Introduction Part I

2009-10-13T16:05:00.002-04:00

Hi,
This is the first of what I hope are many blogs for me. I'm a professional musician, who plays alto saxophone and bass clarinet. I like all kinds of music but I concentrate on jazz. Jazz is kind of an ambiguous term, I know, so let me explain: For the longest time (about 15 years) I was into straight ahead jazz, and only straight ahead jazz. Mostly 1960s "Blue Note" type jazz. I love all of the great saxophonists of that era like Coltrane, Joe Hen, Wayne, Dexter, Cannonball and many more. I also love modern saxophonists who play in that style like Bergonzi, Brecker, Lovano, Garrett and Potter.

In 2005 I entered the graduate program in ethnomusicology at the University of Pittsburgh, and I began to study many different types of music from around the world. Ethnomusicology is just as ambiguous a term as jazz is but to me it is the study of any type of music, the affect that music has on society or culture, and the affect the society or a particular culture has on music. So naturally I began to study the interaction between African American music, mostly jazz, and American culture, mostly through African American history. My research led me to the music of West Africa and I began to investigate the relationship that West African Music has played in shaping jazz. I have also done some work on the relationship between music throughout the African Diaspora.

I have been composing a lot of music for my group the Horizon Band and most of this music is jazz infused with West African musical elements. I have a link to a few of my scores on my website and you can hear some of the music on my Myspace page. (there are links to the left) I like feedback so tell me what you think.

Jazz Saxophone, Ethnomusicology, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Introduction Part I