Interview with Mike LeDonne - The Groover

Mike LeDonne was very gracious to answer a few questions in advance of his October 5th performance at BuckingJam Palace with The Groovers. As you can see from his answers below, LeDonne is very passionate and articulate when it comes to jazz music.

 

Interview with Mike LeDonne - September 2019

1) How would you describe the style of Jazz music you are bringing to Calgary?

Some people call it “Soul Jazz” but I don’t like that term because:

1. All jazz is “soul" jazz if it’s good and this includes the avant garde.

2. Soul Jazz implies a simpler style of jazz meant to appeal to the masses and that is not really true of the music we play.

3. What the Groover Quartet does is to play the highest level of music we can over tunes taken from R&B and pop hits that people today might recognize. But I swing them and restructure them so they’re good vehicles to play over. They are also tunes I grew up with by people like Earth Wind And Fire, The OJays, The Spinners, Stevie Wonder etc...Pop music has always borrowed from jazz music so I decided to borrow some pop music and turn it into jazz music. The solos of the musicians involved are not dumbed down to make us more popular. We play the same over these R&B tunes as we would over any other jazz tune. The difference is that a younger audience gets to hear a melody they may actually recognize and this brings them into the music. So all we’re doing is what jazz musicians have always done from the beginning, interpreting popular tunes of the day.

4. So to answer your question, we are playing straight up jazz music that swings, is soulful and fun to hear.

2) Who are some of your influences in this genre?

Everybody!

My first was the King, Jimmy Smith, back when I was 10 years old and just starting out. He remains one of my favorites to this day. Then I discovered Don Patterson and saw how Be Bop could be played on the organ. Melvin Rhyne was another big influence for the same reason. Jack McDuff was a major force in my life. I had always loved his playing and arrangements. I had stopped playing organ in my college years and one night, after I moved to New York, a friend of mine took me to one of Jack’s gigs in Harlem. It was at his urging that night that I bought another B3 and made the organ a priority again. Groove Holmes and Charles Earland really shaped my concept of playing the bass on the organ. Charles was also a major influence in taking pop tunes and swinging them. I learned about playing chord solos from Shirley Scott and Wild Bill Davis. They also showed me how to play organ when a bass player is playing. And of course Larry Young showed me how the language of McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane could be translated to the organ. McCoy had already been a major influence for me on the piano. Last but not least, Dr. Lonnie Smith showed me all the incredible sounds that can come out of the Hammond Organ and how to switch from one to the other. I love everything about his playing.

3) How might you briefly describe your long-time bandmates, joining you for this tour? (ie. Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein and Joe Farnsworth)

They are my musical family. We’ve been together for 19 years now as the Groover Quartet but we were playing together long before that. Besides their role in the band they are simply some of the greatest masters of their respective instruments in the world. All leaders in their own right I am very lucky that they’ve stuck with me all these years. We are one of the few real bands you’ll hear in this day and age.

4) Might you have a few words about the impact that Harold Mabern had on you? (ed. note: Mabern recently performed at BuckingJam Palace in April 2019)

Unfortunately I just found out last night that Harold Mabern passed away. Devastating news since he was like family to me. His impact goes way beyond music but musically he was a huge inspiration. Harold’s energy could have powered the world and I loved being around him. He sparked both excitement and projected love to everyone around him when he played. He was one of the few musicians left on this planet that got me off my butt to go hear him everytime he was playing because I knew the electricity I love in music would be there. His music was all about rhythm and he showed me how to use both rhythm and harmony in new ways.

Mabes could rock the house like no one else but he could also play beautiful ballads. He knew a million tunes and could play in any key. He was a real master and pro but also a beautiful humble man. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

5) What are some of the lessons you've learned from the many masters of this music you've performed with?

The lessons I learned are plentiful. I was lucky to get to apprentice with a wide variety of masters. From Benny Goodman and Roy Eldridge through Art Farmer and Clifford Jordan, 11 years with Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Bobby Hutcherson and George Coleman to name a few. I’ve been with Benny Golson for 20 years now. Phil Woods called it “tribal music” meaning music you don’t learn in books. It is handed down from generation to generation by wrote. What I’ve learned is that Jazz is an art form that has many branches on its tree but the roots are based in the blues and in African American culture. I feel it is very important to maintain an African American aesthetic in the music for it to be truly called “jazz”. This is what people like Milt Jackson taught me. Not that you have to be African American to play it but that that basic aesthetic that comes from the blues be present. All the masters I played with had it. Milt Jackson was steeped in it. He called the blues progression “magic”. It had something in it that always lit up the audience no matter if they were jazz aficianados or new comers. He would often start the night with it and that is something I often do as well. That aesthetic is found mainly in the underlying rhythm of the artist. Everyone that learns this music gets obsessed with notes, and they are important, but I learned from these great masters that it’s the rhythm and the sound that is most important. And lastly I learned that no matter how I feel physically or mentally, when I hit the bandstand I give it my all. That’s because it takes everything I got, in every note I play and on every beat, to make the music pop and come alive. If you do that you’ve done all you can do and you can feel good about the performance. You’ve done your job.

6) What advice do you have for young, aspiring Jazz musicians?

Enjoy the journey and take your time. You’ll know the kind of jazz artists you truly like by who you listen to the most. But don’t stop with your current favorites. Go back and see who their favorites were and check them out too. Knowing lineage and history is a big part of what gives you substance and depth as an artist. Don’t skim either. Whatever you get into get ALL the way into it. Live it, absorb it and move on. Dizzy Gillespie once said if there’s something you heard and liked but you don’t understand it, figure it out! Keep growing because that’s the fun of this music. There’s always more to discover. Don’t worry about innovating and reinventing the wheel all the time. A good friend of mine used to always say: “Everybody today is trying so hard to be great they aren’t even good!” That’s the bottom line. Make playing good music your priority. Get your ego out of the way and serve the music. Keep your focus on giving and not receiving when you perform. Watch out for jealousy and envy because they are the enemy. It’s a challenging life but also an incredibly rewarding life.

Four On The Floor: Igor Wilcox on drumming, inspiration, building a band, and cutting records

Igor Willcox

BJP Guest Blogger Jon McCaslin is a Calgary-based drummer and author of Four On The Floor, a popular jazz drumming blog.

Brazilian drummer, composer and band leader Igor Willcox and his band are touring Canada in April and performing in Calgary on Thursday, April 25th at BuckingJam Palace, Calgary's coolest and hippest new Jazz venue. Learn more about this performance here.

In the meantime, Igor was kind enough to answer a few questions about himself and his music in advance of their Canadian tour.

1) Tell us about your latest recording and touring project!

My last recording is the album Igor Willcox Quartet “Live", released last year (2018). This album features compositions from my first album, released in 2017 and recorded in the studio, plus some tribute songs. This album has received a lot of good reviews in important jazz websites such as All About Jazz.

My touring project, the Igor Willcox Quartet, is a group that I assembled to play the compositions of my first CD, which features original songs. I started this group when I was in the composing process. I called my great friends and amazing musicians Vini Morales (keys), Glecio Nascimento (bass) and Wagner Barbosa (saxophone) to join the group.

We played in the most important Jazz festivals and clubs in Brazil and now we have the happiness to make our first Canadian Tour. Soon after this tour, we will be departing to Europe to play at the North City Jazz Festival, one of the most important jazz festivals of eastern Europe, in Kosovo, on May 18th of 2019.

This project has 3 years of existence and this year we will record a new album with original compositions by myself, Wagner, Vini, and Glecio. Some of these tunes we will be debuting in the Canadian Tour.

2) How did you choose your repertoire and sidemen?

I gave preference to play our original compositions, but there are some tunes that we have chosen in tribute to our great influences, such as Herbie Hancock, Allan Holdsworth, Joe Henderson, etc. Regarding the musicians, I have chosen people who I identify musically and personally with. Despite the group having my name, I don’t consider the musicians as sidemen, because they are very active in the group and we make decisions together about the arrangements of the songs. I also try to let them be free to express themselves musically. We are a unity!

3) What inspired you to pursue the vibe and instrumentation that you did?

I have always liked listening and also playing with this kind of quartet formation. It allows me to compose in a very creative way, leaving a lot of room for the musicians improvisations. I feel that our interaction is also very constant, we are always talking musically during the sound and it sounds very synergistic.

4) Was there a particular message you were trying to convey to the listener?

Yes, that the music is a universal language and we try to transmit this in our music. We are always looking for a musical dialogue during the sound, listening to each other and interacting.

5) Who are your influences with regards to this style of writing and playing?

There a lot, but some of my big influences are: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Return To Forever, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul.

6) What are you practicing/studying/listening to/researching these days?

I divided my routine in two ways: Practice piano and drums

- On the piano, I’m currently studying harmony, technique, not with the proposal to play, but to help me in the composition process.

- On the drums: I study everyday exercises for my hands such as the book Master Studies by Joe Morello. I love this book and there are a lot of ways to study it. I study also some new rhythms, coordination stuff focused on things that I have to improve on.

About listening, I’m always listening to all kind of good music, I love to discover new sounds and this influences the music I make.

Today, while I’m answering your questions, I am listening to Uri Caine "Bedrock".

But in the past, I also listened to Joe Zawinul, Allan Pasqua, Sixun, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams Lifetime, Bartok, etc.

7) What other current and future projects do you have on the go at the moment?

There is no other current project besides the quartet because I’m totally focused on this project. A lot of good things are happening and I want to be 100% dedicated to the band. I also play and record with artists here in Brazil, from Jazz to pop, but they are not my personal projects, but it’s part of my work as a sideman. That I enjoy a lot as well!

On the go: I have plans to record a new album around July/August

8) How do the drums and your overall approach to rhythm factor into your compositions and concept?

The drums influences a lot in my compositions. Often, I use some rhythmic ideas to start a composition, before making melodies and harmony. I love to use polyrhythms, beat displacements, etc.

9) What drummers (or other musicians) do you consider as influences?

A lot of drummers and musicians, but I will try to list my main influences:

Drummers: Tony Williams, Gary Husband, Jack DeJohnette, Gary Novak, Vinnie Colaiuta, Elvin Jones, Bill Stewart, Robertinho Silva, Adam Nussbaum, Lenny White, Will Kennedy, Billy Cobham, etc…

Other musicians: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Joshua Redman, Keith Jarret, Allan Pasqua, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, etc...

10) What advice do you have for younger, aspiring jazz musicians and drummers?

Have always open mind to listen to many different kind of Jazz styles, from the traditional Jazz to fusion. It will give you a deep knowledge and understanding about Jazz.

Try always to play in favor of the music, I mean, think musically, listen to the soloists, the melodies, the harmonies, pay attention to the environment, interact with the musicians you are playing. Live the music every day as if it is part of your life!

Four On The Floor: Morgan Childs on the roots of his vibe, and projects new and old

Morgan Childs

Jon McCaslin is a Calgary-based drummer and author of Four On The Floor, a popular jazz drumming blog.

1) Tell us about your latest recording and touring project!

I’m excited to be working with three exciting groups in January. I’ve put together a Vancouver-based quartet with Steve Kaldestad (tenor sax), John Stetch (piano), and André Lachance (bass) for a gig at Frankie’s in Vancouver on January 10th, then I have some dates on Vancouver Island where I have recruited some old friends; Dr. Patrick Boyle (trumpet), Ryan Oliver (tenor sax) and the phenomenal young multi-instrumentalist John Lee is going to play bass at Simon Holt in Nanaimo, at the Avalanche in Courtenay, and down at Pat’s House of Jazz in Crofton. After that’s done, I start a driving tour with a group I co-lead with Ben Bishop (guitar), and Jeff McLeod (Hammond organ). We are called the BMC Organ Trio. We play some classic organ jazz repertoire as well as writing original music for the group. We haven’t made a record yet, but that will be coming sometime in the future, for sure. That band is touring Alberta, Eastern BC and Saskatchewan, playing some of the great clubs out west like the Yardbird Suite and Bassment, in addition to our now-sold-out gig at Buckingjam Palace in Calgary.

2) How did you choose your repertoire and sidemen?

I think it’s important to make music with people who you admire. It’s nice to have a combination of some familiarity and some unknown factors; that creates energy and excitement on stage. In terms of the repertoire, I tend to think of sets of music to create a certain vibe for the listener. I want the experience of listening to my groups to be detailed and intriguing for the listener, and I want the musicians to feel like they are free to express themselves in THEIR way. That’s very important to me… to honour the contribution of the musicians by finding music that suits a certain facet of their musical voice.

In the case of the organ trio, I have a pretty long history of playing with Hammond organ, and have a love for the instrument. I got to hear and play with the late great Bob Murphy quite a bit when I lived in Vancouver, as well as Chris Gestrin, Vanessa Rodrigues, Barbara Dennerlein and Bernie Senensky at various and ongoing points in my life. When Jeff and Ben moved to Toronto around the same time, we had already talked about forming a group and working up some repertoire so it was a natural fit. I admire the depth of knowledge and dedication they both have.


3) What inspired you to pursue the vibe and instrumentation that you did? 


My dad is a big Kenny Burrell fan, and Kenny made a whole pile of great organ records with Jimmy Smith in the 60s, so I grew up around some of that music. My dad also played bass in an RnB band when I was growing up, so he was super into the Stax sound in particular—very committed to playing a Fender P bass with flat wound strings like Donald “Duck” Dunn, and Booker T and the MGs was an early influence on me--playing along with those records and trying to sound like Al Jackson Jr! I got to see Booker T and Jimmy McGriff on a double bill when I was still in high school, with Leon “Ndugu” Chancler on drums—now that’ll make an impression! The great thing about the Hammond is that you can play some serious bebop on it like Jimmy Smith, or get really funky like Grant Green or the Sugarman 3. I love swinging hard and I also love playing funk, so I think playing organ jazz suits my musical personality. You can do anything you want!

4) Was there a particular message you were trying to convey to the listener?

Music is generally connected to a lot of positive emotions I think, positive memories, and often memories and feelings that people hold really close. It’s nice if it’s a positive, good feeling you can create for people. I find it really interesting that listening to music is a totally subjective experience, so you try to get into a space where you are expressing yourself honestly and to the best of your abilities, and hope that the people who are hearing it can have some meaningful association with what you’re doing.

5) Who are your influences with regards to this style of writing and playing?


For the BMC trio it’s definitely a lot of the classic organ records made by people like Jimmy Smith, Don Patterson, Grant Green, Jack McDuff, Lonnie Smith, George Benson, Melvin Rhyne, Wes Montgomery, etc. More generally speaking, I am influenced a lot by very swinging drummers. Jimmy Cobb, Lewis Nash, Jeff Watts, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Billy Higgins and Max Roach are some of my favourites.

6) What are you practicing/studying/listening to/researching these days?


Over the last few years I’ve taken some lessons with Kenny Washington, who has refined my understanding of the Wilcoxin book a great deal. I’ve usually got one or more of those solos on the go and continue to work at it and hone my abilities there. I’m eternally grateful for Kenny’s patience as a teacher, and how much he has demystified the purpose of those exercises for me. I keep a little notebook where I write out ideas, aiming for simplicity and clarity in my phrasing. Lately I’ve been revisiting a lot of Tony Williams and Billy Higgins albums. I listen quite a bit to these field recordings of the Ewe and Ashanti peoples of West Africa, which were collected by Mark Seidenfeld and released on John Zorn’s Avant label under the name “Drums of Death”. In that music, I hear some fundamental DNA of the polyrhythmic drum language that represents some of the more mystical aspects of jazz rhythm. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to create contrasting expressions of rhythmic power, within my own playing and also as a contrast to the other musicians I’m playing with. Billy Higgins has been on my mind a lot lately, the compelling force of his ride cymbal beat, and the world of polyrhythmic expression he inhabited so fully. How does one create something so compelling and powerful that exists in such a gentle way? I am attempting to think about music from these different angles that are analytical, but also sort of abstract.

7) What other current and future projects do you have on the go at the moment?

The quartet that travelled to Lviv, Ukraine to play for Canada Day has become a unit under the co-leadership of Jake Koffman (as), and Nathan Hiltz (g), with Mark Godfrey on bass. We’ll be booking some gigs this spring and summer and releasing an EP. I know Amanda Tosoff is planning a follow up to her Juno-nominated “Words” album, and I’m excited to be a part of that. In May I’ll be travelling to England to play with Scottish saxophonist and clarinettist John Burgess. I have regular gigs around Toronto that are ongoing. Other than that, I’ll continue to make music with as many different musicians as I can!


8) How do the drums and your overall approach to rhythm factor into your compositions and concept?

Not very much, actually… that’s an interesting question. I don’t usually start compositions from a rhythmic concept. I’m usually trying to hear a melody first, and see where that leads my ear. I don’t usually write things to feature the drums, I think about what a set of music might need and write something to fit a mood.


9) What drummers (or other musicians) do you consider as influences?


I mentioned many of my favourite drummers earlier… speaking more broadly of music, I’d say Freddie Hubbard and Herbie Hancock are two musicians whose influence I can pinpoint in my own playing and writing.


10) What advice do you have for younger, aspiring jazz musicians?

Train your ears to hear the tiny, fractional details that make the music what it is. If you find a certain sound compelling, investigate it fully and find out what makes it what it is. Take your time and be patient with yourself.