"Fourplay" Is The Only Musical Group In History To Be Recognized By The United States Congress
Nathan East has received a Congressional Record from the United States Congress, House of Representatives recognizing him as a distinguished member of the music industry. Also honored with a Congressional Record was the jazz supergroup, Fourplay, of which Nathan is a founding member. The award was presented by A. Robert Brown, Sr., Advisor to Congressman Ed Towns of New York during Fourplay's performance on 25 March 2007 in Philadelphia. Fourplay is the only group in history to be recognized by Congress.
When speaking before the House, Congressman Towns opened his remarks with: "Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the renowned jazz musician, Nathan East, a distinguished member of the music industry. It behooves us to pay tribute to this outstanding artist and I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his impressive accomplishments." After entering Nathan's biography and musical accomplishments into the record, the Congressman concluded: "Mr. Speaker, I believe that it is incumbent on this body to recognize the accomplishments of Nathan East, as he offers his talents and services for the betterment of our local and global communities. Mr. Speaker, Nathan East's selfless service has continuously demonstrated a level of altruistic dedication that makes him most worthy of our recognition today."
Well there you have it. In the hotly contested struggle to be The First African-American Studio Professional Electric Bass Player To Be Recognized By Congress, Nathan East has clearly beaten Stanley Clarke, James Jamerson, my man Sekou Bunch, and my future fourth wife, Marta Altesa. Who is not African-American. I just wanted to mention her.
I don't know if Nathan East is the jazz musician who should be singled out above all others for an entry into the Congressional Record, but I think he is right up there with Jimmy Haslip, Neil Stubenhaus, David B. Washington, and Freddie Washington. Those four fellows, of course, are the players who backed Anita Baker on the various tracks of the "Rapture" album. Mr. East played on "Compositions" and for part of "My Everything", and Mr. Bunch played on my sentimental favorite, "Giving You The Best That I Got", which makes Anita Baker kind of the Yardbirds of R&B slap bass.
Anyway, it wasn't just Mr. East who made it into the CR. The band Fourplay did as well. I will unashamedly admit that I think the band's "Ritenour Era" records --- "Fourplay", "Between The Sheets", and "Elixir" --- are dynamite and I've listened to them hundreds of times. At this point, my brother, if he is reading, will put his head in his hands, because he knows in his heart of hearts that Fourplay is not jazz music. Which leads to two questions, one not very important and one that kind of is:
If Fourplay is not jazz, what is it?
What is jazz, anyway?
I think you could call Fourplay "instrumental R&B" or "smooth jazz" and either would be okay. The interesting thing from my point of view is that "smooth jazz" is a style of music but "jazz" is more of a mindset. The people who know me "in real life" (isn't this real life, too?) know that I have a few phrases that I like to repeat over and over again:
"Romance requires an obstacle, eroticism requires a trespass." (I made that up.)
"It's the exception that proves the rule." (I don't know who made that up.)
"Same old nuts is making bucks while these sluts is getting fucked." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QufAIYg8__8)
Another one is: "The first guy to hang a blank canvas in a gallery was an artist, the second guy to do it was an idiot." My point is that I believe that "art" has to have a critical or contemplative or innovative component to it. Unless art makes you think about the human condition for a minute --- unless it puts a new thought in your mind or forces you to re-examine thoughts you've already had, or advances the "state of the art" in some way --- it's not art, it's craft.
Example. I had a friend who used to splash different fun pastel colors of paint on clear-coated plywood. It was really neat-looking stuff but I always shuddered a bit when he talked about his "art" or referred to himself as an "artist". I called him a "painter", the same way I think of myself as a "guitarist" and "singer" but not really a "musician". I admired what he did and it was very pleasant-looking but I'd consider Jenny Holzer and her ridiculous words-on-a-canvas more "art" than what he did even though there is much less skill required to make this:
I'd suggest that art really should have a subversive component, but we haven't had anything that was genuinely subversive in the art world for a very long time. "Piss Christ" would have been subversive had it been done in the year 1450, but other than that the art world in the twentieth and twenty-first century has mostly provided tame tingles for elderly Manhattanites looking to scandalize their long-dead parents. If you doubt me, then ask yourself why Jeff Koons is rich and Banksy isn't in jail.
Back to jazz. I'm not the music student in the family but I'd suggest that in order to "be jazz", music needs to be improvisational and forward-thinking. Look at Miles Davis for the prototype here: "Well, I changed music five or six times, so I guess that's what I've done and I guess I don't believe in playing just white compositions." You knew that Miles was the real deal when he pissed people off and just kept doing it until he died. He could have have screeched to a halt in 1964 or whatever and then just played that music for the rest of his life and there would have been no limit to the fame, fortune, and money he could have had. But he wanted to do more than that. The irony is that when Congress got around to recognizing him, they limited the recognition to Kind of Blue and then they ossified it with a retro party.
Jazz, like art, is at its most vital and interesting when it pushes boundaries, when it makes listeners uncomfortable, when it provides something that is genuinely new. Jazz is more than big-band or hard-bop or Mahavishnu-fusion, though it has been all of those things and it will be other things in the future. It's the joy of trying something different for the sake of exploration, whether it succeeds or fails. It's the unique assertion of the privilege of the musician over the privilege of the audience, a power dynamic about which you could write a hundred books. It's turning inward in search of greatness. It's Melville slaving over the White Whale.
Or... I could be totally wrong. Jazz could be about playing good music with stellar chops and impeccable timing. It could be about working very hard to create music that is very thoroughly realized for an audience that finds it remarkably satisfying. It could be about enjoying the moment and going through the tunes and connecting with the people live or through media. It could just be about fun. If that's the case, then I'd suggest you check out those first three Fourplay records; you might come to the conclusion that Congress made the right choice.