When I review the days spent on the road at the end of the year,
the percentage of time in Europe far exceeds anywhere else. I would venture to
say that this is true for the majority of working jazz artists, even some of
the superstars. This has been the case for several decades or more if you
factor in famous expatriates like Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin
and others. Sidney Bechet, the father of the soprano sax has squares and
boulevards named after him in France!! Is it simply a matter of the grass is
always greener or that finding acceptance in one's own backyard has always been
traditionally more of a challenge for creative people? Or is it because jazz is
viewed as foreign and exotic to Europeans, thus explaining its long appeal.
Maybe we should just say that Europeans are just more sophisticated and
cultured than us!! After all, almost everywhere you go in Europe there is
something REALLY old staring you in the face, especially compared to the World
Trade Center or Sears Tower. In my opinion, it is all of the above and more
that causes Europe to be such a fertile land for jazz. There is definitely a
long musical tradition which besides having provided for the church l liturgy
has elevated music making to a high art. On the technical side, jazz harmony
derives lock, stock and barrel from the European classical aesthetic with much
having been written tracing the common lineage from Bach to Schoenberg. Because
of this long tradition, music is considered a necessity in Europe. With the
socialist political tendencies that have marked post- war politics, the most
important fact of why the arts have continue to survive there is government
funding. Pure and simple, there is money to support the arts and though the
major beneficiaries are largely opera, theater and orchestras, jazz has
received its share of the largesse. Surely it differs from country to country
and fluctuates as the governments change but the e mandate is essentially
intact. Some co-sponsorship with private companies has risen in the past decade
to take up the slack of less government spending. Remember that until recently
all radio and TV were state run and these stations had the responsibility to
present all forms of culture, from rock to world music, jazz to classical. Finally,
the romantic image of the smokey jazz club and the whole jazz culture in
general resonates loudly in Europe where the concept of the café as a meeting
place to hang out is part and parcel of their life style. To sum it up, I quote
a statement that the famous impresario George Wein (founder of the Newport and
JVC Jazz Festivals) told me: "If it weren't for Europe, there would be no
jazz!"
THE EUROPEAN JAZZ SCENE
Prior to World War II there was some jazz played in parts of Europe, but it
was definitely the post war generation exposed to Bird and the be-boppers,
(some of whom came through on tour), who took jazz and began to develop it, at
first derivatively, t hen slowly expressing an individual personality.
Remember, when one says Europe you are speaking about an area comparable to the
size of the U.S., but with over a dozen distinct cultures, histories and
traditions. Each country has its own slant on the development of jazz with a
distinct way of doing things. Given the rich classical tradition that these
musicians were born to and in many cases trained in, you can imagine the
interesting and diverse fusions of influences that have taken place there. The
Afro-American roots of jazz which we take for granted in the U.S. didn't really
exist in Europe. But what they do possess besides the classics is proximity to
many types of world music coming through colonization and subsequent
immigration from Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Europe indeed has its own
unique circumstances which have mixed with American jazz. By the 1980s there
were more notable jazz personalities and styles from many of the countries than
previously. Some had come through be-bop, while the new generation was affected
by free jazz and Coltrane as well as fusion. By that decade, jazz education was
well on its way throughout Europe. In fact, the 80s represented a virtual explosion
of interest in jazz with more combinations of European and American musicians. There
had always been a tradition of an American soloist(usually a horn player)
playing with a European rhythm section. That trend increased during the 80s
when even lesser known musicians were being invited to play with Europeans. Finally,
the role of independent run record companies became quite pronounced in Europe
from the 70s on, especially with the phenomenal success of the German-based ECM
label. The European record producer was a special breed: non-compromising,
expert in on e or more areas of the music, avid record collectors wholly
dedicated to "art for arts sake." It was through their support and
commitment that many American musicians established a reputation as well as a
platform to develop their art. With the American a attitude towards
commercialism and profit margins so entrenched in our culture, all but a few
artists could regularly record in the U.S. Personally, my first two recordings
as a leader were for ECM in the early 70s("Lookout Farm" and
"Drum Ode"), and if it weren't for the great support of several
labels over the years, I probably wouldn't be writing to you now!!
MYSELF AND EUROPE
Maybe it was fate but even on my first trip to Europe while in college, I
connected up with the scene. In June, 1967, I was finishing my third year of
college at New York University. My parents gave me $1000, a book called
"Europe on 5$ A Day", a plane ticket and the first night's
reservation at a hotel in London. With my tenor and a few names of musicians I
was off. That first night in London I made some calls the moment I got into the
hotel. I ended up at the famous Ronnie Scott's club and met a whole g group of
young musicians rehearsing in a big band. For the next few weeks I stayed with
saxophonist John Surman and Dave Holland(who would come one year later to New
York to play with Miles Davis). On July 17th,the day Trane died, I arrived in
Stockholm an d stayed with musicians there for awhile taking part in my first
recording("Och Hans Vanner"-Love Records), with pianist Lars Werner.
After these weeks I went to Italy, Spain, France and Copenhagen(hearing Dexter
Gordon) playing more than I ever had. This was the first revelation that there
was a chance to play jazz after all. My life and its focus had changed forever.
Little did I know how many times I would return to these same places over the
years!! When I did return in the 70s it was much different with Miles Davis,
Elvin Jones and soon my own groups. But it was really in the 80s that I began
to seriously interact with European musicians, publish books, teach and record
a lot. It has been a continuo us run since then. For me, Europe has been a
mecca with a different relationship in each country. I would not be the
musician I am without Europe and am eternally grateful to those who have
supported me there. Overall, I would say it is the openness, curiosity and
above all respect that I have felt from the European public and musicians which
have been the main factors. Given the various cultural differences, this has
worked greatly to my artistic advantage by having to adapt musically and still
keep the integrity of what I do personally. The European musicians in general
are less bound to the be-bop culture in the aesthetic sense. It is so
interesting to see how the influences of various cultures, world music and the
classical tradition have interacted t o create such individual music in some
cases. I hesitate to describe the European jazz I encounter as
"free", but I would say that there is a remarkable openness on both
the part of the audience and artists to playing in a less traditional manner.
Following are my observations of some of the major characteristics of the jazz
scene in various countries.
SCANDINAVIA
Overall there are two strains of American influences which are quite pronounced
in Scandinavian jazz. Because many expatriates resided in Sweden and Denmark in
particular, there is a legacy of be-bop and the sophisticated audience which it
engendered over several decades. On the other hand, there is the famous
"Nordic" sound first made famous by Keith Jarrett’s recording on ECM
"Belonging" from the 70s which used several Scandic musicians(Jon
Christensen on drums, Palle Daniellson on b ass and Jan Garbarek on saxophone).
This had a major influence on the jazz scene there and in fact worldwide as far
as setting the tone of a style. The ECM label in fact has used a studio in
Oslo, Norway for years to record many CDs and employed these an d other
Scandinavian musicians for many dates over the past decades. Also, there is an
abundance of big bands, both amateur and professional who regularly integrate
the writing skills of some of America’s best composers: Bob Brookmeyer, Jim
McNeely, Mari a Schneider and Vince Mendoza to mane a few. Exactly what is this
"Nordic" sound that I have referred to which in turn has influenced
American musicians? Maybe it is the long winters along with the heavy imbibing
that takes place in this part of the world. In any case, there is a melancholic
and stark flavor in the harmonic realm, quite different then the blues tinge
that we are used to. Some of the other characteristics area great deal of minor
based tonality, a pronounced folk song influence, sparseness of texture, long
melodic lines, a lot of rubato phrasing, eighth note based pulse with a
sprinkling of uneven meter, and a preponderance of reverb effect used on the
recordings themselves. There is a definite and singular atmosphere or color to
their music in general. The deepest musical education in Europe takes place in
Sweden beginning at the high school level. There are many conservatories and
programs in jazz as well as the other arts. For the working situation there is
even a government sponsored agency which sends groups out to countryside towns
for performances as well as an association of nearly 100 jazz clubs
country-wide. The typical Swedish jazz musician is the best overall equipped
craftsman around. This is reflected in their ability to play in many genres
from free jazz to be-bop to fusion and of course the "ECM" style.
They have a long relationship with jazz and are for example proud of the fact
that Charlie Parker toured with Swedish sideman back in the early 50s. Overall
there is usually some financial support from the government for many jazz
musicians. The Swedish audience in keeping with the basic orderliness of their
society is usually quite reserved and small in numbers, relative to the
population of course. Close to Sweden, surprisingly I would place Finland. This
small and rather mysterious country is reputed to have more orchestras and
festivals of all sorts proportionally than any other country. I have toured
towns with unpronounceable names way in the north near Russia which all have the
most lavish and gorgeous concert halls. Again, there is some level of
government support and several higher schools teaching jazz. The Finns have a
justified reputation for reticence which definitely pervades the typical
audience there. But like the Swedes they are very appreciative and fairly
sophisticated listeners. Concerning Norway I haven’t as much time there but in
many ways it is similar to Finland in that there is a nucleus of musicians more
or less clustered around the capital of Oslo who are very active. Specifically,
several of the most important musicians on the ECM label are Norwegian: Aril
Andersen, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal and most notable of all, saxophonist
Jan Garbarek. Denmark is a special case in Scandinavia because both in the physical
sense(they are attached to Europe’s mainland) as well as culturally, the Danes
combine the Nordic and European sense. They are a lively people, very warm and
polite with great interest in humanitarian and environmental causes. In general
their personalities are a bit looser than their Northern counterparts and more
in tune with the American influence. Throughout jazz history, many expatriates
have resided in Copenhagen, in large part due to the Dane’s traditionally
equitable treatment of minorities. (Dexter Gordon and Kenny Drew were among the
most well known.) The Danish are a great audience to play for as they really
get into the music. Throughout Scandinavia but especially in Sweden and
Denmark, there has been a long tradition of great bass players, ranging through
classical, jazz and fusion. It seems that the great bebop bassist, Oscar
Pettiford spent some time there and exerted a tremendous influence. In Sweden,
American bassist R ed Mitchell lived for many years and was very important to
the scene. Contemporary bassists of note are Nils Henning Orsted Petersen(NHOP
for short)from Denmark, both Palle and Lars Daniellson(not related) as well as
Anders Jormin from Sweden. Since 1985 I have been working with the rhythm
section of Lars Danielson(bass) and Bobo Stenson(piano) from Sweden along with
Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen. In this group, Jon basically sets the loose
rhythmic tone while Lars holds the harmony and time as Bobo and myself dance
over this bubbling foundation, often playing lines in tandem as well as blowing
in the traditional accompanist-soloist relationship. The music ranges from very
lyrical to almost austere in tone as well as some high energy free jazz. There are
some Swedish folk influences and even a few jazz standards, but it is all
played in the same stylistic "Nordic" vein. We have several
recordings out on the Swedish-based Dragon label including a live date from
Visiones, the former club in New York.
FRANCE
During the 1980s, the typical national French budget included over a 10%
allotment for culture, of which jazz was part. This has abated recently but it
has not entirely disappeared. Suddenly in that decade there were literally
dozens of small and large festivals throughout France, as well as an abundance
of record labels and at one time, nearly 200 "jazz" schools. The
French have for decades been proud of their supportive attitude towards jazz.
Many American musicians have spent time in the greatest of cultural cities,
Paris. There was a vibrant Left Bank jazz scene in which expatriates of the
bebop era ruled for years including Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke and others. The
Art Ensemble of Chicago lived there for some years as did many avant garde
musicians. Soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy has been in Paris for nearly 30 years
himself. In my opinion outside of the northeastern part of America considering
New York as the hub, Paris is the only other logical place to live if you are
interested in jazz and its offshoots. Paris, even more than New York is
literally a bouillabaisse of people and influences, mainly from the former
colonies which results in a tremendous hodgepodge of musical cultures including
southeast Asia and many areas of Africa, fro m Morocco and Tunisia to Senegal
and other Western African countries. The French truly respond to jazz and
enthusiastically embrace it as a people, probably more than anywhere else. It
is not uncommon to hear jazz at road stop restaurants or when you fly Air
France as you enter and exit the plane. Because of the explosion of government
support in the 80s, and as part of their general Gallic pride in anything
French, their own musicians have been better supported than anywhere else on
par with Sweden. The French musicians have therefore developed quite a bit in
the past decades and they have a unique style all to themselves. I don’t intend
to denigrate it by calling it vaudeville (a French word in any case), but a lot
of French jazz has and almost minstral show quality to it. Maybe it is the
theatrical influence from Moliere and the Comedie Francais along with the
literary tradition of Flaubert, Stendhal, Baudelaire, etc., but I detect a
sincere effort to entertain the audience with the music. The French truly have
their own sound. Also it is saxophone-clarinet land to be sure. Along with the
oboe and flute, a great deal of the historic development of these instruments
is due to French craftsmen. Some say that the elocution of their language
causes the typical Frenchman’s lips to articulate in a way favorable to
woodwind sound production. In any case, some of the oldest and most popular
instrument, reed and mouthpiece manufacturers are in France including Selmer
(saxophones), Louray (oboe) and Buffet (clarinet). One particular thing strikes
me about the French audience to their credit. Once they are convinced that you
are valid, they remain loyal forever. They can be very opinionated, sometimes a
bit uniformed and even prejudicial, but if they take you into their orbit you
will always be accepted. To the French, being an "artiste" is
everything!! For me, France has definitely been the best scene for me,
due mostly in part to the recordings and great support I received from Jean
Jacques Pussiau, owner of Owl Records. We made seven CDs ranging from West Side
Story to fusion to classical and free jazz as well as tributes to Miles and
Coltrane. I have had the opportunity to work with the trio of Jean Francois
Jenny Clark, one of the greatest of all bassists (recently and sadly passed
away), pianist Joachim Kuhn (German but lives in France for years) whom I have
known for 25 years and is a consummate musician, and drummer Daniel Humair, who
in a sense represents the history of European jazz having begun playing with
Bud Powell as a teenager in the early 60s. Well rooted in jazz history, they
like to p lay hard, angular melodies with complex harmony followed by
completely free improvisation usually at very fast tempos. Also in France, I
have been invited often to play with Michel Portal who represents the best in
the French tradition. He is an expert an d famous classical clarinet who also
plays a sort of free jazz influenced at times by his Basque roots. He is not a
be-bopper but plays the horns so well and has such great musical instincts that
he is capable of some wonderful moments. In the recent pas t I have formed a
trio with a bassist similar to Portal in the sense that he too is a classical
expert who among others has worked with Pierre Boulez. Jean Paul Celea plays
the bass so well that whatever comes out is musical. The drummer in this trio
is Austrian, Wolfgang Resigned, who plays in a very modern and energetic mold
along the lines of Jack DeJohnette. This group deals in a free jazz context
similar to the first group I was involved with, the Open Sky Trio with Bob
Moses in the early 70s. The common thread with all of these musicians is their
classical background and familiarity with that repertoire, way beyond mine by
the way. Therefore, they begin at a technical point on their instruments that
is astounding.
GERMANY AND AUSTRIA
With the long and historic tradition so linked with the German culture for
hundreds of years, their audience is highly developed and the most mature in
the world. This directly leads to the existence of many small and independent
labels dedicated to p resenting jazz over the years (ECM,ENJA,CMP).. With the
largest market in Europe, their famous efficiency and such a highly educated
population, jazz has traditionally done well in Germany. For years there were
several full time resident big bands working for the regional radio stations
which regularly played jazz. The cabaret and beer hall tradition of German
society where people socialize has contributed to a high number of jazz clubs
throughout the years, though this has greatly evaporated recently. From the
post war years and still, the presence also contributed to the direct influence
of American culture-not only in jazz, but pop also. There is one distinct
aspect of German jazz which has been evident for several decades. That is the
free jazz movement which has continued to exist even after its near
disappearance in America. I would trace this to the classical avant-garde
tradition of the early 20th century with Schoenberg, Webern, Berg
and others of that ilk. Some of Germany’s top practitioners in this regard are
Alexander Shlippenbach, Peter Brotzmann and most notably, trombonist Albert
Manglesdorf. The free jazz influence was also felt in the former Eastern bloc
countries, more so before the end of the Berlin Wall than now. But there are
still some festivals completely devoted to avant garde music, while at the same
time you can attend pure Dixieland events (a contrast which by the way occurs
in almost all of the countries surveyed here). The typical German audience as I
have mentioned is the most sophisticated in the world as far as jazz is
concerned They are knowledgeable and thought they can be faddish with styles
being popular for awhile, then fading, usually the highest level of listening
takes place there. They are respectful but let you know how they feel. Jazz
education exists in several places including, Mannheim, Essen, Cologne,
Frankfurt and Berlin for the most part alongside longstanding classical
programs. Overall, with such a large population, high income levels, and in one
area of Germany a sort of cultural tax for each citizen, this country has been
a major force for the support of jazz for several decades. Austria is much
smaller in population than Germany with the main center of course being Vienna.
It also enjoys a rich classical tradition which is virtually inseparable from
Germany. There are many fine musicians involved in all kinds of projects
especially with chamber music and other types of traditional ensembles being
incorporated in various mixtures of sorts. The level of musicianship in Austria
is extremely high, but in general the audience is not as discerning as their
German neighbors. Although I don't have a steady rhythm section in Germany as
in France and Scandinavia, I have had some important relationships in other
ways. Advance Music, run by Hans and Veronica Gruber, have published most of my
books as well as chamber music. They have been very supportive, especially in
view that many of my teaching materials are not commercial or meant for the
wider audience. The same could be said for the record company CMP, run by Kurt
Renker. I have done some of my most artistic recordings at the wonderful studio
that Kurt has in the German countryside along with one of the greatest
engineers alive, Walter Quintus. Our latest project is a solo recording titled
"Time Immemorial". The northwest part of Germany (around Cologne) is
home for the WDR( West German Radio) which covers both TV and radio. They are
well funded and have a full time jazz big band that does all types of creative
projects featuring soloists. I have done work there with Jim McNeeley, Vince
Mendoza and in an orchestral setting with Bill Dobbins who now heads both the
WDR big band and the jazz department at the Cologne Hochshcule. The whole
concept of soloing over large ensembles has added greatly to my skills and
besides, it is a thrill of a different sort fronting so many musicians. This
experience comes directly from my interaction with the German scene.
ITALY
There is a natural correlation between the Italian temperament and jazz.
For Italians, the energy, joy and enthusiasm of jazz is a natural. The scene as
far as musicians is concerned is quite active. Unfortunately, the Italian
government(s) do not have their act together enough to subsidize this music at
all, nor is there much jazz on radio or TV. This is a bit sad because there is
so much culture surrounding them on an everyday level, and there is much
support for opera of course. Finally, in the pa st decade jazz was officially
recognized by the very traditional university system, which as in most of these
countries is state supported, very old and very conservative. The Italian
musicians play all kinds of styles from be-bop to free. Besides England and
Holland, they have been the most heavily influenced by American jazz. Possible
due to their operatic tradition and ecclesiastical music, they definitely have
a gift for melody and for some reason the trumpet has been quite popular for
Italian jazz a rtists. Some notable trumpeters are Enrico Rava, Flavio Boltra
and Paolo Fresu. The Italian audience is by far the most enthusiastic and
warmest that one encounters. They love everything usually. In fact, it is hard
to separate the Italian life style of great food, wine, high fashion, beautiful
towns and villages, medieval art and culture everywhere as well as the
mellifluous sounding language from their enthusiasm about jazz, film, opera,
painting and the arts in general. For that matter they are equally enthusiastic
about gossip. After all, the term "paparazzi" originates with the
Italians! They are a most remarkable people and the musicians and audience
alike reflect this. Touring in Italy is extremely enjoyable (outside of the
frequent transport strikes).I always enjoy playing with the acclaimed pianist
Franco D’Andrea, trumpeter Paolo Fresu and saxophonist Maurizio Giammarco among
others. Also in Italy I have recorded some repertoire CDs for Red Records and
original music for Soul Note. Just to give you an insight into the attitude of
European record producers, I quote what the owner of Soul Note, Giovanni
Bonnandrini said to me when I asked if a particular project was al l right. He
said: "The only thing is that the music be creative"!! (How many
American producers would say that?)
HOLLAND,ENGLAND,IRELAND,SPAIN
All of these countries (except Spain) have in common the large effect of
American jazz. Maybe it is language, because even the Dutch are quite fluent in
English. In England itself, there is a long tradition of "trad"
(dixieland), but there have also been great beboppers and free musicians.
London, like Paris and New York is a world city with all the different
influences from former colonies and immigration affecting the music. For years,
one of the most famous clubs in the world, Ronnie Scotts h as been presenting
world class jazz. Jazz education exists to some degree and there have been a
lot of notable jazz journalists, books and periodicals coming from Britain. The
staid English audience is a given, but they are the most hospitable of peoples,
genuinely gracious and polite. The list of notable English musicians is
impressive: Dave Holland, Tony Oxley, John Surman, Kenny Wheeler(Canadian but
living in England for years) and John Taylor to name a few. The Netherlands is a small and very
densely packed country which has an extensive university system for jazz
education. The Dutch musicians are highly skilled and very adept at all styles
with a wide range from be-bop to free. The audiences are good and have an
exceptional tolerance for free jazz which has been widely accepted there.
Musicians such as Hans Bennink and Wilhelm Breuker have excelled in this music.
One of the biggest festivals in the world runs in the Hague there during the
summer called the North Sea Festival. Ireland which is truly tiny in population
has in recent times really come up in jazz. They are obviously tied to both the
U.S. and England, but due to a handful of energetic musicians led by bassist
Ronan Guilfoyle, as well as the strong artistic tradition native to this island
culture, the Irish sound is becoming more individual, especially in the realm
of rhythm. Spain, relatively new to jazz and more isolated culturally, has of
course its own rich flamenco tradition which permeates the entire society
there. In both Barcelona and Madrid there are full time schools where hundreds
of students of all ages study around the clock. The progress of the Spanish
musicians has been remarkable over the past decade. Although they bear some
similarities to the Italians and the lyrical heritage, they possess a
soulfulness and rhythmic intensity all their own.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF JAZZ
The founding of the IASJ in 1989 was the result of my personal efforts to
bring the various cultures together along with of course America and other parts
of the world, all with the common thread being their love and teaching of jazz.
Currently we have 35 countries represented on every continent and have held
meetings in a different school each year. Upcoming are meetings in Spain,
France, U.S., Finland and Japan. Over the years I have handed out to all the
participants a questionnaire meant to gather various information including how
the students began in jazz , their influences and views on a wide range of
topics outside of the music. This questionnaire is in reality statistical proof
of the axiom that jazz is universal. Pat Dorian and Terry Giffel of East
Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania have taken it upon themselves to prepare
an analysis of this data which will is available in the research division of
IAJE. Some quick findings offer the following points of interest: -Forty eight
percent of those surveyed(256) come from musical families. The large majority
had their first major jazz experience between the ages of 14 to 16. Miles
Davis(book, video, recordings) was mentioned by thirty seven percent as the
biggest influence; Coltrane by 30%. "Kind of Blue" was the leading
recording mentioned. Definitely check out the research paper for more
interesting conclusions.
FINAL WORDS
The fact that a musician like myself, steeped in American jazz and New York
in particular, can be fortunate enough to share spiritual moments with so many
people from a different part of the world is a testament to the universal
appeal and potential power of this music. I honestly feel that the future will
see more and more international collaborations for jazz musicians coming from
all parts of the world, infusing the music with a breath of fresh air and
enthusiasm .For sure, Europe has definitely been a god send for the life of
jazz.