Author: incilay

If you’re considering the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop, here are some notes that reflect my own experience:

1. Everyone should see jazz performed live.

Live jazz is an incredible thing to witness. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much live jazz in my life as I have this week. The live jam sessions each day were surprisingly one of my favorite events to attend. It’s so interesting to watch people who have never met before come together and jam almost immediately. There’s so much variability in a jazz performance; while the players are prepared, they also have the freedom to improvise differently every time they pick up their horn. 

I also love the way you can watch players communicating with each other in the middle of a performance or jam session. They make quick decisions, listen to each other, and create their roadmap on the spot. It’s incredible, impressive, and invaluable to jazz as a genre.

2. Jazz history is fascinating — and important.

This week I’ve learned so much fascinating information on the history of jazz. Bits and pieces were things I’d heard throughout my life as a young jazz musician in high school — but I’m happy to have gotten a much better look at the big picture of jazz history, its greatest players, and the way the genre has changed through all its ebbs and flows.

Since the beginning of jazz, it has always been evolving. We talked about the genre as if it existed on a pendulum; every preceding era of jazz was a response to the one before it. A common theme was how the young generation were typically the ones to employ their own music tastes and fuse them with jazz styles over time, thus changing the makeup of jazz and its popularity.

3. We’ve got some very talented faculty members.

I’ve had the privilege of working with some of these faculty members before the workshop, but most of them I met for the first time here. I was in awe of their performances during the nightly concerts. Their ability to put together such challenging and impressive sets without much time to prepare blew me away this week.

To be able to learn from a group of staff members who can practice what they preach is so important for musicians, and the jazz workshop is done in a way where you won’t leave without having seen lots and lots of live music — with the UNC faculty members always getting a moment to shine.

4. Be careful — this workshop might inspire you to get more involved with jazz.

I used to play alto sax in a jazz band in high school. I loved it but never felt like I learned enough about theory and improv to be successful. Since then, I’ve strayed from the genre and no longer have other jazz enthusiasts in my life to connect with. After this week, I think I’ll try to slowly get back into jazz — starting by listening to the jazz player I used to love, as well as names I heard for the first time this week. 

I really want to be able to be a part of this amazing community of musicians who are practically overflowing with talent and who get to represent one of the coolest genres in our country’s history.

Final thoughts

I had a great time at the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop this year! If you find yourself with even the slightest bit of interest in jazz or journalism, no real music experience, and in need of an Experiential Education credit, then this week-long course is for you. You will leave with a better idea of what jazz is, where it came from, and what it looks like now — while also hearing some very talented participants and faculty throughout the week. Who knows … you might find a new favorite jazz album or musician that you never would have come across otherwise.

Elaborate harmony, syncopated rhythmic motifs, and improvisational complexity — three of the most beloved elements of the jazz genre. The weeklong program known as the UNC Summer Jazz Workshop was set for late June again this year. It was a very successful week for the performers, as they got to work in their individual combos, take jazz specific theory courses, and attend daily jam sessions and concerts.

I had the opportunity to speak with one of the participants — Julianne Rejesus — about her reason for being here and what the experience has been like.

Rejesus is a rising freshman at UNC Chapel Hill. She is from Apex, North Carolina, and has been playing trombone since 6th grade. Rejesus started playing jazz in 8th grade but decided to stop after a while. Just this year, she has picked it up right where she left off.

Rejesus participated in the Triangle Youth Jazz program (TYJ) this past spring, which helped spark her interest in returning to jazz. Her ensemble came to UNC’s campus for the Duke Ellington Competition, and she was then introduced to this workshop. Since she’ll be attending here in the fall, Rejesus thought it would be a great opportunity to be on campus and push herself outside of her comfort zone.

At the start of the week, she was feeling a little nervous to be a part of the workshop. Rejesus didn’t know what to expect, but was hoping this experience would help her gain confidence as a player. 

“I knew there would be great players and great teachers,” she said. 

Some of the featured faculty members include drummer Kobie Watkins, marimbist Juan Álamo, bassist Jason Foureman, trombonist Roland Barber, and saxophonist Rahsaan Barber. The instructor overseeing the Jazz Workshop is Dr. Stephen Anderson—a jazz pianist, composer, and instructor of jazz studies here at UNC Chapel Hill.

Rejesus goes on to describe what she loves about jazz and what makes it special to her.

“The thing I love about jazz is that you can put random players together and make music immediately,” she said. 

Rejesus also appreciates how creative jazz can be. For her, TYJ was all about learning to take artistic liberty, and that’s a skill she’s hoping to improve upon in this workshop. Rejesus is also looking to find her own unique voice within her playing style — or at least the tools to help her develop it after this weeklong workshop.

“Everyone’s artistic style is so cool. I think that’s one of the coolest things about jazz — how everyone develops a unique sound,” she said.

We talked briefly about Rejesus’ experience as a woman both in the jazz workshop and other jazz spaces in general. She recounted her early days as a jazz musician feeling like there weren’t many other women partaking in jazz ensembles.

“Most jazz cats don’t care about who you are… if you can play, you’re in. I don’t want being a woman in jazz to be what I’m known for… but at the same time it is part of my experience” she said.

Rejesus also gave some advice for aspiring jazz players: “Have fun and don’t overthink it,” she said.

Jazz is a challenging art form that can take years and years to master. Looking back, Rejesus wishes she hadn’t stopped when she was younger. Now, she is putting herself out there and enjoying all the creative intricacies that jazz has to offer.

The UNC Summer Jazz Workshop  and its week of performances opened with Al Strong and the following featured musicians:

• Al Strong, trumpet
• Rahsaan Barber, tenor saxophone and flute
• Roland Barber, trombone
• Stephen Anderson, piano
• Jason Foureman, bass
• Kobie Watkins, drums

Al Strong is an award-winning trumpet player, composer, and educator from Washington, D.C. He is a graduate from the Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts. While creating and performing music, Strong also strongly advocates for young people getting to engage with music.

Though it had a slightly late start, the concert didn’t fail to make the wait worth it. Strong stepped out in his snazzy pink attire and the group immediately began to play an impressive set. Some highlights from his performance are Strong’s ability to alter his tone from warm and crisp to whispery and dark.

Stephen Anderson complimented Strong on the perfection of his pieces. From one experienced musician to another, he could tell that Strong made no careless decisions when it came to his charts. With such attention to detail, Strong has created a very intricate and impressive repertoire which was still a hit in live performance. 

Roland Barber on trombone and Rahsaan Barber on tenor sax both stood out in their improvisational skills. Oftentimes they were trading back and forth within the ensemble. It was common to see them both tapping, swaying, and grooving while shredding their solos—then taking a quick swig of water to recoup.

UNC’s own performers included Stephen Anderson and Jason Foureman. Though Anderson said he felt unprepared, his performance was magnificent. Every soloistic choice felt intentional and harmonically intricate with motifs often based off of the other improvisers.

Foureman has an impressive back story and a long list of accolades. He represented the UNC Jazz department well with his creativity and foundational support of the ensemble as other players improvised over top of his chord progressions. All of Foureman’s solos were enjoyed by Strong himself, as he couldn’t help but turn and smile when the bass was featured.

One of the highlights was Kobie Watkins’ stellar performance. Watkins is a Chicago native now known as one of the best modern jazz drummers with his title of “swing master.” His energy brought something special to tonight’s set that seemed to be an audience favorite. 

Watkins played with such nuance and attentiveness to every player by adjusting to both fit the player and make his performance truly musical. Watkins would also improvise with difficult rhythmic ideas but also with the most contagious energy. His facial expressions made it seem like each entrance, lick, or melody was the best he’s ever heard. 

You wouldn’t know by listening to their performance that these musicians only had two hours to practice together. Strong and his entire group had a very dynamic performance that highlighted their range as musicians. Some of the pieces were lively and energetic while others were soft and mellow.

This performance highlighted the importance of live jazz music. Seeing the players communicate in real time and feed off of each other’s energy is a unique attribute of the jazz genre. Strong also emphasized the musical influences who impacted his own compositions and the importance of remembering the roots which carry such valuable history.