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notes
on my
music (part 1)
the concept
that i employ in my music is to consider each performer as a complete
unit with each having his or her own center from which each performs
independently of any other, and with this respect of autonomy
the independent center of the improvisation is continuously changing
depending upon the force created by individual centers at any
instance from any of the units. the idea is that each improviser
creates as an element of the whole, only responding to that which
he is creating within himself instead of responding to the total
creative energy of the different units. this attitude frees the
sound-rhythm elements in an improvisation from being realized
through dependent re-action. this is the fundamental principle
underlining my music, in that it extends into all the source-areas
of music-making, i.e. each single rhythm-sound, or a series of
sound-rhythm is a complete improvisation. in other words, each
element is autonomous in its relationship in the improvisation.
therefore, there is no intent towards time as a period of development.
rather, time is employed as an element of space: space that is
determined between the distance of two sound-rhythms (here the
reference to rhythm is in reference to its absoluteness: the sum
of the elements and the placement of them) and space/silence that
is the absence of audible sound-rhythm (just as each sound-rhythm
is considered an autonomous element in an improvisation, so, too,
must space and space/silence be considered; and when space and
space/silence are really-realized, then we will know so well how
to perceive and appreciate their uniqueness each time they appear,
as easily as we perceive and appreciate the uniqueness of each
sound-rhythm): i seek another dimension in music.
the forms that i use in my music other than some of the traditional
or contemporary forms are EeLO'jsZ and afmie. EeLO'jsz is an ensemble-orchestra,form
for improvisers, and simply refers to the grouping together of
more than one orchestra, more than one ensemble, or several orchestras
with one or more ensembles in such a way as to preserve the autonomy
of each improviser within a group, each group within the orchestra,
and each improviser within the unit total. afmie is an art-dance-music
form, where the music and dance elements rely upon improvisation
for deliverance.
the dance is scored as sound-rhythm movement, and the symbols
used for both musician and dancer are the same. here, too, the
movements for the dance are in the the same relationship to each
other and to the sound-rhythms as was outlined earlier for the
music alone (i.e. autonomous). so, the elements of the dance as
well as of the music are conceived without past or future.
i am an improviser, and my music is for the improviser. in most
cases, my improvisations are conceived for multi-instrumentalists,
i.e. for those who approach all of their instruments as one complete
instrument, who perform on all of their instruments as if they
were only one instrument. the attitude of the multi-instrumentalist
should be the same as one who performs on only one instrument.
this concept of all instruments as component parts of the total
instrument offers the improviser a world of sound-rhythm as diverse
as the many different component parts of the instrument.
n
o
t
e
s
(part 2)
the
wonder and gorgeousness of nature -
i've
heard the sounds of the crickets, the birds, the whirling about
and clinging of the wind, the floating waves ' and clashing of
water against rocks, the love of thunder and beauty that prevails
during and after the lightening - the - toiling of souls throughout
the world in suffering - the moments of realization, of oneness,
of realness in all of these make and contribute to the wholeness
of my music - the sound- rhythm beyond - beyond - is what i'm
after through this precious and glorious art of the black man
- this improvisational music that i see, that i feel, that bursts
all about us in this world, that's conveyed to us from the many
different other worlds and that's held intact through our minds
from the universe - these are life sources that bring forth love
through the creative ability of all man - these are the sources
that spur, that prompt the nowness, right-nowness,totality of
the improviser, the creative improviser - our music is so personal
(the improviser's) that it takes in the natural world of all,
the universal principles of all when created through the cosmic
powers of the all, and this personalness as contributed by man
are, too, of the source of the universal mind of all is interpreted
by the man and therefore the creations of man cannot be universal
- only cosmic creations are universal, as a mountain or valley
or rivers and planets - i, a black man, a creative improviser,
strive, through my improvisations and as an improviser to pay
homage to the black, the blackness of a people, and that these
creations themselves are for all, and the natural laws that are
prevailing under these creations are relative as they are interpreted
or perceived by beings of other peoples and thus they must extract
what is of universality for themselves to each and every individual,
but on the level and in the expression that is clothed in the
garment of improvisation, and i contend that only the principles
underlying these creations are universal to my people - i spoke
earlier about the crickets and the rhythm of the little tadpole
that floats about in a little pond, or the rhythm of the waves
and wind, or in one's life, the wholeness of sound-rhythm, of
all that is created cosmically and all that one interprets (cultural)
as beings on earth - these are the things that set in motion my
thoughts,unfolds the heritage, my heritage. which/ from the (u.s.)
north america to those ancient lands of africa and this present
day modern africa - that is the lineage of my music - that is
a part of the creative music of the improvisers - i humbly strive
to create and document my music through this line of heritage
with every conscious effort and action i feel the urge that is
stronger than any other force a kinship, a realness, and realizing
such, a heritage - and it is through this heritage that i find
the most vital and creative energy for me as a person.
it
is what makes my life complete with all its suffering and all
of its pleasures and all that makes life life.
the speaking of the spirits, the essence of the spirit, the realness
of the creation, spirit-drum - i feel is the essence of essence
of improvisation.here i speak not of the drum physically or anatomically,
but the spirit-drum (rhythm).
in the orchestral music of improvisation one can feel and know
the presence of this spirit-drum. rhythm. rhythm propels the sounds
that are unseparated from rhythm, and rhythm unseparated from
sound but the attitude is the spirit- drumrhythm - as i stated
in part one(note son my music) i tried to show the relationship
in a philosophical sense how the set-ups and the principles underlining
the sound-rhythm that takes place in my music and the consideration
of space as also rhythm-sound that is incorporated - when rightly
seen and felt these principles introduce a totally personal world
that is in itself the spirit-drum - rhythm - rhythm -.
"rhythm,
according to many africans, existed at the beginning of time and
was often thought to be the absolute creator of the worlds and
their inhabitants - it is therefore the very essence of the universe,
the hidden fluid that runs through all beings - human, animal
and vegetable - the magical point of contact and of participation,
of man with nature" - i hold this to be the highest in essence
in consideration of improvisation.
other
notes part 3
(the equality of all in struments and a few notes on a sound recording,
creative music-1 --- and other thoughts)
part
3 deals specifically with the fallacy that if the drum is not
present then it is not black music (creative music); with the
sound recording, creative music-1,
which consists of 6 solo improvisations; and with the sound
recording form. first a few misconceptions must be cleared up
about the function of certain instruments in creative music. i'm
specifically referring to the statements and attitudes of reasoning
that hold that the drum is the center of black music. it is not
the element but the spirit that is: rhythm. in other words, it
is not the center as all evolves out of (as explained in part
2, the spirit-drum) but the center in the sense of the dominant-the
controlling factor in the music. this is a misconcepti on as was
with the trumpet and saxophone. critics have applied narrow concepts
to this improvisational music so that they could easily write
about and define it and dictate what is the essence of black music-creative
music. the percussion, brasses, strings and any other beaten,
plucked or wind blown instruments in improvisational music are
equal --- they are all equal in the creation of music, although
the improvisers seem not to understand this and continue to roll
along with the critics-ideal of himself and creative music. so
the "front-line" dictates and controls what's happening
or feels that they are the only creative ones along with the drummer
(or "solo" and "rhythm section"): and the
drummer propels the "solo" in their creations, or so
says the critics. (one has to only take note of the unfairness
in the documented evidence of creative music. here one can find
that only saxophones, trumpets, pianos, and occasionally other
instruments have been endowed with the honor of being "leaders"
and thus most of the contributions to different periods of development
in creative music have always been attributed to one individual,
and never more than one at one time --- highly unbalanced procedure.)
i refer all those who hold these types of views to the continent
of africa to consider the great master improvisers there in ancient
and modern times. in this great music of our heritage, any instrument,
including the voice, is performed (improvised) in solo (i.e. without
accompaniment of drums). in fact if one has noticed, in african
classical art music there is a string music, a percussion music,
a vocal music, and different music of wind instruments (ivory
trumpets, for example). no matter what size the ensembles are,
all the instruments are given equal importance, and with that
equal importance they are given their autonomy in relationship
to time (no unison in time). regarding the orchestras, the same
principles hold true. and to come straight across, or into the
lands of north america we'll find in the early orchestra and ensemble
music of the african-american, the many flourishing-lines of equal
independence (importance). one has only to look to fine recorded
examples of early ensemble music to realize what i'm saying. for
example, louis armstrong and the hot five ensemble. they recorded
in chicago during a span of time that ran from november 12, 1925
through july, 1926. now, on none of the sound recorded during
that period was there a drum used (allegedly, one of the reasons
was because they couldn't record the drums, but what i'm talking
about is the actual documented fact of master music without drums,
regardless of the circumstances ). although, hear me clear, i'm
not saying that the spirit-essence of the drum is not there. i'm
saying that all of the instruments are equally important, and
hold equal, no matter what setting the music is performed in.
now to go to further proof of what i'm talking about, consider
"weatherbird". this improvisation was recorded in 1928
and performed by only two improvisers: louis armstrong and earl
hines. now this duo music, as you will have noticed if you've
ever heard it, does not have drums, but the spirit-essence of
the drums is there. the point that i'm trying to make is that
when listening, if you listen to an orchestra, ensemble, or a
solo, listen seriously to that only. do not listen with some strange
outer third ear for something that's not there. in other words,
if a solo improvisation is taking place, do not suppose in your
mind that you are hearing a solo and plus. that is absolutely
an unintelligent approach to music. so i simply say: hear what
you are hearing when you are hearing and you will never have illusions
of what it is that you are hearing.
© 1997-2010 Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith
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