LETTER from NEW YORK
April 2012
Hello dear SAJE readers (and Mum)
My mind is abuzz with ideas, sentiments, half-baked musical ditties, and other fleeting thoughts. I’ve been back in NYC for nearly two weeks now after a jam-packed three-week trip to South Africa. It’s taking a while to find my city feet again and there always seems to be a chocolate-laced-transition that greets me when I leave the green, sunny shores of SA for this grey, bustling concrete jungle. I’ve finally gotten to the stage where I feel as if I have one foot on either side of the ocean. I’m straddling the divide equally for the first time in two and a half years. I haven’t quite grasped this new state of being yet-for ages I would complain about feeling constantly in transit, but this double-life is no easier to understand. Oh well, perhaps it’ll grow on me. But moving on from my existential musings to those of a musical nature…
It has been quite some time since my last letter and life changes so rapidly nowadays. Just before flying to SA, I played something of a milestone gig in New York. I was booked to play at one of the West Village’s jazz institutions, The Cornelia Street Café. This venue is a step up from previous places I’ve played at and I knew it would be a challenge to fill the space. But keeping the company of Taylor Eigsti, Sam Anning, Jake Goldbas and Paul Jones was all I needed-what ensued was a magical musical adventure and filling the venue was the cherry on top. The venue agents were so happy with the gig that they’ve allowed us to come back in June to celebrate the release of “Freedom Flight” (my debut album). So a milestone helped cement another tile in the pavement of progress. Pity there’s no rest in sight and the path grows ever longer!
My trip home was incredibly fulfilling and I learnt so much while relishing reconnecting with friends, musicians and audiences. One journalist pointed out, I involuntarily entered into a nearly two-year hiatus from performing in SA. It wasn’t for lack of trying-I promise. And that “hiatus” is studded with a handful of extremely delicious performances with musicians like Mark Fransman and Darren English. So I never looked back on the past two years with a feeling of despair or barren emptiness. That time and those visits were used for family, friends and time off from music (the silence is often as important as the sounds we create).
However, this most recent trip was the perfect foray back into the SA jazz world and I feel both blessed and thrilled that it transpired as it did. The stint started with two nights at Cape Town’s newest gem of a venue, The Mahogany Room. I teamed up with Bokani Dyer, Shane Cooper, Kevin Gibson and Darren English for an adventure and a half-four pretty much sold out sets where the audiences listened, reacted, interacted and journeyed with us, bravely and willingly. Kudos to Lee Thomson, Kesivan Naidoo and Lawson Naidoo for this new venture that is fast becoming the talk of the (jazz) town. It makes me proud to be a Capetonian and to have grownup in a musical pool that includes savvy musicians such as Lee and Kes.
These Mahogany Room gigs were a highlight because we debuted a lot of new music-my originals and arrangements-and after months of spending more time doing arts admin than actual music making, it was a complete joy and luxury. It also reiterated something I’m a big advocate of-the audience is at least half of the equation, if not more. The trip’s other gigs were at UCT’s Hiddingh Hall (for the Gordon Institute of the Performing Arts), an intimate soiree at The Creamery (what could be better than ice cream and performing duo with the inimitable Shane Cooper on bass?!), a stopover at UKZN’s Center for Jazz & Popular Music, and participating in the SAJE 2012 Conference.
I’ve been involved with the SAJE since my undergraduate days at the SA College of Music. The first conference I participated in was held in Durban at UKZN in 2007 and I remember the excitement of being exposed to a whole new world-one that united jazz lovers, jazz educators, jazz youth, jazz elders, and unsuspecting onlookers. It was fantastic. I was so thrilled to be able to coincide my visit with this year’s conference and to have some of my presentation/performance proposals accepted.
I also volunteered to teach workshops for the SAJE and the experiences were inordinately rewarding. I spent time with the students at Alexander Sinton High and Heathfield High and, on both occasions, was stunned by the talent and spirit of the musicians. It was also a welcome challenge to address issues pertinent to both singers and instrumentalists and to have the students receive the information and, perhaps, gain perspective on both disciplines. The divide between vocalists and instrumentalists is stereotypical but very much alive, and it needs to be addressed at school-level so that both “camps” can exercise understanding, and indentify the reasons for this negative viewpoint. Instrumentalists need to acknowledge the differences between the instruments and how the challenges for vocalists are different to those of a horn player or bassist (I know, it should be obvious but it’s not something that is accepted!). And, at the same time, vocalists need to strive to be musicians, and equip themselves with theoretical and historical knowledge that will empower them and help them to earn the respect of their fellow instrumentalists. There’s no need for the divide and it only hinders the creation of music.
The actual SAJE Conference was wonderful. Half way through the talks and performances my mind was already a-buzz with ideas. I was fortunate to perform a duo concert with Durban-based pianist, Neil Gonsalves. I started actively seeking out pianists, bassists and drummers with whom to explore the duo setting about four years ago. It’s so much fun, and simultaneously terrifying, to dive into a song where you and the other musician are so vulnerable and also reliant on one another to arrive at the finish line simultaneously. It also highlights the improvisational nature of jazz-you can play the same song with two different pianists and it’ll be a completely different adventure. Neil’s playing is all at once melodic, percussive and exploratory of the marriage between traditional jazz forms and the South Africa jazz aesthetic. I’m currently fascinated by the connection between the two ideas so our partnership was particularly eye-opening and exciting for me.
My heartfelt thanks to Diane and Mike Rossi for providing me the opportunity to explore these corners of the jazz world and also for their amazing work in fuelling the SA jazz community.
A new aspect of this trip was the undertaking of publicity for my gigs and activities. I thought about leaving this paragraph out of this newsletter but it is important. If I don’t share my experience in this arena, I am supporting the celebration of mediocrity and unknowingly supporting the idea that if things are sub par, it’s ok. I got to work with some wonderful journalists, radio presenters and reviewers, and I’ll be forever grateful for their time and support. However, I also learnt a lot about arts journalism. I had a handful of articles published where the journalists displayed negligent reporting and writing. My biography was paraphrased inaccurately, quotes belonging to other reporters were paraphrased to form part of the article, I was misquoted, my name was misspelt throughout the article, and, repeatedly, the photographers, whose pictures were submitted to accompany the articles, were not credited. This is simply not ok. Thanks, again, to the consummate professionals who did lovely, accurate work and who acknowledge that arts journalism is to be taken no less seriously than sports journalism or political reporting.
On that note, this letter is now very, very long and I’ve managed to include a rant, so my work is done! What lies ahead in NY is the release of my album “Freedom Flight” (May 22nd in the US and July 1st in SA) and the launch gig at the Cornelia Street Café (on June 6th). We received a lovely review from Jason Crane (The Jazz Session), which you can read on this site: http://thejazzsession.com/review-nicky-shrires-freedom-flight And I’m incredibly excited to be playing with some of my friends from New York and SA in a group called the NY/SA Collective in SA in June/July. The band will feature Jonas Ganzemuller (Germany/NY), Nick Paul (NY), Borislav Petrov (Amdsterdam/Bulgaria) and Shane Cooper (SA), and we’ll be performing my and Jonas’ music both in CPT and at the Standard Bank Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown. All the info is on www.nickyschrire.com and I hope we’ll see you in the audience!
Jazz-laced-love to you all,
Nx
Other LETTERS FROM NEW YORK
Hello dear SAJE readers (and Mum)
My mind is abuzz with ideas, sentiments, half-baked musical ditties, and other fleeting thoughts. I’ve been back in NYC for nearly two weeks now after a jam-packed three-week trip to South Africa. It’s taking a while to find my city feet again and there always seems to be a chocolate-laced-transition that greets me when I leave the green, sunny shores of SA for this grey, bustling concrete jungle. I’ve finally gotten to the stage where I feel as if I have one foot on either side of the ocean. I’m straddling the divide equally for the first time in two and a half years. I haven’t quite grasped this new state of being yet-for ages I would complain about feeling constantly in transit, but this double-life is no easier to understand. Oh well, perhaps it’ll grow on me. But moving on from my existential musings to those of a musical nature…
It has been quite some time since my last letter and life changes so rapidly nowadays. Just before flying to SA, I played something of a milestone gig in New York. I was booked to play at one of the West Village’s jazz institutions, The Cornelia Street Café. This venue is a step up from previous places I’ve played at and I knew it would be a challenge to fill the space. But keeping the company of Taylor Eigsti, Sam Anning, Jake Goldbas and Paul Jones was all I needed-what ensued was a magical musical adventure and filling the venue was the cherry on top. The venue agents were so happy with the gig that they’ve allowed us to come back in June to celebrate the release of “Freedom Flight” (my debut album). So a milestone helped cement another tile in the pavement of progress. Pity there’s no rest in sight and the path grows ever longer!
My trip home was incredibly fulfilling and I learnt so much while relishing reconnecting with friends, musicians and audiences. One journalist pointed out, I involuntarily entered into a nearly two-year hiatus from performing in SA. It wasn’t for lack of trying-I promise. And that “hiatus” is studded with a handful of extremely delicious performances with musicians like Mark Fransman and Darren English. So I never looked back on the past two years with a feeling of despair or barren emptiness. That time and those visits were used for family, friends and time off from music (the silence is often as important as the sounds we create).
However, this most recent trip was the perfect foray back into the SA jazz world and I feel both blessed and thrilled that it transpired as it did. The stint started with two nights at Cape Town’s newest gem of a venue, The Mahogany Room. I teamed up with Bokani Dyer, Shane Cooper, Kevin Gibson and Darren English for an adventure and a half-four pretty much sold out sets where the audiences listened, reacted, interacted and journeyed with us, bravely and willingly. Kudos to Lee Thomson, Kesivan Naidoo and Lawson Naidoo for this new venture that is fast becoming the talk of the (jazz) town. It makes me proud to be a Capetonian and to have grownup in a musical pool that includes savvy musicians such as Lee and Kes.
These Mahogany Room gigs were a highlight because we debuted a lot of new music-my originals and arrangements-and after months of spending more time doing arts admin than actual music making, it was a complete joy and luxury. It also reiterated something I’m a big advocate of-the audience is at least half of the equation, if not more. The trip’s other gigs were at UCT’s Hiddingh Hall (for the Gordon Institute of the Performing Arts), an intimate soiree at The Creamery (what could be better than ice cream and performing duo with the inimitable Shane Cooper on bass?!), a stopover at UKZN’s Center for Jazz & Popular Music, and participating in the SAJE 2012 Conference.
I’ve been involved with the SAJE since my undergraduate days at the SA College of Music. The first conference I participated in was held in Durban at UKZN in 2007 and I remember the excitement of being exposed to a whole new world-one that united jazz lovers, jazz educators, jazz youth, jazz elders, and unsuspecting onlookers. It was fantastic. I was so thrilled to be able to coincide my visit with this year’s conference and to have some of my presentation/performance proposals accepted.
I also volunteered to teach workshops for the SAJE and the experiences were inordinately rewarding. I spent time with the students at Alexander Sinton High and Heathfield High and, on both occasions, was stunned by the talent and spirit of the musicians. It was also a welcome challenge to address issues pertinent to both singers and instrumentalists and to have the students receive the information and, perhaps, gain perspective on both disciplines. The divide between vocalists and instrumentalists is stereotypical but very much alive, and it needs to be addressed at school-level so that both “camps” can exercise understanding, and indentify the reasons for this negative viewpoint. Instrumentalists need to acknowledge the differences between the instruments and how the challenges for vocalists are different to those of a horn player or bassist (I know, it should be obvious but it’s not something that is accepted!). And, at the same time, vocalists need to strive to be musicians, and equip themselves with theoretical and historical knowledge that will empower them and help them to earn the respect of their fellow instrumentalists. There’s no need for the divide and it only hinders the creation of music.
The actual SAJE Conference was wonderful. Half way through the talks and performances my mind was already a-buzz with ideas. I was fortunate to perform a duo concert with Durban-based pianist, Neil Gonsalves. I started actively seeking out pianists, bassists and drummers with whom to explore the duo setting about four years ago. It’s so much fun, and simultaneously terrifying, to dive into a song where you and the other musician are so vulnerable and also reliant on one another to arrive at the finish line simultaneously. It also highlights the improvisational nature of jazz-you can play the same song with two different pianists and it’ll be a completely different adventure. Neil’s playing is all at once melodic, percussive and exploratory of the marriage between traditional jazz forms and the South Africa jazz aesthetic. I’m currently fascinated by the connection between the two ideas so our partnership was particularly eye-opening and exciting for me.
My heartfelt thanks to Diane and Mike Rossi for providing me the opportunity to explore these corners of the jazz world and also for their amazing work in fuelling the SA jazz community.
A new aspect of this trip was the undertaking of publicity for my gigs and activities. I thought about leaving this paragraph out of this newsletter but it is important. If I don’t share my experience in this arena, I am supporting the celebration of mediocrity and unknowingly supporting the idea that if things are sub par, it’s ok. I got to work with some wonderful journalists, radio presenters and reviewers, and I’ll be forever grateful for their time and support. However, I also learnt a lot about arts journalism. I had a handful of articles published where the journalists displayed negligent reporting and writing. My biography was paraphrased inaccurately, quotes belonging to other reporters were paraphrased to form part of the article, I was misquoted, my name was misspelt throughout the article, and, repeatedly, the photographers, whose pictures were submitted to accompany the articles, were not credited. This is simply not ok. Thanks, again, to the consummate professionals who did lovely, accurate work and who acknowledge that arts journalism is to be taken no less seriously than sports journalism or political reporting.
On that note, this letter is now very, very long and I’ve managed to include a rant, so my work is done! What lies ahead in NY is the release of my album “Freedom Flight” (May 22nd in the US and July 1st in SA) and the launch gig at the Cornelia Street Café (on June 6th). We received a lovely review from Jason Crane (The Jazz Session), which you can read on this site: http://thejazzsession.com/review-nicky-shrires-freedom-flight And I’m incredibly excited to be playing with some of my friends from New York and SA in a group called the NY/SA Collective in SA in June/July. The band will feature Jonas Ganzemuller (Germany/NY), Nick Paul (NY), Borislav Petrov (Amdsterdam/Bulgaria) and Shane Cooper (SA), and we’ll be performing my and Jonas’ music both in CPT and at the Standard Bank Youth Jazz Festival in Grahamstown. All the info is on www.nickyschrire.com and I hope we’ll see you in the audience!
Jazz-laced-love to you all,
Nx
Other LETTERS FROM NEW YORK
| september_2011.pdf |
| saje_may_11.pdf |
| saje_feb_2011.pdf |
| october_2010.pdf |
| saje_junejuly_2010.pdf |
| saje_may_10.pdf |
| saje_feb-march_2010.pdf |
| saje_january_10.pdf |
| saje_november_2009.pdf |
| saje_october_2009.pdf |
| saje_septoct_09.pdf |
