TWINS BIT BY JAZZ BUG

Identical twins Peter and Will Anderson of New York bringing their unique blend of the genre to town, writes Peter Hum.

The New York-based identical twins and jazz reedmen Peter and Will Anderson both took up the clarinet when they were nine years old, thanks to a near-random inspiration some months earlier.

“The jazz bug bit us very early on,” says Will.

“We were in the third grade watching TV together, and a commercial came on for Chips Ahoy cookies. The soundtrack was Benny Goodman playing Sing, Sing, Sing. We were hooked.”

In the two decades since then, the brothers have devoted themselves to mastering their instruments and championing mainstream jazz.

Following their move to New York to study music at The Juilliard School, the twins have played with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis and other artists who focus on jazz's swinging tradition and classic repertoire.

In advance of a Gershwin-themed performance Friday at Southminster United Church's Concerts by the Canal series, Will, 31, answered the questions below.

Q When did you start music lessons?

A Both of us started playing the clarinet at age nine when we were in the fourth grade in Bethesda, Md. A year later, we both added the saxophone. We were lucky to have very supportive, hard-working parents, as well as many great teachers early on in the Washington, D.C. area, including saxophonist Paul Carr and early jazz expert Dave Robinson (brother of reedman Scott Robinson). We had many performance opportunities, and were surrounded by great talented peers in high school, including pianist Alex Brown, who is now Paquito D'Rivera's full-time pianist. We took trips with our family to New Orleans and New York frequently to see top jazz acts.

Q What is the appeal of jazz for you?

A We are drawn to jazz for its beautiful synthesis of melody, harmony and rhythm. Jazz over the decades has blended with many other types of music from Brazil, Cuba, Africa, from Jewish culture, rhythm 'n' blues, church music and, most importantly, European classical music. The greatest part of jazz is the sophisticated but basic foundation of the blues. This creates an opportunity for musicians to express themselves freely within guidelines and create their own unique voice.

Q What were some of the key steps that you took to achieve such proficiency at playing classic mainstream jazz?

A Achieving excellence at anything requires the love of the craft, hard work and diligence and being put under pressure and often failing. I would encourage anyone interested in learning to play jazz (or anything else) to explore those three things.

Q You’re identical twins. How does that bond factor into your music making ?

A We've been playing side by side for over 20 years. Playing jazz involves improvising and reading musical and non-verbal cues. My brother and I have got very good at anticipating what the other one will do next, and it makes it fun to play together.

Q Has sibling rivalry ever arisen as part of your relationship?

A Yes, of course. It's human nature, and it's always been there. A little competitiveness never hurts.

Q You’re champions of swinging, bop-based music. What is your take on the more avant-garde and contemporary forms of jazz?

A There's nothing wrong with it. Most of it is just not our thing.

Q Further to that last question, do you feel in any way old-fashioned about music and life? Perhaps in a good way?

A Even early jazz is modern music. As Duke Ellington said, “There are two types of music: good music and bad music.” Sometimes labelling music as “new” or “old” can be misleading and can create negative connotations.

Q Tell me about the music that you’ll be playing in Ottawa.

A We're going to be presenting the music of George Gershwin, with works including Rhapsody in Blue, Summertime, I Got Rhythm, and ‘S Wonderful. We'll be joined by our fabulous guitarist, Adam Moezinia.

Q If you do your job right, what will the audience take from the experience of hearing you?

A The main goal as performers is to entertain the audience and have them feel good. We want the audience to have a renewed interest and appreciation for jazz music. We want them leaving happy, feeling more inspired about the beauty of the world, forgetting about their frustrations and problems. It sounds cliché, but this is why we do what we do. phum@postmedia.com twitter.com/peterhum