Torch passing
Quincy Jones mentors jazz fest invitee Alfredo Rodriguez,
Legendary record producer Quincy Jones was attending a jazz festival in Switzerland 10 years ago, when he was struck by the style of Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez.
“The way his soul connects with his music is so beautiful,” Jones said.
“Every time I see one of his performances the audience is utterly captivated by the way he plays. It’s not a normal piano performance.”
Rodriguez’s compositions are intensely personal, depicting, among other things, his arrest as he entered the U.S. from Cuba at the invitation of Jones. His performance “leaves space for God to walk into the room,” Jones said in an email interview.
Big praise from a big music star and big expectations for Rodriguez, who admits Jones’s offer to help him with his career shocked him. “You never expect to wake up one day and have Quincy Jones tell you he wants to work with you. I just remember being in complete shock.”
This story of passing the torch to the next generation is repeated time and again in the family of musicians performing in this year’s 30th TD Toronto Jazz Festival, running from Friday to July 3.
More than 400,000 people attend the annual concerts sprinkled at venues throughout the city. The opening evening features a ticketed show by Sarah McLachlan at Sony Centre and a free concert in Nathan Phillips Square by KC and the Sunshine Band.
Rodriguez plays at the Jazz Bistro on July 2.
He’s learned a lot from Jones during the production of two albums, he says.
“He has such an amazing sense of self; he’s so strong in who he is and he’ll never let anyone or anything take that away. The first piece of advice he gave me was to just be myself and follow my own destiny.”
Jones said that when he was a Seattle teen, he approached his idol, Clark Terry, before a show with Count Basie to ask for trumpet lessons. Terry taught Jones before he went to school in the morning and encouraged him to try his best.
“We just did a documentary, Keep on Keepin’ On, about Clark and the importance of mentorship. Powerful stuff, man. There were so many more though: Count Basie; Ray Charles was there since I was 14 and he was just 17. Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Nadia Boulanger, Billie Holiday’s musical director, Bobby Tucker,” Jones said.
“All of these people have been there and put me on their shoulders.”
Josh Grossman, artistic director of the festival, points out jazz has a long history of mentorship as it was born out of an oral tradition.
“With no schools for jazz — and often no written music — the only way to carry on the tradition of jazz was on the bandstand. People would go to clubs and watch the musicians play and younger musicians would be asked to jam with the band. That continues today with jam sessions at the Rex,” which happen nightly at 1 a.m. during the festival.
Grossman provided a few other examples of jazz festival performers who’ve mentored and been mentored. Wynton Marsalis and Joey Alexander Mentor: Born into a musical family, Marsalis was taken under the wing of Art Blakey as member of Jazz Messengers. He released his first album as a teenager and his virtuosity on the trumpet is legendary, particularly “April in Paris” from Marsalis Standard Time Vol. 1. He’ll lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Tuesday at Koerner Hall. Protégé: At only13, this Bali-born pianist is a child prodigy whose talent was discovered early. He has played professionally for years, including at Lincoln Center. Mentored by Marsalis, his virtuosity on the piano is well established, particularly on “Giant Steps” from My Favourite Things. The Joey Alexander Trio plays June 30 at Koerner Hall. Oscar Peterson and Robi Botos Mentor: The late Peterson played music early and was taken under the wing of jazz giant Norman Granz, founder of Verve Records. Known for his hardswinging approach, Peterson won a CBC national championship at 14. He expanded into film; sample track “Kelly’s Blues” from Saturday Night at the Blue Note. Protégé: The Hungarian-born pianist won the 2004 Montreux Jazz Festival Solo Piano Competition, giving him international recognition. Also known for his hard-swinging approach, he moved to Canada where Peterson mentored him. He has played in Peterson tributes; sample track “Eur-Orleans” from Movin’ Forward. Botos and guests play Tuesday and Wednesday at the Jazz Bistro. Chick Corea and Avishai Cohen Mentor: The keyboard artist is an exploratory musician spanning standards to free jazz who joined Miles Davis’s band at age 27 for a three-year stint. He brought 18-year-old Al Di Meola into his own group, Return to Forever. Sample track: “Windows” from Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. The Chick Corea Trio plays Tuesday at Koerner Hall. Protégé : The bass player and vocalist is also an exploratory musician with influences from around the world. At age 27, he was asked to join Corea’s trio, which he did for six years. He brought 27-year-old Daniel Dor into his own trio. Sample track: “Smash” from As Is . . . Live at the Blue Note. The Avishai Cohen Trio plays June 30 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.