Interview with Kirk MacDonald @ JazzWorks Jazz Camp

Claude Thibault Primeurs 19 juillet 2023 | 0

Kirk MacDonald @ JazzWorks - photo by Leo Barco

This interview with Kirk MacDonald who’ll be @ JazzWorks Jazz Camp / Composers’ Symposium is a unique opportunity to discuss with the great Canadian saxophonist and educator about the event that’s being held Aug. 21-27 2023 at beautiful Lake MacDonald around 1 1/2 hours northeast of Montréal.

This is a partial but comprehensive transcription of this Zoom video interview with Kirk MacDonald :

To register and for more information : jazzworkscanada.com / 613-220-3819 / jazz@jazzworkscanada.com

Kirk MacDonald : Good morning Claude, good to see you again. The JazzWorks Jazz Camp has been going on for 28 years. I’ve been involved with the Jazz Camp on a few occasions, once before the pandemic and I was back last year and again this year. It’s actually a great hang, a great faculty, the students are fantastic, it’s a real all-around nice vibe, the grounds are beautiful. We always have a great time!

Claude Thibault : As an educator, how do you approach teaching at the JazzWorks Jazz Camp with a such a diverse level of participants ?

Kirk MacDonald : I like be very practical about it. You try to get an idea of what the individual’s needs are. A lot of the teaching is in a group context such as the ensembles. A lot of the Composers’ Symposium and the Camp are also done on a one-on-one basis. In a group setting you’re trying to create a working unit so you need to be mindful of everyone’s level and contribution and what you can do in that situation. It’s very challenging, but it’s also fun. I’ve found that with adult learners, they’re so keen to learn things and their time is limited so they’re very open and really great to work with. It’s very different from all of the teaching that I’ve done because of the time they have. A lot of it is to provide positive input and have fun with it

Claude Thibault : What’s your greatest satisfaction in teaching at a Jazz Camp ?

Kirk MacDonald : I always enjoy watching the campers’ final performance that ends the event. I’m there for the whole week, the Jazz Camp itself is three days long so I’m there for the Composers’ Symposium and Practice Retreat as well. I get to see their work over a longer period and see their progress from beginning to end. With the Composers’ Symposium many of the students like to write their music so we work one-on-one of their compositions with suggestions and read-through sessions with the Faculty performing their compositions. Often the students will perform their compositions with their own ensembles. It’s nice to see the energy and the passion because it’s a limited opportunity that the campers have to devote themselves to their music full-time. It’s great to see the progress and the attitude. It’s very rewarding.

Claude Thibault : What would you say to potentiel participants that might be intimitated to jump in ?

Kirk MacDonald : So it’s about finding a community of like-minded people where you can grow together and share your ideas. There’s a lot more people that you can share with than one might think. It’s interesting to be able to talk to someone who’s going thru a similar kind of challenges. There’s a real sense of community with the campers and the faculty. It’s very laid back non-threatening environnment. And it’s just fun for everyone. A great opportunity to immerse youself in music 24/7.

Claude Thibault : With one of your latest project Generations (your 15th album) you share your love of standards and ballads with three generations of jazz from Harold Mabern on the piano to your daughter Virginia (23) on clarinet with you and Neil Swainson (bass) as well as André White (drums)…

Kirk MacDonald : Generations was done in 2018, a quartet album which is a follow-up to Vista Obscura (Juno in 2015) a couple of years prior with Harold Mabern, Andre White and Neil Swainson. We’d done quite a bit of work and touring with that group in Canada and playing at the Lincoln Center as well. I wanted to do another recording of ballads with that group and we had my daughter as a guest on a few pieces. I’ve also since then recorded Trane of Thought which was a live recording at The Rex with Pat Labarbera – which was nominated for a Juno as well. The latest recording I was involved with is Septology with the Canadian Jazz Collective, so we’ve toured Europe twice with that group as well as a Canadian tour recently.

Claude Thibault : If you had the chance to play with a musician an artist, dead or alive who would it be & why ?

Kirk MacDonald : That’s a tough question. It sort of insinuates that you don’t get to work with musicians that you love and enjoy working with and I’ve certainly been fortunate that way. I suppose someone like Herbie Hancock or Mcoy Tyner would be somebody that would be great to work with to get a feeling of what people like John Coltrane had happening behind him, or Miles. But you know I’ve had the opportunity to work with great piano players such as Kenny Baron, Harold Mabern, Brian Dickinson, John Taylor and different people like that. I did a festival many years with Walter Bishop and that was really something. This guy worked with Bird for many years so of course he’s going to know what to play behind me. I remember doing a Faculty concert at Humber College with Jack DeJohnette and Pat LaBarbara and I loved the way he played with time and how big the beat wa. We all come up on our own time.

Claude Thibault : If you had one last thing you’d like to say to our readers about the JazzWorks Jazz Camp that we haven’t already said what would it be ?

Kirk MacDonald : It’s unique in the sense it originated in Ottawa with Judith Humenick who has been involved as the producer for many many years. She runs a great organisation (JazzWorks) and surrounds herself with great people. So she’s put together and international faculty with Adrian Vedady as the artistic director with teachers from Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Great musicians and great educators…and great people! Everyone teaching there is very passionnate about education, performing and composing. So it’s a nice hang, a really great very positive vibe and a world-class faculty. All the faculty typically run their own ensembles and do a masterclass in their area of expertise.