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Great jazz had to start somewhere: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk. For those looking to improve locally, the Milwaukee Jazz Institute is offering programming from his 2020. Students have access to courses such as online workshops, face-to-face ensembles, and jazz jams.
The home of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute or “MJI” is the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts in Riverwest. Jazz pianist Mark Davis, founder and artistic director of MJI, says the Jazz Gallery has a rich history. “In the late ’70s and early ’80s, this was a very dynamic jazz club,” he recalls Davis. “And so many great jazz musicians have played here: Dexter Gordon, Sarah Vaughan, Chet Baker, Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis. I played it.”
Courtesy of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute
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The Jazz Gallery continues as a community art space featuring local artists in a gallery setting. Davis says MJI has partnered with them. “And we take advantage of this space. It’s a beautiful place to rehearse and perform.” It points to a black and white checkered floor stage with rooms. “We have an ensemble here,” he says. “Of which he has eight. Four youth ensembles and he four adult ensembles meet each week.”
MJI was founded in late 2019 and attained non-profit status in February 2020. But he says the faculty has been playing and teaching jazz for decades.
Initially, due to the pandemic, MJI launched a number of online workshops. Some were about music history, listening and technique. “We suddenly realized that we were bringing people together not only from Milwaukee, but from all over the country and around the world,” he explains Davis. “So for those of us who are just starting out in the organization, it was actually quite exciting to realize that it could have such a far-reaching impact.”
With a weekly ensemble at the Jazz Gallery, MJI has started what it calls a “Jazz Circle”.
“Anytime you see a ‘Jazz Circle’ offered by MJI, it means it’s free and open to the public,” says Davis. “Some of them are online. Paul Silvergreat, one of our faculty members and guitarist of Incredible Jazz, is an expert in the history of jazz, different artists, [for instance, on] How can I find out more about what these artists improvise? We also offer classes in jazz theory. Most of MJI’s courses are about eight weeks long and he takes one hour a week.
The organization also hosts free jam sessions open to the public on the second Monday of each month at 8:30 pm at the Jazz Gallery.
“When people come up to me and think about getting into jazz or MJI, I often say to them, ‘Hey, come to the jam session,'” says Davis. “It gives you the opportunity to listen to musicians of different levels, different ages and different backgrounds and hear what they are doing. , you will begin to learn songs that are often played by jazz musicians.”
He says that as people become more familiar with the songs and tunes that are played at jazz jams, they begin to better understand what happens when someone improvises.
“We create different combinations of musicians and they go on stage and call out a song that everyone knows. And off they go,” Davis says. “It could be a professional musician who’s been playing for decades with high school students who are just starting to understand this music. And it’s he one of the ways people learn about it.”
Courtesy of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute
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MJI has 14 teachers and can also offer private lessons online or in person. MJI allows instructors to coordinate individually with students. The organization has also provided performances with world-renowned artists such as Brian Lynch, Benny Benac and Camille Thurman.
Davis emphasizes that there are many different types of jazz and different approaches, from straight-ahead bebop to Latin jazz to modern funk-like sounds. Musically, learning to play jazz involves understanding theory and knowing what to play when improvising, rather than simply reading notes on a page.
“Even my piano students find that when they start learning jazz, they have a whole new perspective on music,” Davis says. “If they’re classical pianists, they start analyzing the Chopin they’re playing. And they start figuring out what the chords and progressions are. It is also an excellent foundation for those who want to learn it, as it is the basis for the harmonies, rhythms and melodies of many styles of music.”
Davis emphasizes that jazz originated as black music in America and is a fabric not only of American music, but of that culture as well. “This is a form of cultural art,” he says. “And I think we can connect people from all walks of life, all ages, all backgrounds.”
People can subscribe to MJI’s website to get regular updates or follow MJI on Instagram and Facebook.
Courtesy of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute
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