Hi everyone!
Tom D'Antoni and I sat down last week and talked about jazz. Some of it got videotaped. Here is the video and a link to Tom's article:
http://oregonmusicnews.com/2012/12/18/video-pete-petersen-making-a-septet-sound-like-a-big-band/
Now here's the thing: I have discovered that I don't do interviews well. By which I mean I don't really know how to look at the camera, and I don't ever know what to say until after it's done, at which time I keep wanting to add "oh yeah, and I forgot to mention..."
So here are a few "oh yeah and I forgot to mention" moments:
We talked a bit about arranging, and specifically why I like to write for a 4-piece horn section. That pretty much got covered in the interview, except that I forgot to mention that although I've been inspired by big band writing from the beginning, writing for a smaller group really is its own thing. There are some textures and colors that are only possible with a 17-piece jazz orchestra, and try as we might it's impossible to replicate that with only 4 horns. Still, it's possible to make some things sound very big-band-esque, and that's some of what I aim to accomplish when I write for the septet.
I love to compose original tunes as well as arrange tunes that have been written by others. Both require a different head-space; when I'm composing an original tune I sometimes don't think about the arrangement at the time, or I'll think of ideas but I don't come up with a full arrangement until after I've got the melody and rhythm and chord changes solidified. Sometimes I'll think about what kind of timbre I want certain voices to sound like, but most of the time the composing process is completely different than the arranging/orchestration process.
Another thing we talked about was odd-meters. I think playing (and writing) in 7 has always been something I've dreaded. I've never felt comfortable in 7, or 11, or 5... most of the Prime numbers in fact. I think that is the case for most people. When we walk, we are unconsciously thinking in a 2-beat (duple) meter, because we are using 2 legs alternating back and forth. Our heartbeat is a simple duple meter. 4 is just a multiple of 2, so 4 is easy to conceptualize as well. 3 is a very common meter & we've all heard a lot of waltzes. A lot of swing feels like triplets. So those things all help rhythms in 2, 3, and 4 feel mostly natural and intuitive. 7 is its own beast. I think there is a tendency by composers to write things in 5, 7, or 11 just to show that they are "educated". Like there's no other reason to write in 7 except because it's in 7. Almost like they are being counterintuitive on purpose. I don't feel like that's something I need to do. Music should feel intuitive, not labored. But then I listen to the famous Paul Desmond tune "Take Five" which feels natural in its simplicity - that tune feels like it's perfectly natural and comfortable to be in 5, like 5 is the most normal thing in the world. This is the secret to composing and playing in odd meters, and is the nugget of truth that I wish I would've been able to think of an easy concise way to say during the interview: Music should always feel intuitive and natural in order to convey its true purpose of making listeners feel what the composer/performer wishes them to feel; odd meters need to also feel intuitive and natural or else they defeat the basic purpose of music.
We also talked a bit about Ellington and Strayhorn and their contribution to the art of arranging & orchestration. Duke really was ahead of his time. The more I learn about orchestration, the more I'm drawn back to the colors Duke was able to get from his orchestra.
As I watch this video I am reminded of Max Headroom. It's definitely a portable handheld cam. Sorry the video is so choppy. But considering 30 years ago it would've required a TV crew in a production studio to do an interview like this, I am glad for the advances in technology that make it possible for Tom and I to be able to sit in a relaxing tea house and talk.
I didn't really talk much in the video about the gig we've got coming up on the 30th: I wanted to get a chance to mention that this gig is going to be a lot of fun. Here's what I'm thinking: most of us are working the next night (Dec 31st) so let's all cut loose and have a great time the night before. If you're a musician bring your horn (or your voice) and sit in. Let's eat and drink and be merry!
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