A conversation with Emily Granger, Harpist

The Heritage Philharmonic is celebrating it's 70th Anniversary this season. Our upcoming concert is devoted to the music of France, and features harpist Emily Granger. Here are the details:

Join us for the first concert of the season!

  Music of France

Saturday, October 18, 2014, 7:30 pm

Tri-City Ministries

4500 Little Blue Parkway

Independence, MO 64057 

Gounod     Ballet Music from Faust

Ravel     Pavane for a Dead Princess

Debussy     Danses sacrée et profane

Saint-Saëns     Morceau de Concert

Bizet     L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2

Emily Granger, harp soloist

Emily grew up in the KC area, and began studying the harp when she was 12 years old. She is returning to KC as a performer for the first time since she graduated from Park Hill South High School. Emily currently lives in Chicago and is a member of the Chicago Harp Quartet. She is a graduate of the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. I was very happy to be able to speak with her recently and learn more about her career, as well as the challenges and joys of being a professional harpist:

TH: Did you start out playing the harp?

EG:  Actually, I started out studying piano...that was my first instrument. I gave a “go” at jazz piano, but that was definitely not my calling. But I do play a little piano. In fact, I just got keyboard for my apartment so I can keep working on my skills.

TH Where are you from?

EG: I’m from Parkville, MO.  I graduated from Park Hill South after three years. I did my first year of undergrad work at the University of Michigan. And then I transferred to Indiana. IU has one of the most respected harp studios in the country.

TH: How long have you been playing the harp?

EG: Since I was 12….so 13 years.

TH: How did you get started playing the harp?

EG:  I somehow got it stuck in my head that it’s what I wanted to play. I had a Celtic music CD from my cousin that I remember listening to in the living room with my mom, and asking her about the instruments. And there was a lot of harp on it, as there is in a lot of Celtic music…and it just got ingrained in my brain that I wanted to do that. I had never seen a harp before in my entire life. I had no idea what a harp looked like or what was involved in playing the harp. And so for a year, I begged my parents to let me take harp lessons. And I told all of the teachers at school that I was going to play the harp in orchestra next year. And they all just kinda laughed at me...”OK, yeah, sure you’re gonna play the harp…right.”  I must have been very persistent because after a year my parents found a harp teacher in the area…in Lenexa, KS…and that was my first time ever seeing a harp, at my first harp lesson. And the rest is history!

TH: Did your teacher provide you with a harp?

EG: Yes, she rented me a little Celtic harp.

TH: Are there different sizes of harps?

EG: Yes there are many different sizes of harps, especially when it comes to lever harps…Celtic or Irish harps…those vary in size greatly. What I play on now is a concert grand pedal harp. They are very standard…47 strings, and it has 7 pedals that change the pitch of the strings. This is what most concert harpists play.

TH: How is it tuned?

EG: The harp is tuned to C-flat major. Each string is a note….C-D-E-F-G-A -B …etc…and the pedals have three notches that change the note from flat-natural-sharp. So for example, the C-string can be C-flat, or C-natural or C-sharp, depending on where the pedal is.

TH: Wow, so not only do you have all 10 fingers and thumbs going on 47 strings, you have both feet as well in action on 7 pedals?

EG: Yes, except we don’t use our pinky!

TH: No pinky?

EG: No pinky, correct (laughing).

TH: So it’s a lot more complicated than just fingers on strings…I don’t think most people realize how difficult an instrument it really is to play. The pedals actually perform a very important function.

EG: Very important. You can be playing all the right strings, but if your pedals are in the wrong place you end up playing wrong notes.

TH: When I think about pedals, I also think about how busy an organist is with both hands and both feet going at the same time.

EG: Exactly!

TH: When did you realize you wanted to be a professional harpist?

EG: I think I knew in high school that’s what I wanted to do. I spent a couple of summers in Michigan at the Interlochen Arts Camp, and that was where I first realized there were other kids my age who were just as passionate about their instruments…and that there were harpists that were better than me! (laughing)!

TH: Tell about the logistics of being a harpist. How do you get the harp to your gigs?

EG: I stick it in my car and I drive. I have to have a big car and it has a lot of miles because I’ve driven all over the country with it, harp in tow.

TH: What about harp maintenance…is it sensitive to humidity and temperature?

EG: Yes, but lucky for me being in Chicago, I live a mile away from the world’s largest harp manufacturer, Lyon and Healy. That’s where my harp is from so if anything goes wrong, I can just zip over there and drop it off and they’ll take care of it for me. I get my harp regulated by a harp regulator twice a year. There are 2000 moving parts inside of the harp that can get just slightly off and cause a buzz, or will cause the intonation to go out…..so for example the F-natural could be in tune, but the F-sharp  could be out of tune…just one particular string. So they go though and make sure every string is perfectly in tune.

TH: So do you have to tune the harp yourself…or do they do it for you when you take it in?

EG: I tune the harp myself every single day.

TH: That seems like it would be a time consuming job?

EG: (laughs) It is. People may notice in rehearsal or at a concert in between pieces, I may be tweaking a couple of things because it fluctuates.

TH: How important are posture and ergonomics?

EG: Very important.  I suffered from tendinitis at a very young age and there was actually at a point in my career when I worried for a little while that I was going to have to quit. …it was just so bad. I was seeing a physical therapist twice a week, an acupuncturist once a week and going to see a message therapist once a week.  This went on for many years…it would flare up and down. I ended up having a cortisone injection in my wrist. And I met with a hand surgeon because they could not figure out what was causing me so much pain. But thankfully the cortisone injection has really helped. So I am very conscious about my body when I am playing…and even when I’m not playing. I am doing the right stretches, taking frequent breaks. The biggest key for posture and pain management is relaxing…..being able to know how to relax those tiny little muscles in your hands, your wrists, your forearms, your shoulders…..I am constantly thinking to myself “relax”. I still go and see a message therapist about once a month to work on my back and shoulders. I also go to the gym and work on strengthening.

TH: What do you sit on when you play?

EG: I have a really nice, cushy piano bench.

TH: A friend of mine is a guitarist, and he has to maintain the fingernails on his right hand in a special way because he uses them to pluck the strings. Do harpists pluck the string with their fingernails?

EG: I use the fleshy part of my fingertips, not the nails. So I keep them nice and short.

TH: Are there any particular harpists who have been influential in your development?

EG: Definitely. My teacher Susann McDonald at Indiana University is one of the most well-known harpists in the world. She’s literally taught everyone. She taught at the Julliard School for many years and has students in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, and Detroit Symphony. Getting to study with her was just incredible. She changed my life and my playing. And it’s been incredible to stay in touch with her over the past couple of years since I’ve been out of school. My harp quartet played a big concert this past summer. Lyon and Healy, the harp manufacturer I told you about, had their 150^th birthday festival this summer. They invited the biggest names …the biggest harp soloists in the world… to come and perform. And they invited my harp quartet to come perform as well. It was a huge honor to be invited to perform at this festival. Miss McDonald was there….she came to hear us play. It was really incredible…to show her what I am doing after school. Another big influence in my life has been Sarah Bullen, the Principal Harpist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I studied with her at Roosevelt University. I earned my Master’s degree there with her. She is an in incredible woman….she is such a powerful force when it comes to playing the harp. She’s just got it figured out. She was in the New York Philharmonic for many years before she won the job with the CSO and has played with the best conductors and musicians in the world.   Spending so many years playing in the best orchestras in the world… being surrounded by that sound…she has this incredible sense of style and character. She’s able to hear so many details that can take you from sounding mediocre to perfection. In our lessons, I would often play an excerpt for her. She would yell at me (nicely!) to get up and let her play it. I was always blown away by her power and sensitivity. I’ve been so lucky to have such unbelievable women mentors.

TH: I developed this blog to celebrate classical music. Do you listen to it? I know you play it of course, but tell me about your musical tastes.

EG: Being a harpist, we play a more obscure repertoire…solo, chamber etc…and also symphonic works that include the harp. Recently I have been on a quest to start listening to all of the great repertoire that does not include the harp.  (laughing) I’ve been listening to a lot of Beethoven lately….his chamber works and symphonies. And Brahms and Schumann…Schubert…Haydn symphonies too. I love the piano and I enjoy listening to great pianists, Glenn Gould probably being my favorite. I really love listening to the solo piano works of Chopin and Rachmaninoff, two of my favorite composers. I actually have a cat named after Rachmaninoff!

TH: Do you listen to other types of music too? What’s on your playlist these days?

EG: Oh yes. My favorite band is Little Dragon. I am actually going to go see them in Denver right after my last performance in Kansas City. I try to go to a lot of live concerts in Chicago. Recently I’ve seen James Vincent McMorrow, St. Vincent, Jessie Ware, and Sigur Ros.

TH: I am concerned and interested in the acceptance and appreciation of classical music in our society today. What do think about classical music in our world these days?

EG: I am not concerned.  Maybe I should be but I’m not because I think that young musicians like myself and my colleagues that I went to school with are doing interesting things that are speaking to people in a new way. I don’t think this world would exist without classical music, or without music in general. I’m not worried. Classical music is going in a new direction.  I hope that what I have to say through the harp will reach people and get them thinking…or feeling something they haven’t felt before.

TH: I am happy to hear your optimism. My friend Patrick says that classical music is “hip”.

EG: It is…definitely. In Chicago we have concerts in Millennium Park. 11,000 people showed up for a free concert ….of Opera. People recognize greatness...and the best artists… and they want to hear it.

TH: We are so excited to have you come to KC for the concert with the Heritage Philharmonic. How did this come about?

EG: Jim Murray and I met when I was a freshman in high school. I competed in the concerto competition… I played one movement of the Handel Concerto ...the slow movement, and I was one of the winners. So I performed that concerto with the Northland Symphony. Jim was conducting.  We reconnected a couple of years ago and have stayed in touch. He asked me earlier this year if I would be interested in coming back to perform and I said “absolutely!” My passion is performing. There is nothing better for then getting up on stage with an orchestra …its really special.

TH: And you still have family here?

EG: I do.

TH: It will be wonderful for them to come and hear you play!

EG: Absolutely. I have not performed in KC since I was in high school. I am very excited.

TH: I can’t wait. Thank you so much for your time.

EG: I also wanted to say I'm playing 2 solo recitals while I am in the area, one in Clay Center, KS and another at KU.

TH: That's awesome. Have a wonderful time! And thank you for speaking with me.

EG: You are most welcome.

Here is a link to Emily's website:
http://www.emilygranger.com/

Maurice Ravel in Kansas City

Maurice Ravel is one of my favorite composers. Kansas City is one of my favorite cities. (I was born here). But little did I realize that 37 years prior to my birth, Maurice Ravel came to KC on his 1928 tour of the United States and gave a lecture and performance at the Muehlebach Hotel Ballroom. Ravel was a fan of jazz music, a topic he discussed in many of his lectures. He became friends with George Gershwin, and according to some sources, delivered a great one liner when Gershwin told Ravel he would like to study with him. "Why do you want to become a second-rate Ravel when you are already a first-rate Gershwin?"

Here is the program from March 14, 1928:

Program

Wednesday 14 March 1928, 8.15 o'clock

The Ballroom, Hotel Muehlebach
Kansas City

Lisa Roma (voice)
Maurice Ravel (piano)
Earl Risenberg (reader)


Lecture

MAURICE RAVEL
Shéhérazade

Sonatine

Histoires naturelles

Pavane pour une infante défunte
Habanera
Rigaudon

Cinq mélodies populaires grecques

Encore: La Vallée des cloches

[Order of items uncertain]

(Source: Kansas City Journal-Post, 15 March 1928)

(I found it interesting that the source of the program is a newspaper I had never heard of....the Kansas City Journal-Post. I looked it up in Wikipedia, and sure enough, this was a  KC newspaper dating back to 1854....almost 30 years before the KC Star was established. It folded in 1942).

As I read more about Ravel's visit to the US, I found a great website that is dedicated to the composer.
http://www.maurice-ravel.net/index.htm
Here is the page that describes Rave'ls trip to KC:

Ravel in Kansas City

Ravel came to Kansas City for a recital on 14 March 1928, with the soprano Lisa Roma, at the Hotel Muehlebach ballroom, under the auspices of the local Pro Musica group. The event was eagerly anticipated and the venue was packed. It began with a reading of Ravel's prepared lecture on contemporary music, in which he paid tribute to the modern generation of French composers, as well as repeating his views on the "blues" as a vital force in American music.

The perforrmance of piano music and songs by Ravel attract the usual criticisms of the composer's limited abilities as a performer, as well as reservations about the suitability of his singer. None of this however diminished the sense of occasion and Ravel's personality, as expressed both in his music and in his physical presence, drew a warm response from local reviewers.

"What we heard was music that seems to have been written by one with the touch of Midas... It has color, rhythm, design and effect and its aesthetic sense is developed to the highest degree. At times it is even tantalizing, so subtle is Ravel and so delicious is his sense of the ridiculous." (Kansas City Journal-Post, 15 March 1928**).

"Little of the music ever had been heard by the audience before last night. It is pleasant to be able to say that a great deal of it, as was not the case with the gruff and thundering Bartok, left a positive impression, and at the time was a matter for enjoyment and not a test of endurance. Chiefly because, doubtless, modernist Ravel seems always less concerned with saying what he has to say in a different way, than with finding something sensible to say in the first place." (Kansas City Times, 15 March 1928, p.14**).

(** as quoted in Dunfee [1980] pp.105-108.)

(Another newspaper discussion...you can see the Kansas City Times was also quoted here. Kansas City had 2 daily papers for almost 100 years...the Times in the morning and the Star in the afternoon. The times disappeared in 1990, and since then, KC has had only a morning paper).

Ravel wrote so much incredible music. You all surely know Bolero...his most famous composition. You may also not be aware that Ravel was the genius who orchestrated Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.The Sheherazade as seen on the program above is one of two compositions by the same name written by Ravel, this one from 1903. .not to be confused with the more famous Scheherazade by Rimsky Korsakov. And then you can talk about Pavane pour une infante defunte, Rhapsodie espagnole, Daphis et Chloe, Introduction and Allegro.....and on and on......

Add Ravel to your playlist!

Playlist Suggestion - Ida Presti

She is one of my favorite classical guitarists. Ida Presti died in 1967, and though she was well known during her career, I don't believe she reached the status of other guitarists such as Segovia, Bream or Parkening. But her tone, phrasing and emotion make her one of my favorites. Here is a great tune called Carpice by Lagoya. It was recorded sometime in the 1950's....I don't have the date. I find myself listening to it over and over.......Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADSQgEJf0mc

The Seasons..... but not Vivaldi's.

I am pretty sure that most Americans are familiar with at least some of the melodies or phrases from Vivaldi's masterpiece, The Four Seasons. Composed in 1725, this set of four violin concertos is one of the most recognizable works in all of classical music. It has been transcribed for just about every instrument known to man, used in films, TV shows, commercials, and internet podcasts. It is a devastatingly brilliant work of art. SO what does this have to do with Tchaikovsky???
Well, thanks to Sirius XM satellite radio, Channel 74, I was introduced to another work called The Seasons by none other than one of my favorite composers, Peter Tchaikovsky. I caught a glimpse of the radio and saw The Seasons on the screen, but after a few moments I said, "hey...this isn't Vivaldi! What the.....? What I was hearing was a work for solo piano. And it was not remotely similar to Vivaldi's robust baroque style. Chalk it up to what I say all the time....there is so much music out there that I know little or nothing about. How wonderful it is to "discover" new music.
So I Googled The Seasons by Tchaikovsky. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

The Seasons was commenced shortly after the premiere of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto, and continued while he was completing his first ballet, Swan Lake.^[2]

In 1875, Nikolay Matveyevich Bernard, the editor of the St. Petersburg music magazine Nouvellist, commissioned Tchaikovsky to write 12 short piano pieces, one for each month of the year. Bernard suggested a subtitle for each month's piece. Tchaikovsky accepted the commission and all of Bernard's subtitles, and in the December 1875 edition of the magazine, readers were promised a new Tchaikovsky piece each month throughout 1876. The January and February pieces were written in late 1875 and sent to Bernard in December, with a request for some feedback as to whether they were suitable, and if not, Tchaikovsky would rewrite February and ensure the remainder were in the style Bernard was after. March, April and May appear to have been composed separately; however the remaining seven pieces were all composed at the same time and written in the same copybook, and evidence suggests they were written between 22 April and 27 May. The orchestration of Swan Lake was finished by 22 April, leaving the composer free to focus on other music; and he left for abroad at the end of May. This seems to put the lie to Nikolay Kashkin's published version of events, which was that each month the composer would sit down to write a single piece, but only after being reminded to do so by his valet.^[1]

This has become one of my favorite pieces. I have posted a link to a nice performance of The Seasons from YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAEKPcz9www. Two legendary composers, working 150 years apart, using the same inspiration....the Seasons.

My Personal Bernstein Memory

Yesterday, August 25, marked the 96th anniversary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein. I confess, I did not realize this fact until fairly late in the day...and I did not even have a chance to post anything about it on my Facebook page. But I have been thinking a lot about him since I heard it was his birthday. I wish he was still here conducting, composing, teaching, and preaching about classical music. I recently read a great book called Dinner with Lenny by Jonathan Cott....a transcription of the last interview Bernstein gave before he died in 1990. This book shows that even at the end of his life, he was so alive and passionate about music.
He truly was one of the giants of our time. He was larger than life in so many ways. One of my favorite movies EVER is Silver Linings Playbook. The greatest scene in the movie is the dance sequence with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, and the finale of their dance uses the Dave Brubeck Quartet rendition of Maria from West Side Story...such a great song. And of course Candide, On the Town, 3 Symphonies and on and on...so many incredible works. And as a conductor, he led the great New York Philharmonic for many years. And from that podium he opened the doors to classical music to millions of children through the TV show Young Person's Concerts on CBS. And he re-introduced the music of Gustav Mahler to this country in the 1960's. I am fortunate to have my own personal Bernstein memory. September 20, 1987. Chicago, IL. Bernstein conducted the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Orchestra Hall. And I was lucky enough to be there with my Mom and Dad to see it. Bernstein looked good...he moved well....he was in the moment for sure. The program was awesome...Mozart, Bernstein, and Sibelius. The Sibelius 5th Symphony is a powerful, majestic work. It will will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up for sure. Mine did on that great night in 1987. I knew I was seeing something fantastic. The three of us had tears in our eyes when the concert ended...tears of joy. I feel lucky to have been able to see him before he passed away. It will always be one of my greatest classical music experiences. Here is the program from that night.

And here is a link to a great concert Bernstein conducted with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1989, the year before he died. This is the Sibelius 5th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dACRUFfmMeo

Bravo Panera Bread !!!

You won't see it on the menu, but one of the tastiest treats served up at your local Panera (or St. Louis Bread Co. as it is still known in the St. Louis area) is the classical music that floats throughout the store, mingling deliciously with the smell of bread, coffee and all of the other tasty treats. I meet my mom every Friday morning for coffee at our local Panera, and along with our coffee, food and conversation, we enjoy the music playing in the background. On my visits to other Panera cafes around the country, I also hear classical music playing. It seems clear that this is not happening by chance....it is a thoughtful decision on Panera's part.
So I reached out to Panera and connected with their corporate Director of Public Relations, Jonathan Yohannan. He confirmed that the decision to use classical music is made at the corporate level; they have a concept creative team that works with a vendor to establish the appropriate music curation for their cafes. Each cafe is required to play either classical or smooth jazz. This music is provided by a company called DMX, and is sent to the stores digitally.
I also spoke with cafe managers in Lee's Summit, Kansas City and Tulsa about this. I was curious if they received much feedback from any of their customers...positive or negative...about the use of classical music. The reaction from customers is very positive. Store managers have been told the classical music creates a great atmosphere for conversations, studying or just relaxing. It is not obtrusive, yet it has substance. One manager told me he gets much of the positive feedback from younger, "hipster" types, which takes me back to a conversation I had with Patrcik Neas who unabashedly says classical music is hip.
So next time you visit a Panera cafe, enjoy some Mozart, Telemann, or Bernstien...all of which I have heard playing there....with your coffee and bagel....or bear claw.... or bread bowl....or whatever you are having.

Artist's Profile: Jazz Pianist Joe Cartwright

I am fascinated by lines....musical lines. And more interestingly, how these lines can be crossed, fused and blurred. The boundaries between jazz and classical music have been probed and tested continuously by everyone from Ravel to Shostakovich to Gershwin. Which brings me to Joe Cartwright. Joe is a jazz pianist who has been helping shape and define the jazz music scene in Kansas City for over 30 years. I met Joe when he was a guest soloist with the Independence Symphony several years ago. He played Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. As I have explained in a previous entry (I Heard Violins) the fusion of jazz with strings really turns me on. Rhapsody in Blue is an iconic work, and as I learned during this concert, it is a very demanding work for any pianist. I was immediately impressed by Joe's technique and musicality. He seemed to be very comfortable in both the jazz and classical world. We sat down to talk recently at Twisted Sisters Coffee in Mission, KS. I wanted to learn more about his artistry and his personal relationship with jazz and classical music.

TH: I know you have played in the classical realm because I was there when you played Rhapsody in Blue with the Independence Symphony…that work in itself is what I call a “boundary spanner”. Gershwin in general is that way.

JC: Absolutely one of the better examples of crossing genres.

TH: There was a great article in the NY Times about the Hollywood String Quartet who was founded by Felix Slatkin (whose son Leonard later became Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony) and how they became famous as the backing for Frank Sinatra in his legendary Capital years. I love the fusion of strings and jazz.

JC: The Charlie Parker with Strings recording is a great example of fusing jazz with strings. One of my favorite jazz recordings with string arrangements is Shirley Horne’s Here’s to Life. Another really great string arranger is Dave Grusin. I really admire his work.

TH: How do you classify yourself?

JC: It says Kansas City jazz pianist on my website…that’s what I am putting out there. My business card just says pianist on it. So…pianist works.

TH: Have you studied classical music?

JC: Yes, I have a Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from UMKC.

TH: That serves you well in any kind of music you play I would think?

JC: I guess (smiling…modestly).

TH: So do you enjoy playing classical music? Do you ever sit down and play a Chopin prelude or something like that?

JC: I do! I don’t really keep a repertoire up. But for example, I had a job last weekend where I was asked to play a program of all Scott Joplin music…which isn’t really classical or jazz…it’s kind of in the middle. So I found that my sight reading chops are still good, and I read through half a dozen pieces and played them for a memorial service. The thing with Joplin….a lot of pianists try to play it too fast…. It’s really more stately.

TH: And Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is a big staple of the classical repertoire.

JC: I performed the solo version as well as with the ISO…and I am going to be creating an arrangement of it with the music director of the KC Jazz Orchestra, Clint Ashlock. We are going to collaborate on an arrangement that will be some sort of adaptation of the Ferde Groffe arrangement with maybe some extra sections. You may not know that on the original recording of Rhapsody in Blue that Gershwin made, a lot of the sections were improvised…then later transcribed. He just didn’t have it all fleshed out when he got the commission. That’s really a credit to his skill as a pianist.

TH: Jazz musicians live in that world of improvisation whereas classical musicians play what is written on the page…they are not often trained in improvisation.

JC: That’s a shame. In the world of piano, especially in the 19^th century, improvisation was expected as part of the concert. The pianist would ask the audience for a melody and then improvise on it. It seems that pianists today are intimidated or afraid of that. For me, with my classical background…it’s about applying all the rules of theory to come up with an alternate melody. That’s basically what improvisation is…coming up with an alternate melody based on the chord changes…. and then you employ whatever devices you have access to…scales, modes, arpeggios etc. And baroque devices like sequencing, inversion, retrograde inversion…all that stuff. Those are technical terms for a way to play a group of notes. In the baroque era these rules were very strict.  I use a sort of a looser interpretation of those rules. Plus, applying elements that are not necessarily musical elements to draw creative inspiration from, like numbers for example. If I look into the audience and I see a group of 4 people, then I think of the number 4, then I decide what does that number mean to me in relation to where I am in the song? It might allow me to think out of the box. I might think of the IV chord for example, or a group of 4 notes. Or maybe I see two people wearing hats in the audience…so that’s kind of the process, besides just musical devices.

TH: Is it a struggle for you to play a classical or “legit gig” with an orchestra accompaniment, where each note is required to come together in a precise way , and you aren't free to add notes and improvise at will?

JC: No, I don’t think about that...I mean whatever the parameters of the gig are, that’s what I adhere to.

TH: Do you have a favorite type of setting or ensemble to work with?

JC: I do…piano, bass, and drums….the classic piano trio.

TH: What is it about the trio you like so much?

JC: It’s intimate, and I think it allows for a lot of interplay, especially with musicians that you’re comfortable with and that I have performed with for a number of years. It takes a while to build up the interaction and the trust...the rapport. I look to them for inspiration too. The more comfortable you are with each other, the more extended the boundaries become of what you can do and where the music can go.

TH: Who are your top 5 jazz pianists?

JC: There are probably 20! But Oscar Peterson, Cedar Walton, …(I like the way his trio works)….Herbie Hancock, Michel Camilo….and Jay McShann.

TH: What style of jazz would you say you enjoy the most?

JC: My style of jazz playing is more bebop oriented…with a strong right hand. I’d like to develop my left hand more.

TH: What other things interest you? Do you listen to a lot of music?

JC: I am a huge tennis fan…I try to play 3 times a week…and I subscribe to the tennis channel. So that’s a passion. But to address your question, I am required to do some listening on a weekly basis. I am the Music Director at Unity Village Chapel in Unity Village, MO where I arrange several new pieces of music a week. I also write charts for artists that want to get their music published but don’t know how to put their music into a format that any musician can read. Then I have music I listen to for the radio show on NPR, 12^th Street Jump, which is heard on 120 stations…syndicated nationally. We get played on stations from Alaska to Florida. Our local affiliate is KCUR 90.3 FM. I have a backlog of CD’s from artists I have never heard but I want to listen to because I want to keep up with new music that’s coming out. I like to listen to music actively…not passively.

TH: That’s almost a lost art these days.

JC: It requires concentration to listen actively.

TH: Do you have any composer in the classical world you enjoy the most?

JC: Absolutely. I like composers that write for piano, like Chopin for example. Debussy. Ravel. I’m a big fan of the Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera….very interesting and rhythmic, Latin influenced. I really like Bach…love to play Bach.

TH: How did you get your start?

JC: I used to sit on the piano bench and watch my grandmother.

TH: Are you from KC?

JC: I grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas. One set of grandparents lived in Kansas City, and the other set of grandparents lived in St. Joseph, MO. And so we split times on weekends between one place and the other. My maternal grandmother…actually both of my grandmothers played piano. And my mom and dad played piano. We had a piano in the house all the time. I started taking piano lessons when I was 8. Once I started showing some promise my parents bought a baby grand piano, but they couldn't afford to keep it. So they traded pianos with some neighbors up the street so we wound up with this upright, converted player piano….the mechanical parts had been removed, but these pianos were made with heavy duty frames, so it added a huge amount of weight to these pianos, and they were really hard to move. My parents moved from Iowa to Florida and were going to sell it, so I told them I would come get it. I rented a U-Haul and went up to Iowa and brought the piano back to the carriage house I was renting at the time. I ended up selling it to a student who lived on the second floor of a house in Hyde Park. It cost more to move it up there than the piano was worth! That piano is still up there…and this was 30 years ago. I know the guy that owns the house. He still says, “oh yeah, your piano is still up there. Come over and play it sometime”.

TH: What pianos do you play at home?

JC: I have 2 Yamahas...a 5’7” Yamaha and a 6’8” Yamaha. I purchased a Yamaha G5 grand from a former student of mine. It became available right after my wife and I had decided to downsize and bought a condo in Mission, KS with a finished basement, so I converted that into my studio. When this piano became available, I had to figure out how to get it into the basement. And that required knocking out a wall, for which I had to petition the home owners association!

TH: How is the jazz scene in Kansas City these days?

JC: Kansas City has a great reputation. Jazz just goes with Kansas City. I’d have to say that compared to just about any other major city except perhaps New York and New Orleans, Kansas City has a vibrant jazz scene.

TH: So one can be a working musician, playing jazz here?

JC: Yes…there are of course a lot of factors. You gotta be good, you gotta be a business person….and just because you are talented doesn't mean you are going to get a gig. I've done my share of studio work and recordings here as well.

TH: Do you tour?

JC: Yeah. I used to tour a lot. I did two tours as a jazz ambassador for the State Department and that’s taken me all around the world. It was really a lifetime experience. I played in 7 countries in Africa, the Middle East…..we were, I believe, the first US jazz band to do a joint concert with a Palestinian band in the West Bank. We also played in Thailand, Malaysia, and India.

TH: How were you received in these places?

JC: Most places we were really well received. The experience in the West Bank was pretty amazing because people have no hope there, and their music reflects that. A lot of it is sad. But we did several joint concerts with a Palestinian band…in Ramallah and Bethlehem. We went to a recording studio in Jerusalem and had a jam session and worked out what we were going to play together. I remember the concert we played in Ramallah. They played a program, then we played, then we did two songs together. When we started playing together, the audience went crazy. It was explained to me later…when they saw an American band with a Palestinian band, it transcended all of the politics…what they saw was two different cultures coming together. And if they can do this musically, we can do this politically. That’s the way they were thinking. So it gave them hope.

TH: That s incredible!

JC: Until I performed in some third world countries around the world, I didn't think about that. But once I did, it gave me a whole new perspective on how music can really bring people together.

TH: How do you keep fresh and stay interested gigging week after week?

JC: I treat every job as a professional. I play what‘s required of me to the best of my ability and try to find something that’s aesthetically pleasing and rewarding about every gig. When I’m the leader that means I have flexibility, and I hire musicians that inspire me. I try to find some form of inspiration to propel the music to a new place. That’s what keeps it fresh for me….to always be searching for that new place. Sometimes it happens as a result of interaction within the band. Sometimes it happens as part of the symbiosis between the audience and the band. In addition to playing, my two main jobs are putting together two new radio shows every month. I am also the Music Director at Unity Village Chapel every Sunday, so that keeps me busy too.

TH: What are some places you play around town?

JC: The Gaslight Grille at 135^th and Roe. I play there with a clarinetist named Lynn Zimmer several nights a month. I play at the Blue Room, the Green Lady Lounge in the Crossroads District, Chaz on the Plaza in the Raphael Hotel. I also do some corporate gigs and recording sessions.

TH: Do you have an agent?

JC: I am not exclusive with an agency, but there are 3-4 agencies that have me on their call list who I work with. I've been involved with an organization that’s just getting started called Kansas City Jazz Alive. What we are trying to do is “float all ships” that are involved with jazz in KC. We are a support group.  Its musicians assisting musicians…. dealing with things like how to find work and how to get health insurance. I am trying to help them develop a database of jazz musicians.

TH: I understand you had a chance to perform at the opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts?

JC: I had to turn down the opportunity to play at the grand opening about 3 years ago. Since I am the Music director of 12^th Street Jump radio show, and we had a show that night and they can’t really do the show without me.  So I had to turn down the opportunity to play at the Kauffman. But I have been hoping to get a chance to do something there ever since, so now I will with the KC Jazz Orchestra next season.

TH: I am also curious about the physical toll being a musician takes on the body….and the mind. How are you feeling these days?

JC: My energy is as high as always. Physically, the main area I have to deal with is my back. …posture and back support is critical. Every piano is different, so I take my own chair to gigs. 

TH: Joe, thank you for taking time to speak with me. I really enjoyed it.

JC: Me too. Thank you too!

A link to Joe's website is here: http://www.josephlcartwright.com/index.html/. Do yourself a favor and go see him perform!