It’s hard to summarise jazz’ impact on the music world. At least half of the musicians we love wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for jazz and its many subgenres. Prodigies and virtuosos have long called the genre home, pushing the boundaries of musical experimentation.
One of the world’s leading jazz scenes is in New York, home of Jazz at Lincoln Centre (JCLO), led by the incomparable Wynton Marsalis.
They’re coming to Melbourne for two very special shows with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra this August and veteran JCLO trumpeter Marcus Printup explained that the orchestra is a prestigious home for talent and a space for the next generation to form.
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“This is my 30th year in the orchestra,” Printup says. “Since then, we’ve built our own concert hall facility, so if anyone from Melbourne is ever in New York, come and check us out!
“That’s the great thing about being in this city [New York], there’s no shortage of jazz, I love this place. If you have a gig and someone can’t make it at the last minute, you have a huge list of [substitutes], you know?
“There are so many great places to play, and the thing I like about these young musicians is that they’re finding opportunities in places that are not necessarily jazz clubs – they’ll go in, set up and play a few nights and then have a following and an audience.
“All of a sudden, that becomes a place for people to play. I love this place. It’s awesome.”
Printup says the aspects he appreciates most in a jazz performer are “originality and enthusiasm”.
“It’s one thing to get all the technical aspects of playing like your skills, your fingers working properly, but the first thing someone hears is your sound and your personality,” he says. “Some people get so caught up in just playing perfectly or just being technically proficient.
“But Wynton Marsalis said something years ago, on this documentary; ‘The highest level of technique is nuance.’
“I tried to do that myself – when someone hears you, they can close your eyes and know that it’s you. That’s what I look for.
Harbouring the next generation of talent is an important element of Printup’s work. Jazz music is all about collaboration, and having people in your corner at different steps along the way is one of the most important elements.
“I had a lot of great mentors. I could go on and on and on and on about my mentors. I’m realising now, I just turned 56. So now I’m one of those old people,” he adds with a laugh.
“I take this role and this responsibility very seriously, as all my colleagues in the band, we’ve experienced a lot. We’ve learned from our mentors, so it’s our job to pass it on to this next generation.”
“I’m still hungry to play, I’m still hungry to learn, I still practice every day, I’m still passionate. My fire is still burning and that’s what makes this orchestra super special.”
This way of thinking runs through the JCLO. Each member leans on each other to get better and it’s kept them authentic for so many years.
“We all push each other; we all encourage each other,” Printup continues. “A few months ago we were on tour, I was in the corner doing a warmup and Wynton came up and started doing the same warm-up.
“We didn’t talk for maybe two minutes, we just did the warmup, and then we finished with a fist bump, and that was it. We’re all connected and that’s important for jazz.”
Printup, Marsalis and the rest of the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra are heading to Melbourne to perform Marsalis’ groundbreaking symphony All Rise alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He says the symphony holds a lot of emotion for the group.
“[All Rise] is Wynton’s composition, built for symphony orchestras and for jazz orchestras, but it’s very modern, it’s very involved,” Printup says.
“We recorded it back in 2001 in Los Angeles, and we recorded it a few days after September 11.
“We’re in the hotel in Los Angeles about six o’clock in the morning, and Wynton called my room. He said, ‘Hey, man, have you seen that stuff on television?’ I turn the television on, and maybe five minutes later, I saw the second plane hit the World Trade Centre.
“We had just begun a four-week tour of the States, and we did a performance at the Hollywood Bowl on 13 September. I remember us playing the Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem.
“The LA Philharmonic had their own special version of it, but we’re jazz musicians, we can pretty much hear everything. So, we joined in, played it with them and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
“This piece represents the memory of being together during that hard time. It’s very special and we’re really looking forward to playing it in Melbourne.”
All Rise: Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis and the MSO is happening at Hamer Hall on August 25 and 26. Tickets here.
This article was made in partnership with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
