Versatility is the Name of the Game

By MIKE DEASE

Mike Dease (Photo by Noah Kalina)

Chrome wheels, vibrato, and cherries all have one thing in common. They are often the fine nuances that make a good product become exemplary. Jazz musicians rely upon such devices to add sensuality to their sound, to make it become another "voice" on a par with their vocal cords. Classically trained trombonists Nick Hagen and Marques Young demonstrated this understanding of the jazz idiom during a four-hour recording session of demanding original jazz arrangements. While Hagen and Young were the relative newcomers to the genre, this collaboration proved to be insightful for me and everyone else involved. I was particularly impressed by the similarities between these classical and jazz musicians. The individual focus and concentration on the group sound was nearly identical, allowing the intonation, blend, and improvisation to flow more easily than it might have otherwise. More fundamental qualities, such as promptness, preparedness, and demeanor, were all very positive. The stereotypes of the unreliable "jazzer" and the inflexible "legit" player are fading quickly. Versatility is the key to getting and keeping work in today's musical trenches. One specific aspect of classical players that I admire is their attention to a daily routine. For some jazz musicians, it is difficult to devote 45 minutes to an hour a day towards a specific order of maintenance exercises. But I am convinced of their necessity every time I hear a student of Joe Alessi practicing on the fourth floor. The depth of Hagen's and Young's Alessi-like sonority set a strong foundation for the trombone quartet Dease Bones that helped to propel Marshall Gilkes's and my sound up and over the rhythm section. This concept, and the unique talents of this collaborative group, aided us in achieving a singular sound—not entirely mainstream, but hopefully one worth remembering. Dease Bones has won the 2006 International Trombone Association's Kai Winding Competition and the 2006 Eastern Trombone Workshop's Jazz Ensemble Competition.

Trombonist Mike Dease is a master's degree candidate in jazz.