SAY THAT YOU WANT TO BECOME A JAZZ MUSICIAN…
DO YOU WANT TO BLAZE A NEW TRAIL OR CARRY ON “THE TRADITION”? OR MAYBE DO A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
AND HOW DO YOU FORM YOUR OWN SOUND AND STYLE? DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO NO GET INTIMIDATED BY THE SCORES OF ICONS THAT HAVE CARVED OUT A NICHE BEFORE YOU EVER CAME ALONG.
TRUMPETER JOHN LAKE FACES ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS AS HE CARVES OUT HIS OWN CAREER. BORN, RAISED AND EDUCATED IN OHIO, HE NOW LIVES IN NEW YORK AND HAS RECENTLY RELEASED HIS DEBUT ALBUM FEATURING HIS SEPTET, ENTITLED SEVEN ANGELS, COMBINING ORIGINAL MATERIAL WITH A DASH OF JAZZ CLASSICS.
IT’S AN IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE RELEASE, ENOUGH SO AS TO GET OUR ATTENTION AND USE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONVERSE WITH SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT HIS MUSICAL CAREER
- WESTERN OHIO ISN’T EXACTLY A CENTER OF JAZZ. HOW DID YOU GET INSPIRED TO PLAY JAZZ TRUMPET?
I was lucky that my school system had a strong band program, with several good directors. Thanks in large part to football, incidentally, which is why Texas also has strong band programs – for the marching bands. And there was a music store in my small town, that had a trumpet teacher. They showed me a little bit of what else was out there, through recordings. But, they knew that for me to get proper exposure to jazz, ultimately, I’d have to venture outside my area, and they all enabled me to do that, via summer camps, and later, college.
- DID YOUR PARENTS ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE YOUR DIRECTION?
They were very encouraging. In fact, at some point I thought I would be a chemist, or a teacher, which are by no means poor career paths, and they steered me back to music. I think they saw a career in music as something extraordinary; something different than just any job. They were right about that! The music industry can be unpredictable, but I get to do something I love every day, and do it at a very high level. I’m grateful for their nudging.
- WHAT WAS THE BEST MUSICAL ADVICE YOU GOT FROM A TEACHER?
My college professor, Brad Goode, gave many excellent lessons. One I remember clearly; he was explaining to our freshman improvisation class about finding a voice as an artist. Pretty heady stuff for a bunch of teenagers – I think most kids our age were running their scales and patterns. Essentially, it came down to being honest with your music…not trying to be “the best,” or just getting good enough to keep making the hang. But really finding out who you are, and trying to communicate that to the audience, without pretending to be Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, or whoever. I’ll confess, it went over my head at the time. But it makes a lot of sense now.
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“Essentially, it came down to being honest with your music…not trying to be “the best,” or just getting good enough to keep making the hang. But really finding out who you are, and trying to communicate that to the audience”
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- WHAT RECORDINGS INSPIRED YOUR CAREER?
Man. At first, a lot of Miles Davis, especially “Round About Midnight” and “Miles Smiles.” Dizzy Gillespie with Charlie Parker, or Sonny Stitt, and some of the big band stuff. Anything from Fats Navarro, Charlie Shavers. Art Blakey records with Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, like “Night In Tunisia” and “Ugetsu.” Miles again, in “Birth Of The Cool,” and “Sketches of Spain.” Later, Kenny Wheeler, “Double, Double You,” Tim Hagans, “Audible Architecture.” Miles again, “In A Silent Way,” and “Bitches Brew.” For big band writing, I was really turned on by Kenny Wheeler’s “Music for Large & Small Ensembles,” and John Fedchock’s “New York Big Band,” which also featured a dream-team trumpet section.
- FOR YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, DID YOU FORM A WORKING BAND AND DECIDE TO RECORD? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RECORD AN ALBUM AT THIS POINT?
I wouldn’t say I have a “working band.” I’m not the biggest go-getter when it comes to booking and playing my own live shows. But I did have a working relationship with everybody on the record, from years of playing around New York in every possible configuration. A lot of relationships from the big band world. I loved each of their playing, and while we’d never played as a unit, I was confident everybody would click. And they did.
I’d been having a lot of reading sessions at I-Beam in Brooklyn, played with a lot of folks, and had amassed a healthy book of originals. I wouldn’t even say I felt ready to record this music, but, I’m in my mid-30s, and I thought, “if not now, then when?” So I called the studio (Big Orange Sheep – also in Brooklyn) and booked 2 days, without knowing anything about what I’d be doing. It was the best decision I could’ve made.
- YOUR SONGS HAVE A HORACE SILVER-JAZZ MESSENGER FEEL TO THEM. DID YOU FEEL INTIMIDATED BY WONDERING HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING NEW TO THIS CANON?
Intimidated by Horace? Miles Davis? Freddie Hubbard? Of course! But, they’re not going to play my horn for me. I have to do that for myself. And that’s not without its pains, or doubts. Any artist is going to wonder about the validity of what they’re doing, and second-guess from time to time. That’s part of creativity. Ultimately, I don’t think it’s really up to me whether I’m contributing to the canon, so I try not to worry about it. I also don’t want to write something “different” just for its own sake. I write and play what I hear, and hopefully some of that comes directly from me, John, in 2020. I try to make music that I’d like to listen to today.
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“Any artist is going to wonder about the validity of what they’re doing, and second-guess from time to time. That’s part of creativity”
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- AS A TRUMPETER, HOW DO YOU KEEP A FOOT IN THE TRADITION, YET NOT SOUND LIKE SOMETHING IN THE PAST?
Tough question. Sometimes, I’ll hear some folks playing traditional, New Orleans-style music, and think that it sounds fresher than some of the more modern stuff I’d hear in more contemporary spaces. Musically, our culture is in such a crazy place right now. There are so many styles happening simultaneously. So, I’m less tempted these days to say, dismissively, “Oh, I’ve heard that before.” The style or language, to me, is less important than character, and as a trumpeter, so much of that is embodied in the sound. I hear folks pursuing a few main branches of that tree, especially coming from Wynton and Roy, of course. Now I’m getting inspired by the generation under me – there are some very fine, well-equipped young trumpeters around here!
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A PERSONAL TONE AND SOUND? DO YOU FEEL YOU’VE ACHIEVED THAT YET?
I’m working on that – it’s a lifetime pursuit. Mostly, I’m just trying to play the horn with integrity, and be honest with the music. Finding my sound feels a bit like finding my personality; in many ways, it’s not up to me, and it’s not something I’m going to fake for someone else’s benefit. I’m not so concerned about being instantly recognizable, but I do think there are some things I have going on that I don’t hear too much from other people, whether those things are intentional or not. If people like my sound, I’m happy about that.
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“Finding my sound feels a bit like finding my personality”
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- DOES THE LEGACY OF JAZZ TRUMPETERS INTIMIDATE YOU?
Absolutely. “Anxiety of Influence.” After so many greats have been at the table, I sometimes feel like we’re picking at the scraps. But I’m constantly amazed at the ability of my peers to forge their own paths. For me, composing my own music helps a lot. I’ve never been the most technically proficient soloist, or spent a lot of time inventing my own volume of vocabulary. So, to have my own music to perform takes a lot of pressure off. I don’t have to worry how Miles would’ve sounded on my tune, because I didn’t write it for him. I once heard Kenny Werner say in a masterclass, “When I get into a hot tub, I don’t think ‘How would Thelonious Monk get into this hot tub.’ I just climb in and enjoy it.” I think that’s an admirable way to approach music – for the joy of it.
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“Relinquishing control of my path, finding the people and music that matter to me, and focusing on that”
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- YOU HAVE PLAYED IN MANY BIG BANDS AND JAZZ ORCHESTRAS. HOW DOES THIS HELP YOUR SMALL GROUP ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCES?
The spectacle of a big band is something to behold. And the arrangements are all very carefully crafted to wield that power. Soloists are featured, but they’re not the sole focus. When I see a small group play, often times it’s just a “shred fest,” where everybody takes their own 8-minute solo, with little regard to the group dynamic. When I’m organizing a small group, I try to use that big band sense of organization, trying to keep the setlist and orchestration interesting. And choosing players who listen. Solos are essential, of course, but sometimes it’s helpful to use space, trust the band, and to savor that sense of wonder…leave some things unsaid.
- WHAT FUTURE MUSICAL GOALS DO YOU HAVE?
I definitely want to continue recording. Small groups, big bands, and everything in between. But, it’s hard to do independently. I enjoy playing in several fantastic big bands, and I look forward to continuing those relationships. Honestly, I’m just happy making music with my friends. I feel confident about this album, Seven Angels, and while I really don’t have too many expectations of world domination, I’d love to share it with a broader audience, and do more live performances.
- WHAT BOOKS GIVE YOU INSPIRATION FOR LIFE?
The Russians – Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Nabokov. Every time I come back to them, I somehow feel at home. “War And Peace” really adjusted my outlook. In that book, Tolstoy so artfully depicts the futility of narrative; that our lives are not only terribly fragile, they are utterly subject to whims of fate that we can’t even see or understand, much less control. It really made me think about why I’m pursuing music, and what I could hope to gain from it. I read that book 10 years ago, and am still chewing on that. Relinquishing control of my path, finding the people and music that matter to me, and focusing on that.
WITH AN ATTITUDE THAT RELISHES HISTORY IN BOTH MUSIC AND LITERATURE, JOHN LAKE USES HIS HORN TO SHOW RESPECT TO THE PAST AND YET USE IT AS A LIGHT TO EXPLORE THE FUTURE. CHECK OUT THIS ALBUM AND FOLLOW LAKE’S TRUST IN HIS BETTER ANGELS.