“Our music comes from a lot of different places,” jazz bassist, bandleader and composer William Parker told The St. Louis American. “A lot of things get thrown into the pot, then the pot melts, and that way you come up with an original statement, a flavor of our own.”
It’s worth noting, in Parker’s version of the melting pot metaphor, that it’s the pot itself that melts, not just the ingredients. Indeed, with Parker and his ensembles, the music can get that hot.
Parker will lead the band In Order To Survive 7:30 p.m. Friday October 25 at Mad Art Gallery, 2727 S. 12th St, as part of the New Music Circle series. In Order To Survive is his usual quartet – where he is joined by percussionist Hamid Drake, alto saxophonist Rob Brown and trumpet player Lewis Barnes — augmented by Cooper-Moore on piano.
As for the “things that get thrown into the pot” before the band melts the pot down, Parker leads a project based on the music of Curtis Mayfield, is steeped in Duke Ellington and folk music from all over the world, and his longtime musical partner Hamid Drake “made a living for a long time playing reggae.” Between the band members, they have played with nearly everyone on the musical map. To name two greats: Don Cherry and Cecil Taylor.
“All of these influences come into the music, and hopefully we create something different, adding R&B elements, elements of the blues, creating a universal music,” Parker said.
Having Cooper-Moore (a leader in his own right) join the band on piano opens up new universes of music.
“With the piano, we move more into the realm of church music, maybe, what one would call ‘cosmic music,’” Parker said. “It’s energy music, powerful music, but always with a blues- and gospel-tinged flavor.”
A melted pot of universal, gospel-tinged jazz music led by the bassist invites an inevitable comparison to Charles Mingus. Parker hears that a lot, and sees the point, but draws distinctions.
“A lot of people say that, because Mingus was one of the few bass players who were able actually to lead a group consistently throughout his whole life,” Parker said. “A lot of bassists have tried to do that, but bassists always get called to do sideman gigs. Mingus, after a point, didn’t have to do that. I, because of economics, still sometimes do sideman gigs.”
Parker still gets stuck doing sideman jobs, but he has done something Mingus only started to do at the end of his life and career, which is break out of the forms of traditional jazz composition and performance.
“Mingus always used preset chord changes a lot with his music,” Parker said. “It wasn’t until his last period – when he was playing with Don Pullen, George Adams and Hamiet Bluiett – that he did free excursions, taking the music out.”
Parker and his bands are prone to free excursions, to taking the music out. “So, musically, Mingus is not so much of an influence,” Parker said.
St. Louis is not on Parker’s regular touring circuit, but he said he “always looks forward when I get to come down there” from his home base in New York, because St. Louis is one of the great American cities where a musician – or a baseball fan – needs to get his ticket punched.
“If you live in America, you want to visit and play certain historic spots, like St. Louis,” Parker said. “I grew up watching the Cardinals – Stan the Man, Curt Flood.”
Fortunately for Parker, his St. Louis gig comes in the middle of yet another Cardinals World Series appearance, but he doesn’t have to compete against them. Friday is a travel day, when the team is coming home from Boston after playing two games on the road.
In Order To Survive performs 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 25 at Mad Art Gallery, 2727 S. 12th St, as part of the New Music Circle series. Visit http://newmusiccircle.org/.
