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 2009/09/01
SOUND THE TRUMPETS
With the excitement of the 10th annual Standard Bank Joy of Jazz hanging on everyone’s lips and the notes of jazz tickling our ears, the festival subtly kicked off with a variety of workshops offered by the artists involved held around the city of gold.
One of these workshops was held at the Music Academy of Gauteng in Daveyton and was presented by American trumpeter, Ingrid Jensen.
“Recorder man,” shouted one of the students after Ingrid Jensen had performed her version of Joe Henderson’s famous masterpiece. Amazed at the students’ knowledge of manipulated variations of well known compositions, I decided to join the crowd and lend an ear.
It was the whispered names of Sam Rivers and Miles Davis that filled the air, as the aspiring students shared their knowledge of the greats among themselves.
Jensen, who hails from Vancouver, a brilliant technique in displaying the relationship between her notes. With her distinct sound, Jensen is accompanied by drummer, Jon Wilken and bassist, Ben Williams; whom add both a rhythmic element and warmth to Jensen’s compositions.
Jensen, Williams and Wilken later shared their knowledge with the audience. At first student shyness created a barrier between themselves and the star. The music however broke down the walls - a collaboration of the “Recorder Man”, allowed Jensen and the young musicians to show-off their talents.
What surprised me was the manner in which these musicians could communicate through their instruments in a way all language is rendered weak as it fails to describe this phenomenon.
One could see the students’ personalities shine through their playing. After their ‘musical conversation’ Jensen added; “the secret of jazz is communication.”
When asked about how her struggles as a woman within this male dominating music genre, Jensen answered; “there are no boundaries in this music…and since the notes on the page don’t care about who I am and what I look like”.
It’s this attitude that has made her more trusting of her talent. Though time was not on our side, the workshop ended and all that was left were the traces of once sounded notes hanging on the tips of our ears.
Issued for:
T-Musicman
Issued by:
Lesego Stella Motshegwa
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