Second day and second Italian exclusive for the “Ancona Jazz Summer Festival”. It is the concert of the Black Art Jazz Collective, scheduled for tonight (9:30 pm) at the Mole Vanvitelliana. World-famous musicians will take the stage: Wayne Escoffery on sax, Danny Grissett on piano, Ali Jackson on drums, Jason Weaver on double bass, Josh Evans on trumpet and James Burton III on trombone.
Wayne, you are from London, but you did most of your studies in the USA. What were your first musical encounters like, in particular with the great saxophonist Jackie McLean?
“I first met McLean when I was 16. He invited me to join the Artists Collective, a program for inner-city youth that focuses on jazz and African diaspora arts. He later offered me a scholarship to study with him. He became my greatest mentor, shaping my understanding of music, black American culture, and the importance of respecting tradition while pushing creative boundaries.”
His many musical experiences show loyalty to a modern language with deep roots in the great jazz tradition, made of soul, feeling and swing. Was this where the idea of the Black Art Jazz Collective started?
“Although I am the founder, the concept itself did not originate with me. Groups like Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Horace Silver Quintet, the Miles Davis Quintet, the Charlie Parker Quintet, the Charles Mingus Band, and the Max Roach Band exemplified black excellence and supported messages of freedom and equality. These groups, along with my work with Tom Harrell, the Mingus Band, and all the musicians I collaborated with, inspired me to start the group.” You are both a leader and a sideman. Which situation is closer to the expressive potential?
“I like to be a sideman and help people interpret their music. These collaborations help to make my work known as a composer and band leader. One is not more important than the other.”
With the Black Art Jazz Collective you continue the great lesson of the fundamental groups in defining the jazz idiom of the 60s. In this sense, is New York still a hotbed of young talents?
“I think New York is the perfect destination for serious, talented musicians who want to improve their skills and compete with the best in the field. No other city has so many high-level artists.”
r. m.
