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- WYNTON MARSALIS
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There's probably a lot of feeling among classical music lovers that they need someone like what you've been for jazz in the last couple of decades.
It's hard to get a consensus because a lot of the modern music is hard for people to listen to. And jazz is the same way. You've got to give the people something, you know? You have to accept that you have to work with them in some kind of way.
Right.
I mean I would like to play a concert and play a trumpet solo for 30 minutes. But I wouldn't want to pay to hear somebody do that. And you know, it's kind of like the progression that Trane made with his music where he went from having an audience to not having one. . .the musicians need to understand that we're playing for people. I'm not saying we've got to degenerate into just light shows and people half naked and all of that. We have certain things that make our music provocative. You have to heighten those elements and present that to the people. . .We have a body of music that people have enjoyed for years... you can go through a list of things that you have that could be provocative and attractive to people, and if you don't want to do any of that, well... you're going to have trouble keeping an audience, you know?
So there needs to be as much thought about connecting with the audience as experimenting with the music?
Well, a lot of what passes as experimentation with music is not experimentation, really. Some of it is. But everything has to be considered. Like if I invite you to my house to eat a meal, I've got to consider something that you can eat. It's got to be on my mind. I can't be acting like you should be grateful to be here.
Exactly.
I'm just not from that school. I play for people. If I don't want to play for people, I don't have to be out on the road playing. I could stay home. I'm not coming to do a favor for the people there. I want them to enjoy it. Just the fact that it's possible for them not to enjoy it makes me nervous about playing for them, and it's on my mind when I'm in front of them, playing.
When you think of what you've done by age 40, you really have to think about people like Mozart and Schubert.
I don't know about all that. I'm just trying to keep learning and playing.
Is there something that you feel like you're learning right now?
Oh, yeah, always. Man, I figured out today at this photo shoot how to play an alternate fingering on a high B flat on the trumpet. I'd never realized it. And I'm always talking with musicians. Like yesterday, I did a gig with Paquito D'Rivera, and he was showing me this particular groove and the orchestration of a beat in Latin music. It's Teeng-teeng-tee-keeng-ka-teeng-ka-teeng-teeng-ka-teeng, teeng, teeng, teeng. . . He showed me how to break up the beat a certain way, you know? So there's always something to learn.
And everything you learn is kind of filed away to be used?
Ah, yeah. I try to use it all.
You're a thief aren't you?
Yes, sir. You've got to be.
Have you missed out by rising so quickly? I saw you last time you were here, kind of relaxing with your Orchestra, and looking for all the world like a Junior Art Blakey, proud of all the kids he's nurtured. Do you feel like you're communing enough with the old people now?
Man, I'm always around all kinds of people. We just did a concert with the Heath Brothers. And there's no old people in jazz. OK, we did a concert with Jimmy Heath and Percy Heath and Tootie Heath. After the show, Saturday night we did two nights, 75th birthday for Jimmy...
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