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Speaking Highly of Jazz Speak
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Jazz Speak
Published: September 2002
Story: Peter Baker
Photo: Fly Magazine photo
by Krisha Martzall |
When
it comes to music, which I listen to, my tastes tend to run toward
the sincere, the experimental, the sincerely experimental, or
experimentally sincere.
These
qualifications eliminate such masterpieces as Journey's "Don't
Stop Believing" and Limp Bizkit's "Nookie" from my
personal musical canon. However, songs such as "The Thong
Song" and the "Super Bowl Shuffle" make the grade.
Confused? So am I.
I
consider myself a jazz fan, which means I have heard at least one
jazz album outside of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue - or perhaps even own
a few. Sometimes I drink coffee. In some circles, this would make me
a damn dirty beatnik, which I hope is what you consider me. With an ever-shrinking
market share and a virtual sliver of America's music attention span,
jazz can now be considered fringe - too high brow for the bulk of
mainstream listeners. Funny, when you think back to the earliest days
of jazz, when it was condemned as "race" music and
responsible for all the moral deviance and substance abuse that makes
the drunken literature of the era so highly entertaining.
I
measure jazz with a measuring stick similar to the one I apply to
popular music. Is it sincere? Is the band going through the motions
or are they really feeling it? Failing those things, is it at least
creative or experimental? Jazz Speak bravely took the Pepsi
Challenge. This fine jazz quartet from Lancaster makes the grade in a
variety of ways with sharp arrangements, expert chops, and a
knowledge of jazz tradition that forms a foundation upon which they
expand and experiment musically.
Led
by drummer Brock Woerner, Jazz Speak has existed in various forms
since its inception in September 2000, but settled this summer on the
four-man lineup of Gary Wentzel on guitar, Mike Wittrien on upright
bass, Ryan Kaufman on saxophone and flute, and Woerner on percussion.
A typical set from Jazz Speak features a mix of original compositions
and reinterpretations of traditional standards by the likes of John
Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and others. Based in tradition
but not confined by the limitations of any specific jazz sub-genre,
Jazz Speak explores and experiments with instrumentation and rhythm
to make any piece wholly their own. "We listen to and know all
different kinds of music," Woerner says, "and bring that
into what we play as a group. It allows the band to grow and remain interesting."
This
past winter, Woerner opened the Lancaster Musical Education Center at
134 East Walnut Street, Lancaster, offering private music lessons to
students of all ages. Woerner and other on-premises instructors offer
lessons on a variety of instruments. "We like to keep it
relaxed, and help people enjoy learning at any ability level,"
he says.
Jazz
Speak has performed recently at the Bethlehem Music Fest and the
Berks Jazz Fest, and regularly plays smaller gigs at clubs and
parties throughout Central Pa. On Wednesday nights, Woerner
coordinates the weekly jazz jam at Cherry Jubilee in downtown
Lancaster, where an ever-changing lineup of musicians get together to
perform a set of largely improvisational music. Last month, he began
doing the same thing on Thursdays, except the musical emphasis became
blues, rock, and funk. I watched Jazz Speak perform at Cherry
Jubilee. The intimate setting and lighting contributed greatly to the
group's sound - often smooth and mellow, yet up-tempo and snappy at
other times. Dressed in dark suits, the members of Jazz Speak look
the part of latter-day jazz men. Would it work just as well if they
rocked cargo shorts and American Eagle graphic tees? Probably not. I
imagine that would be pretty disconcerting. But I'm not the guy in
the jazz group. They are, and it's up to them to decide how to dress.
But
enough of that. Let it be known from the start: Jazz Speak plays
music for people who really like music, not for people who want to
hoist a domestic beer and say "Wooooooooooo!" while the
band plays "Whipping Post." Woerner says, "I like to
be right up front for people to listen to, not stuck as background music."
They
opened their set with the "Porgy & Bess" standard,
"Summertime." A composition like this, you may think, has
been done to death and offers little else for even the most talented
combo to flesh out and make their own. Jazz Speak, however, takes
advantage of the intimate performance space and makes the number full
and warm. The group seemed to start a little slow, establishing their
places in the mix, but eventually each member found his niche by
around the third song and things went much more smoothly.
Gary
Wentzel's guitar playing is a revelation. Smooth licks and a bright
clear tone fill out the sound and complement the bass and woodwinds
perfectly. A lifelong musician, Wentzel has done a lot of freelancing
in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and met Woerner at a music
jam. He has played "every kind of music you can think of,"
and got into jazz about 20 years ago. "I like the freedom of
jazz," Wentzel explains. "It's in the moment." For the
standards that Jazz Speak plays, Wentzel will often transcribe the
horn and piano parts that already exist, write his own charts, and
reinterpret them on his guitar.
Like
all great jazz musicians, the members of Jazz Speak learn to
communicate musically - in ways that are indistinguishable to the
casual listener (such as myself), but nonetheless speak volumes to
each other. Each musician seamlessly steps aside to allow his
bandmates a short solo and then the parts integrate back together
again. Their licks and fills give the listener exactly what he wants
but do not fall into the often self-indulgent Battle of the Soloing
Jazz Men. Good jazz is highly stimulating music, on an intellectual
and visceral level, and theirs keeps the audience's interest rather
than meandering into Grateful Dead 20-minute solo territory. Jazz
Speak does their best to draw from every type of music, taking
inspiration but remaining relevant as musicians. "When I hear
someone play," Kaufman says, "I hear their roots, but I
also like to hear them take things to the next level ... We could
just play hard bop, but that won't take us where we want to go."
Kaufman's solos, sometimes hesitant, are always appropriate. After
attending college in Virginia, Kaufman came to Pennsylvania. In
addition to playing Jazz Speak, he gives music lessons privately and
on the collegiate level.
Upright
bass player Mike Wittrien is the youngest member of the group, but
definitely has the chops to perform. "I feel sometimes like I
have the most to prove," he says. His playing is nimble and creative.
According
to Wittrien, band chemistry has been good so far: "There's a
lot of good-natured ribbing in the good groups. Everyone's really
educated and confident ... we mostly think on the same level."
Woerner hopes to spread the word of Jazz Speak beyond Pennsylvania.
They aspire to be part of a local jazz scene, but according to
Woerner, "We also want to go outside the area." Their Web
site, www.jazzspeak.com, has received hits from around the world, and
word-of-mouth is also contributing to increased gigs for the group.
With continued work, Jazz Speak will likely continue to play as a
cohesive unit and turn jazzheads on wherever they play. Check them
out - you have to listen. |
