Latch Music's Ezine #11
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* "The Zine" content is contributed by Dave Latchaw and colleagues who use the Internet to promote their musical projects. You can check out previous issues at "The Zine" Archives.
- Article: "The Zone" by Dave Latchaw
- Guest Artist: Bill Koehler - Inspired bass playing and compositions.
- Featured Web Site: Jaco Pastorious
- Featured Web Video: The Jazz Page
- CD Pick: John Scofield "Works For Me"
The Zone
by Dave Latchaw
I think of "The Zone" as a place, or state of mind, that a musician finds when they achieve complete detachment from the conscious process of making music. Technique and ideas are united without the hindrance of ego, which gives a sense of channeled creativity. Great artists can play in "The Zone" consistently, and are not distracted by the surroundings in which they are creating.
Unless you have the natural ability just to be in "The Zone" all the time, you have some work ahead of you. There is no getting around knowing your instrument. If you are a piano player, drummer, guitarist or whatever, you have to have enough technique to be able to freely express your ideas. You also have to completely understand the genre you are working in. The more complete a picture you have of the medium you are working in, the better the chances are for you to reach "The Zone" and go farther in. Notice which artists seem to take you to another place. Read about them, and listen to the musicians that they were inspired by. Do complete transcriptions of their music, or analyze the musical tendencies they use that make you dig their music. You don't want to copy someone else's music, but you need to develop the vocabulary. In order to be detached in the process of making music, you can't be hung up on getting your instrument to cooperate with you. Your musical vocabulary and technique are the tools you use to reach "The Zone".
Being detached when making music is a never ending challenge because of ego. You have to be willing to "Crash and Burn to Learn". A big part of that is being willing to let go of your ego for the sake of the music. When creating music, if you start thinking, "Am I swinging enough?", or "Is this substitution cool enough?", you are too attached. No one wants to sound bad, so the more technical preparation you do, the more confident you can be that you will sound good. The other side of the ego issue is, are you playing to impress people in the band or the audience? We have all known a player (or might be that player) who has tried to impress a former teacher or the local musical hero with their virtuosity. When that happens the ego is definitely in the way. The music becomes second to the musician's need to prove something. There is no possibility of creating something truly special if the music is not the primary energy of the moment.
Some musicians are blessed with the ability to find "The Zone" very early in their musical development. Good for them. Others kind of stumble in and out of "The Zone". Those who stumble in arrive by different paths. Maybe they think, "that was cool", and go on their way, to someday maybe stumble, by chance, into the creative space of "The Zone" again. Others might try to backtrack and analyze how they got there, so that they can repeat the process every time they make music. One of the hard things about figuring out how to reach "The Zone" is that as soon as you think you've got it, the natural tendency is to force yourself to be there. Part of being in "The Zone" is being detached, it has to happen naturally and effortlessly.
Finding "The Zone" will be a different journey for everyone. To evolve as an artist you have to blaze your own trail. If you have the desire it can be done. You have to take those steps yourself. You will know when you get there. It will feel like you are an observer of the musical moment, rather than a participant. Music is bigger than all of us. Treat it with the respect it deserves and you will find "The Zone".
Bill Koehler
#1 Where can people find out more about you and your Internet activities?
My personal website at Illinois State University is www.arts.ilstu.edu/music/faculty/koehler, where you can find various articles, CD recordings (physical), downloads of some of my other music, bio, etc. Of course, I have the mp3.com site at www.mp3.com/BillKoehler. I also have sheet music of my pieces available from Schorer Publications in Munich, Germany -- Schorer.Publications@t-online.de
#2 Who are some of your influences and how have they inspired you?
Like your last featured artist and from what I have read of your influences on your Zine, my influences are somewhat similar. I had a good grounding in electric bass (rock, fussion), then moved on to the double bass since I found it to be a much more expressive, versatile, and challenging instrument. That opened the way for classical, jazz, and avant garde music. I grew up in N.Y.C and had the opportunity to see John McLaughlin with his Indian groups and Mahavishnu Orchestra when they were playing second billing to the John Lee Hooker Blues Band! I was also attending the meditation sessions of Sri Chinmoy, McLaughlin's Guru. Even before that, I listened and practiced with Ravi Shankar/Yehudi Menuhin West Meets East Records to improve my bowing chops. Indian music was always a big influence on me and at that time, for many jazz musicians (ex. Dave Liebman , who said that he would hire me once). In those early days, I had the opportunity to do some TV commercials, film music (one with guitarist Sam Brown who played with Keith Jarrett, and Morroco travel film with an Oud and Dumbek players from Syria), and perform in an Avant Garde group consisting of clarinet, string quartet, and bass...improvising 12 tone music. The people in that group were monsters...all much older that I. Harold Seletsky - Clarinet/composer, and Joe Tecula - Cellist (with Ornette Coleman) steared me in the right direction. At the time, I was a math major in a Community College and after our rehearsal I told Joe Tecula what I was studying and he said to me "but what about your music"? His heart-felt comment in earnest was a profound revelation for me. Thanks Joe! During that time, we played jazz but it was much more inventive than what the record companies are pumping out now. They are only concerned with "what sells". We had a 12 tone improvisation group with Violinist/poet Richard Wexler, Guitarist Johnny Asia, and myself...which was well ahead of the whole rap scene. These early influences are a great part of what we are made of.
As for other improvising influences, I played in the Jazz Interactions Clinics in Manhattan, played with Jimmy Guiffre (sax) at NYU, John Clark (horn), John Campbell (piano), Carl Fontana (trombone), Dave Burell (piano), David Baker (cellist and conductor of the Smithsonian Jazz Program), jazz with Joel Smirnoff, the first violinist of the Juillard String Quartet, Indian music with Umayalpuram Sivaraman, south Indian Master Mradangam player, Harvey Phillips (tuba), played with bassists Richard Davis, John Clayton, and Rufus Reed, and played with Nashville country music producer Byron Gallimore.
#3 What influence does your classical background have on your jazz playing, and how does your jazz background affect your classical playing?
I first started out playing jazz on the double bass, and then my teacher (David Izenson -bassist with Ornette Coleman) gave me a bow. It was right then and there that I realized there is a whole world of sound out there! The classical music gives one a great background for technique and of style possibilities. After all, we can study the history of music which is one of mankind's greatest achievements... and trustworthy achievements (not like society's often untrustworthy words and deeds)! We can study the composers and apply modern ideas to make our own compositions. For bass, learning to play with the bow gives one a well developed left hand and better intonation.
As for jazz influencing my classical playing...I think it enables me to play in more styles. For example, the typical classical player plays with vibrato incessantly. Many cannot turn it off! They have a selfishness when playing in the Baroque style because they will not shape the phrase with the bow and pure tone.
#4 What is your process for composing?
I don't have any of my set "classical" compositions on-line, but many of my jazz and world music compositions are. I studied composition with David Baker (jazz educator/ composer at Indiana University), and Roque Cordero (Kousevitsky award winning Pannamanian Composer). They both gave me inspiration and analysis for composition. I write motives, then expand them to phrases, then sections, then pieces. Stravinsky once wrote that we have to be parsimonious with the subject matter. We have to squeeze out as much from a limited amount of material as possible. In this way, all pieces sound unique, and are not a product of finger memory.
#5 What is your practice routine?
Lately, I have been playing a lot of Indian inspired music with Mon Preet Bedi, a wonderful classically trained tabla player. We are planning a new CD (physical) of Duo music for Double Bass and Tabla. It should be completed by November. A lot goes into this music. Each piece may be 20 minutes long! We have to devise the form, sections, meter changes, rhythmic cadences, etc. When I practice, I develop motives and make continuous sequences in odd meter combinations in order to break away from the predictable 4/4 and 3/4 metric denominations. Then I practice the motives using the "three speeds" for use in rhythmic cadences. I also work on polyphonic tonal centers. I think it is the task of 21st century musicians to be able to handle two keys at once, either by finding the synthetic scale that embodies both tonalities or by gravitating between them. I like to invent my own patterns rather than to practice what everyone is already accustomed.
#6 Do you get to play your music out?
I play out regularly. I am involved in our jazz trio, classical concerts, the ISU MIDI Consort (electronic music -I use the Clevinger Bennett Electric double bass and the AXON MIDI synthesizer), as well as performing concerts of Indian music with a singer, sitar, bass, and tabla. Many of my University duties take me to many places (England, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Russia, Belo-Russia, Puerto Rico, and in the U.S). I am a regular clinician and performer at the Richard David Festival, the International Society of Bassists, and various Bass Symposia. I will be at the ISB Convention in Indianapolis on June 5th and 7th to give two performance/ presentations of Variation Techniques for Improvisers and Composers, material from a book that I am working on.
#7 How do you feel about having your music on the Internet?
I love the exposure that my music gets on-line! It is a pleasure to hear from the many people who give kind words about my music. Thank you for visiting my sites! It is also an avenue for selling CD's. I prefer to sell my physical CD's from home since mp3.com is always getting a bigger chunk of the earnings. I am convinced that in the future, musicians will find a way to get more of the profits on-line. I once heard it said that "music is its own reward". Until we cherish our work and not give away all of it, this kind of "music is a frill" attitude will prevail. When was the last time you heard of a psychologist who gave away his often useless advice? We work hard to develop our creativity.
#8 Who do you listen to for fun, and which music web sites do you check out?
I check out my friends at mp3.com and I just bought the new Remembering Shakti CD. Other than that, I am not listening to too much outside music lately. I feel that I need to concentrate on my current musical project so as not to be influenced by too much other music.
Jaco Pastorius
Jaco changed the face of music. His contribution to the world of music is the standard we should all try to live up to. He was a trailblazer in bringing the electric bass the credibility it so rightfully deserves. He brought the bass out of the rhythm section and gave it prominence as a lead voice. Jaco's compositions should be studied by every musician and enjoyed by those who dig great music. www.jacopastorius.com is the official website for Jaco Pastorious. The discography is great, you can check out which years he recorded with Weather Report, Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny and others. The features section lets you read comments made by people from all around the world and hear what an impact Jaco and his music has had on them. The discussion forum is cool to check out also. As is the case with most websites, it is a constant work in progress, and not all of the sections are there yet. There are other cool sites for Jaco information, but make sure you support the family's site.
The Jazz Page
The Jazz Page is the location of this month's web video. They have an interesting collection of video clips of nearly 30 artists. They are all short clips, about a minute to a minute and a half each, of some of the greats performing, mainly from European television. Follow The Jazz Page link, then click on "Videos", and then click on "Single Videos". Among the artists you can check are Miles Davis, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, Dexter Gordon, Bill Evans, and even a rare moment of Charlie Parker performing with Coleman Hawkins. With the clips being short, everything seems to load pretty fast. It would be cool to see longer clips, but it's pretty fun to check out these giants. You will need Real Player to check out these clips.
John Scofield
"Works For Me"
John Scofield does it again with this wonderful recording, "Works For Me". Scofield embodies what I think is important for all musicians; he is able to cover a whole range of music, and has developed his unique voice to such an extent that from the first note you know it's him. His most recent recordings have been more jam-band oriented, but "Works For Me" is in the straight ahead vibe. On this CD there is brilliant playing from John Scofield on guitar, you have the late great Billy Higgins on drums, Kenny Garrett on alto sax, Christian McBride on bass and Brad Mehldau on piano. With this combination you get outstanding musicians coming together and creating a special snapshot of the spirit of jazz. They were able to take their "jedi master" level of musicianship and play with spontaneous selflessness. In the tradition of the old jazz recordings, there was very little rehearsal and recording time. Jazz that just goes for it "Works for me"!
Tracks for "Works For Me"
- I'll Catch You
- Not You Again
- Big J
- Loose Canon
- Love You Long Time
- Hive
- Heel To Toe
- Do I Crazy?
- Mrs. Scofield's Waltz
- Six and Eight
- Freepie
Click here to learn more about "Works For Me"
Related Sites
- John Scofield
- Billy Higgins
- Kenny Garrett
- Christian McBride
- Brad Mehldau
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