European Jazz and Ray Blue<click for photo
See the Ray Blue Festival in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area at: http://www.jseionline.org/RayBlueFestival.html
See Ray's participation as the Ray Blue Quartet in a German jazz festival: http://www.jazzradio.net/fringe/rayblue.html
For quite some time, I have been interested in the fact that jazz is well liked in Europe. See the article on Swedish Jazz
as a single example. When Ray Blue started his European tour, he sent me a simple e-mail. As time went on, the e-mails got a little longer, and I included the relevant portions of them in our weekly e-mails to members. I thought they got more interesting, and more insightful as Ray continued his tour in Europe, so I thought I would collect them as a sort of ongoing diary.
On a personal note, my wife and I were in Sweden shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. We were in one Swedish town which hosted the "First Annual Baltic Jazz Festival" (I have no idea if they had a second annual ...) at which the bulk of the musicians were jazz musicians from the Baltic Region: the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) as well as Poland, Germany and Sweden. Many of the musicians from the old Soviet Union had little exposure to jazz other than the records that they managed to keep in their homes. It was amazing to me to hear singers who had zero knowledge of English, singing a Bessie Smith tune or a Billie Holiday tune in precisely the tone and sound (and English - all the English they knew) of the original recordings. Here I was, in Sweden, listening to live jazz the way it was originally recorded and originally sang.

I have lots of other reasons for which I am interested in the European love of jazz, but here is Ray's thoughts as he makes his way through his European tour.

Ray Blue Diaries

Read about the Ray Blue Quartet and its participation in a jazz festival in Germany: http://www.jazzradio.net/fringe/rayblue.html

Ray Blue from China 4/7/20001

Through the miracles of modern technoloy - OK, merely e-mail - I received the following from Ray Blue, who is currently on tour in China.
Hope that all is well in Cedar Rapids for you and everyone. I want to send this formal thank you to you and all of the supporters of the Jazz Society and to all who supported the second "Ray Blue Jazz Festival". Niles, your promotions and notices of the "Ray Blue Jazz Festival" were primary and instrumental in keeping people informed of the musical events in which I participated. Thank you so much for your major support and enthusiam. As always, the visit to Cedar Rapids was full of exciting and stimulating musical experiences and it was wonderful to attend each gig and be welcomed and appreciated by such warm audiences. Thank you, Niles, for coining the "Ray Blue Jazz Festival" and for helping it to become a reality.

Thanks to all of the wonderfully talented musicians and band leaders: To Eddie Pi0card and Dick Watson who had me work with their bands during this "festival. To Dr. Bill Carson of Coe College and the Jazz Summit, of which I will participate again in Februrary 2002; to the students and members of the Coe College Jazz Band, it was a wonderfully gratifying experience for me. To Bill Danser, Damon Cole and Jerry Zinn of the public schools in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City where I performed and provided workshops for their students. Having the opportunity to share with the young people in the music community is precious; let's keep them involved and exposed to the music. To Craig Campbell and the Liars Theatre for having me perform with within their company. Can't wait to come back. To Kathy Gregor who handled my bookings and was responsible for the grant that funded and helped in the sponsoring of the Gershwin Tributes. To Dan Knight with whom I collaborated for several of the performances. To the pastors and congregations at the Unity Church of Cedar Rapids and the Old Brick Church in Iowa City. To John Finn of the Busted Lift in Dubuque. Thanks everyone for providing a full house in which to perform in each and every night. A very special thank you to all of the new Ray Blue supporters. We know who you are, the additional team of angels who ascendend and provided their loving touches and contributions to the experience. And most of all, thanks to god for allowing all of us to experience Jazz as our common link. I'm very much looking forward to the "Third Ray Blue Jazz Festival".

Ray Blue Sighting 12/8/2000
I just finished a rehearsal for the gig tonight. I am at this club for the next two nights. I'm real comfortable with the musicians that I have working with me this weekend. The bass and drummer have been with me all along, and I have a new piano player tonight. I'm looking forward to working with Dan Knight when I get back- we've got some serious stuff to exchange and share, I'm sure. On Monday I go to Munich and see some people about getting the legal papers in order for working purposes. I already know that I want to make Germany my base of operation when I am in Europe. Tuesday I go to the office to get the paper work rolling. This is an interesting culture - very paper oriented. They need to know your every move here, and for the most part they do. But it's cool, I like the experience that I am having and the people want the music that I play, even if some of them want to envelope it and call it their own. Same thing in the U.S. as far as that goes. At least here, I can work and make a good living without "having" to do a day job. Here I would do one if I want. But I don't want to. Perhaps I will do some lecturing at the German-American Institute or in the American schools, that I like. But right now I'm establishing myself as an artist, Saxophonist. As I am working on the recording, I am hearing myself and seeing myself more clearly. It has taken these couple of months of being just with myself. I got off the plane in Frankfurt with my saxophone, a suitcase and a few demo CD's. There were some promises about gigs, but I've had that before, too, and they can easily be cancelled. This time they weren't, and I've been moving along ever since. I need this time to be with myself, Niles. I had been pulled and torn in several directions for a lot of years, and I've had to really struggle at times to hold on to my music. At times I would just have to block out everything and have tunnel vision in order to keep it together. I'm experiencing me now, and I'm loving it.

Last night I went to hear Coco Shuman, guitarist. He and his quartet performed at a school in Berlin. They encompass his life story and book in the presentation. He is a wonderful man who as a boy played for the Nazi's in the concentration camps in order to survive. Coco has since played with every jazz great in the world and for several U.S. presidents. He told me that Nixon wasn't a half bad pianist - imagine that. He is a warm person as are his band members. His drummer and I had met at one of my gigs. I can't wait to get this cat on my gig, he's happening. Anyway, after the gig we had dinner and sat and talked for a couple of hours. Coco offered to introduce me to the people at the record company that handles him............... Of course I said yes.

..and a day later, from Ray:
Today, I performed at the Opea House (Haus) in Frankfurt. A tremendous building, rich, as I am told, with German history. Frankfurt being one of the financial centers, we performed for a group of bank executives, the wealthiest in the region. Earlier this week I was granted a VISA allowing me to stay and work in Germany. It is for three months, but the extension will come in March for a longer period, not an easy document to obtain, as I am told. It affords me the opportunity and permission to perform anywhere in the country as a musician. This gives me a foundation point in Europe from which to work. The renewal process goes on for a couple of years I guess, each renewal is for a longer period of time. Eventually it will be for life. The tax policies are strict here, especially for foreign artists. This VISA takes me out of the high tax bracket, 45%, yes I did say high. So this process is well worth the wait and effort especially since I am getting established as a performer over here. Germany has the strictest laws as I am told, but I am in a better position now. The person booking me in Switzerland is a registered agent who takes care of all of the VISA issues there. France and other countries are different and each one has its own laws, some very lose. Handling this matter may cut into some of the time that I am in CR on this trip but it will all be handled. I'm still looking forward to getting there.

Conversation with Ray Blue 12/1/2000
From Niles to Ray:
Ray, I found an article in the December, 2000 issue of JazzTimes interesting and fascinating. The article, entitled: The Sound of Sameness, Why European Jazz Music No Longer Turn to America for Inspiration, was - in my view - one I would have like to publish on my web site. I asked for republication rights from JazzTimes, and received the following reply: "However, I am sorry that our contractual relationship with Borders Online, as well as our licensing agreements with our writers, forbids us from allowing you to post the piece on your Web site."

Ray, however, the article was extremely interesting, and I will give you a brief summary, as well as my editorial about the entire subject.

The article discusses that Europeans have become bored with American jazz. They feel that American jazz is rooted in traditions that have become repetitive, and has not advanced or matured in the last twenty years. Additionally, its roots - and its repetitiveness - have stopped "speaking" to their experience, and they are taking jazz in different directions that speak to their own experience. The article discusses the influences of Nordic jazz, German jazz, Eastern European Jewish jazz (I suspect they are talking about Klezmer jazz, which I particularly like), and other European influences.

Ray, I would be real interested in your impression of European jazz and how it is similar to - and/or different from - American jazz.

Music needs to evolve, and their claim is that American jazz has not evolved beyond a certain point. New experiences from different cultures need to influence it, and they believe we have not evolved in sufficient ways.

This can be debated, of course, forever. Latin jazz is not rooted in New Orleans African-American jazz. Eastern European "Jewish jazz" is certainly heard in Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw long before the current Klezmer jazz has become popular in its own right. Afro-jazz, Cuban-jazz, Afro/Cuban jazz certainly do not come from New Orleans. Much of jazz - more than the popular press would lead us to believe - has traditional European (i.e. - "classical music") influences. The article concentrates on African-American (i.e. "Negro") influences, and I believe that such a concentration can be excessively simplistic and deny other non-deniable influences. Remember Ravi Shankar?

However, I have heard some contemporary Nordic and German jazz, and there IS a different sound. Some of it is NOT to my liking, and other aspects are really great. The fact that something is not to my liking may, of course, may merely be that I am not sufficiently familiar with it to "understand" it (it took me a while to enjoy Sun Ra), or that it does not "speak" to rhythms that are sufficiently familiar with to understand or enjoy (I HATE the Chinese music they play in Chinese restaurants; similarly I HATE Syrian music in Syrian restaurants). We could discuss familiarity vs. acceptability forever, and not come to conclusions.

However, back to the article, and your current experience in Europe, could you discuss the European jazz experience in comparison to the American music and/or American audience? I recognize the difficulties here. The"American experience" is different at the Lighthouse than Jazz at the Bistro in St. Louis, or the Village Vanguard, or other top clubs. There is no "standard" audience or "standard experience" or even "standard music." The "experience" is different for a bebop audience than for the outdoor festival atmosphere at a Dixieland Festival.

Ray's Reply:
First we must realize that all persons have a life experience which is uniquely their own and with regard to any musical genre, that is where the root of conscious musical expression is formed. No getting away from that no matter how intellectual one claims or wants to be. The article that you are referring to seems to be based on the short sighted opinion of the writer. What I have experienced is that Europeans will hear only what they choose and this applies to more than just music. They define what is relevant to them and hold it to be "the truth". For instance, I will be working with a Gospel group, one that is non-traditional: no jubilee, no Negro spirituals, no When The Saints Go Marching In stuff. They hold church a service at each performance. Gospel is not the beat or the rhythm, it is the text of the message that makes it Gospel. Germans don't relate to that; they relate to Mahalia Jackson and view her work as the only music that is Gospel. What do they know about the Black Church? Obviously not much. So that is how they critique Gospel music.

Now, what do they know about the Black experience at all in America, other than what they think is true, what they have heard or what find to be comfortable to accept? Jazz is an art form that is rooted in the African American experience, it is an Urban Experience. I am not talking about the Blues per se, I am talking about Jazz with its complexities, varied forms, styles, shapes, colors and energies. I have found some Germans still believe that they are the smartest people on the planet, even some Americans for that matter. But they are basically very rigid thinkers as compared to some Americans, and flexibility is not always a strong point. When plans or situations are altered or need to be altered it is difficult for many to adjust or cope. It is a part of the nature of the culture. That attitude seems to be pervasive in the article that you were describing. So I take what is described by you in the article and I hold it with a grain of salt in a tub of warm water.

As in America, the original and the creative aspects of the this music, on some level, has been diluted, taken away by the majority and transformed in a way that they, the majority, can understand and relate to it more comfortably. That is so they can now consider themselves to be the experts and authorities on the subject. Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! American Jazz has been copied and emulated by people since its inception. The Europeans emulate our music and when you listen to jazz on the radio over here, what you hear primarily are traditional tunes, standards, played over and over and over again. Nothing wrong with the standards, they are marvelous classics. But I have not heard much, if any, new or innovative jazz music played on the radio stations, commercial or other wise. I am in the largest city in Germany at the moment and have been here for the past two months, and no, there is not an innovative jazz format being played on the radio stations. The audiences pack clubs for my performances as well as for other African American performers, to listen and to hear what we have to say in our music. They come to feel and try to capture and embrace the energy, fire, passion, sensuality and innovativeness of the music as it is performed. But they don't play it on the radio, they play standards from the 40's, 50's and 60's primarily. So there, to my knowledge, is no real media exposure to our innovative expression. They have to go to live performances and if they don't listen to people who play the innovative stuff, they don't know that it exists. On the other hand, some approach the situation with a fixed attitude that they already know what is good and best.

I hear European players play very technical. Some are able to harness the emotion and share it in the way that we do. It's a cultural thing, man, and you don't compare this. It just is and you damn sure don't try to compare it to anything else. How does a culture that reserves its basic and restricted sense of emotionality for prescribed venues, critique and criticize an art form that is based on free and spontaneous emotionality and spiritual expression? The music is meant to be shared with all and the beauty of it is that it allows any and all persons to feel it and express it as they experience it. No one owns the the music or even knows best what it should mean to others.

I listen to European musicians and many of them play very well - they have studied and practiced all there lives to play this music and they do well. The expression of the music comes from the spiritual voice within. I choose not to compare who has the hippest spiritual voice - that to me makes no sense to me and it limits what one allows himself or herself to hear, experience and share. During a TV interview here in Berlin, the interviewer stated that he believes that white and German musicians can not feel jazz and can not play jazz as well as African American Jazz Musicians. He then asked for my opinion of that. Now picture this; here I am, with my Black self, on White German television, in White Germany, being asked to respond to a comment like that. Well it was not only an uninformed statement, but a stupid and loaded question. I had played a gig the previous night to a packed house, standing room, with my quartet that consisted of three white, German players in the rhythm section who "burn" and we tore the house down. Come on.....I gave the interviewer an intelligent and diplomatic answer, but my facial expression said what I really thought of him and his dumb question. That piece was edited and not included in the aired segment of the show. My point here, Niles, is that I try not to take those types of attitudes and comments to heart and hold on to them. That includes my feelings about the article that you've referred to. But I haven't read the article. I already know that others want to take ownership to this music, what we do and how we do it, but they can't have it. Imitation is still the greatest form of flattery for an artist.

As far as the other experiences that I'm having. I've been working in Switzerland a little more and probably one third of my gigs in December will be in Switzerland. The Swiss audiences are unique in themselves, very responsive and appreciative. They become emotionally engaged rather quickly. I performed in Grenchen and Zurich recently, which are lovely places to perform and visit. Where I will be for New Years is still undecided. Some offers have been presented but there are options to weigh before it is clear what will happen. In the past two weeks I have been in the studio working on a CD. It is coming along well, wish there was more money available for it, but it is working out fine. Everyone involved is doing a wonderful job. It will be great to get this first project completed and out of there. That opens the doors for what is yet to come.

I have six more weeks before returning to the states and I will get to Iowa in early February. I'll keep you posted on whatever else is going on and I suspect that it will be interesting during these last weeks. Say hello to all of the supportive people in Eastern Iowa and particularly in Cedar Rapids.

9/27/2000
And before we get to the upcoming events, our current events include Ray Blue sightings in his European tour in Stuttgart, Zurich and Berlin, all with sunny weather!
http://www.samuraimusic.com/pages/talent/ray.html

http://www.samuraimusic.com/pages/rayblue.html

10/12/2000 - Ray Blue sighting - words from Europe:
I spent almost a week in Berlin getting things in order there, very different from Stuttgart where was for the weekend. Sunday I go back to Berlin for two weeks and it looks like I will jump back to Frankfurt for a gig at some point during that time span, then on to Geneva for a week. The first weekend of November is the Berlin Jazz festival and my band opens the weekend at a club called the A-Trane which will highlight some on the performers in the festival at the Jam Session which I have also been invited to participate in. It is hard work but I am loving this stuff !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10/19/2000 Another Ray Blue sighting:
In Berlin, tomorrow I open my first night leading a quartet at a club named "The Badenscher Hof". I'm truly excited about all of this. The promotions and word around town about me are fascinating. That is apparently a result of the impression that I made during my last trip here in the spring and of course the word of mouth of my peers, which is most meaningful to me. Any musician will tell you that to be acknowledged by appreciative fans is touching and so very rewarding. However, to be acknowledged by ones peers is the highest form of compliment for an artist. So I'm feeling extra specially blessed right about now. The following morning I return to Stuttgart, then to Heidelberg and Manheim before heading back to Berlin to perform with sextet on Wednesday, 10/18 at the Yorkschlösschen, Friday, 10/20 at the Estaminet with a Trio and at the Schlot on Saturday, 10/21. Then off to Geneva for a week. Thank you, Jazz Society of Eastern Iowa, Niles Ross, Dan Knight and Kathy Gregor for all of your prayers and support. Keep jazz alive.................................

10/31/2000
Ray Blue sighting
It is morning here in Germany, have another active day ahead of me. The past three weeks have been extremely full of music and wonderful other things.

To bring you up to date, all of the Berlin gigs went very well. The Badneschef Hof, the first gig on October 13th, was a packed house. People lined up outside of the performance area to get a peek and a listen. The quartet clicked exceptionally well. There was such an immediate chemistry. Two days later the owner called and booked me for November 18th. The Yorkshclessen, October 18th, was a Jazz Funk gig in which I added a guitarist and vocalist. Again, the band was burning and it was a concert atmosphere in the club. We'll be back there again, haven't had the time to get back to the owner yet, this week. At the Estiminet on October 20th I had a trio - sax, piano and bass. At this club, small and intimate as it is only held about 40 people but they were 40 appreciative and lovely people. Real jazz people. The owner had a TV crew there, how about that, so they interviewed me and taped a portion of the show for broadcast. Two days later the person in charge called me and invited me to appear on a live telecast for a performance at an event in Berlin this Saturday. She will also have me on there on a weekly talk show. On October 21st. the quartet played at the Schlot, a club in East Berlin, the largest yet. Again, the band performed exceptionally well and the manager of the club will now have me as a part of the regular programing. Don't have to call him for the gig anymore, that's cool. The audiences have been great, so appreciative of what is offered in the music. They are like the responses that I've received in Cedar Rapids, truly heart warming and embracing. During that week of the Berlin gigs, I took a train to Stuttgart for an October 17th gig and a flight on the 19th to Stuttgart then to Frankfurt for gigs on that day and evening and back to Berlin for the next night.

I've done other work back in Stuttgart before heading to Geneva for the past week. A wonderful city and a beautiful city indeed. I made my way around the city on bicycle during the day, best way for me to see. Had fun getting lost, now I know my way around. Well, here I had four consecutive nights of duo gigs. October 25th at the Alhombura, a large room filled with people, the energy was fantastic. October 26th L'Ethno, not as large but very intimate. In both clubs, sofas and living room furniture surround the band stand, a very cozy feeling. October 27th, LAmalgaman, seated about 100 people but a full house all night. Lastly, a solo gig at a club that I can not even say the name without reading it, I don't pronounce French very well yet, but I will learn. The entire experience in Geneva was unique and special. Word spread very quickly and new people were showing at up at each performance, some even came two and three different nights, like you Niles. Let me tell you my man that is a great feeling to be received in that manner. I met several African people, from Senegal and the Congo, had dinner, talked about many different things, wonderful. I want to go there in the near future. Hung out with classical and jazz musicians who go to experience each others' venues of performance, that is great. Journalists, a film maker, a person representing a large club in Lyon, France along with a group from Anncey, France that I had met last year. There were others as well, but it was just great.

I'm looking forward to hitting Cedar Rapids again. I'll keep you informed on what the scheduling is, actually Kathy will have her finger on that pulse and we'll let you know. After the gig tonight here in Stuttgart, I go back to Berlin for my gig at the A-Trane on Thursday. The Berlin Jazz Festival begins on that night so the show and the atmosphere will be very interesting. I'll write to you about that at the end of the week.

Stay well Niles and everyone, its lovely to know that you are sharing this journey with me. God Bless.

11/3/2000

Well it is the morning after and I just have to tell you about this. The gig at the A-Trane was an experience that I will not forget. This club is one of the main street clubs in Berlin proper; there are only two others and I've played them. Well, it was the opening night for the festival and the crowd filled the club for the whole night - standing room. The quartet had different personnel, again, the chemistry worked. A drummer, originally from Austria, knows we know many of the same people in New York, bassist from Germany and pianist from Germany as well, played on my trio gigs. In rehearsal, we worked solely on my material, from there all of the other music flowed. They were tuned in to my concept and approach and that put us all on the same page. I used no set list on the band stand, all I had to do was start or call the tunes and away it would go. It was so exciting and creative, it is so important for the players to have the freedom and liberties to express their individuality on the band stand. The energy flows and the creative process is allowed to simply happen. Of course there are techniques that I've learned over the years from various band leaders and mentors on how to set up this process, help it along and allow it to continue to manifest itself. We were having a ball. Four spirits, very quickly became one on the stage. I have to call one of my mentors and talk to him about this. All of the elements came together last night.

Saturday night the club hosts a post festival jam session and many of the festival performers will be there. I've been invited to participate and I'm looking forward to that. This afternoon, I do the TV show, a short performance and an interview. I'll let you know how that works out. I want to say hi to my musical family in Cedar Rapids. So until next time. God Bless and be well.