Speaking highly of Jazz Speak
Jazz Speak
Published: September 2002 - Fly Magazine
Story: Peter Baker
When it comes to music, which I listen to, my tastes tend to run toward the sincere, the experimental, the sincerely experimental, or experimentally sincere.
These qualifications eliminate such masterpieces as Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and Limp Bizkit's "Nookie" from my personal musical canon. However, songs such as "The Thong Song" and the "Super Bowl Shuffle" make the grade. Confused? So am I.
I consider myself a jazz fan, which means I have heard at least one jazz album outside of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue - or perhaps even own a few. Sometimes I drink coffee. In some circles, this would make me a damn dirty beatnik, which I hope is what you consider me. With an ever-shrinking market share and a virtual sliver of America's music attention span, jazz can now be considered fringe - too highbrow for the bulk of mainstream listeners. Funny, when you think back to the earliest days of jazz, when it was condemned as "race" music and responsible for all the moral deviance and substance abuse that makes the drunken literature of the era so highly entertaining.
I measure jazz with a measuring stick similar to the one I apply to popular music. Is it sincere? Is the band going through the motions or are they really feeling it? Failing those things, is it at least creative or experimental? Jazz Speak bravely took the Pepsi Challenge. This fine jazz quartet from Lancaster makes the grade in a variety of ways with sharp arrangements, expert chops, and knowledge of jazz tradition that forms a foundation upon which they expand and experiment musically.
Led by drummer Brock Woerner, Jazz Speak has existed in various forms since its inception in September 2000, but settled this summer on the four-man lineup of Gary Wentzel on guitar, Mike Wittrien on upright bass, Ryan Kaufman on saxophone and flute, and Woerner on percussion. A typical set from Jazz Speak features a mix of original compositions and reinterpretations of traditional standards by the likes of John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and others. Based in tradition but not confined by the limitations of any specific jazz sub-genre, Jazz Speak explores and experiments with instrumentation and rhythm to make any piece wholly their own. "We listen to and know all different kinds of music," Woerner says, "and bring that into what we play as a group. It allows the band to grow and remain interesting."
This past winter, Woerner opened the Lancaster Musical Education Center at 134 East Walnut Street, Lancaster, offering private music lessons to students of all ages. Woerner and other on-premises instructors offer lessons on a variety of instruments. "We like to keep it relaxed, and help people enjoy learning at any ability level," he says.
Jazz Speak has performed recently at the Bethlehem Music Fest and the Berks Jazz Fest, and regularly plays smaller gigs at clubs and parties throughout Central Pa. On Wednesday nights, Woerner coordinates the weekly jazz jam at Cherry Jubilee in downtown Lancaster, where an ever-changing lineup of musicians get together to perform a set of largely improvisational music. Last month, he began doing the same thing on Thursdays, except the musical emphasis became blues, rock, and funk. I watched Jazz Speak perform at Cherry Jubilee. The intimate setting and lighting contributed greatly to the group's sound - often smooth and mellow, yet up-tempo and snappy at other times. Dressed in dark suits, the members of Jazz Speak look the part of latter-day jazz men. Would it work just as well if they rocked cargo shorts and American Eagle graphic tees? Probably not. I imagine that would be pretty disconcerting. But I'm not the guy in the jazz group. They are, and it's up to them to decide how to dress.
But enough of that. Let it be known from the start: Jazz Speak plays music for people who really like music, not for people who want to hoist a domestic beer and say "Wooooooooooo!" while the band plays "Whipping Post." Woerner says, "I like to be right up front for people to listen to, not stuck as background music."
They opened their set with the "Porgy & Bess" standard, "Summertime." A composition like this, you may think, has been done to death and offers little else for even the most talented combo to flesh out and make their own. Jazz Speak, however, takes advantage of the intimate performance space and makes the number full and warm. The group seemed to start a little slow, establishing their places in the mix, but eventually each member found his niche by around the third song and things went much more smoothly.
Gary Wentzel's guitar playing is a revelation. Smooth licks and a bright clear tone fill out the sound and complement the bass and woodwinds perfectly. A lifelong musician, Wentzel has done a lot of freelancing in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and met Woerner at a music jam. He has played "every kind of music you can think of," and got into jazz about 20 years ago. "I like the freedom of jazz," Wentzel explains. "It's in the moment." For the standards that Jazz Speak plays, Wentzel will often transcribe the horn and piano parts that already exist, write his own charts, and reinterpret them on his guitar.
Like all great jazz musicians, the members of Jazz Speak learn to communicate musically - in ways that are indistinguishable to the casual listener (such as myself), but nonetheless speak volumes to each other. Each musician seamlessly steps aside to allow his bandmates a short solo and then the parts integrate back together again. Their licks and fills give the listener exactly what he wants but do not fall into the often self-indulgent Battle of the Soloing Jazz Men. Good jazz is highly stimulating music, on an intellectual and visceral level, and theirs keeps the audience's interest rather than meandering into Grateful Dead 20-minute solo territory. Jazz Speak does their best to draw from every type of music, taking inspiration but remaining relevant as musicians. "When I hear someone play," Kaufman says, "I hear their roots, but I also like to hear them take things to the next level ... We could just play hard bop, but that won't take us where we want to go." Kaufman's solos, sometimes hesitant, are always appropriate. After attending college in Virginia, Kaufman came to Pennsylvania. In addition to playing Jazz Speak, he gives music lessons privately and on the collegiate level.
Upright bass player Mike Wittrien is the youngest member of the group, but definitely has the chops to perform. "I feel sometimes like I have the most to prove," he says. His playing is nimble and creative.
According to Wittrien, band chemistry has been good so far: "There's a lot of good-natured ribbing in the good groups. Everyone's really educated and confident ... we mostly think on the same level." Woerner hopes to spread the word of Jazz Speak beyond Pennsylvania. They aspire to be part of a local jazz scene, but according to Woerner, "We also want to go outside the area." Their Web site, www.jazzspeak.com, has received hits from around the world, and word-of-mouth is also contributing to increased gigs for the group. With continued work, Jazz Speak will likely continue to play as a cohesive unit and turn jazzheads on wherever they play. Check them out - you have to listen.