Hi today I meet music educator, drummer, and composer Jae Sinnett, with whom we’re going to talk about the 2025 JazzWorks Jazz Camp and Symposium that’s being held at the Camac Facilities on beautiful Lake MacDonald in Harrington, Québec from August 25th to August 31st.
The JazzWorks Jazz Camp and Symposium is a great opportunity for saxophonists, instrumentalists and singers to learn and experience music theory with some of the best canadian and international jazz musicians as well as special guests saxophonists Kirk MacDonald, Janis Steprans & Samuel Blais, trumpeter David Smith and drummer Jae Sinnett (photo). Le 30th JazzWorks Jazz Camp and Composers Symposium is on from August 25th to August 30th.
To register & more info : jazzworkscanada.com / 613-220-3819 / jazz@jazzworkscanada.com
Claude Thibault : So Jae, what makes learning jazz at the JazzWorks Jazz Camp and Symposium so unique ?
Jae Sinnett : Well, it’s all about jazz. I mean, the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed, it’s all about jazz, either in performance, either in teaching, either in casual discussion, over dinner, over lunch, over breakfast, the conversations, it’s all about jazz. And the beauty of this camp is that you’re isolated, so you don’t have the opportunities to have any outside distractions, outside of the fact if you want to go swimming in the lake, that’s about the extent of the outside distraction. But that’s one of the most impressive, one of the most impressive things about the camp for me is that the focus and the commitment and the dedication is all on jazz. And the second thing, the extraordinary amount of talent in one place.
I’m mainly now talking about the educators, the teachers, some of Canada’s best. And it’s a pleasure and an honor to see these wonderful musicians again, to play with them again, and many of them have become my friends. And it’s just the camaraderie of jazz. That’s what this camp is about. And for students, it’s a utopia. It’s a jazz utopia for students, for learning.
Claude Thibault : And what would the camp provide more specifically for somebody wanting to improve their jazz playing skills, whether they’re a vocalist or an instrumentalist ?
Jae Sinnett : Well, there are multiple instructors. There are multiple teachers in different areas. You have vocal instructors. You have saxophone instructors. You have drumming instructors. You have bass instructors. You have guitar instructors. You have piano instructors. There is a professor or two or three for each instrument. So, and then to add to that, in addition to the instrumental expertise, these teachers are used to working with ensembles because there’s a heavy focus on bringing these kids together to learn to play together. So it transcends just learning how to play your instrument better. Just being a better saxophonist or a better drummer. I always say there’s learning to play the instrument and then there’s learning to play music. See, those are two entirely different things. Because I know great instrumentalists that are terrible at playing music. And I know musicians that are really good at playing music that are just okay. On their instrument, but they have a way, they have a very unique way of learning how to communicate with others to make a collective sound that is really, really good. So for students, you have the professional instruction right there at your fingertips. Teachers are walking around all day when there are no classes. The students can freely walk up to the instructors, to the professors.
And ask them any questions they would like. Engage them. It doesn’t have to be in a classroom. Because remember what I said in my first answer. It’s all about jazz. The moment you get up to the moment you go to bed. And when we’re not in class, if we’re taking a break between the classes, we’re just relaxing and talking. And students come up to us all the time. So there’s lessons given to these kids all day and all night.
Until it’s time for them to go to bed, there is some sort of jazz education all day and all night.
Claude Thibault : How do you approach teaching when there’s such a diverse level of participants ?
Jae Sinnett : Well there’s an audition process that’s part of getting into the camp. So you get the tapes, we listen to the tapes, and then we structure the ensembles around the abilities of the students. We try to match the students’ abilities in the combos, if you know what I mean. So we say, okay, well, this bass player here is on an intermediate level. This drummer here is on an advanced level. So we keep the drummer out of that. If we have a drummer here that’s on a beginner, intermediate level, we’ll combine them with that bass player. If the saxophonist is advanced, we’ll take them and put them over here with that advanced drummer. So piece by piece, we build these combos in a way, hopefully, and ideally, that once the combos are put together, however many there may be, the talent levels will coincide. They can parallel each musician in the combo. Because see, what you don’t want to have is a student that’s, let’s say, a beginner student with a different level. They know their scales. But they struggle with improvisation. They struggle with some of the fundamental mechanics of playing music. They won’t work well in an advanced combo.
And I think the students are more appreciative because you don’t want to have is a student that’s kind of a little bit above a beginner player and then you have a student that is super advanced in the same combo. Because that’s a breeding ground for frustration. So we try to align the talent levels and separate them into the combos that we think will be best fitted for them.
Claude Thibault : Judy from JazzWorks was telling me that there were a lot of vocalists this year and not as many instrumentalists. And I was wondering, do you usually get enough drummers ?
Jae Sinnett : One year I had to play drums in the combo because we didn’t have a drummer for the combo. And of course, I don’t mind. So I was teaching and playing the drums. I would rather have a drummer there so I can teach and hear everything unaffected. Because you tend to hear everything differently when you’re actually playing versus standing in front and listening. This is the 30th anniversary of the Camp and they’re bringing in kind of like an all-star student ensemble that they want me to lead and direct. And these are some of the better players. Like Ethan Callego, the piano player, he’s a phenomenal piano player. Yes. And most students aren’t going to be on that level, right? He’s just that one really, really super-duper special kid. So this all-star student ensemble, Ethan will be a part of, and I will be directing that. And there is a drummer, so I don’t have to play. And I can focus on teaching them writing and teaching them improvisation and all these things. But we try to, I think there’s a pretty good number of instrumentalists there too. And sometimes the combos, we have vocalists playing, singing with the instrumental ensembles. Everybody at some point will have their chance to shine.
Claude Thibault : What’s your greatest satisfaction in regards to involvement at the Jazz Camp ? What’s your personal reward in regards to what’s going on there ?
Jae Sinnett : Well, I love coming up there to Canada. I had never been to Canada before my first Jazz Camp. I think this is my fourth or fifth year doing this. The first thing I was really struck by when I got to camp the first year was the level of talent with the teachers. Some of Canada’s best musicians, Brian Dickinson, Kirk McDonald. I mean, such incredible, incredible players. And that were so insightful.
But to have all of this talent in one little spot, right? Not all over Toronto, not all over Montreal, not all over Ottawa, just in this one little art center, all this extraordinary talent. So the things that I got most excited about was one, being around that level of talent, being able to teach and to perform with this level of talent, to meet new friends.
And like I said, a lot of these musicians up there have become my friends. Adrian Vedady, I love him, man. I mean, I just love the guy personally and as a bass player. He is a phenomenal bass player. And I just so badly want to play with him more. I wish the laws we’re different. Like we as Americans can come to Canada and play with little problem, but that’s not the case in reverse. There are a lot of weird obstacles for Canadian musicians to come to the States to play, unfortunately. I’ve tried and I’m still trying to do something about that. I’ve had conversations with congressmen down here, Bobby Scott and a few other people. A lot of these people didn’t even know that this was the issue.
I’m just doing my little part because I just so I want to bring Ethan down here to play. I want to bring Adrian. I’d like to get Kirk and Brian. I mean, there’s just such amazing talent up there. And like I said, they become my friends. And I just wish the political structure and the political atmosphere was different. And I think most Canadians know that, you know.
Our government is different than a big part of our populace. You know, a lot of us don’t feel the same way in terms of process and all these things. But that aside, I don’t come up there with any political favor or anything like that. I come up there to teach some music, to have a great time, to learn something from my perspective. I learn from them too. Like I hope they learn from me. I’m talking about the teachers.
And to just be in that environment, I wish I could be in that environment like every month instead of once a year. Because I come back after that week invigorated, I come back a better musician, a better educator and a better person.
Because it’s such kind people up there, man. Down here, we have so much tension now. There’s so much conflict. There’s so much division. It’s just such a divided place down here now. And so it’s a breath of fresh air for me to come up here and just get involved with these wonderful people and just have a good time. So that’s what I enjoy most about it.
Claude Thibault : What would you say to potential participants that might be intimidated to jump in ? You know, that are at a certain level and they’re going, oh, well, I don’t know maybe I’m not up to par and that kind of thing. What would you say ?
Jae Sinnett : Yeah, well, again, remember, they have to audition, they have to send in the tape. Yeah. So I’ve had students that are basically, a little bit above beginner, I’ve had advanced students. And a good teacher is very good at encouraging. Very good. I tell students sometimes, I said, you know, I’m not here to judge you. I’m here to help you. I’m here to make you better at what you do. I’m here to take what you know, whatever that is, and expand that for you, help you expand that. I’m here to make you feel confident and good about your playing. And even as professionals, you know, any serious musician that I know, I’ve been playing for over 45 years of my life, I still have things that I really need to work on. So it literally is a lifetime study. And I tell students that too.
I’ve been playing this music a long time. I have 21 albums as a leader. I have written hundreds of compositions, and I still feel I have things to learn. So I tell them it’s a lifetime of study.
And it’s steps, it’s layers. You learn a little bit here and then once you start to feel like you’re getting it, then you develop your confidence and then you get better and then you learn new things. And then you start, you emulate when you first start, you collect ideas and you put all these ideas in that little creative treasure, idea treasure chest. And as you learn and as you develop, you pull out these ideas occasionally out of that little treasure chest and the ideas eventually start to become yours.
You get further and further and further away from emulating. You start to find your voice because every great artist, every great writer, every great actor has found their way to do it. Whatever it is they’re creating, they found their way to do it. How you do your interviews, it’s your way. How I do my playing, how I do my writing, it’s my way. So I tell the students, it’s okay to be where you are right now, wherever that is.
Because you’re not going to stay there if you’re serious about it. You’re going to have ups and you’re going to have downs, but you got to learn both of those situations will teach you something. So for the students that come in that feel a little insecure, a little intimidated, we try to let them know, or we don’t try, we do, we let them know, hey, there’s no judgment here.
There’s no judgment here. We’re all going to have a good time, and we’re all going to learn something, and you’re going to be better once you leave this camp. That’s all you need to worry about. You don’t have to worry about being inadequate as a player. That’s why you’re coming to the camp, because you want to get better, right? That’s what I tell them. That’s what I tell them. Great.
Claude Thibault : Let’s talk a little bit about you. One question that I always like to ask musicians that I appreciate, and I know your music and I appreciate your career as well. What have you been listening to lately ?
Jae Sinnett : I’m laughing because I’m getting ready to do this Ozzy Osbourne tribute. We’re going to be playing Black Sabbath. But here’s the interesting thing. Rock was the first music I played professionally in high school, right? When I was 16, 17 years old. And the first music I played professionally was Black Sabbath. I have a tape. Somebody sent me an old cassette tape of us playing Iron Man. Wow. When we were 16 years old. And it’s pretty darn good, I might say. So when Ozzy died, I released an album earlier this year, or was it last year, called the Blur the Lines Project. And it’s more of a rock-based project. Rock and some jazz fusion. It’s all instrumental. But we did Rush, Tom Sawyer.
We did Frankenstein. We did Immigrant Song by Zeppelin. We did Hush by Deep Purple. We did I Just Want to Celebrate by Rare Earth. So occasionally I go back to my rock chops, right? And so I have this Ozzy Osbourne tribute band thing coming up that I’m going to make sure I get my earplugs because all these screaming guitars.
But then I have a Phoebus Jazz Festival coming up in September. So I switch gears and I go back to jazz. My nonprofit organization, Hampton Roads Jazz Incorporated, produces it. Down here in Virginia. I’m bringing in drumming great Steve Smith. I’m bringing in saxophonist Everett Harp and some other artists, so we’ll have a good time. So I have to prepare for that. So I’m playing both sides of the street, literally. I’m playing this metal, this rock metal on this side, paying tribute to Ozzy. And then over here, I come back to jazz. But I like doing that.
And the latest thing I’m doing now, I’m also doing now stand-up comedy. I have a show coming up August 9th, and I’ve been working out my material for that show. So I like doing many things where I can use the creative aspects of my brain.
I’m also a chef. I love cooking. The comedy now is pretty important to me and still obviously still playing and teaching music. That’s what I do, man. I mean, that’s what I do. I just love using my brain constructively and creatively to make a lot of fun things and hopefully make a lot of people feel good.
Claude Thibault : If you had the chance to play with a musician or an artist dead or alive that you have not played with, who would that be ?
Jae Sinnett : Coltrane, of course. For the energy, the spiritualism, the spirit of all that, just to have, be in that kind of energy space. I remember reading an interview with Jack DeJohnette, and he was talking about one time where he sat, he subbed for Elvin Jones with Coltrane. And he said after he played with Coltrane, he understood why Elvin had to play the way he did behind John Coltrane, because of Coltrane’s energy, his passion. I would love to play the music of Vince Mendoza. He’s one of my favorite composers. His writing is just incredible and really reaches me in here. Just a very special writer. I love what the Yellowjackets are doing, man. I would love to play with Bob Minster and Russell Ferrante, those guys, and Dane Alderson. Dane is a bass player who lives here in Virginia, actually.
I would love to play with Oscar Peterson. You know, just get up and swing a little bit. Early Miles Davis. I wasn’t that interested in what he was doing the latter part of his life, but that late 50s, mid-60s period, on Columbia, like mid 60s, late 60s. I love what those guys were doing. Herbie, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams. Just it was just so magnificent, magnificently liberating and ground changing and organic and all those things. I would love to play with, you know, Keith Jarrett. Also pianist Bill Evans, man. Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea. Chick Corea is somebody I would really, because Chick was a drummer too. And that’s why so many drummers love playing with him, because his music was so drum friendly. It was perfect for drummers.
You know, Dave Weckl had a blast playing with Chick Corea. Any drummer had a blast playing with Chick Corea. So I would love to have done that. But I got an opportunity to play with a lot of the great ones, though. I played with Freddie Hubbard. I played with Joe Henderson. I played with Kenny Barron. I played with Mulgrew Miller. I played with James Williams and the great Herb Ellis, who was with Oscar Peterson for a while. So I got a chance to really play with a lot of these great artists. So I don’t feel badly about who I didn’t play with, but I’m fortunate that I got a chance to play with a lot of great artists.
Claude Thibault : In closing, if you had maybe one thing that you’d like to add that we haven’t touched about the JazzCamp, what would that be ?
Jae Sinnett : I just look forward to coming back to the Jazz Camp in terms of my knowledge and what I can bring and help these students and even the teachers, you know. So I just want to be able to have a better presentation, have a better class, have a better performance, and have new jokes. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Because, you know, there are some jokesters in that camp, like Lorne Lofsky, you know, he’s the ultimate jokester, you know, and so many other people, but it’s just me. I just want to be better so I can have more information to bring back to the camp and help these students and get them better in a better place. That’s it.
Claude Thibault : That’s really great, Jae. I appreciate the time that you spend with me and with our readers. And in conclusion, I wish you a great Jazz Camp in beautiful Lake MacDonald. I hope the weather is nice and the jazz swingin!
Can’t wait to see you at the 30th JazzWorks Jazz Camp and Composer’s Symposium!
Jazz Camp & Composer’s Symposium / practice retreat
Composer’s Symposium / practice retreat : August 25 to 28 2025
Jazz Camp : August 28 to 31 août 2025
Centre Musical CAMMAC – 85 chemin Cammac
Harrington, QC
Registrations are open !
Registration fees
3 days (Camp ou Symposium)
Camping – $920
Shared cottage on lake – $1085
Cottage on lake solo – $1165
Shared main Pavillion – $1175
Solo main Pavillion – $1260
6 days (Camp & Symposium)
Camping – $1520
Shared cottage on lake – $1905
Cottage on lake solo – $2030
Shared main Pavillion – $2065
Solo main Pavillion – 2215$
To register & more info : jazzworkscanada.com / 613-220-3819 / jazz@jazzworkscanada.com
Our colleague and singer/actor Charlotte Désilets is participating and will tell us about her experience a few days after the camp.
Entrevue avec le guitariste et prof Lorne Lofsky du CampJazz de JazzWorks 2024
Entrevue avec la chanteuse Amy London du CampJazz de JazzWorks 2024
Entrevue avec Kirk MacDonald @ Camp Jazz/Symposium des compositeurs de JazzWorks 2023
