The current backlash against President Barack Obama feels similar to the backlash against President Dwight D Eisenhower during the mid-1950s. The Supreme Court ordered the integration of schools and Eisenhower started with nine black kids at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. History calls those kids the Little Rock Nine.

Arkansas Governor, Orval Eugene Faubus, ordered his national guard to block those kids from entering the schools, and for that he was considered a hero because he stood up for “true American values.” He was even named Man of the Year in various US periodicals. Back then, it didn’t matter that you had a social security number or served in your country’s military—the only “true” Americans were white.

The majority of the white population of Little Rock came out to support Governor Faubus. When those nine kids showed up for school, the mob yelled slogans like “Integration is communism” and “Go back to Africa,” along with an assortment of colorfully mean-spirited racial slurs.

They decided to go into the school and lynch one of the nine to make the others fear for their lives and give up. (The lynching of colored people wasn’t legal, but it was tolerated by law enforcement personnel.) Fortunately local police opted to get the kids out of the situation. Later, President Eisenhower ordered the military to escort the kids back into the school—and the rest is history to be discovered.

Today we see similar mob-sanctioned intolerance in the Tea Party rallies. Tea Partiers claim that universal health care is socialism. They accuse Obama of being a Muslim—as if something’s wrong with that. They imply that Hawaii is not one of the fifty states anymore. (Well, we all saw what happened to Pluto for being too small and too far away.)

Meanwhile, gun sales and armed militias of “Christian” white supremacists are up drastically since the president took office.

When I sit here in Canada and look at the US, I understand why many people don’t like my country. It’s a bit restless down there!

Race and power always appear to supersede common sense and human decency. Far too many people are unwilling to think for themselves. Let’s change this script.

A festival is coming in June that’s dedicated to the celebration of what we all have in common. Jazz music is equal parts many cultures while simultaneously taking on the voice of the individual performer.

I urge you to make jazz festival week World Tolerance Week. Check out one music style that you normally don’t listen to. You may or may not care for the sounds but it’s a gentle way to push back against the plague of intolerance that history seems to have scripted into our lives. Instead of emphasizing white, black, red, or yellow, we can emphasize being humans together. I hope to see you there!

Considered by many to be the most proficient improviser in jazz history, Sonny Rollins is the last remaining true jazz giant of his era. A contemporary of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Clifford Brown and Thelonious Monk, Rollins performed with all of these luminaries whilst shaping his own legendary career as a bandleader.

Sonny Rollins was born in Harlem in 1930. By the 40s, Harlem was the nucleus of a new movement in jazz called bebop. An adventurous style of improvising pioneered by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, bebop was in many ways a reaction against the predictable dance band music that was popular at the time. As a young saxophonist, Rollins quickly became one of the bebop elite, recording with innovators such as Miles Davis, Bud Powell and JJ Johnson—all before turning twenty.

During the 1950s, Rollins’ stature in the jazz world increased dramatically. He was regarded as the epitome of jazz saxophone at the time, and was dubbed the “Saxophone Colossus.” Many of his recordings from the era, including Tenor Madness, Sonny Rollins Plus Four, Way Out West and Saxophone Colossus are considered essentials by both jazz aficionados and casual listeners.

During the 1960s and 70s, Rollins took a number of highly-publicized sabbaticals from the performance scene, withdrawing to spend time practicing. He famously spent fifteen-hour days on the Williamsburg bridge, serenading New York’s East River. He has always returned to the stage, and even still maintains an impressive touring schedule at the ripe age of eighty.

Sonny Rollins is known for his rich tenor sound, his rhythmic drive and his affinity for singable melodies. As a composer, Rollins has contributed to the jazz canon with such standards as “Oleo” and “Doxy.” As an improviser, Sonny’s solos seem to have a logic and natural development to them that, to my ear, has not been equaled by any other modern musician. Listen to his solos on “St. Thomas” from Saxophone Colossus or “Without a Song” from The Bridge. You can hear both on YouTube, although I have a hunch that if you check them out you might end up buying the albums…

When Sonny Rollins’ kicks off the Jazz Festival this June, it will be an incredible, and for many of us a once-in-a-lifetime, opportunity to see this amazing musician do what he does best. And because of the nature of improvised music, Sonny’s performance will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him too—that’s really something to look forward to!

Born in New Orleans, Terence Blanchard began playing piano at the age of 5 and picked up the trumpet in elementary school. His father, a professional opera singer, told him, “If you’re going to do this music thing, you’re going to do it right and take some lessons.” He studied with Ellis Marsalis and Roger Dickerson at the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts, where Wynton was his peer. When he went on to Rutgers University, one of his professors was so impressed, he set Blanchard up in Lionel Hampton’s band.

In the 1980s Blanchard spent two years in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, then worked with Donald Harrison before forming his own quintet. In 1991, he released his self-titled solo debut. Over the years, he has released more than a dozen recordings. He has twice won France’s coveted Grand Prix du Disque, for New York Second Line in 1984, and in 2009 for Choices. Along with several nominations, he also claims several Grammy Awards, including for his powerful recording, A Tale of God’s Will (Requiem for Katrina).

Blanchard has become well known as a film score composer through his work with director, Spike Lee. Starting out as a session player in Lee’s second film, he progressed to arranging and, with Jungle Fever, produced his first complete film score. To date, he has composed for over 40 films and documentaries, most recently The Princess and the Frog and Grammy-nominated Cadillac Records.

Though he has come to be thought of as one of the most prolific jazz composers for film in the present day, Terence Blanchard will always consider himself a jazz musician first and foremost. “Nothing can beat being a jazz musician, playing a club, playing a concert. When I stood next to Sonny Rollins at Carnegie Hall and listened to him play, that was it for me.”

His 2009 album, Choices, features his quintet, along with special guests including Cornel West on spoken word vocals. The recording reflects Blanchard’s philosophy. As he says, “Life is all about expansion and evolution. We make choices every day, none of which are right or wrong. They are simply choices that allow us to explore the variety of what’s before us.”

Blanchard will be joined by the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra for a concert celebrating jazz in film. Given his impressive talent and his love for cinematic writing, this show is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!

Roy Hargrove is one of the most soulful and in-demand trumpet players today. He has played with the who’s who of the jazz world, including Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Cobb and Herbie Hancock. When I listen to his recordings, I am struck by his immense musicality and deep passion.

Hargrove was born in 1969 in Waco, Texas. His parents bought him a trumpet and started him in lessons at age 10. A few years later, he first encountered David “Fathead” Newman. “Fathead was the first musician I ever saw improvise,” he remembers. “I was about 14 when he came to Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle School in Dallas. My band director, Dean Hill, was friends with Fathead and invited him to the school. Fathead did a baritone solo over our tuba and drum sections playing “Chameleon.” He was making a whole lot of music without reading anything and I became very fascinated with that. It put me on the road to learning how to improvise.”

When Hargrove was a high school student, Wynton Marsalis visited his school and invited Hargrove to play with him at his concert. Over the next three months Hargrove had the opportunity to sit in with Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard and Bobby Hutcherson. News of his talent reached the director of the North Sea Jazz Festival who arranged to have him play there, effectively launching the career of the young lion.

Hargrove attended Boston’s Berklee School of Music for one year, but since he spent more time in New York City at jam sessions, he transferred to the New School. He was busy as a sideman for a number of important musicians, and in 1990 he recorded his debut solo album, Diamond in the Rough.

After several albums as a leader, Hargrove created his jazz and hip-hop fusion band RH Factor. Their 2003 album Hard Groove thrust Hargrove into jazz superstardom. He has been one of the most successful musicians at combining these two musical genres.

Roy Hargrove is a must-see musician! His passion and outstanding musicality will touch your soul. And if you come out to the late-night jam session, you might just see him there…

There’s something about the lushness of a piano duo that makes it especially appealing to jazz audiences. At this year’s jazz festival, the sound of two pianos will ring out under the hands of Renee Rosnes and husband Bill Charlap, ambassadors of a new generation of jazz greats.

While Renee grew up in Vancouver and Bill in New York, their musical careers bear a striking resemblance. They both began studying classical piano at the young age of three and later switched to jazz. Charlap forged his reputation as a gifted pianist by joining Gerry Mulligan’s quintet in the late 1980s. He has since played with such legends as Benny Carter and Tony Bennett. After moving to New York in 1986, Rosnes also established herself as one who could play with jazz’s most revered musicians, including Joe Henderson, JJ Johnson, Wayne Shorter, James Moody and Bobby Hutcherson.

Today, both pianists are members of pioneering groups in the world of jazz. Charlap is one of the Blue Note 7, a septet comprised of Blue Note Records artists (including Lewis Nash and Steve Wilson) in honour of the label’s 70th anniversary. The group’s album, Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records, features favourite Blue Note songs dynamically reworked by the band’s members.

Rosnes was a founding member of the San Francisco Jazz Collective. Since 2004, the octet has changed annually, featuring some of the jazz scene’s more innovative musicians, like Miguel Zenón and Stefon Harris. Each of these groups has showcased the performing and arranging talents of these gifted pianists.

Rosnes has a brilliant ability to create melodies which are both sweeping and rhythmic. She is an attentive accompanist, always sensitive to the soloist but strong and committed to the texture she is helping create. Charlap’s impeccable technique, while virtuosic, is always committed to swinging. With all the qualities attributed to the finest of jazz musicians, Rosnes and Charlap are sure to give audiences here a stunning performance!

If there were one word to describe Ranee Lee, it would be versatile.

After touring North America in the 1970s as a tenor saxophonist and drummer, the Brooklyn-born Lee moved to Montreal, and was chosen to star in the first Canadian production of Lady Day, a musical portraying the life of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. This 1988 performance, along with her 1989 recording Deep Song, brought her vocal talents to jazz fans across North America and Europe.

Since then, Lee has established herself as one of Canada’s premier jazz vocalists. She has released ten albums, featuring jazz greats like Oliver Jones, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry and John Clayton. Several of those recordings, including I Thought About You, Dark Divas, and Maple Groove: Songs from the Great Canadian Songbook, have been nominated for Juno Awards.

Lee did not abandon acting to become a singer. Her award-winning portrayal of Billie Holiday inspired her to write and star in Dark Divas, a musical depicting the lives and careers of some of the most popular female jazz singers of the 20th century, including Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan. It has been well-received all across North America.

Lee hosts a television series called The Performers, showcasing Canadian jazz artists. She is also an esteemed jazz educator, a respected cultural advocate, and the author of a children’s book, Nana, What Do You Say? In 2006, she was appointed a member of the Order of Canada.

When Ranee Lee’s Quintet takes the stage in Winnipeg at this year’s Jazz Festival, don’t miss the chance to experience one of Canada’s favorite jazz singers!

Vibraphonist Stefon Harris has visited Winnipeg several times over the past few years. He mesmerized audiences in the Asper Jazz series, and catapulted students at the Summer Jazz Camp to new levels of harmonic awareness. His are possibly the most spectacular extraterrestrial visits the jazz community has ever experienced!

When Stefon plays, the music you hear is the music you see—he channels the sound, either through his facial expressions or through his gestures. His arrangements are often surprising, and he can turn a road-worn standard into something you’re hearing for the first time. When I heard him play “Summertime,” it was startling how austere yet new his arrangement of that piece was.

He’s one of the most virtuosic vibraphonists on the planet, and yet he can also play with utter simplicity. His brilliance is not only his ability to play phenomenally lyrical and rhythmic passages, but also to play almost nothing and keep people spellbound.

Stefon Harris is an ideal guest artist for the Oceanic Jazz Orchestra because his instrument and his style speak to that sense of world music that is so central to the OJO mandate. When he plays the marimba, you’re also hearing a djembe or conga—as well as the piano, trap set, bongos, agogô bell. With him, you’re hearing Africa, Europe, and the Americas coming at you at once.

He’s a prize guest also because he’s the type of musician who knows how to draw from everybody on the stage and create an umbrella of sound that contains all those disparate voices. He’s a consummate performer—you can feel that he’s actually connecting with everyone in the room. It’s pure magic!

With the Jazz Festival right around the corner, both aspiring and experienced jazz musicians will hear some great concerts, but there’s always a chance they might share musical conversation at a late-night jam session as well.

A jam is a curious creature. The players are assembled on the spot, the song is decided in the quickest consultation imaginable, and then the leader counts in. Sometimes the results are spectacular, occasionally they’re disastrous, and usually they’re somewhere in the middle. One thing is clear: musicians who jam regularly get better at it. Jazz is a language, and to master a language, you actually have to practice being in conversation.

As with any conversation, there are certain basic requirements to meet. If you’re keen to take on the thrill of the jam session, start by mastering one blues song and one standard. Practice with a metronome. Play major and minor scales for two octaves, and know your major, minor, and dominant chords. Once you have facility on your instrument and an understanding of basic harmonic functions, you have a solid vocabulary.

Listen to recordings. Ask a jazz musician you trust to recommend a listening list, then play along with recordings until you feel confident with the melodies and song forms. Learn the solos too—this helps you develop syntax and expressiveness. It’s also the path to developing your own unique voice.

Attitude is a huge part of the jam session. Everybody is about to invent something on the spot, so expect some nerves. Be respectful of others and of the work you’re doing together—creating real music depends on everyone supporting one another to put forward their best effort. Steve Kirby urges experienced players to go up and play with weaker ones. “It sets up karma for when you go and play with stronger ones,” he points out.

Watch how jam sessions work. See where experienced musicians stand, how they use the mics, how they turn their bodies to acknowledge the person soloing. Jamming is about getting to know other musicians—listen carefully to their musical ideas. When it’s your turn to solo, remember that you’re still in conversation so respond to what you’ve been hearing. Keep it short, especially when you’re still learning, then make eye contact with your audience when they applaud you.

Musical conversation is the very core of this art form, so getting comfortable in a jam session is a necessity for jazz musicians. There are a few regular jam sessions in the city now. Jonny Moonbeam hosts one every Thursday at the King’s Head, and the Cool Monday Night Hang at the Orbit Room just had its sixth anniversary.

Jam sessions are just as exciting for listeners. I intend to catch a few of the late-night sessions at this year’s festival—the charge of high-level invention is well worth the next day’s red eyes!

Throughout his long career, Charlie Haden has striven for musical excellence and variety. He is one of the world’s best improvisers, and his bass playing has set a standard for several generations of jazz artists.

It is no surprise that Charlie Haden became a musician. His family’s country band, the Haden Family Singers, had a radio show and they were regulars at Nashville’s Grand Old Opry. Charlie joined the family business at the age of two, when it was discovered he could harmonize with the songs his mother sang around the house. When he was fifteen, a bout with polio paralyzed part of Haden’s face and his vocal chords, making it impossible for him to control his pitch when he sang. Then a Jazz at the Philharmonic tour came to town, and Haden saw Charlie Parker play for the first time. He became hooked on jazz and started playing the bass. In the mid-1950s, he moved to Los Angeles and soon found work as a bassist….

The projects with his bands, the Liberation Music Orchestra in the 1970s and Quartet West in the late 1980s, and collaborations with Hank Jones, Kenny Barron, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba have taken many stylistic directions, none of them standard to jazz. His music is experimental, what is known as “free jazz,” and incorporates styles form Africa and Latin America. It has also been quite political….

One of Haden’s most rewarding duo albums, Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories) [Verve #3145371302], was recorded in 1996 with his friend guitarist Pat Metheny. It is a highly lyrical CD that gently reveals the expansive emotional heart of thirteen ballads. Although eighteen years separates Haden and Metheny in age, they share many of the same experiences. Both grew up in small towns in Missouri, Haden in Forsyth and Metheny about a hundred miles away in Lee’s Summit. Both practiced for hours, staring out at the vast Midwestern landscape. Both have a love of country and pop music….

Haden and Metheny create gorgeous lyrical sounds on Beyond the Missouri Sky. Their playing has depth and profundity, and they make it sound effortless.

My nine-year-old daughter asked the other day what was in grass that made it alive. We were raking the winter road grit off the boulevard, and truly there wasn’t a trace of green yet. We stood and looked at last year’s tawny grass and pondered. What is it, anyway? I trotted out the science, but both of us knew we didn’t come very close to a real answer.

I appreciate a question like that because it slows down the racket for a moment, and changes the angle of vision. Suddenly we weren’t just two people performing a repetitive task, coughing through the dust. We were standing on something alive—the skin of my urban neighborhood. Muse on that!

Artists make musing their specialty. They stand at that still point and let the unanswerables settle in. Then they begin their own kind of repetitive tasks, gathering words or sounds or movements or colours, fitting them together in a way that will allow someone else to have a similar experience.

A poem, a dance, a sculpture, a film: every one of them has, at its core, a question like my daughter’s, a question that slows the mind, opens it up to new possibilities.

Wrenching us away from our hectic life rhythms is one of the restorative qualities of art. We allow ourselves to be inhabited, to see and feel and hear as if we’re someone else. I think that’s crucial: being able to connect deeply to someone else’s imagining allows us to learn how to be in relationship with others, and with the worlds they offer us.

But being taken over by someone else’s creation also makes us more alert to our own capacities—our sensory sharpness, our ability to comprehend patterns, our openness to what is unfamiliar, our willingness to examine what we believe. We have a chance to identify and refine our strengths, and to realize how much we don’t yet know how to think about.
If we’re fortunate, we feel awe.

What is it in grass that makes it alive? I’m not sure. But I suspect it has something in common with what makes a good book alive, or a beautiful dance, or a powerful jazz solo. Something mysterious. Something wildly powerful and absolutely fragile. Something worth caring for.