Passing It On in New Orleans

So, how is jazz -- and jazz education -- doing in the city of its birth? This question was foremost in my mind as I headed off for a few days in the Crescent City last month to show the newly-completed prototype version of the Traditional Jazz Curriculum Kit to various institutions around the city. I met with the Mayor's office, the Arts Council, the Jazz Park, and various foundations, institutes and universities, to learn about their jazz education initiatives and how the forthcoming kit might help them in their efforts to restore the cultural fabric of New Orleans.

This was my first trip to that city since long before Hurricane Katrina. In the two-and-one-half years since the storm hit, against all odds, the city has undergone a great deal of reconstruction, in terms of both structure and infrastructure. Much work remains, but the pride and determination of the people of New Orleans was on prominent display throughout my stay. New Orleans is back, y'all.

My visit began on an appropriate note with a festival on Decatur Street dedicated to a beloved mentor of young New Orleans musicians -- the late Danny Barker, who would have been 99 that day. Such established players as Lucien Barbarin, Leroy Jones, and Gregg Stafford played and paid tribute to Barker, who was largely responsible for rejuvenating the brass band scene in the early `70s by forming young bands.

New Orleans has a long history of such elder statesmen mentoring young players. This strong oral tradition is one of the things that sets jazz education in New Orleans apart. Michael Pellera, Jazz Department Chair of the famed New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), brings in established traditional jazz artists for master classes, and hopes to do so more often in the future. "We realized a few years ago that it was ridiculous for our students to be in this town and not learn to play traditional jazz," says Pellera.

At NOCCA, each of the four student jazz combos includes traditional jazz in its repertoire. All combo students (regardless of instrument) are also required to memorize and play transcribed historical solos. Even the drummer taps out the rhythm of the solo! Pellera says he emphasizes correct interpretation for each of the styles that the combos dig into.

At the University of New Orleans by Lake Pontchartrain, Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Ed Petersen reports that he has students interested in trad jazz, and that all jazz students are required to take a course in early jazz history. "We want to celebrate the fact that we're in New Orleans," Petersen tells me. "Almost all our students work a lot in town."

One of the UNO combos focuses on traditional New Orleans music, and clarinetist Evan Christopher has been working with them. UNO also has an outreach program in the form of the Louis Armstrong Quintet, funded by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. The Quintet does "informances": performances with an educational component taught by graduate assistants.

At Loyola University, Coordinator of Jazz Studies John Mahoney reports that he hasn't seen much interest in traditional jazz among his students, although Mahoney sometimes plays it. (The night before our meeting he had gigged with Pete Fountain.) His program at Loyola emphasizes versatility, and he tells me that they might work trad jazz into their combo program.

Loyola also is the new home of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, whose mission includes "introducing jazz and its history to young people throughout the city." The Institute has made a multi-year commitment to New Orleans. I met with Director Suzan Jenkins and Education Coordinator Jonathan Bloom. Speaking about post-Katrina jazz education in the city, Bloom says, "This is not a normal situation; it's ten times the challenge now," due to the storm's major disruption of the school system. "It's a challenge getting teachers to return to New Orleans after getting good deals elsewhere." Bloom, a product of NOCCA, came back to town from teaching in Houston.

Bloom points out, "Other places students have to learn traditional jazz and then wait for a festival, but every day is a festival here!" He points to the proliferation of young brass bands in town. But he adds, "I'd like to see traditional jazz stronger, because every day we're losing the older guys."

In addition to bringing in visiting artists, the Institute sponsors a specially assembled grad student ensemble which does educational outreach. This takes the form of community service at high schools and universities, in which the ensemble performs as a group and also provides individual instruction. The Institute also takes NOCCA students out on performance tours.

Bloom also serves on the faculty of the Louis Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, a three-week program held each year at a local school. This is another program funded by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. Bloom assures me that they include some small-group trad jazz in the program.

February 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

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