‘CRISALIDA’-‘CHRYSALIS’:
“the form taken by some insects (eg butterflies) at an early stage in their development.”
IT IS FITTING THAT DANILO PEREZ’S LATEST ALBUM IS ENTITLED CRISALIDA.
WHILE BEST KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN WAYNE SHORTER’S GRAVITY DEFYING QUARTET, PEREZ HAS ALSO BUILT UP HIS OWN MUSICAL CATALOGUE OVER THE YEARS WITH AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF RELEASES UNDER HIS OWN BELT, MIXING GENRES FROM STRAIGHT AHEAD JAZZ TO MUSIC REFLECTING HIS HERITAGE.
THIS NEW ALBUM IS A POETIC AFFAIR THAT TAKES YOU THROUGH VARIOUS CULTURES AND PANORAMAS, WITH A WIDE RANGING COLLECTION OF SOUNDS AND STYLES THAT IS AS COLORFUL AS THE SHIRT THAT PEREZ WORE WHEN I INTERVIEWED HIM VIA ZOOM.
A MAN OF DEEP FAITH AND CONVICTIONS, PEREZ GRACIOUSLY TOOK THE TIME TO SHARE HOW HIS MUSIC IS PART OF HIS SPIRTUAL WORLDVIEW.
YOUR SHIRT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING FROM AFRICA
It’s from West Africa. I have a store here, but I like to wear clothes from West Africa and Panama. There is a region called Colon that has a strong connection with the African region of Congo.
TELL ME YOUR IMPETUS FOR THIS FANTASTIC RECENT ALBUM
The project is called “Crisalida”, and I started it because every artist has a desire to create an alternate reality, an alternate world. I see Crisalida as a multi-cultural platform where we are reborn as human beings through the interconnection of the arts. I am thinking of a space where we can creatively talk about immigration, climate change and social justice.
I started this project with a group of students from the Berklee School of Jazz Institute Master Program. We have being doing this for five or six years, and every year I was paying attention to a unique individual and what they can add to their character and individuality to this project. Like minded artists who believe that music can change the world.
I started a process of jam sessions at my home, and we jammed for a whole year. There were no rules , we just spent time being open listening and tapping into each other. So, after that experience, I started writing music tailor made for them. That’s how Crisalida began.
At every point in an artist’s life, he is thinking about the Earth, Earth 2, Earth 3, Earth 4…like rebirth, rebirth. I get energy from this Idea, because I refuse to believe that the world will continue this way. I am not pessimistic. I want to go out and do what I love doing and working it out this way.
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“every artist has a desire to create an alternate reality, an alternate world”
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HOW DOES YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH TIE INTO THIS MUSIC AND MESSAGE?
I think that we are living in a period of transition having to decide in which direction we have to go. My faith gives me a lot of hope. What will happen to this world with all of our actions, we might not have all of the answers, but Christ promised a new life. My hope is in that.
I may not agree with all of the way things are done, but I believe that there is a new life for us.
Music has been created to be an antidote; to create protection and life for us.
One of the interesting things about this record, in the Global Jazz Institute, we talk about the blues, and connecting to your roots. It’s important to expand the folk elements from where you come.
The Global Messengers are that family to me; we’re exploring the blues, exploring the power of music, and creating a cultural dialogue.
I think that is a crucial element with this new record, the idea of through listening we are proposing and expanding and focusing on our differences in order to also focus on our common tones.
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“At every point in an artist’s life, he is thinking about the Earth, Earth 2, Earth 3, Earth 4…like rebirth, rebirth. I get energy from this Idea, because I refuse to believe that the world will continue this way. I am not pessimistic. I want to go out and do what I love doing and working it out this way”
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I FIRST SAW YOU WITH DIZZY GILLESPIE’S ORCHESTRA. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?
The first thing that I learned in this musical environment with these amazing musicians, led by one of the geniuses of the 20th Century taught me a lot about humility, taught me a lot about family and taught me a lot about community.
Those people and artists embraced me with open arms and they really took care of me. Each one of them. I first want to say that.
From Dizzy Gillespie; he was such an amazing person. People don’t know that side of him.
I remember an answer that he gave to an interview once. They asked him how he wanted to be remembered, and he answered “as a humanitarian”.
For Dizzy, music was the link, the connector. That’s why he played music. So I learned from Dizzy Gillespie the power of music for intercultural dialogue
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“Music has been created to be an antidote; to create protection and life for us”
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WHAT DID YOU GLEAN FROM YOUR TIME WITH WAYNE SHORTER?
First, I learned to direct my life. (laughs)
To take charge and to really see the potential of a family relationship in terms of getting married.
I related to Wayne like a father figure; he’s a second father to me.
Check this out…
I was concerned when I joined the band that I could play the music well, to see if I was doing everything ***right, so I asked him what I need to do to improve, and he looked at me and said “You need to get married” (laughs)
That shocked me, because I was thinking, “Wow, I know that he’s been with Miles Davis, and I understand that Miles Davis was a super creative individual, and he had unique ways to fire you.” I was thinking that Wayne was trying to fire me.
But Wayne was literally talking about me getting married. The reason for that is because his wife Carolina told me that he told her “Danilo thinks he needs more music lessons, but what he really needs is more life lessons, because that’s what he’s going to be playing.
I’m so grateful that I listened to him and to my brothers John Patitucci and Brian Blade.
In terms of music, Wayne helped me to develop this concept called “comprovisation”, so that when we are improvising, we are actually composing at that moment. That is the mission and the goal; to try and create a spontaneous composition.
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“I asked (Wayne Shorter) what I need to do to improve, and he looked at me and said “You need to get married” (laughs)
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Through Wayne, I was able to develop an aesthetic of playing the piano as an orchestrator in a constant dialogue.
He also taught me to reveal myself in front of the audience. When we’d go up on stage and play, it was scary; it was like jumping into a swimming pool with no water. I always felt that way, and if we ever get together again I’m sure I’ll still get nervous. I think that means that I care about what’s going on.
The other thing is “fear training” . No matter how good your ears are, the component that stops you when you are improvising is actually fear, so you need to develop that relationship when you are creatively making things together. You need to be relaxed.
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“They asked (Dizzy Gillespie) how he wanted to be remembered, and he answered ‘as a humanitarian’”
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WHEN YOU ARE WITH SHORTER’S QUARTET, YOU FOUR ALL SEEM TO BE GOING IN COMPETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, AND YOU WONDER IF ANYONE’S LISTENING TO ANYONE ELSE, BUT BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU ALL TIE IT TOGETHER. DOES WAYNE GIVE SOME SORT OF SIGNAL TO BRING IT HOME, OR IS THAT ACTUALLY HOW YOU COMMUNICATE?
We are all listening; we call that concept “Zero Gravity”. It means that everyone is going as far as they can in terms of their own dimension.
The way that the Wayne Shorter Quartet works, we are creating four dimensions, and we are orbiting around each other. Sometimes it’s a combination of the trio around Wayne, sometimes a combination of me and Wayne, sometimes Wayne with John, Wayne with Brian, and then we come together as four. We’re trying to create the meaning of four as a big orchestra.
There is no such thing as an interruption. The dialogue and the music that we play is the closest representation of human behavior.
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“We are all listening; we call that concept “Zero Gravity”. It means that everyone is going as far as they can in terms of their own dimension”
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I WATCH YOU JUMPING UP AND DOWN AT THE PIANO ON STAGE, AND I’M WONDERING “WHO IS HE LISENING TO?” IS IT WAYNE? JOHN? BRIAN? ALL THREEAT THE SAME TIME?
(laughs) All of the above. It’s parallel realities. That’s how we listen. We’re looking for what we call nowadays in music “Windows”
You see, I founded what is called the Berklee College (Club?) of Jazz Institute where I met my Global Messengers artists. In that Institute we’ve been able to define all of these concepts, “Comprovisation”, such as “Fear Training” and what I’m going tell you about now which is “Windows” .
For example, when we’re in a room, we’re all looking around and designing a sculpture with ideas. As soon as someone gets the window or the door opens, we jump at it.
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“I learned from Dizzy Gillespie the power of music for intercultural dialogue”
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IS THIS THE MAIN FOUNDATION OF THE INSTITUTE?
The main foundation of the Institute is to have a new program, a new curriculum to inspire musicians to interconnect music, social activism and performance therapy.
The student comes, learns all of these concepts that I’ve learned through my experiences with the Wayne Shorter Quartet and with Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Haynes, Joe Lovano, Steve Lacy, Chick Corea and Paul Motian. We make all of these connections.
We then give them the opportunity to experience the music in retirement homes, psychiatric hospitals and in the jail system so that they can connect the power of music with social activism.
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“What will happen to this world with all of our actions, we might not have all of the answers, but Christ promised a new life. My hope is in that”
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SO THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO TEACH. WHAT’S THE HARDEST THING FOR THEM TO LEARN?
That’s a great question.
I think that one of the hardest things is to develop a 21st Century meaning for the words “Optimism” and “Hope”. That’s hard for them.
The other thing is…I really love a James Baldwin comment. He said “Everything that you face you might not change, but you’re not going to change anything if you don’t face it.” People need to learn to have that warrior spirit, to look at the therapeutic aspect of music and really put it into their agenda.
It’s not only about developing as an artist a commitment but developing a commitment with your community to really move forward to protect humanity from this direction of greed and power that we have today. We haven’t learned anything about that, yet.
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” I think that one of the hardest things( for today’s students) is to develop a 21st Century meaning for the words “Optimism” and “Hope”. That’s hard for them
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WHAT DO YOU TRY TO EMPHASIZE WITH THE PANAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL?
At the Panama Jazz Festival, we try to create a collective memory of the relationship of Panama with the United States. There’s a hidden history of Panama with the United States. For example, the orchestra of Luis Russell that became famous was actually the Panamanian Luis Russell that came from Bocas de Toro . That’s a historical fact that is not known. There is a role of Panamanians in jazz music; the influence of Pan Caribbean music in the making of jazz.
We just mentioned Luis Russell. There’s also Sonny White, who’s the pianist in Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” came from Panama. Eric Dolphy had a Panamanian father. Randy Weston had a Panamanian father. Carlos Carney, Panamanian father. You can go a huge list, but it’s been hidden so far.
At the festival, we’ve been able to tell people by dedicating the festivals each year to one of these figures. That’s one thing.
The other thing we emphasize is how music can change people and give hope to people who come from marginal places, vulnerable places.
We have seen success stories of these people who didn’t think yesterday they’d live past 18 years old, and are now 30, making an impact and mentoring younger citizens and creating new citizens. That is one of the aspects of the Panama Jazz Festival; it which works with the Danilo Perez Foundation, and we actually have a volunteer system that creates professionals as they get older.
For example, this year I got COVID, and then my wife got sick, so we two were out, but because we have been consistent with working with this system, it turned out to be a Divine trial to see if our system worked. It did work; when you give people an opportunity to grow, they will develop, and that was proven at the festival this year.
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“(Wayne Shorter) told her ‘Danilo thinks he needs more music lessons, but what he really needs is more life lessons, because that’s what he’s going to be playing'”
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WAS THERE A SPECIFIC GIG OR RECORDING THAT WAS A ‘BAPTISM BY FIRE’?
When I was in Panama, “A Remark You Made” with Wayne playing the melody with the Weather Report band. That was one
Also John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. There’s something about that record. It just nails me.
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“No matter how good your ears are, the component that stops you when you are improvising is actually fear, so you need to develop that relationship when you are creatively making things together. You need to be relaxed”
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WAS THERE EVER A CONCERT THAT YOU PLAYED IN THAT CHALLENGED YOU SO MUCH YOU REALIZED IT WOULD MAKE OR BREAK YOU?
I had an experience with Wayne Shorter’s Quartet . I don’t know if I ever had it again.
I felt like I was flying.
I was playing, and then something just slowed down. I saw a bunch of light and I watched the concert from another dimension. It was an amazing experience.
It was around 2012. I told Wayne backstage “I felt like I was flying in the air”, and he said “That’s what I’ve been telling you like it was like with Miles Davis all the time”. (Laughs)
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“I told Wayne (Shorter)backstage ‘I felt like I was flying in the air’, and he said “’That’s what I’ve been telling you like it was like with Miles Davis all the time'”.
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WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN YOU WATCH A PIANO PLAYER?
I’m looking for a connection with sound, vibrations. I’m looking for interaction, ideas. I want to be a part of that moment of therapy when it happens. I don’t want to miss the miracle in front of me.
TELL ME THREE BOOKS YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia. You’ve got to have that one.
I’m currently reading Teaching to Transgress by Bell Hooks.
The Mysticism of the Sound of Music by Inajad Can. You’ve got to read that.
One that gave me a lot of inspiration was Beloved and Jazz by Tony Morris
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“When we’d go up on stage and play, it was scary; it was like jumping into a swimming pool with no water”
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WHO IN WORLD HISTORY, LIVING OR DEAD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SIT DOWN FOR AN EVENING AND PICK THEIR BRAIN?
Miles Davis. Because he’s had so many stories, and I’d like to have my own direct experience with him. I heard all of these stories from Wayne and other musicians that played with him, so I find him fascinating. He’s one of the people I would have liked to be around.
Also Duke Ellington, and I would have loved to been around Mary Lou Williams. She was a mentor to many of the giants.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR WHEN THEY HAVE YOUR FINAL MEMORIAL SERVICE?
As someone who really cared for others, who was willing to give more than take
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“There is no such thing as an interruption. The dialogue and the music that we play is the closest representation of human behavior”
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HOW HAS YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH INFLUENCED YOU AS A MUSICIAN?
It has been through loops; sometimes very high, sometimes very disconnected. But there is a connection that exists with God , and there is a gravity with Him to everything we do; there is a divine connection that is always there with me.
WHAT GIVES YOU THE MOST JOY?
It has changed over the years.
It’s having a deep conversation with my children¸ even in the kitchen . It gives me such a pleasure to watch them growing. I’m grateful in that sense for the experience, unfortunately due to the pandemic, to get deep with them on that road.
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“there is a connection that exists with God , and there is a gravity with Him to everything we do; there is a divine connection that is always there with me”
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WHAT FUTURE GOALS DO YOU HAVE?
I would like to continue to develop the Global Messengers and keep opening doors for the new generation of artists. We have a lot of great artists coming up, and I want to be a part helper in that. I want to continue writing music, to speak to the heart, to the emotion and to the imagination.
I am enjoying tremendously collaborating with my wife, Patricia, who is an amazing artist, a saxophonist, humanitarian and we have some projects together.
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“I want to be a part of that moment of therapy when it happens. I don’t want to miss the miracle in front of me”
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FEW ARTISTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FAITH AND WORLDVIEW THROUGH THEIR MUSIC. DANILO PEREZ HAS BEEN ABLE TO SHARE HIS HOPE IN GOD AS WELL AS THE JOY OF HIS HERITAGE THROUGH MUSIC. HIS LIFE HAS LITERALLY CHANGED THROUGH HIS MUSIC, AS HIS FELLOW MUSICIANS HAVE ENCOURAGED HIM TO GET MARRIED, RAISE A FAMILY, PLAY CHANCE TAKING MUSIC AND GROW IN THE GRACE OF GOD.
AND THE BEST PART WITH MEN OF FAITH, PEREZ IS OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT BY HIS FAITH, THE BEST IS ALWAYS YET TO COME.