JD and Zen Making Mac and Cheese Photo Courtesy of Netflix
Without reservation, the filmMalcolm & Marie starring Zendaya and John David Washington was no doubt visually stunning. The movie, which chronicles the couple’s highs and lows of a brutal all-night argument about . . . damn, I don’t know, was shot on black and white film rather than in a digital format. It was artful. It was special. It was instantly classic in its aesthetic. Moreover, it was abundantly clear that the movie Malcolm & Marie intended the soundtrack to be something special as well.
From the opening scene where Malcolm jubilantly prances around their rented home then cues up James Brown’s “Down and Out in New York City,” a tune intimately tied to the film Black Caesar (1973), an astute audience was privy to the fact the music, diegetically (both the character and the audience can hear it), will narrate the nonverbal sentiments of the characters. The music was brilliantly cast and was more than ample to sonically narrate a scene. Admittedly, writer, director, Sam Levinson, and film editor Julio Perez, IV were deliberate in their attempt to support dialogue and set the mood of a scene with music. Malcolm’s choice of Brown’s funk jam first fills the scene with sound then enlightens the audience of the bold overcoming power of a Black man, which is gan yẹ* to the character’s attitude at the moment. Likewise, only moments later Marie’s unspoken tensions are revealed through Little Simz’s song “Selfish” featuring the amazing vocals of Cleo Sol. Marie sentiments as heard through “Selfish’s” chorus, “I don’t want to fight” set the scene and reveal her desire to be left alone to brood for the remainder of the evening . . . or not.
Little Simz Photo: Linda Nylind
As the film progresses, the music continues to be a sonic masterpiece as it enters and exits the various scenes. Saxophonist Zoot Sims’ Betaminus syncopated beat and flighty saxophone runs clearly disrupts the couple and escalates their tensions in a scene where Marie makes Mac and Cheese for Malcolm. Fatback Band’s jam “Yum Yum” speaks loud and clear for Marie as she states her discontent about the evening. Stax singer, songwriter William Bell’s “I Forgot to Be Your Lover,” which is awesomely orchestrated, by the way, drops in at the perfect time to allow an all too brief respite for the sparing couple, a mood of forgiveness for not making love a priority.
Coltrane and Ellington making magic
The film moves through its paces with a myriad of songs and rounds out with the ever lovely “In a Sentimental Mood” by Duke Ellington. This song is undefeated in ushering in feelings of intimacy and sex appeal. With the light key touches by Ellington on the piano and the seemingly far and away melody of John Coltrane on saxophone “In a Sentimental Mood” does it again. In the end, literally in the last scene, Outkast’s song “Liberation” enters the expansive and resolute morning, to sum up the events of the previous evening. The chorus belted out by CeeLo Green, and Erykah Badu states, “And there’s a fine line between love and hate you see, Can’t wait too late but baby I’m on it.” As the couple Malcolm and Marie stand in the sunrise it reinforces the couple’s love-hate relationship in the most melodic of ways.
Outkast: Big Boy and Andre 3000. Ready to eat their Mac and Cheese!
Music in film is meant to aid in storytelling by driving and supporting scenes. It is also used to set the mood and emotion of the characters. In Malcolm & Marie, music is used to narrate the unspoken words of an emotionally caustic couple. The music effectively created a subtext for the audience to follow. We should all be so lucky to have a soundtrack like this to help back our most difficult moments in an argument.
As a growing trend throughout the first half of the 20th century, African American jazz music was continuously usurped by white artists who willingly enjoyed popular recognition, top billing over African American artists, monetary gain, and the full embrace of U.S. television when performing jazz. In response, African American jazz artists increasingly protested their dwindling presence within the genre. They sought meaningful ways, through heavy resistance, to make headway into gaining respect and recognition as the progenitors of the jazz genre.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
By 1970, one jazz artist, in particular, blind saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk was fed up with the lack of respect and recognition for the African American jazz artist. His point of contention was the invisibility of African American jazz artists on prime time U.S. television. He scoffed at television shows, which showcased lesser talented white musicians representing and performing “our” music while African American luminaries of the genre were absent or on the rare occasion they did appear on a show received an oh-by-the-way second billing.
In mid-summer 1970, Kirk had had enough. He and a few other frustrated musicians such as trumpeter Lee Morgan, saxophonist Billy Harper, drummer Andrew Cyrille, and many others gathered at the Village Vanguard to conceive a plan to achieve a steady and meaningful African American presence on television. Together they devised a plan which moved beyond mere complainant lip service and stationary protest from a decade earlier to one that was more aggressive and disruptive. Frustrated with the accolades of white musicians who perform jazz, Kirk and his group formed Jazz and the People’s Movement or the JPM to combat their situation. Succinctly, the JPM formed to get African American musicians on mainstream U.S. TV.
Lee Morgan
After only a few meetings at the Vanguard, the JPM decided to disrupt the taping of a show to gain the attention of producers. Then in the midst of the disruption question and demand a remedy to the absence African American jazz musicians on prime time TV. Their first order of business was to infiltrate and shut down the popular Merv Griffin Show.
On August 27th, 1970, Kirk and the JPM (about 65 frustrated musicians) assembled a few blocks near New York’s theatre district where the Merv Griffin Show was to record. In the street, they formed an impromptu parade complete with chanting accompanied by handclaps, whistles, flutes, all led by Kirk on clarinet. They made their way to the studio, hid their instruments, and stood in a growing line of unsuspecting audience members. The JPM, showed their tickets (which they bought a week earlier) and quietly made their way into the studio and took their seats. About twenty minutes into the taping of the show, Kirk stood up, pulled out his hidden clarinet, and began to play New Orleans style music as loud as he could. He was instantly joined by all 65 members of the JPM on their whistles and flutes. They filled the studio with music. Amid the attempts to get the JPM to quiet down the show’s producer cued the house band to play anything to drown out the disruptive melodies. The JPM outplayed the house band, which they quickly relented and became spectators in the takeover. Kirk and soloing musicians began to walk out of the audience bleachers and toward the stage. Show host Merv Griffin waved his hands in surrender and ran backstage effectively ending the taping of the show that evening. The JPM surely shut down the taping of a major mainstream television show!
Once on stage, Kirk explained to the stage producers who they were, why they were there, and requested a meeting between himself, Morgan, Griffin, and the lead producers of the show. A long meeting that led to shouting (by Morgan), arguments that examined artist beyond the constant presence of Louis Armstrong to included Theolonius Monk, Horace Silver, and JJ Johnson, the relevance of jazz on TV, to the progressiveness of European television and protest music, all of which was followed by empty promises to include more African American jazz musicians on television.
Theolonius Monk
Kirk and the JPM continued. In the following weeks, joined by Kirks wife, Edith they disrupted, shut down live tapings, and requested meetings with the host and producers of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Oct. 1, 1970) and The Dick Cavett Show(Oct 13, 1970). Word quickly spread to the producers of The Ed Sullivan Show that the JPM was on their way. Rather than have the JPM disrupt their live show, the producers invited Kirk to be a featured musical guest on the show.
On the evening of January 24, 1971, the producers of the Ed Sullivan Show made good on their promise. Kirk assembled a who’s who of jazz musicians of the day. His band for the night included outspoken musicians who were down for the struggle to increase the presence of African American musicians on TV. The band consisted of Charles Mingus on bass (who at this point had not been seen on TV in over two years), as well as Henry Pearson also on bass, Archie Shepp on Saxophone, Sonelius Smith on piano, Roy Haynes on drums, Dick Griffin on trombone, Charles McGhee on trumpet and both Maurice McKinley and Joe Texidor on percussion. This was a powerhouse band.
Charles Mingus. Photo by Lee Friedlander
That evening the show’s producers suggest that Kirk play a tune that was easily accessible for the listening audience. Kirk offered the Stevie Wonder hit “My Cherie Amour” as a popular easy to listen to crossover tune. The producers loved it. During the soundcheck Kirk’s “JPM band” rehearsed Stevie’s hit. However, when the band stood in place on the stage and the cameras went live they tossed out “My Cherie Amour” and launched into Mingus’ “Haitian Fight Song” instead. Stunned and frozen the producers allowed Kirk and his band to perform what Mingus deemed a protest song.
Kirk and the JPM flip the script on Ed Sullivan!
Kirk and his band for a brief moment had achieved what they set out to do: increase the visibility of African American jazz musicians playing real jazz on primetime U.S. television. The audience cheered!
In the end, the Jazz and the People’s Movement was short-lived. The group, shortly after their performance, disbanded and moved onto other projects. Mingus received a Guggenheim Fellowship. Archie Shepp found new musical ways of protest as well as became a professor at the University of Massachusetts school of music. While others move on to various music endeavors.
Patrice Rushen
Kirk and the JPM exposed the lack of jazz music being played by African Americans on primetime TV. White artists playing jazz on TV was so much the norm that it was strange to see someone like Kirk playing on an evening show the very music he helped to shape. In contrast, fast forward 50 years later and it would seem strange not to see African Americans playing all types of music on primetime TV. A quick perusal of recent live television shows such as the Grammys, American Music Awards, and others have been led by the likes of Patrice Rushen, Rickey Minor, and Greg Phillinganes staffed with overwhelmingly African American musicians. An even closer look of today’s late-night shows reveals the proliferation of African American musical artists over the last 20 years with the presence of one-time band leaders Branford Marsalis and Kevin Eubanks and currently, Jon Batiste leading The Late Show with Stephen Colbert band and certainly not to forget The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with the hiring of The Roots as the shows house band has made a profound and constant presence of African Americans visible on television. No doubt Kirk and the JPM during their brief but sound movement established the undertones for today’s normalcy of African American musicians on TV.
Great! You made it this far. You are certainly developing your sophisticated ear. At this point, you are enjoying the many components of jazz; the vocal narratives, melody, improvisation of various instruments, and the wonders of an ensemble. Jazz is not elusive for you.
Singer’s singer Rachelle Farrell is as good as it gets!
I’ll make this quick so as not to take up too much of your listening time. At this point, take the time to combine all the elements of listening to and understanding jazz-its narrative, its melody, its improvisation, and the workings of the ensemble albeit in equal parts. Take a listen to singer and pianist Rachelle Farrell’s “Bye Bye Blackbird.” Farrell combines all the elements at a high level. Her talent shines through. Be Careful, this is an advance listen so, turn it up as loud as you can!
And for your final listen, sit back and take in Gregory Porter’s “Be Good (Lion’s Song)” Enjoy this with your new and burgeoning sophisticated ears!
In the end, jazz is a musically powerful language that has spoken to many and spoken for many. It is the U.S.’s original art form. It is classic! So continue to listen and explore the many genres of jazz such as Bebop, fusion, afro-Cuban, avant-garde, and smooth jazz to name a few. You now have found your entry point to jazz!
So as a developing sophisticated listener, musical elements such as vocal narrative, melody, and improvisation are becoming easier to consume. At this point, we bid o digba to the voice and gaze toward the instrument. The listener is ready to take on the workings of an ensemble. In this case, an ensemble is a group of musicians performing together to create a single song or piece of music.
As a listener with a flourishing sophisticated ear, this is the opportunity to sonically observe, or better yet enjoy, how musicians use their instruments to work through and communicate musical narratives, melodies, and improvisation. Here the listener will be able to appreciate the many musical instruments in an ensemble. Closely listen to the drummer, the bassist, the pianist, the saxophonist, the guitarist, and the trumpeter. This may take more than one listen, which is a good thing. Things to consider while listening: What instrument stands out to you? How does the instrument make you feel? How is the ensemble working together? Does it all fit together? What is your overall impression of the song and/or musicians? If you could rename the song, what would you name it?
Take a listen to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ tune “Moanin.” Listen to how trumpeter Lee Morgan swings through his solo then leads saxophonist Benny Golson into his. Listen to pianist Bobby Timmons make a musical statement you must to hear. Then take a close listen to bassist Jymie Merritt as he takes his turn at a solo all while being held in check by bandleader and drummer Art Blakey. It is a fascinating sophisticated listen.
Listen to this live convo about moanin’.
Go further: listen to Miles Davis’ “So What.” This song appears on his album title Kind of Blue, which is considered the greatest jazz album . . . . ever! What a conversations, wow!
Continuing your entry point into jazz through voice. The listener, to go deeper, must pay attention to vocal improvisation. Improvisation, in this case, is an unprepared melody involving musical imagination, which carries the spirit and sentiment of the song. Improvisation allows the musician and the listener to travel beyond the melodic boundaries of the song to a place that hinges on emotion and attitude. More commonly known as scat singing the vocalist at times mimics the voicings and style of a musical instrument in an improvisational mode. The listener and the musician both have an experience with the music and a response to the music.
What is Clark Terry Saying?
In this entry point listen to the charismatic vocals of trumpeter Clark Terry in his song Mumbles. In this song Terry doesn’t sing a word, his vocal improvisation is incomprehensible. The listener must use imagination and create their own lyrics or narrative. Together, Terry and the listener move beyond the melody of the song and improvise a unique narrative. What is this song about? What is Terry saying? The listener has to create a narrative of their own. If the listener creates their very own unique narrative then they have moved deeper into the jazz genre.
Go further: Listen to “One Note Samba” and great scat singing by you guessed it, the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. This is crazy good!
When attempting to enter and appreciate the jazz genre there is no doubt a vocal narrative provides the smallest barrier into the musical art form. In fact, listening to the narrative and tone of the voice draws the listener close. (See the last post) However, to further consume the jazz genre, the listener must also pay attention to the melody. Melody is the satisfying tonal succession of musical sounds that incorporate tempo (is it fast or slow?), rhythm (it’s what makes you move), and is pleasing to the ear. In short, a melody is the portion of a tune that is easily sung, hummed, or whistled.
Chet Baker and the melancholy melody
Focusing on both the voice and melody will lead the listener deeper into the realm of jazz. Take a listen to Chet Baker’s recording of “My Funny Valentine.” Baker’s unique melancholy voice softly carries the listener through the paces of one of the most easily memorable and haunting melodies of all time.
Just listen. How do the narrative, voice, and melody make you feel?
Go Further: Check out Ella Fitzgerald’s catchy vocal melody on “A Tisket A Tasket” Try to sing, hum, or whistle her toon.
Jazz! A musical art form, which emerged in the U.S. by way of the long-suffering toil of black bodies desperately in search of freedom, peace, and a place to belong. Jazz developed as the musical expression of the black condition. Historically, for unyielding bodies that were in search of their own space to exist, jazz music provided that headway to cultivate a solid identity and establish a strong urban culture. As such, jazz became a fully capable medium able to express a range of emotions from sadness, solitude, anger to pensive, festive, and free. In this way, jazz was uncompromisingly bold. It was responsive to its time. It was present.
The mere mention of the term jazz beyond its musical history holds a myriad of meanings. For some, the word jazz evokes feelings of happiness, joy, freedom, connectedness, excitement, peace, and love. While for others (this may be you), the word conjures feelings of dread, confusion, anxiety, purposeless, and boredom. Indeed, the jazz genre, in all its renderings, can be quite complex in its audible space, not to mention the countless presentations and consumption by its many fans.
To be sure, over time, jazz has certainly attracted a crowd of eager and sophisticated listeners who are keen to genre parameters, are musically inclined, well acquainted with personnel, familiar with essential solos, and are intimately familiar with the social and cultural meanings of any particular recording. Consequently, the uncompelled and less than sophisticated listener may find the jazz genre non-approachable or better yet elusive. For the unsophisticated listener (one who is not yet familiar with jazz and thus has a weak attraction to it) there are several methods one can utilize when approaching (listening to) the genre. For one, the listener must allow themselves to become emotionally available to listen; steady themselves to absorb the unfamiliar and not resist the sound of a riff (anything sounding ‘jazzy’). And two, the genre must be gently delivered so a sophisticated ear is not employed. Easily digestible tunes. One has to just sit, listen and feel! So, if jazz has been difficult to grasp, but you want to give it one more try, take a few minutes to listen for your entry point into the genre.
One of the easiest ways to enter jazz is to allow a vocal narrative to lull the listener into the subtleties of the genre. So, the first listen will be through the voice of jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald. Relax, breathe, and take a close listen to Ella as she sings “How Long Has This Been Going On?” Listen as her fully formed satin voice pulls the listener close. Ella is here to tell a story; a story of the sudden realization of the spine-tingling sensation of a kiss and her dramatic shock of never realizing the specialness of it before. How is this possible? Let Ella tell it! While listening, only assess the feeling/s the song arouses. How does it make you feel? If you have an answer to this question then you are at the doorway of becoming a sophisticated listener of jazz.
Go further: Take a listen to the incomparable Nancy Wilson’s narrative and her exemplary jazz voice in “Guess Who I Saw Today?” Oh, damn!
Just SOul You Know 