Unsheathed Sword

The Meditation

Mother Divine

Being Joyful

And….the one I know you’re all waiting for…

EPIC Blues!

Special thanks to the cold cats that showed up and jammed with us! And thanks to the rest of you for making The Hang such a memorable gathering each week – we simply love to create this atmosphere with you each and every Thursday!

Jacob (Stickbo) Stickney (tenor sax)
Nathan (It’s Better With) Vetter (trombone)
Ron (Gilky) Gilchrist (trombone)
Eli (Get ‘Em) Clark (trombone)
Thomas Marriott (trumpet)
(Burning) Bernie Jacobs (flute and vocals)
Jessie Sawyers (tap dance)

We recently caught up with East Coast transplant / now Seattle based MC/Rapper Spekulation to ask him a few questions about how he got introduced to The  Teaching’s music, his experiences attending The Hang, as well as the story behind his recent sampling of our song ‘Beautiful Brooklyn‘ on his digitally released album ‘Hack Job – The Instrumental Mixtape‘ (released on May 19th, 2010).

Feel free to click on the player below to listen to the song while reading the interview:

Q. What was your first impression of The Teaching back when you happened upon The Hang at Lo-Fi?

Actually, the first time I heard The Teaching was at your first gig at The Musiquarium, which I tend to think of as a faux-swanky lounge downtown filled with young professionals and expensive cocktails.  So, technically my first impression of The Teaching was “damn, these guys are way too nice for this place” and “that dude with the long hair rides that snare like he’s on a Biggie Smalls record”.  A couple months later I made it down to The Hang at Lo-Fi for the first time.  The whole experience was pretty overwhelming, and I’ve been to The Hang so many times since, that I don’t really recall my exact impressions, but I do remember feelings.

I go a little crazy when I hear music that I need to sample, it quickly becomes all I can think about.  So, my first time at The Hang I remember a constant feeling of panic and anxiety hearing the music changed from movement to movement, and all these samples kind of floated into the ether, never to be heard again.  Honestly, it was traumatic, and a lot of my motivation in making music in the last few years has probably come from trying to deal with it in some positive way.  But now that I say that out loud, this whole thing sounds a little crazy.

Q. You’ve mentioned once how The Teaching’s music & what was occurring at The Hang reminded you of what was going on when The Roots and similar bands were coming up on the East Coast. What do you think are the main strengths or elements that differentiate the Seattle Scene to what was going on where you were coming up through music on the East Coast?

I think the main strength that differentiates the two is the fact that the scene here is still going on.  I mean, The Roots obviously still play and collaborate with the artists they grew up playing with, but at this point it doesn’t seem like that’s where their power comes from.  It’s just sort of a novelty.  And maybe that will happen here eventually (if history is at all trustworthy, it most definitely will), but it hasn’t happened yet, and that’s something we should not take for granted.

Creatively, I don’t think there are many differences… Both communities are made up of young musicians trying to find their own sound within the context of building its own musical movement.  In The Roots case, it was the neo-soul tradition… In Seattle’s case, who knows?  I don’t think we’ve really figured that out yet.

Q. What was your inspiration for sampling our music and many others in the New Seattle Music scene?

Purely selfish…on several levels, really.  Any song I’ve ever sampled has been because I needed to hear it with my ears the way I was hearing it in my mind.  I’ve made a bunch of songs from sampling that never see the light of day, just to get it out of my head and make myself a little more sane.  So, because I was spending so much time listening to New Seattle music, it was inevitable that I was going to re-imagine some of what I was hearing.

On another level, I just wanted to prove it could be done.  I think it’s a widely held misconception that HipHop music seeks to do anything differently than jazz or other types of folk music, in borrowing or sampling from artists and peers.  One of my goals is probably to put that misconception to rest.  I get a kick out of making people uncomfortable, especially when their discomfort is a bit absurd.  So its endless fun for me to take music that people already love, flip it, and then throw it back in their faces with the question “do you still love it?”  The answer may be no, but then I get to ask why that is, given that it’s fundamentally the same music, and the approach is basically the same as that of any other folk tradition.  Demanding that people answer that question has always been a large part of what I do.

And on a very direct level, I wanted to work with all of the New Seattle artists, but that’s a hard sell when you’re “that rapper who hangs out in the back of the club and doesn’t say much.”  So sampling became my way of showing the artists what I thought was possible.  And I think it worked.  My latest record, The Depression Era EP, has very few samples on it, but a bunch of original music and performances by artists that I met through sampling for my first record.

So, in short, selfishness was my motivation.

Q. How did get the idea to remix The Teaching’s new song Beautiful Brooklyn with well known artists Jay Z & Lil’ Wayne?

I’ve always really liked the catchy melody of The Teaching’s original track, how it kinda gives you that feeling of walking across the bridge from Manhattan, seeing the dark brown bricks of Brooklyn get closer.  But every time I hear it I can’t stop the voice in my head shouting, “Maaaaaan, that ain’t Brooklyn!”  Like the song needed a pair of Timberlands, some blunt smoke, and a Yankees fitted to really be the Brooklyn that I know.

The funny thing is, I had similar feelings about the Jay/Wayne song too, because I always thought the beat lacked any sort of Brooklyn vibe.  It’s got this really over the top 808 drum loop, which has become a hallmark of HipHop production down South… and absolutely no melody or instrumentation whatsoever.

So, in that sense it was a no-brainer.  But I think it paid off for me in that I got showcase two groups of great artists that, on the surface, might seem to juxtapose one another.  I think it’s safe to say that The Teaching’s core group of fans might be hesitant to listen to the newest Jay-Z & Lil Wayne single.  Just like I feel confident in saying that Jay and Weezy’s main audience would probably be unsure about picking up a record by The Teaching.  Admittedly, this is probably not the best business model on my part, but I think it’s worth it because the people that do overcome the apprehension have that much more music to appreciate in their lives.  And that’s dope.

Q. Where do see The Teaching’s music playing a role in future samplings on your records or collaborations in the future?

My approach to this whole thing has been, I’m gonna keep bothering artists and stealing their music until they tell me to go away.  So, from my perspective, I’m just waiting on The Teaching to put out another album.  And if you could keep it in 4/4 time, it’d really make my thievery a lot easier.

Q. How would you describe The Teaching’s sound to someone who’s never heard us before?

You know, it means such different things to me every time I experience it.  So I probably wouldn’t try to describe it, I would only insist that they experience it.  Especially people like me, that grew up listening to HipHop records, because when I look around the room at The Hang, the people that are most visibly excited are the kids with the backpacks and crooked caps.  Because to HipHop kids, The Teaching’s music is immediately accessible, in a way that a lot of other jazz music isn’t.  The particular ways you transition between movements, the use of silence to build anticipation, are techniques that we can see as almost “turntablistic.”  But, bottom line, I don’t want to get too into descriptions because Lord knows you’ll disprove me in just a couple bars.

Q. Share with The Teaching’s fans how your music may appeal to them or broaden their musical palette so to speak.

When I watch The Teaching perform, it’s always fun to hear the songs evolve and progress, as new ideas, melodies and rhythms are introduced.  I don’t feel like what I’m doing, at least in terms of the process, is very different from that.  I just tend to linger in those moments for a little longer.  And I think your fans probably appreciate that facet of your performances, so I suspect they would at least find my projects to be interesting.

But I think a good test would be to go buy a record by The Teaching and listen to it.  If at any time you find your head nodding uncontrollably to the beat, then I think it’s fair to say that you would enjoy my music.

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More info about Spekulation, his up-coming shows, music, videos and much more can be found on his website at http://spekulationmusic.com

]]> http://theteachingmusic.com/meet-spekulation/feed 0 http://theteachingmusic.com/the-teaching-nominated-for-inside-out-jazz-awards http://theteachingmusic.com/the-teaching-nominated-for-inside-out-jazz-awards#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 22:26:11 +0000 admin http://theteachingmusic.com/?p=481 Dear Friends and Fans of The Teaching,

It’s my sincere pleasure to inform you that The Teaching was nominated in 3 categories for the Inside Out Jazz Awards put on by LUCID Jazz Lounge here in Seattle, WA. We are so pleased to be nominated and a part of this amazing new awards show. We will be presenting a special Hang performance at the end of the awards show in the lobby of Benaroya Hall this coming Monday, May 31st. Tickets are still available through LUCID or Benaroya Hall.

We also warmly welcome your vote of support for us in the following categories. You can vote up until May 31st:

Band of the Year
Most Dynamic Concert of the Year (LUCID 1 Year Anniversary Show)
Composition of The Year (Beautiful Brooklyn by Josh Rawlings)

Also Evan & Josh are nominated in the other following categories if you’d like to support their other works and projects:

Evan – Outstanding Instrumentalist of the Year
Josh & Evan – Straight Ahead Album of the Year (Unreal Reality – Industrial Revelation)

DOORS OPEN 6:30pm
SHOW 8:00pm – 10:30pm
THE HANG 10:30pm – 12:00am
AFTER PARTY at the TRIPLE DOOR – MUSICQUARIUM LOUNGE 12:00am-close

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Price range $15-$35
Lucid 5241 University Ave. Seattle,WA
In person or through Benaroya Box Office
http://www.seattlesymphony.org/symphony/buy/single/production.aspx?id=9922&src=t&dateid=9922

THE OFFICAL PRE AND POST PARTY will be hosted by the TripleDoor Musicquarium Lounge! Featuring Vocalist Alisha Roney. Before the show take advantage of Happy Hour from 4-6PM. After the show a food Happy Hour commences at 9 and goes until Midnight.http://www.thetripledoor.net/Calendar/Events/Musicquarium/Inside-Out-Jazz-Awards-Pre-and-Post-Party.aspx?date=2010-05-31

LOG ONTO http://www.lucidseattle.com/ to vote for your favorite Seattle Jazz Musician and for ticket information THROUGH MAY 31st!

100% of the proceeds from the evening will be going towards rebuilding in Haiti.http://www.strengththroughunity.org/

The I/O Awards night will consist of honoring musicians for being influential in the jazz community with hand-scultpted bronze awards. Award categories will range from, for example, the more common ‘Outstanding Instrumentals’, ‘Outstanding Album’, etc., and others will be more unique and personalized.

The event will also include numerous performances from Seattle musicians and performing artists. Such performances as a reprise of Evan Flory-Barnes’ Earshot Award winning “Acknowledgment of a Celebration”, a Miles Davis Tribute, LUCID Live Records’ first recording group the Reservoir Cats, Seattle jazz legends and upcoming artists alike. This eclectic, energetic night gaurantees a sold out night.

A very special ‘Hang’ jam will be hosted by The Teaching in the lobby of Benaroya after the Awards Show. The Teaching has become LUCID’s house band every Thursday night for the past year bringing the community together for The Hang. The Teaching also happens to be the rhythm section of The Reservoir Cats featured on stage that evening.

CONTACT http://www.lucidseattle.com/ FOR DETAILED LINE UP AND TICKET PURCHASE INFORMATION

Tickets can also be purchased from the Benaroya Hall Box Office in person or online: http://www.seattlesymphony.org/

100% of this year’s show proceeds will be used toward the rebuilding work in Haiti supporting http://www.strengththroughunity.org/

Enjoy the video clip below of us playing ‘Pick Up The Pieces’ by Average White Band with 22 tap dancers! (special guests Jason Parker on Trumpet & George Bullock on Guitar):

And here’s another video of us playing ‘Here Comes The Sun’ by the Beatles with Jessie, Mark & Travis:

And another video of us playing Evan’s tunes ‘Apex of A Beautiful Day’ with the tap dancers:

Here’s a live recording of The Teaching’s composition ‘Sea Town’ from his recital:

Jacob played with such heart that evening and his instructors, friends and family seemed very pleased by his performance and our music. We’ve had the pleasure of hearing him mature into a well-rounded musician over the past 2 and half years both at Lo-Fi and LUCID. We had almost forgotten that we had all come full circle together until Jacob reminded us that evening that we also played his entrance performance. It seemed very fitting that he invited us to close this chapter of his music education at Cornish.

The Teaching would once again like to congratulate him on a successful recital and being an all-round COLD CAT!

For more info about Jacob Stickney and his music please visit his MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/jacobstickneymusic

Feel free to listen to more clips from Jacob’s Senior Recital below:

Also, we’re happy to say LUCID (the club we host The Hang at each Thursday) received it’s own special Golden Ear award for it’s incredible fundraising for relief and aid efforts in Haiti. Congratulations LUCID! For more info about what LUCID is doing to help Haiti please visit: http://www.strengththroughunity.org/

Read more about the awards ceremony by viewing a PDF of Earshot’s Publication online here: http://www.earshot.org/Publication/pub/10march.pdf

More info about the fine concerts, festivals Earshot puts on and much more on their website at http://www.earshot.org/

Here are the details:

Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Time: 8:00pm – 9:30pm
Location: Theatre off Jackson
Street: 409 7th Avenue South
City/Town: Seattle, WA 98104

Here’s more info about the event:

Calling all tap dancers, modern dancers, hip hop dancers, musicians, vocalists, visual artists…
——-
On Wednesday, April 7th @ 8pm, following the presentation of “FLOW: An Evening of Music, Dance, and Visual Art” at the Triple Door on Sunday, April 4th, we will keep the party going in the cool, intimate performance space @ Theatre off Jackson.

The Teaching, including Josh Rawlings on keys, Evan Flory-Barnes on bass, and Jeremy Jones on drums, will be our band for the evening.

Other FLOW artists in attendance will include: World-renowned tap dancer Mark Mendonca; Toronto-based, International tap dancer Travis Knights; Seattle’s own Jessie Sawyers; VAM performance, and more!

This jam is about strengthening our connection as artists in the community. Let’s come together to support each other, inspire one another, and have a great time!

Come create with us!

——
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Purchase tickets in advance! (Our last Tap Jam sold out!!)

Tickets: $10

Purchase Tix through Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/103369

It’s All About the Hang
By Peter Walton

“It’s a way of living your life – living with teamwork, cooperation, and integration. And we’re so excited about it now because this has been new for all of us.” Jeremy Jones continues: “It’s been a gift that tells me the universe is friendly.” Quickly it becomes clear, this isn’t an ordinary jam session.

As much a community gathering as an opportunity to workshop ideas, the Hang has grown into an almost unstoppable force – a weekly event as warm, joyful, and true to Seattle as it’s founding members. By tapping into the creative energy of their community, Keyboardist Josh Rawlings, bassist Evan Flory-Barnes, and percussionist Jeremy Jones, otherwise known as the ensemble the Teaching, have given the Hang a power of its own, one which its participants believe can touch and heal any person willing to give him or herself over to it.

Josh, Jeremy, and Evan first convened at the Seamonster Lounge in August of 2006. With no preconceived notions of what their trio ought to sound like, the Teaching grew purely out of the unique chemistry of its three members. The band recalls one particularly magical early moment in which, building off a calypso, Jeremy Jones climaxed into a boisterous swing feel, completely shifting the direction of the performance. Unsure of how this maneuver might be received, Jones was pleased to watch the band explode with enthusiasm and add further fire.  And so the ensemble began to grasp the potential of what they could create together while working together as one.

With only the loose guide of composed forms as launching pads, the music can, and does, take off in any number of directions. Exploring beyond the limits of hip-hop, jazz, R&B, rock, and Afro-Cuban forms, the music at the Hang is bound together by its ability to accept whatever an individual musician might contribute, and turn it to gold for the ensemble. “Some people might prefer the structure,” Josh Rawlings explains, “but this is freedom. And it is just so exciting to play music that has no limits.” Far from an emotionless crossing of genres, however, the band plays with an invigorating immediacy, the kind of energy that breathes life into the cynic in you. “We’re talking about bombs that make people scream and shout and music that makes people cry,” Rawlings continues, “And we’re making it in the moment with the community.”

But what was the impetus to essentially open up the Teaching to the community in the Hang forum? As Evan Flory-Barnes relays a lesson from another generation: “Bird told us, it’s all about the hang.” More than ever, the band argues, Seattle needs a place where not just musicians, but audiences, fans, and any person off the street, can come to listen, learn, network, and play. “What was unfolding early on,” Flory-Barnes comments, “was a very natural and organic style of creating music of a particular moment, and basically a welcoming of all people with a creative or expressive voice to contribute their authenticity as a person.” Clearly they weren’t alone in their perspective, as the Hang grew in both the size and scope of its mission, spreading this collaborative energy to all who might listen.

After about two years of weekly gatherings at the Lo-Fi Performance Gallery, however, the Hang moved this past June to the Lucid Jazz Lounge in the University District. In addition to simply wanting to try something new, the band was attracted to Lucid for owner David Pierre-Louis’ work in serving and supporting local jazz artists and audiences. Refreshed by a venue owner who was so ready to fight for the artists, the band found in Lucid a partner willing to invest in The Hang as completely as they had.

Now about six-weeks into the move to Lucid, the Hang has thrived in its new environment.  The Teaching’s joyful spirit, communicative ability, and infectious energy continue to draw increasingly large and diverse crowds to the U-Districts intimate club. The attitude of “hang first, create later,” has instilled in the club a spirit of true community, while the sheer breadth of the music being performed has opened up the event to audiences and performers who might not otherwise feel comfortable at a jazz jam.

Indeed, this impassioned spirit of openness, both artistically and personally, directly influences the musical energy that flows through the performance. As Rawlings notes, “When you embody this warmth, kindness, and beauty that you find in the community, the musical possibilities are limitless.”

Here, the Teaching view themselves as ambassadors for what Evan Flory-Barnes has called the New Seattle movement. “It’s about inclusion, integration, celebration,” states Flory-Barnes, “it’s about giving people permission to look within themselves and know who they truly are, and about expressing their highest joy with others.” Musically, Josh Rawlings adds, “the key is collaboration. To get hip hop artists working at the Hang, who might later work with a jazz vocalist – new things are born out of that.  And people here are becoming more and more aware of how this process is taking place.”

To Flory-Barnes, “Seattle doesn’t have to look outside itself for approval. It’s its own space. I’ve often seen people comment about a composer here saying it’s good for Seattle – but no!  It’s good for the world. There has to be a confidence and an attitude… a swagger that we can bring forth and encourage others to have.”

Certainly, though, the Teaching’s plans include bringing this spirit to others. The band has already found enormously receptive audiences in such locations as Savannah, Georgia and Portland. The Teaching believes with complete confidence in the music’s ability to break down cultural barriers and bring joy to individual lives. And with pride, the band can now put forth their energy and say, “this is Seattle.”

The Teaching performs in the Hang Thursday, August 13, 20, and 27 at 9:30 PM at the Lucid Jazz Lounge, 5241 University Way NE, free of charge.  The Teaching will also perform on the Triple Door Mainstage on August 24 at 7:30 PM.

For a PDF of the article click HERE
For a PDF of the August 2009 edition of the Earshot Magazine click HERE