or a group I have no knowledge of, and it payed off again, when I got to see Jonathan Parker.
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| Jonathan Parker |
******
Attending Oberlin College from 2004-08 majoring in Jazz Studies,
then moving to Shanghai, where he got to play (saxophone) five nights a week for two years, Jonathan moved to New York City in 2010.
This young man has a future in the "ever so tough" New York jazz scene.
Jonathan brings two things to his performances that are a must in
jazz, energy and a feeling or emotion for the genre.
Improvisation seems to be his forte, long riffs that make total sense
and amaze you with the range and cleanliness of every note.
The instrument "talks" is the best way I can describe it.
There was no doubt when I walked into The Local 269 Bar
that Tuesday night I was listening to someone who was on the rise
and had a knowledge of jazz way beyond his youthful looks.
It was refreshing to on old jazz lover like me.
I asked Jonathan a few questions...
What are your goals for the future?
"I think it's a little too early to be able to state what my goals are for this group. Ideally, I want this to be an ensemble where every member has a voice and a presence - and I'm trying to get the other musicians to bring in their own music for the rest of us to play. As a musician, playing music other than your own material takes you out of your comfort zone and can really challenge you. So I suppose you could say that one goal of this group is to create an environment where we are all learning new things from each other and subsequently are growing as improvisers and composers".
Who influenced you most?
"My influences on the saxophone are Cannonball Adderly, Charlie Parker, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, and John Coltrane.
My biggest influences compositionally would be Tom Harrell, Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, and Joe Henderson".
If you were leaving Earth and could only take one album with you,
which would you take?
"The one album I would take if I had to leave the planet would be Miles Davis' Kind of Blue" (I know it's cliche, but it's just so good!)
If you could play with any musician, living or dead who would it be?
"If I could play with any musician (let's say dead or alive) I think it would have to be John Coltrane".
Thanks Jonathan for "keeping the music alive".
Listen to some vintage Jonathan, from Shanghai...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlsvf_VPUy4&feature=related
http://www.jonathan-parker.com/
Jonathan will be at; LIC Arts Open, May 14th
LIC Bar, May 25th
by Pete Cataldo, follow Pete... www.twitter.com/petecarma
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