An interview with David Baker

[ghost of miles]

I've posted Part 1 of an interview I recently did with musician, composer, and Indiana University jazz educator David Baker at the Night Lights website... a funny story about a very extended conversation with Thelonious Monk in there. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow.

Edited August 28, 2007 by ghost of miles

[B. Clugston]

Great article. Thnks for posting. I was just listening to Baker on Russell's Not at the Five Spot last night.

[clifford_thornton]

I look forward to reading this more in-depth.

Was just giving Charles Tyler's Eastern Man Alone a spin last night, with Baker on cello.

[JSngry]

Nice flow to the interview ,David. I read a lot of interviews these days & it's like question/answer/question/answer etcetcetc one after the other, no flow, pretty much a questionaire being filled out verbally. This one was more like a conversation, and that's the way I like it, myself.

[rachel]

Thanks for posting this, David.

I *love* David Baker, almost embarrassingly so. We were privileged to have him in the audience with us at the Jazz Kitchen a few weeks ago catching Derrick Gardner and the Jazz Prophets, Derrick Gardner and Rob Dixon being two of his former students at IU. Everybody was showing him the love. It was so great to see him really digging the music, especially Rodney Whitaker's solos. I almost couldn't breathe because he was sitting one table behind us... my heart was pounding.... I had the perfect opportunity to tell him how much I appreciate his music and his passion for music education.... but I couldn't form sentences. So I just grinned and stared.

[Free For All]

Damn, Rachel!

As a musician who seems to be ensconced in the world of jazz education I can only hope to someday inspire someone to say something like that! You made my day with that post, thanks!

[marcello]

Here are a couple of photos of David Baker at a jazz camp in the 70's from my collection:

[Joe G]

The students look so tired and blasé.

[Uncle Skid]

A few summers back, I was in one of Mr. Baker's music theory classes at the Aebersold camp. His "passion for music education" was quite obvious -- the class was quite memorable, and a lot of fun as well. He spent a lot of time talking about bebop in particular, and gave us many specific musical examples to illustrate his points.

No tired and blasé students that time!

[JSngry]

The students look so tired and blasé.

Dude, it was the 70s. We all looked like that then, thanks to the...you know...

[paul secor]

Thanks, David! Looking forward to reading part 2.

[jlhoots]

Has anyone heard Basically Baker on GM?

[ghost of miles]

Yes--I think the Buselli-Wallarab Orchestra does a very good job with David's tunes, but they have a bit of an inside advantage--at least half the band are former students of his. (Pace the Downbeat review, the arrangements are actually David's.)

Thanks much for all of the comments; Part 2 is now posted.

[marcello]

The students look so tired and blasé.

I remember him as being a very inspiring teacher with lots of energy.

This was a week long camp in Brockport, New York. 1977 or 1978.

Branford Marsalis was a student. He won a free pass at the camp at some music competition.

The other instuctors were:

Woody Shaw

Ed Soph

Rufus Reid

James Williams

Harry Leahy

Jamie Aebersold

John McNeil

[ghost of miles]

Woody's son is a student here now at IU.

[marcello]

I believe Woody III also manages David Baker's website.

[DTMX]

I'm a big fan of his classical works like Concerto for Cello & Jazz Band and Suite For Cello & Jazz Trio.

[rachel]

Damn, Rachel!

As a musician who seems to be ensconced in the world of jazz education I can only hope to someday inspire someone to say something like that! You made my day with that post, thanks!

Oh Paul, I have no doubt that you will be (and already are) an inspiration to many people with your teaching and your playing. Anybody just needs to hear how beautifully you play to feel that.

Another reason I love David Baker so much is because I love the rich history of Crispus Attucks High School in general. David Baker is just one example of the beauty, honor, and good that came from something that was the epitome of ugliness, hate and evil. As he mentioned, Crispus Attucks was created back in the day by the racist, hateful powers that were to 'keep everybody in their place'. Little did the KKK know that this would create a nurturing, creative environment where the students excelled musically, academically and in the sports arena, even though life for a minority in Indiana in those days was filled with racist prejudice and rejection. One of my dearest friend's father graduated from Attucks and went on to become a Tuskegee Airman with several of his classmates--true heroes in spite of the racism that permeated the armed services at that time. It truly was a wonderful high school.

Thanks again, David, for such a thoughtful interview. You asked a lot of the same questions I would have (if I could have quit grinning and staring... )

Airman Rayfield Anderson, RIP