5x5 Five Minutes, Five Questions Aaron Goldberg & Ali Paris

Ali Paris
Ali Paris

"The Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society is not a politically affiliated organization," says Robert Ginsburg, its executive director. "Our mission is to present, preserve, promote and celebrate the art of jazz."

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COURTESY PHOTO

Aaron Goldberg is one of the world’s top jazz pianists and a frequent collaborator with such artists as Joshua Redman, Madeleine Peyroux as well as Wynton Marsalis Quartet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

But Ginsburg did choose to present a uniquely political moment in jazz, inviting Ali Paris, from Palestine, and Aaron Goldberg, an American of Jewish descent, to perform together in Fayetteville.

FAQ

KUAF Summer Jazz:

Aaron Goldberg & Ali Paris

WHEN — 3 p.m. Sunday

WHERE — The Jones Center in Springdale

COST — $10-$25

INFO — digjazz.com

BONUS — Goldberg and Paris will meet for a Creative Conversation at 6 p.m. Monday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Fayetteville. Admission is free.

"Jazz music by its very nature and history is an artform that arose as the result of a unique combination of influences that include slavery, European migration, cross-pollination of cultures and the melting pot of America," Ginsburg says. "At its very core, jazz is an improvisational music, and the art of improvisation embodies a higher form of communication, trust, openness and empathy.

"Aaron and Ali are a singular manifestation of the communicative power of creating improvised music, even when the players' backgrounds must span political, economic and cultural bridges. These two artists represent both the history and the future of jazz as an expression of tradition bound to continuous innovation."

Both Goldberg and Paris answered these five questions for What's Up!

Q. How did you two meet? And what was your initial reaction to your polar opposite backgrounds?

Goldberg: Ali and I met in Toronto at a double bill of jazz bands. ... Ali struck me immediately as a fantastically unique talent, a beautiful musician. I think we share quite a few personal and musical qualities despite our different backgrounds.

Paris: I didn't really focus on the background part as much as his musical genius and wonderful improvisations., and was very happy to meet him and speak about everything from music to politics to relationships and all.

Q. How does your ethnicity shape who you are? And how does it shape your music?

Paris: Being Palestinian brings lots of emotional expression to my music. It gives me a purpose to travel the world and share more and find resolution for conflicts, political or cultural.

Goldberg: Being Jewish doesn't shape my music directly. However it's very possible that in some sense being Jewish attracted me to jazz as an African-American art form and therefore as a product of a minority American experience, as well as a triumphant and transcendent response to oppression.

Q. What kind of emotional experience does playing together bring to you?

Goldberg: Ali has a unique and very powerful voice and his instrument (the qanun) is a deeply-rooted instrument in the history of Islamic music. Furthermore, his ability to hear, sing and play microtonally (notes between the keys of a piano) combined with his jazz education and improvisatory skills make his palette of sounds and possibilities unusually rich. He is an artist of great beauty and also great flexibility, meaning there are nearly infinite possibilities for conversation. Therefore playing together always both challenges and moves me.

Paris: I Love Aaron's musicality and spirit, and I would play music with him forever.

Q. How does music create a dialogue among players and listeners? Are you conscious of that dialogue as you perform?

Goldberg: The first and most important dialogue is between players, particularly in an improvisational context. Jazz musicians converse in the language of music. We have no script, rather we talk, 'on topic', we tell each other stories and compose spontaneous tales together. If we are good at what we do, we engage the audience, draw the listeners into our conversation, take them on a journey with us, make them want to be a part of the conversation and at minimum 'listen in' on what we are up to ... hopefully transporting them out of their everyday thoughts and experiences into a beautiful unknown world.

Q. What do you hope audiences learn from your Creative Conversation?

Paris: Art and love is the only way to connect. Communication is also very important to understand about each other. Fear is the opposite of love, and sometimes it's better to say 'I'm hurt' than be angry to create a path towards resolution.

-- Becca Martin-Brown

[email protected]

NAN What's Up on 09/23/2016

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