's brought up playing music. There really weren't any boundaries in a similar way that you'd listen to music. I mean the study panel early on usually have the classics of Beethoven Bach and Chopin and I love that music. And then there was pop music and there was rhythm and blues and it was jazz the birth of the cool and Stravinsky. And I loved it all. And so the institutions sort of say oh you have to make choices you have to have categories and I said why. Why can't I find a way to be part of that creation. This is all great art. It's about the creative spirit. Kelly you know up until into the 50s even especially the black artists used to tour on buses and on those tour buses they would have a wide variety of artists artists from a wide variety of different musical genres on the bus. So so that people who you might think well know this is an R&B person or this is a

gospel person they might be traveling together on the same bus and performing together. They didn't make those those but those borders and boundaries became really much stronger as the music industry became stronger going into the 50s and 60s. But the people didn't really make those distinctions they came out to the concert and like I said you might have been the Dixie Hummingbirds and next time it was brown or you know as a group you know all right so that was mobile mash ups back in the day. If we can think of it that way. I want to give our listeners a chance to hear a little bit of your music. Now this is hip hop blue and it's from hip hop blue. When I listen this just sounds to me like traditional jazz. You know what should I happen unless I

like. What you call a hip hop blues some imagining you mashed up something in here and you want to tell me what's going on because Eric used to like crazy but we have you know happy 30th OK. It's actually start off with a theme but I handle just not an OK which is in the bass line and that and then I created this sort of. Like type beat with deafness get to the drums he's doing this element that has that spunk to it so that's why I came up with that title. And it goes into a blues form. I say OK what would you think would be. We have some other examples of your work. I want to give our listeners a chance to hear something that I think would demonstrate for them you know and just exactly what one of your classic mashups might be. Well which one would you like like David or would that be a good one to listen. Yeah sure. OK so I'm wondering if we should let people hear like the original composition and then a

little bit of yours when when will that be good you know if you do that. And if not we could try the Oblivion which I think they have. So here we go. So this is the original composition by Schumann This is David's boomer. OK so that's the original composition by Schumann. And this is human David's boodler by arranged by Del Fox. So we can see that you started off by playing homage to him and then by playing it straight and then you start

to bring in your own largess to it was you went on a plan here that was of course right. But I like to you know I really love the show and face I want to respect it and also school for the listener to hear the context you know where it came from and how to vote. I always like to let our listeners know you know all of the stuff that our guests have done I should mention to them that you want to 1097 a Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition in a 1998 fellowship from a foundation in Italy that I cannot pronounce that my last name Gordon thank you. And you were the first African-American print composer in residence with the St. Louis Symphony Symphony from 1991 to 1992 and now your work at MIT Afro matchups. What do you want everybody to take away from your music. What do you want them to take away. I think as an artist and Eric was alluding this to this before we we want to be able to use the most of our creative imagination and share that

and share that experience and elevate the listeners understanding of themselves and their understanding of the world around them. I think I suppose the purpose of art is like our weapon in trying to create peace in the world the sounds that are say that there's a sense of wholeness right. And so when you come to the show and I want to enjoy it tap their feet to think to cry. I've had audience members cry if you really place a piece in the right place it sort of brings up memories or just feelings and to really touch upon the audience the way that they go home and they feel that they've been blasted to experience something they may not experience in their ordinary daily life. Well I love your playing but I also want to give it to John Lockwood on Bass who you know can make me cry any day. Yeah. That's an artist that's why I put that out there. Eric in your 30 years where do Dunhill Fox's work and what he's doing fall as we've seen jazz trends change. One thing that I in fact I really like about I know there's been

some other musicians through the years who have done this sort of mixing classical and jazz together and a lot of them aren't. Frankly I didn't like one reason was rhythmically. I didn't find it as interesting but he swings. OK. That's yeah yeah. So because he swings the music is is is very interesting and that is what why jazz fans look at and say yeah I can relate to this who's about Schumann never heard a guy but boy the stuff swings man you know. So they're happy. You know he could tell it whoever it is yeah ok you swing back and tap my foot do it I'll go. One of the things I think is interesting to know that you alerted us to is that some of the great masters of classics the Beethoven's the Mozart's and the handles and the Bach left space for people to improvise I did not know that explain that. Oh yeah I mean Bach if you go some of his discourse you'd find just the baseline

numbers in the bottom and the cult figure bass will be like 6 5 3 4 2 3. Similar to chord changes we have a lead sheet in jazz and you have a mellow melody right and we put the chord symbols G seven are documented and so the organist of that period of time which I went to in the late 17th Hundreds had to improvise above this baseline these numbers entire passages real parallel there. And Mozart. Well people don't realize that he would improvise his entire piano concertos there was no piano part written. You have the orchestra part written. Wow. Yeah and he was brilliant. You know we we acknowledge that and that and that was part also. It was expected that that composers could improvise in that period and so the publisher would say Well come on that you know we got to sell this music can you write it down. But if you go to the library archives you'll actually find a score in the piano part is these quickly. So it's like Eric said to me this is nothing created out of a

vacuum it's always somebody before you who has an idea that you you rest your resting on their shoulders. Well to pick up on something that Eric Jackson said Dean of the Boston jazz scene about your work like that. Yes. Your work done Elle Foxx Afro mashup master. Is that you really have to be able to understand how to swing that means that you have to master your craft. I want to give our listeners a chance to hear a little bit more of your playing. And this is done all foxes like cuckoo and the funky chicken. I just love that. Yeah he's getting better

now that I have an interview but all these are just awful sad. Yeah I love it and I really deeply love his piece thank you. You know just tell us about it. Yeah well this is the great interplay between a fabulous from a violin if you have time to be honored to have you come to the show came from Cuba. And the training in Cuba is just I mean this mash up of Cuba tell me I know. Yeah and you can hear is this creativity has just speeds but maybe he has all the back world rhythms in the fingertips and it's a real joy. And so we're just like throwing the ball back and forth I throw him a little rhythm he takes it. He says OK and that's so the musical game. Yeah. I was talking to Eric about it about this earlier and that is just in KL creating a love of jazz in young people today and where people where young people are about jazz and he said you know there are so many opportunities for people to hear it live and that inspires them. You're at MIT as a visiting professor what do you what kind of feedback do you get from your

students about hearing live music you think just about jazz music in general. Yeah I think when they see the the freedom the creative and the students which are already doing research in computer science physics and engineering are already prone to sort of playing around taking things apart so that they love you know getting the ultimate mash up OK. OK all right. Great figure this thing is called Yeah so fantastic. Those that more young people like going to live concerts because one thing the iPod does you have a little headphone you know the little earpieces little white MP 3 files are compressed so the sound world is pretty comparable relistening to those you know LPs that have the big sound systems. So when you go they go to live concert they hear all the sound and they see the musician on stage doing all these crazy things and moving fast they go wow that's what that's how you make that. Yeah. So it's pretty fascinating. So in some ways ticket sales for live concerts have gone up even though sales of CDs of londo Oh that's interesting. You know what do you think.

Actually I think for a lot of the major concerts a lot of the major promoters in town are crying the blues. Actually they're saying that the major concerts are not selling as well as they have been in past years. Is that because people don't recognize the names. Oh I just think a lot of it has to do it with the economy. There was a major artist who came to town few months ago and one of my listeners called and told me he went to the concert I think he said he didn't have the most expensive tickets but they were $65 Now if you've got to multiply that times to 10 for parking maybe a babysitter. Yeah. Well even though it's the movies right here right here you get the DVD if it get your own Pop Warner from the radio show. So now how do you know Eric and I talked about the history of the jazz scene in Europe US and how do you think about the jazz scene now. As an artist who's out there both well you're in the academic world and you're

playing out here all the time in the world in Boston Patika and Boston particularly but I'm and then compare Boston to the rest of the world. You interest me in Boston where we have all these great schools here yeah. And that creates a really solid foundation of education about music and the arts. I mean every of the universities have pretty good music programs. So there's always student productions there are guest professors and artists are coming in so it's very vibrant that way on a commercial level course we have we have two great clubs scullers jazz clubs and we've got a margarita bar because of our book but a blue note New York City a lot of artists there and a great friend Taylor of course is an icon here in the city from what the late 40s in a level George winning in my opinion and he's brought You know I mean he was friends with Miles Davis you know and the jazz workshop area so he's at scullers and so we really possums privileges that way and you don't have to pay those New York prices and have to buy you know two drinks before you sit down. Well it's true it's still there.

I mean Fred in 1970 as a matter of fact you know he was very warm very helpful I think when I first met him. He I made the arrangements for me to do the first interview that I ever did on the radio and that was with Charlie. And tell me tell us tell our listeners who he is again. Charlie Haden was you know Fred Taylor your friend Taylor was was the owner of the old jazz workshop halls mall which was at the Billy 733 Boylston Street for years. He now books scholars and also present concerts throughout the year U2 was meant for. Yeah what does something like. I'm going to play another of your pieces in just a minute but what is something like the Berkeley Jazz Festival do to get people enthused about hearing live music and particularly jazz and and in that context I have to say there's all kinds of genres that are in and around jazz it's not quite as pure as some might like it you know to be in town just yet to be into what I said Berkeley does is it not right. Yeah it's a wonder festival because families can come out and as you know you participate in the vendors and and it's become a real community affair from all around.

And so I think some people they go in and out of listening to the music. But they enjoy the overall ambience of that. But do you think it increases the appreciation of the music that's that's my point what is it done for. Because it is called the Beantown jazz festival yeah. Well I think it does the fact that they're having fun and then hearing music that's got the title jazz to it and most likely some of the members there who hadn't really paid attention to the style of music might say let's go to scholars and find out because I thought well I thought we heard Kurt Elling one day out there. KELLEY That's that's you know one of things I've definitely said is that to me we need to have more outdoor music that we're the artist get paid but that the people don't have to pay to get into here because you know if let's say we have a program Jazz for kids. Well the problem is if we're having it in a club or a library or wherever. We got to get the kids in to hear the music get into that building. But if you have something like the Beantown Jazz Festival where the music is there and out on the street

you know it's a lot a lot easier to get them to come to something like a block party. Right. And that's what it's like if you like that right. And then they'll hear the music to me. That's what's important we've got to get young folks to hear the music. I firmly believe if they hear the music they like the music. Well I want to play some more of your your work. ADELE FERGUSON And I want to get your. I'm curious about your opinion about the new Jazz Masters I was talking to Eric about that before. My guests are Eric Jackson the dean of the Boston jazz scene and with his nighttime radio program here at WGBH for the last 30 years and he's being honored for those 30 years for jazz week beginning on Friday and also great pianists Danell Fox who's heading to scholars with his Afro mash Afro Blue mash ups which is a certain kind of mashing up the FBI now I think it's great that you get so much Jon Rubin to go out on track I gather.

But I want people to hear another of your pieces and this is inventions in KLOV way so this is Danell Fox. OK now we're matching up in here for you straight ahead. This opening sort of straight ahead the opening with deafness in the drums and what is called vamping lead take a. Rhythm and you play around with it be creative. That's as much as you can and what comes in later. If I don't feel come in we have time have come in that will be a melody actually from Bach and

I know that comes on top of that and you wouldn't recognize a bottom if you really knew your BACH Well because it's set up this couple could play framework and so that's the mash up so subtle that you know in a way that I'm I'm just trying to create a piece of music that works without even knowing how it would be. So why didn't you just go classical and you know you know it's right. Yeah. Thank you brother. Ok why do I actually do both of them in the you know it's a weeks after his concert the scullers can have a more casual piece from any Carnegie Hall of the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Called here the lambs are crying which is based on his virtue so the way I have done is by keeping both worlds in parallel and as Eric pointed out there's you can't really get an orchestra this way. OK another piece of the orchestra but it ain't going to happen. OK I'll take that.

All right I'm curious why we're continuing to listen to your piece called inventions in club day. When you hear that melody let us know. What who do you think are the new new jazz masters. I mean other than yourself and they put you in there somewhere that he has missed so many great I mean a lot of the great great musicians are coming from people as we're talking about these and that has to consult with them. There's a hole Jase My line is to a lot of creative work. Names American you know what I was going to name the three you don't think I was the first game without head. Yeah yeah. I don't know I think there's lots of us I would hate to answer this question because I'm going to leave somebody out right now to ask you Do you think you're getting phone calls. Yeah sure. But as those of us who are interested really want to know we're not going to take a listen right. Be right you guys think our rights are people we should get into. This name a few sax players just to bring it in the house. A sax player Eric Alexander is one that a lot of people talking about can't remember the.

Chris Potter directed work on the grounds and yon. Oh sure. Brilliant brilliant alto sax right there. Actually want a MacArthur Award I really you know I was about a year or two ago very creative he's almost nice to me he's like. Let platen approach to Charlie Parker and his velocity his imagination and intellectual. Way the worst material on the sex promises billion so I guess I could ask Danielle or Esperanza Spalding I was going to say that's yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah that's right yeah yeah yeah She loves Bach we're talking here today she's young and I do some of the stuff I know there are much use cracks in the rock conventions on the on the on the bass. OK so I love that though you know that they announced the in there what is going as a bronzer who also don't know if he won the Grammy this year and it was some controversy because she beat out Justin Bieber but. She's also based here in her clay and has performed at the White House their place else and

also just a note for WGBH she composed the opening piece for basic black the program that runs on WGBH ultimate in Cali she has been on my show three times. I never got nowhere this morning and I know that's because you were the groundbreakers your head you know a live performance of my show. She we recorded or at scullers once and we recorded at the Beantown Jazz Festival and all of that maybe before 2007. Ok lovely. We gotter we've known about her for a while right. But she's always had it here. Right. OK I love that. All right so we I've been delighted to have this conversation with both of you I guess you are both the best expressions of why we should be celebrating jazz and keeping it as an art form alive and well. And now I know everybody will look forward to seeing you or hearing your mash ups as they come along in the future and now. Great thank you. And we can't raise a big enough glass to you

Eric Jackson for 30 years of noting trends and Parsons before they become the big woods. We've been talkin jazz with Eric Jackson host of jazz on WGBH with Eric Jackson and also with me is jazz pianist and composer Danell Fox. He's a Martin Luther King visiting scholar at MIT will be performing mashups and Afro Blue its colors this Friday and Saturday. To learn more visit scholars jazz dot com. Thank you both. Thank you. Today Show was engineer by Antonio all the art produced by Chelsea Mertz Bill rose a gross lip and Abbey Ruzicka where production of WGBH radio license NPR station for news and culture.