Photos from UCLA Performing Arts Hailing from New
Orleans, the center of American jazz music, Idris
Muhammad will bring his funky drumming to the collection
of sounds in the Newport Jazz Festival.
By Shana Dines
Daily Bruin Reporter
Every now and again, an event becomes such a part of its
genre’s identity that the legacy of old artists and the
promise of young artists can be measured by their
participation.
The Newport Jazz Festival hits UCLA’s Royce Hall Friday at
8 p.m. as part of UCLA Live programming. As one of the most
celebrated events in the world of jazz, Newport is considered the
granddaddy of all jazz festivals. It all started in 1954 under the
management of George Wein, who will serve as co-producer and
artistic director for this year’s festival.
Not only the first outdoor music festival completely dedicated
to jazz, Newport was also the first to be corporately sponsored.
Breaking ground in these and other ways, Newport is also known for
consistently finding and showcasing rising talents that later
become legends.
Almost every recent jazz artist that comes to mind has been
involved with Newport at some point in time. Past participants
include Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy
Gillespie and Duke Ellington, to name a few. Also featured have
been Dave Brubeck, Aretha Franklin, Stan Getz, B.B. King and Ray
Charles.
 Seven-string guitarist Howard Alden is
in love with jazz music and the opportunity to be part of the
Newport Jazz tradition.
“Jazz Today” is the theme of this year’s
festival, which is undergoing a slight makeover in its operations.
Instead of a single night of jazz music, Newport Jazz Festival is
going on tour for the first time. Starting in Tucson at the
University of Arizona and stopping at eight other West Coast
college campuses along the way, it seems that there is also a
certain outreach that is being stressed to keep young jazz fans
interested.
The diversity of the group is also a new element, incorporating
the varying styles of traditional, contemporary and Latin jazz.
“We will be drawing from famous composers in the history
of jazz,” said Grammy-winning tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano.
“We’re also going to be bringing some of our original
pieces.”
There have been no rehearsals prior to the tour. Each musician
will come to the shows with ideas and they will put them together
live on stage.
“This is the beautiful kind of magic from exploring music
on the spot,” Lovano said.
The other featured artists this year include trumpeter Terence
Blanchard, pianist and composer Cedar Walton, saxophonist Justo
Almario, guitarist Howard Alden, drummer Idris Muhammad and bassist
Peter Washington. The variance in age, experiences and influences
will add to the range of the show.
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Newport Jazz Festival 2002 will be playing nine colleges.
Carrying on traditions and starting new ones is a major theme of
the music. With a number of the artists having prominent parents in
the world of jazz, the continuation of family values adds another
dimension to the performances.
“I started playing by ear, so when I was 14 I was already
playing with my father and his band,” said Almario, who
considers his father, a local musician, as his main influence.
Raised on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Almario was inspired
by African-oriented street styles of Latin jazz. He studied at the
prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston where he learned the
techniques and theories needed to back up his raw sounds. He has
since grown to be a prominent Latin jazz artist in the states,
using his skills on the flute, the clarinet and primarily the tenor
saxophone to help redefine his style of music in a country that
doesn’t always understand it.
“I am thankful that I have that background because it has
definitely shaped my playing,” Almario said.
Elite trumpeter Terence Blanchard, like Almario, found his first
musical influence from his father. Blanchard is one of the most
recognized musicians, composers and band leaders of his time.
Within a single year, he was awarded Jazz Artist of the Year, Jazz
Album of the Year and Jazz Trumpeter of the Year. He has even done
extensive work on films, most notably serving as the composer,
arranger and conductor for Spike Lee’s “Malcolm
X.”
New Orleans, the center of jazz music in America, also played a
role in Blanchard’s training, as it did for fellow New
Orleans native, drummer Idris Muhammad. Best known for his funk
drumming styles, he was the drummer for the original Broadway
production of “Hair.” The funk transformed into acid
jazz, which morphed into fusion music, but it all started with the
original styles of Muhammad.
Many musicians involved in Newport this year are distinguished
in their own field, including guitarist Howard Alden, noted as one
of the best jazz guitarists of all time. With his seven-string
guitar, he feels he has complete control of his harmonies and
produces richer sounds. Growing up at a time when rock
‘n’ roll was the cool thing to be into, Alden ignored
the pop culture and stayed faithful to jazz, his first passion.
“I heard records from all the great jazz guitarists and
wanted to do the same,” said Alden. “I’m in love
with the jazz way of playing.”
Faced with a similar choice, bassist Peter Washington started
playing standing bass in his junior high orchestra. He then went on
to play electric bass and guitar for high school rock bands. It
wasn’t until his days at UC Berkeley that he fell in love
with jazz. He has since gained a great deal of prominence in the
jazz world.
Pianist Cedar Walton has equal influence across the board of
jazz musicians. With extensive history as both a performer and a
recording artist, Walton has an endless list of acknowledgements
and awards in the music industry. Despite his initial fame as a
mainstay in New York City’s jazz piano scene, he is also
noted for his accomplishments in composition and studio work.
Saxophonist Joe Lovano, who was also inspired to start playing
by his father, studied at the Berklee School of Music, though not
at the same time as other Newport artists. He enjoyed learning the
elements and techniques of jazz so that he could better express his
passions through music.
“I’ll be adding my personal sound and my personality
to the show, it’s going to be a really creative
evening,” said Lovano. “Actually, we will all be
bringing that same element of ourselves and putting them all
together.”