a reflection of community
the faces of jazz in augusta
Smooth, though sometimes rough. Varied, whirling and stewing with wild, motley diversity. Unpredictable, but not without its many precise, even staunchly logical, patterns. Playful and complex. For artists and workmen, masters and amateurs alike, these are all jazz. Do these words describe Augusta, too? Dr. Rob Foster, a music professor at Augusta State University, believes they do. “A jazz scene of a particular city reflects the culture of that city,” Foster said. Jazz certainly has its place in Augusta, and throughout the CSRA. “I think we have a wide variety of influences,” said Foster, “a lot of interests and ways of playing jazz, performing jazz, presenting jazz.” The Augusta jazz scene bustles, and not quietly, nor always hidden, though it helps to know where to follow the sound in order to tap one’s foot -- or dance, or smile, or shake one’s head, or contemplate, or meditate or any number of things jazz might inspire one to do. Music and Arts are no strangers to the Garden City, whether playing them, partaking of them, or learning about them – all of which nourish the community. So, even as jazz flourishes, as its musicians are all too apt to demonstrate, are most Augustans hep (sic) to it?
the original Jazz Collective and in duet with his colleague Travis Shaw. Cruz has also taught music for at least that long at Augusta State and through his student group, the Young Lions. “I try to encourage musicians to hang out with each other,” said Cruz, citing the popularity with audiences at jam sessions. “Anywhere there’s a spontaneous jam session, people can’t deny how cool it is. It really helps when there are scheduled jam sessions. Musicians hanging out with each other has got to happen.” Gordon’s formal training in public relations serves her by way of serving the jazz community and Augusta. The key word here is “community,” which is ultimately Gordon’s specialty. “My formal education and training is in Public Relations, so, in a nutshell, I see my place as that of a relationship builder,” she said. Garden City Jazz’s mission is “to connect, promote, and develop.” There is the summer Candlelight Jazz Concert series at the Riverwalk, which starts in May, where Augusta’s top jazz acts are showcased every Sunday evening to celebrate different styles – from bebop to free jazz to swing – right beneath the stars. Last year, Garden City Jazz brought Lizz Wright to the Westobou Festival, and The Uncommon Jazz Festival livens up the Augusta Common on Labor Day Weekend, offering stylings from smooth to fusion to funk.
“To me, one of the most important aspects of Augusta jazz is that it is a positive and unifying force in Augusta.” “I mix regular jazz with a little smooth jazz, and the people really love it,” said Jimmy “Doc” Easton, a local performer and saxophone instructor at Portman’s Music. “Augusta is very lucky to have as much live music as it does. There are some cities that just don’t have the type of music that we have, and we’re lucky to have as many jazz musicians as we do.”
“I’m a musician who loves jazz,” said Gordon. “I don’t play a lot of it though – I work around town, here and there. I enjoy playing music, yet I get as much of a thrill from placing musicians in front of new audiences and providing new and different musical experiences. “When asked what I do, more often than not my response is about meeting great musicians and sharing their music with new audiences. I’ve had some great opportunities to make really meaningful connections that way.” Indeed, practical wisdom suggests that a successful scene consists of connected scenesters. Joel Cruz agrees. He is a saxophonist who has been playing in Augusta’s jazz circuit for nine years with
bill karp (bill karp jazz), karen gordon Back row (left to right): jimmy easton (doc easton (jazz unlimited), dr. rob foster (augusta
I usually do not see, to such an extent, in other Augusta venues,” said Karp. “So, to me, one of the most important aspects of Augusta jazz is that it is a positive and unifying force in Augusta.” Gordon’s brainchild continues to burgeon its way into a place at the front of Augustans’ minds when they’re looking for a place to go out. “I’d like to see more people step beyond their comfort zone and try different things,” Gordon said. “This could be as simple as a group of ladies deciding to do the Arts Council’s Pub Crawl next month or getting together for the Symphony’s free outdoor concert in Evans.” Integral to nurturing a thriving jazz scene is a focus on music education, another place where Augusta’s not lacking. Garden City Jazz offers Jazz-4-Kids and after-school programs to educate children in jazz. Gordon has recently collaborated with the Richmond County Board of Education to develop a multimedia, interactive history curriculum Taking Notes: Jazz and American History, which uses video, a live jazz band, still images, a DJ and a live question-and-answer session to educate children about the history of the genre.
— bill karp
The scene is present, in no small part, because of the efforts of Karen Gordon, who founded Garden City Jazz in 2003 and directs the Jazz-4-Kids music education program.
THE FACES OF JAZZ FRONt row (left to right): leonard maxey (asu
“Anywhere there’s a spontaneous jam session, people can’t deny how cool it is.” — joel cruz
“The next time you are at jazz performance in Augusta,” said classic American jazz vocalist Bill Karp, “what will strike you the most is the diversity of the audience. It is so obvious to me, as a performer on the stage. When I look out into a jazz audience, I see young people, old people, middle-aged people, people of all races, colors and creeds in Augusta, having a common musical experience. How great is that!” Karp’s observation dovetails with Gordon’s and Cruz’s implicit aim for relationships. “I see heterogeneous audiences at jazz concerts in Augusta that
18 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com
“I’ve been exposed to great music since childhood. So, now that I’m the mother of a toddler again, I’m very interested in continuing to share great music with young people,” Gordon said. The importance of music and music education on the rest of the community is not lost on local musicians and aficionados. “What I notice is that people want music all the time,” said Cruz, speaking about the important dynamic between teaching musical skill and the nature of music itself: “it’s not always for a party or for entertainment. I’ve played many funerals. I’ve watched the music make people cry, I’ve watched the music allow people to be affected people emotionally, and a lot of these people are hardly affected by anything; when the music is good it will help people cut through those barriers. A funeral is a great example of that; at funerals, people don’t really know what they want, but the music cuts through all of that, and it touches them. And that lets you know why it’s important to coach people to be good at it.”